A quick guide to coping with redundancy

Going through a redundancy is one of the most stressful things a family can face together. It brings some enormous changes and requires a great deal of teamwork for a family to pull through it together, instead of being torn apart. But there is a bright side to redundancy, as it brings the perfect opportunity for a family to make drastic changes, reach powerful decisions and explore options that may never have been considered in less extreme circumstances.

Unemployment figures are predicted to rise throughout 2009 and possibly until the end of 2010; for many families the possibility of facing a redundancy is fast becoming a reality. Looking at such figures is enough to bring despair to many people, yet amid it all there are the success stories – people who deal with redundancy from a positive perspective and demonstrate that it doesn’t have to be a devastating blow to a family. With the proper guidance and a strong support network, a redundancy can be the opportunity of a lifetime, allowing you to shake off the shackles of a ‘career’ and take your life in a positive, new direction.

Take one step at a time
One of the first steps a family needs to take when dealing with a redundancy is rebuilding a positive attitude. New employers are never going to be attracted by a negative demeanor and surviving the sometimes grueling application and interview process as you hunt for a new job in a tough market is absolutely going to need energy and confidence. The flip side of the high unemployment coin is the fact that there are now more people competing for each position advertised, and to stay in the game you’re going to need to change the way you think and behave, becoming a proactive advocate for yourself and your skills, building a network of contacts and brushing up on the art of self-promotion.

A great place to start is with updating your CV. This simple step is a great morale booster – it’s a positive activity that allows you to feel as though you’re taking an active role in tackling the challenge you’ve been faced with and it gives you a chance to rebuild your confidence in your skills and experience. Everything you’ve done, everything you’re capable of achieving, and all of your skills are right there in front of you in black and white. Take a good look at everything you’ve done so far and take a moment to envision what you are able to do in the future. Enjoy this moment – it’s the culmination of years of hard work and experience and you deserve to dream a little as you decide which direction you’re going to take from here. This is one area where family members can offer support as they help you to decide what courses you may need to take to brush up on certain skills, help you to refine your interview technique, look at services that assist in the creation of effective CVs and cover letters, and even give their opinion about which jobs they think you’d be best suited for. The entire family needs to come together and work as a team – everyone will need to dig deep if the family is going to stay strong and united during this time.

Look at new options
It’s tempting to stick with what you know, the same industry, similar roles, similar organisations. It’s comforting because it’s what you’ve been working on for years, you feel it’s what you do ‘best’, but unless you are passionate about it, why waste this opportunity to take a fresh look at the options available to you? The government runs and funds many training programs specially designed to help people transition through redundancy and re-skilling them for new careers in industries where jobs are available. Have a think about whether you want to spend the rest of your life doing what you’ve always done, or whether it’s time to embrace the chance to try your hand at something new. In a very short time you could be heading to your first day in a great new job doing something you love, instead of slogging your way through the nine-to-five grind of doing what you thought you ‘had’ to. Take the plunge, start a new life and embrace everything that the silver lining of the redundancy cloud has to offer!