Have you been made redundant?

Unexpected changes to your job like reduced hours or redundancy will cause a range of emotions. There may be times where you feel overwhelmed, anxious, fearful or the future, and that your confidence has been knocked completely. It’s okay to go through these emotions, be mindful as how you deal with what comes next determines how you come out the other side. 

Here are some simple, practical steps to help you through the coming weeks:

Get a clear understanding of your finances
Fear is common after being made redundant or losing your hours is because we don’t know where or when our next pay will be. If you don’t already have a budget in place, it’s a great time to implement one. You may also be entitled to government assistance or a subsidy. Read more about the options available in Australia here. Read about the options in New Zealand here.

Reflect
Think about what you loved and what you didn’t love about your last job. This will allow you to have a clear vision of what you want in your next job and will allow you to start visualising moving forward. Update your CV to reflect your strengths and experience from your previous roles and begin exploring other areas in retail you could move into like eCommerce or Merchandising.

Temporary work
Look at temporary positions advertised by recruitment agencies within your industry. Recruiters work with a range of businesses and can connect you with new opportunities. A foot in the door with a temp role can help transition you into a new full-time position, and will help ease some of the financial pressure you may be feeling while you continue your job search.. 

Look for opportunities to learn and upskill
Now is the best time if possible, look for opportunities to learn a new skill and to strengthen any areas you want to improve on. It will also look great on your CV to any potential future employers that you’ve utilized this time well. Check out our list of unique ways to upskill.

Think about how you will discuss this change in future interviews
It’s important to remember that having your hours cut, or being made redundant is not a reflection of your performance, or anything personal. The decision would have been a result of the business changing and adapting to its situation. Remember to discuss the context of the company restructure in future interviews and remain factual, be honest.

We hope these steps help you navigate moving forward from your change in circumstances. Remain positive and best of luck with your job search!