Job losses, redundancies and furlough, what next?

The pandemic has left many people at a career cross road. In these uncertain times, it can be difficult to make a decision. The first response is usually, “I must get a job, any job because I need to pay my bills,” and I totally agree. The bills must come first.

Once the initial thought of getting “any job” has settled down, it would be helpful if you consider a few things that might help you with your next move.

1. Review your qualifications and skills: Are they still relevant in the global economy? What skills would you need to learn, enhance or develop? The pandemic has impacted on many sectors and as a result, new skills and competencies are now required.

2. Expand your network: This is crucial. It’s time to review your circle of influence and establish their impact on your career development. I would encourage you to be proactive in finding new contacts and there so many ways you can do this such as volunteering, attending industry events and engaging with industry thought leaders. A new contact can help you develop a different perspective, facilitate access to new opportunities and influence you to adopt new behaviours.

3. Develop your personal brand: A key step to new YOU. Start with a thorough reflection of your strengths, values, beliefs and behaviours in order to establish the aspects that are important to you at this stage in your career. Then, use the outcome to decide how you would like to create your unique identity and identify your audience. Set yourself a road map to reach and engage with your audience. You would need to establish how you want to present your personal brand – Social Media and physical appearance are both crucial. Finally, you would need to establish how you would like to tell your story and this is called an Elevator Pitch; it covers a few sentences about your interest, strengths and aspiration. A word of caution, your personal brand is dynamic and not static; It evolves as you go through your career journey, so remember to update it accordingly.

To conclude, I would like to recommend two resources for you

• What Colour is your Parachute? By Richard Nelson Bowes, This book is aimed at job seekers and provides useful tips on how to effectively navigate the job search process. Good Luck.

• FutureLearn: Thinking about up skilling? Why not visit this site to explore a range of free courses.

Keep on Keeping on.