Facing retrenchment is amongst the most difficult of scenarios that one may face in life, particularly if you’ve been a loyal, long-time employee of the organization. Although you may be thinking that your employer will call you back the following week, it’s highly unlikely to happen. Instead of wallowing in your sorrow, it’s best to move on and focus all your efforts on finding a new job. Here are some tips on how to face unemployment and successfully get back to work.
Rest and Recuperation
While getting retrenched might bring about feelings of sorrow, helplessness and despair, it also brings a lot of free time for you to recover and discover what you really want in your career.
Take the free time in your stride and improve upon your wellbeing and your skill set by adopting these steps:
- Get back in shape
- Reflect on your past career choices
- Invest in career counselling
- Identify your passions
- Take advantage of training opportunities
- Set realistic expectations
- Formulate a new career plan
- Act on your plan
Above all, remember to take things easy. Being unemployed means that you can have some respite from your working life, so be sure to take advantage of it.
Keep yourself relevant
Whilst you might no longer be a part of the workforce, it is important to keep your skill set updated to ensure that you remain an attractive employee to prospective employers. This is especially important if you’ve been unemployed for an extensive period of time.
Consider the following options that can improve your employment prospects.
#1: Freelancing
Although many unemployed individuals envision getting back to work as quickly as possible, being flexible and considering being a freelance worker might be an excellent alternative. Doing freelance work is an effective way to boost your resume, earn some money and to stay relevant.
#2: Volunteering
Offering your skills and expertise for free can help not only by preventing skills atrophy; it also improves your employment prospects, particularly if the job requires you to use industry-related skills.
#3: Networking
Networking is an effective way to uncover job opportunities, gain industry expertise and have a foot in the door. Start by re-establishing old ties in your network and work towards expanding your network by meeting new people.
With the increasing pervasion of social media as a tool for recruitment, expanding your online networks is vital. You’ll be hard-pressed not to find a job that suits your interests on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Remain positive
Regardless of how difficult your retrenchment experience might have been, it is of utmost importance to remain positive and focused on your future goals. Allowing yourself to succumb to the negative emotions that you might be dealing with will not only be toxic and detrimental to your mental and physical wellbeing, it will also damage your ability to re-enter the jobs market. Remember, nothing lasts forever, and will be much more beneficial for you to stay positive and take your difficult situation in your stride. Stay focused on your task at hand – looking for a new job.
