A friend of mine was made redundant last week unexpectedly and came to me for some advice on finding a new role. We had a chat and I reviewed her CV – it was an excellent CV that really didn’t need a great deal of work but I advised her to be prepared to make adjustments depending on the nature of the particular role she was applying for. Her background is in sales, account management and marketing and she is willing to consider good career opportunities in all three areas, but each one demands slightly different skills, so each time she applied for a role she wanted to make it clear that she had the skills they were looking for.
It has only been a few days since she heard the news and began her job search but already she has had multiple enquiries from recruitment agencies and even secured an interview. It is very likely she will secure a new role over the next week or two. Yet as recruiters we often speak to people who have been out of work for much longer and don’t seem to be getting anywhere – so I thought it was worth examining the reasons why my friend seems to be getting it right.
- Being proactive. Her CV is visible on multiple websites and she has registered with several well-chosen agencies that suit her location and the kind of role she is looking for. She has made her job search a 9-5 job in itself.
- Being flexible. She has used her new-found freedom to make herself available for interviews at short notice, rather than missing the boat.
- Being professional. She has included a brief, polite cover letter for each application outlining what makes her a good candidate for the role.
- Being reasonable. Many candidates are inclined to say ‘I can’t accept less than £xx salary that I was on before’, or even expect a pay rise. But those who are realistic and accept that the most important thing is to find a new job, and will be flexible on salary, will find that being flexible and available immediately is likely to make them a very appealing candidate to employers. And once you have secured the new job, you can prove to your employers why you are worth more.
So it is no surprise to me that my friend is having success in her job search – it takes a few weeks to get through the interview process but I am confident she will secure a new role soon. If you have been affected by redundancy, don’t sit back and let the work come to you – there is a lot of competition out there and if you are not pro-active then chances are you won’t get many calls. There are many useful resources for jobseekers here on our website and if it is an IT role in the midlands you are looking for, why not peruse our list of vacancies?
