Getting out and about: the importance of being proactive

Being proactive

When you find yourself in the unfortunate position of becoming redundant or stuck in a rut of unemployment, being proactive is important. It’s all too easy to fall into bad habits and an unhealthy routine. After all of your previous hard work, it might seem like a good time to relax, take a break and lie in a little longer in the mornings before paying any attention to the outplacement services you may have been provided with. In reality, now is the time to remain active, keep yourself busy and start being proactive. If you want to continue to develop your career and move on and out of that rough patch you’ve found yourself in, you’ll need to be strong-willed and proactive. Here are some tips that will help you move on from one job and into another.

Don’t take it personally

More often than not, the reason you will have been made redundant is purely business related. It has very little to do with you personally; you just drew the short straw. As much as you would like to hate your old boss and spend your days planning how to overthrow him or her, you’d benefit more from wiping that slate clean and moving on. If things were not left sour between you, consider writing a letter, thanking them for your time in the company and wishing them and the company all the best in the future. Although this is a small way of being proactive, it will not go unforgotten. Remember, the business world is a small one, and word gets around. You never know when you may bump into them again in the future.

Keep busy

Going from maintaining a strict daily routine while you were employed to having the freedom of doing what you like can be a little unsettling. This is when you might be tempted to start lying in until late and picking up bad habits, such as spending your mornings in front of the television and throwing your mealtimes off course. Instead, take on a job that is time intensive and requires a lot of effort. Doing a renovation job around the house or helping out a friend will be time well spent and you won’t feel like you’re wasting the day. Think of it as a sort of displacement therapy - and a great answer to the interview question of how you've been spending your time since leaving your last role. Between searching for different roles, you might want to consider taking up some voluntary work. This will give you a chance to do something a little different from your normal role and meet people in a different walk of life to your own.

Plan

This is the time to switch to a new mode of operation. You now have all the time in the world to find a job you love, so before you start devising your new job search strategy, it might be worth considering your career goals and whether or not they need revising. You should set aside a certain amount of time each day to review your CV and plan your job search. Sometimes a new environment can help you to gain a fresh outlook, so consider doing some of this from a café or coffee shop rather than at home.

Exercise

While it is important to maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle, exercise is also a great way to blow off some steam and de-stress. By doing some daily exercises or frequenting the gym, you can increase both your body strength and strength of mind, ensuring you’re ready for whatever your future brings. You may also find that exercise can help to improve your self-confidence at a time when it's easy to doubt yourself and your abilities.

Network

While being proactive, it is imperative that you remain in contact with old colleagues and fellow professionals, whether that be simply through email or via a social networking site such as LinkedIn. You should make it known that you are seeking employment, accept any event that you might be invited to, whether it is work related or not and don’t be afraid to make the first move. Don’t fall off the radar: if your redundancy is one of many from an organisation, you might find that by sharing relevant information with previous colleagues to help them, they’ll do the same for you – and may even put in a good word for you if they find a new role before you do.

We understand the difficulties people can face when they suddenly find themselves unemployed, but the best thing to do when you are knocked off your feet is to jump right back up. By taking on board these few tips, you’ll soon find yourself ready to re-join the world of employment. Renovo provides employment related support services to help you every step of the way, offering a complete career transition service that includes one-to-one tailored support. For more information, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Renovo is one of the UK’s leading providers of outplacement and career transition support. We work with both organisations and individuals to support all their career transition requirements. If you would like to understand how Renovo can help you please call 0800 612 2011 or email info@renovo.co.uk