In difficult financial times, finding a job can be not so easy. Modern economics makes companies cast off employees as soon as times get hard, without any thought about how they will run their business without staff. If you find yourself one of the many thousands of people who have lost their job this year, then you might be wondering how and when you will ever find another. However, even in this financial climate, people are learning that there are things you can do to get yourself noticed, and get back into employment as quickly as possible.
Be Prepared To Change. If you have been working for one company for many years, then you may have a mindset which will prevent you from looking for work. Rather than trying to find jobs in the industry that you have just come from, start thinking outside the box, and be prepared to consider a career change. If you were the chief designer for your company, then you might consider offering freelance graphic arts services, while if part of your role was as administrator, then you might want to look at jobs in an office, or in secretarial works.
Consider Alternatives to Full Time. If you have just lost your job, then the impulse will be to get back on the horse as soon as possible. You might want to have a full time job in order to feel secure, but you would be surprised how well people manage on part-time employment. Even better, you might consider working for yourself, and becoming a freelancer. Offering your skills for hire has never been more popular, thanks to the wide reach of people-skills websites. Joining a few of these websites and putting yourself up for work can be daunting at times, and you might not make a million in your first month as a freelancer, but it will provide you with an income, and the harder you work, the more money you will earn.
Take Courses. Take your unemployment as an opportunity to refresh the skills you had when you first walked into the job. Sometimes being in the same job for more than a decade can leave you woefully behind the times, and using some of your redundancy on a vocational course in your subject can help freshen up your skills. Not only that, but it might help you to take advantage of new job opportunities, or allow you to take your skills in a completely different direction. Good vocational courses are easily available online, and you can learn a host of skills, including selling techniques, project management, negotiation, secretarial skills, or even a foreign language, all of which could help you to get your next job.
Re-Brand Yourself. If you are going into the market, hoping to sell your skills to a new company, then you need to think of yourself as a branded product. Make sure that you identify all of your strengths, and play up to these, both in query letters and in interviews. Brand your personality by making it clear that you are an individual with hobbies and passions. Don’t worry that employers are only looking for a workaholic; in fact they are more likely to look positively at someone who has a hobby or interest outside of work. This helps to make you stick out from the crowd, giving employers something to remember. Just don’t over-play it, and make it sound as though you are prepared to skip work in order to get in another round of golf.
Become Results-Orientated. Most people, when they are looking for work, is focus upon getting the job, and forget that they will have to work in that position once they are hired. Learning to emphasize achievements in terms of production, results and building value for the company will all help to get you noticed, and will ensure that you are seen more favorably. If you have some idea of what to do next with a new product launch, or where to take an old business, bringing it up to date, make sure that you mention these ideas when speaking to the company.
Network. The modern business world is ever more focused on social media, networking, and communicating through the internet. Social networking is one of the ways in which you can promote yourself to new companies, or launch your new career as a freelancer. Networking can be used to reach across ordinary job-hunter territory, and contact potential employers, offering your services.