Career Doctor Articles

With the kind permission of the Career Doctor, jfo is able to bring you a series of articles to help you in your work situation and longer term career management

Coping with redundancy

So you have been made redundant, and wondering why me? What do I do now? What about the future? The first thing you need to resolve is whether or not you should take legal action against your employer about your redundancy. Were you unfairly selected for redundancy? Did your employer follow the correct procedures?

In general terms, if you were employed for at least a year, then you have a legal right to lodge a claim for Unfair Dismissal with an Employment Tribunal, if you consider that you were unfairly selected for redundancy or their procedures were unfair. There is more to it than that, but that should be your starting point. If you feel you want to start legal proceedings, find a solicitor who specialises in employment law, and who will give you a half-a-hour consultation, fee-of-charge.

If you do decide to take legal action, your claim must be lodged within three months of redundancy, so you will need to get on with it. But bear in mind that a solicitor will inevitably encourage you to take the legal route if that is a possibility. Such action may not always be in your best long-term interests, however angry you may feel about being made redundant, and however much you want vengeance against your employer.

However, having helped numerous redundant clients over the past 13 years I can say with confidence that legal options are just one point, you also have to have a mind on the future. And, of course, there are always more than one way of skinning a cat, as many of my clients will testify.

Even if you do initiate legal proceedings, you still have to get on with the business of getting a new job, as it may be several months before your case gets to tribunal, and you can’t be certain of the outcome. In any case, would you want your old job back, after all this?

AN EMOTIONAL ROLLER-COASTER

One thing is certain, and that is you will experience a wide range of emotions after being made redundant, and you should be aware of this as it will help you to cope with the trauma and after-effects of losing your job.

Coping with redundancy is tough and almost always a very demoralising experience. Most people find it very difficult to get back into employment and I know of a number of people who have been unemployed a year and more.

You will need someone to talk to; someone to bounce new ideas off; someone who will listen to you and support you. In a perfect world that would be your partner, but sometimes that person has problems of their own, or is not equipped or experienced to offer practical help. Moreover, being redundant can put a strain on most relationships, so be aware of what will happen to you.

Your first reaction to redundancy will probably be shock, followed by anger, followed by a feeling of being scared for the future, as the reality sets in.

After the first stage, most people get over-confident. “Hey, I’m a valuable commodity, employers will see what I have to offer, and will be anxious to snap me up”. They will feel energised and determined and will throw themselves into the search for new employment with vigour and confidence.

After a month or two of rejections, the person starts to feel angry. “What’s the matter with these companies, why can’t they see how good I am?”

Thereafter the person feels demoralised and apathetic about regaining employment, especially when more rejection letters drop through the letter-box, or companies simply fail to reply to your letters

Inevitably after several months of failure, the person starts to feel despair at the length of time out of work, and the resulting financial pressures. What to do now?

So, recognising that there will be huge pressures and see-sawing emotions is a good starting point, as it will help you to rationalise what is happening to you. So now what should you do?

FINANCIAL ADJUSTMENTS

One of the earliest things to do is try to sort out your finances. Easier said than done, of course. If you were lucky to get a good sized redundancy pay-out, you will need to husband that, to make sure it lasts. Avoid buying a new car if you can, and seek professional advice if the money is sufficient to be invested.

In essence you can cut down your outgoings and also try to earn some money. The first thing to consider is your mortgage or rent. Have you got mortgage protection? Can you pay a reduced mortgage payment? Will your landlord accept a reduced rent? Sort this out quickly.

What other outgoings can you reduce or eliminate? Cigarettes and alcohol are obvious things to cut, and what about that holiday you’ve booked? Losing the deposit is better than paying out thousands of pounds on a holiday when every penny counts. Sorry!

What about your car? Sell it, or walk, bicycle or use public transport. Such painful decisions, but these have to be addressed if you want to survive the effects of redundancy

Can you earn any money whilst looking for a new job? After signing on the dole, remember that you must declare any earnings. Sign-on with the local temporary agencies, and look in the small ads for casual employment. What about your partner? Can he or she increase their earning capacity? Do you have a skill you could capitalise upon? Perhaps you could decorate other people’s houses, or tidy up their gardens for a small fee

If things are getting desperate, do you have anything you could sell? How about organising a garage sale, or setting up a stall at the local car boot sale.

Finally, make sure you are getting all the financial help the state provides. Some people are too proud to ask for state help, but take whatever you are entitled to, every penny helps.

BEST USE OF YOUR TIME

Money may be tight, but the one thing you will have in abundance is time. Lots of it. Initially you may feel that some time off to smell the roses will have been well-earned. If you are feeling very stressed about your redundancy, then for some people a holiday would be a good investment emotionally.

Most people just want to throw themselves into the search for a new job, and if so, then I would recommend setting yourself a strict regime whereby you work on your job search from 9.00 am till 1.00 pm, as you would have done were you to have been at work, then take the afternoon off. If you try to work at it all day, believe me you will soon burn out and will quickly spiral down emotionally.

Take some exercise, go for a swim or a walk. Get that bike out, dust it off and go for a cycle ride. Take the dog to the park. Do some decorating or gardening, it may be work of a different nature, but that can be therapeutic.

If you can find some temporary or part-time work, then make sure that does not impinge upon the time you should be devoting to your job search. Work on that in the evening instead of watching TV. Your prime objective is to balance your time with your job searching, so that you are diligent in your search without overdoing it and burning out emotionally.

JOB HUNTING

You may be surprised that I have left this section till almost last. After 13 years as a career consultant the one thing I have learned is that it is better to plan your redundancy activities and finances before you rush into job hunting. The hare and the tortoise. For one thing is certain, and that is being in a redundancy situation can be just the “incentive” to enable you to re-evaluate your career and to think about your future in greater depth than maybe you have up to this point.

Should you continue in the same job as before being made redundant, or is this a golden opportunity to make that career change you have always wanted, but never got round to?

A very high percentage of the redundant people who seek my professional help recognise that they are now in a position to re-evaluate their career and most of them want a career change. Having been an XXX for several years they realise that this may not actually suit them, or offer them the longer term benefits or opportunities they really want.

So the first question you should ask yourself is “do I want to continue in my former career, or do I want a complete change?” This will be the basis on which you do your job hunting so it is a fundamental question. If you are happy in your former career, then go ahead with your job hunting, but if you want a career change, then how do you identify the right career alternative?

In my office I have a motto on the wall which reads: “to be happy you should find a job that is fit for you; rather than a job you think you might be able to fit into” That sums up my approach to career changing. Use the unwelcome opportunity that redundancy has given you to find the right career for you, then look for a job in that new direction.

Changing career is a complete challenge in itself and will be the subject of a later Career Doctor article. In the meanwhile your options are, as ever, do-it-yourself, or seek professional help.

So, for now, what should you be doing to find another job? Spend lots of time on your CV, and make sure it portrays you accurately, completely and entices the reader to select you for an interview. I spend between 6 and 10 hours on average writing a CV for a client, (plus wordprocessing time thereafter) - and I write CVs professionally, most days of the week, so I have very considerable experience to draw upon. If you spend less time than this, you are probably not being serious enough about your job hunting and will wonder why you don’t get interview invites. Your CV will be letting you down and denying you interview opportunities that a better CV would unlock.

Unless you have no wordprocessing skills or a computer, then going to a CV writer and spending a few pounds on what in essence is a wordprocessing service will probably not be the best investment you will ever make. I see the products of these type of services and they are usually a re-type of your own words / CV. Imagination is the key to a professional CV, and a few pounds will not buy much of that.

Now you need to equip yourself to go job-hunting, and one of my previous articles, “The Job Seekers Kitbag” covers this subject in some depth. Briefly you will need a computer, printer, and a plentiful supply of good quality 100 gsm paper, envelopes and stamps.

Now plan a campaign how you will go about your job hunting. What publications should you read, what websites to visit, what to write, and who to send your details to. Visit your local library and read the many career books in the reference section

Lastly, be active. If you are not sending out job hunting letters every day of the week you are not trying hard enough!

GETTING HELP

Every week you are out of work is costing you money. Big money. So you must have some concept at the outset as to how long you can last before your situation gets critical and you will need outside help.

Job clubs run by job centres can be helpful, but many of my clients complain that the general air of despondency and low morale in these clubs has detrimentally affected their own morale, actively switching them off serious job hunting.

So make a decision whether or not to seek help, and who to seek it from. Every week that you waste in procrastination is a week’s lost income.

Many redundant people who come to me often do so when they are first informed of their forthcoming redundancy and begin using our services before their last day of employment. Now they are really serious about getting back to work as quickly as possible!

Good luck!

The Career Doctor is Eric Hearn, Chartered MCIPD and Managing Director of Milverton Career Solutions Ltd, Ascot, Berkshire, UK.

Contact details:
Tel: 01344 624383
Email: milvertoncareers@btconnect.com
Website: www.careerdevelopment.co.uk