Roger
Gilpin of Lee Hecht Harrison (LHH) in Northern Ireland offers advice on how to
prepare and deal with impending redundancy.
The recent announcement
of the impending closure of JTI Gallaher’s plant in Ballymena will result in almost
900 jobs lost in Northern Ireland. Disclosed in early October, redundancies
won’t start being made until May 2016, continuing until the inevitable closure
in 2018.
Employees will have a
long stretch of time before they are officially ‘out of work’, the time space
is crucial in assisting them decide what is next and importantly best for them.
Here are some tips to for
those seeking employment or facing redundancy::
1.
Make yourself employable. You may have been in a job for a
while and some of your skill sets may need updated or refreshed. Take a part
time class in something that will improve these and make you are more
employable than your colleagues. Doing so shows you’re willing to go the extra
mile and open to learning new things.
2. Network,
network, network. This
is a crucial time period to make connections, meet as many people in your
chosen industry as possible, as these contacts could be crucial to you in the
near future. If you’re not already on LinkedIn, get on it and use the next few
months making sure you’re connecting and talking to the right people.
3. Update
your CV. Be
proactive, this always takes longer than you think it will, so don’t leave it
until you are out of a job and it has to be done. Keep it succinct, no more
than two sides and really sell yourself, remembering to tailor it to the sort
of jobs you will be applying for.
4.
Stay positive. This is not necessarily
going to be a bad thing. Perhaps this is a chance to move into a different
career path that you have been thinking about for a while. Although you will be
preparing for the future, it’s important to stay positive in your current job,
having a good attitude through a difficult time in work leaves a good lasting impression on your employer,
someone who you may need down the line.
For
more information on how you can avail of our outplacement services, please
contact us on: 0845 456 2269
