How to bounce back from a redundancy

Unfortunately, as the end of job keeper comes into play, it is the harsh reality that more job losses could be on the horizon off the back of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Whilst on the one hand we are as busy as ever working with clients that are actively expanding their team, we know it is an incredibly difficult time to be without a job.

Our lead consultant Lara, from the Stopgap UK office, has shared some great advice on what to do if you are made redundant and how to bounce back, which we've repurposed for our Australian candidates.

You're Not Alone

It’s not out of the ordinary to have feelings of failure and question your talent and ability – but don’t. Being made redundant doesn’t mean that you are bad at your job or a poor employee. It’s something that the majority of people will go through at some point in their life.

Unfortunately, during an unprecedented pandemic and following recession, it’s common. You aren’t alone and you shouldn’t have any feelings of failure or rejection.

Take time out

In the midst of this, it’s easy to panic. The first instinct is to rush into the search for a new job right away – but my advice would be, don’t. Not without taking a couple of days or weeks to process your emotions and thoughts. Dealing with these earlier will help you navigate these stressful, unsettling times.

Manage your money

Your financial circumstances are sure to be the immediate worry for most people – so take a long, hard look at your finances and work out what you can do, this will be key to relieving some of the stress. Setting yourself strict weekly budgets, and prioritizing your essentials will give you a solid foundation to focus on job hunting.

Utilise all support

Following on from the above, if you need to utilise state benefits, do it.  You've been paying your taxes over the years for this exact reason.  There are also a myriad of sources of advice and information out there – services Australia for example has a range of great resources to help manage debt and ways to find free financial advice.

Form your plan

Maximise this opportunity to reflect and understand what you want for your future. You might decide that your last role was ideal and you want something similar – for others it might be a chance to completely change their career. If this is the case, assess what you need to upskill on, and how to go about doing this.

Look after yourself

The most important point of them all – and one which will help you finding your next role more than any of the others. If you need to speak to someone about your mental health, then do it. There are plenty of services such as the mental health line and employment plus from the Salvation army that will listen. Take time out of each day to dedicate to an activity that will make you feel better.

Start the search

Make sure your ready before you start your search for a new opportunity. You need to be in the right frame of mind to embark on your job hunt. Utilising your network and signing up with 2-3 recruitment agencies in your specialist area will get the ball rolling – couple this with a daily routine of checking job boards for a hour or so. It’s important to stick to this routine, as spending all day job hunting will soon wear you down if you don’t have any immediate success.

If you have recently been made redundant and are ready to explore some new opportunities in the Marketing, Advertising, Digital, Creative or E-Commerce space, we’d love to hear from you!