How to beat redundancy?
Get ahead and come out a winner
Never is there more terrible news for an employee when your position is made redundant. The Australian Broadcasting Commission on the 11th of September 2012 reported that the Queensland Government would axe 14,000 positions. So far the Queensland Government has delivered on its promise. This is from a sector that attracted people for job security and better conditions. The Government sector is not alone. Many companies are closing branches, reducing staff or simply going out of business. There is no such thing as a secure, permanent position in this economic environment.
Increasing as a professional writing business we are faced with scenarios from clients in distress. People reduced from two incomes to one or none at all. Clients applying for position such as customer service roles competing against 200 applicants. How can you prepare for this situation? It is important to start now and always be ready. Here are some simple steps.
Professional Resume: Whether you use a service like ours or do it yourself it is important that your resume is up to date and ready to go a moments notice. Ensure that you have your employment history up to date, record all professional development and have a clear direction you are targeting. You never know when a Manager may call and say there are redundancies but if you give me your resume now they might have something. A recent case in a Queensland Government department demonstrated this when existing employee were given 7 days to reapply for their positions.
Maintain Relationships: Times are challenging. If you are in Government people are struggling to maintain their position from the management level right through to operational staff. In the private sector companies are clearly stating they are in difficulty. It is important that you maintain your relationship with an employer. An example of this is the mining sector. In the last downturn when they were shedding employees mining companies trolled through records to identify staff or contractors that had been unreliable, non-compliant or did not perform to expectations. These people were the first to go. Stay professional, keep relationships and you will at least get a decent referees report.
Collect Evidence: Collecting examples of achievements or areas you have excelled in is an important, but often overlooked strategy. Think of projects you have led, new procedures introduced or problems you may have overcome that have impacted on the working environment. These achievements are important and can demonstrate you have gone beyond what is expected. Look outside the normal achievements. These are areas that where you have done well. You don’t need to take anything from the office but certainly make a list and keep them as part of your duty statements in your resume.
Look for competition: This is especially relevant to the private sector. A recent example was shown when a company went into receivership, offloading all employees. Many of these employees approached competitors and secured positions.
Facing the reality of losing your job is very difficult. It is important you remain focussed, consider your options and prepare. Articulate clearly in your resume the skills and qualities you can offer an employer. Prepare yourself for potential rejections and remain positive when applying for positions. It is not personal.
Best of luck with your application.
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