Finding a job after redundancy

Coronavirus has left a lot of people without a job. If you’re one of them, you’re probably feeling overwhelmed and wondering what’s next. This might be the first time you’d ever been made redundant, or it could be a hurdle you’re already familiar with. Either way, there is lots of rebuilding to do and it’s tough to know where to start.

There are fewer opportunities out there at the moment and competition is high. To make life even more of a balancing act, you’re likely to be taking on a lot more childcare than usual too.

Whatever life’s throwing at you at the moment, this is how to bounce back and into another role.

Decide what you want to do next

Redundancy is a good time to reflect on what satisfies and challenges you. Your past role might have been a stopgap that ended up lasting for years, or it could be something that wasn’t what it was cracked up to be.

Is it time to retrain? Do you want more responsibility? Are you ready to make a complete career change? Now’s the time to decide. You might not be able to make the jump into a new career immediately, but you can focus your job search and career development on the long-term goals that really matter to you.

Renovate your CV

Dust off your latest draft. When you’re getting ready to apply for new roles it helps to do a complete CV redraft. To look as professional and complete as possible, your CV should follow this basic structure:

● Your contact details
● A profile: Short summary of you as a candidate, your experience and skills
● Core skills
● Previous roles
● Education and qualifications

Reflect on what makes you a great candidate

If you’re feeling stuck or demotivated, write a big list of what you’re good at, your most developed technical and soft skills and your main achievements in previous roles. This will help you to focus on what sells you as a candidate and restore any self-confidence you might have lost since redundancy.

Spot and develop your missing skills

Research the roles you want to apply for and identify what you need to make the cut. Quarantine means shadowing and work experience aren’t practical in most cases, but it’s a brilliant time to access online courses (many are free or really cheap at the moment), develop a portfolio of work or access educational careers events online.

Explore work-from-home options

Currently, any role that involves a computer can be done at home. Freelancing platforms are full of copywriting, design, and business support tasks. If you have the skills you can set up as a freelancer very quickly.

There have always been lots of work-from-home scams out there, but there’s likely to be even more at the moment. Always use verified platforms like workingmums.co.uk and be wary of roles asking for an upfront
payment. A legitimate job offer will never ask you for money.

Search job sites with an open mind

When times are tough, options can be limited. If your current career isn’t satisfying you and it’s time for a change, you might need to work part time while you earn a new qualification before you can actually make the jump into a new role. If you’re in an industry that’s been massively affected by the coronavirus, you’ll need to focus your search on new industries.

Think about your transferable skills and what you could offer a new employer or sector. Administration, business support and many other roles are still needed in lots of different industries.

Even if you feel like options are limited, now isn’t the time to limit yourself. Keep searching with new keywords and read job descriptions carefully. You could be exactly what they’re looking for.

*Andrew Fennell is the founder of CV writing advice website StandOut CV – he is a former recruitment consultant and contributes careers advice to websites like Business Insider, The Guardian and FastCompany.

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