Are The Office Rumours Suggesting Redundancies?
Long before the actual day that redundancies occur there are usually clear signals that something is not as it should be. You may have heard rumours. You may have seen people coming to meetings for no clearly stated reason. It may just be that your instincts are working well and you sense something is wrong. On the other hand, HR may have told you to expect a reorganisation of the business…and doesn't that set the cat amongst the pigeons!! Once people are unsettled and feeling insecure you start to see the real character of those you are working with, and yourself too.
Whatever has made you feel concerned that redundancies may be coming now is the time to act.
1. Know your redundancy entitlements
Fairwork Australia – www.fairwork.gov.au – offers wonderful information about your entitlements if your job is made redundant. They also have great information to help you determine if you have been unfairly dismissed. I have made a short video to introduce you to this website and show you where to find the information you may need to research. Facing Redundancy: What To Do Before You Sign Anything
2. Prepare Yourself For Redundancy
It is a shock to find that your job is redundant and your services are no longer required. There are several things you can do, but panicking is not one of them! The better prepared you are the less you will be impacted by this situation and the faster you can move on to the next phase of your working life.
I invite you to read this article Facing Redundancy: 8 Things To Do If You Think Your Job Might Be Made Redundant
3. Career Counselling, Career Coaching and Outplacement Services
Clarity Career Management offers Career Counselling, Career Coaching and Outplacement Services and can be contacted on 1300 851821. These services often be negotiated as part of your redundancy package and will make a huge difference to your confidence as you make decisions about your future, as well as to the strategies that you will use to get your next job.
Think of the first page of your résumé as being like a billboard outside a shop. Does it catch your eye? Does it provide you with all the information you want to know? Does it have a statement that catches your eye? Who is the employer looking for? You create your first page in direct response to the employer’s wish list. Then show them that you are that person through your achievements and
Be sure of one thing, if your resume does not target the job being advertised someone else’s will and you won’t get the job. Your resume has to be special and specific. So let’s take this a step at a time. Let’s assume the job requirements mention the following items:
· The duties
· The experience and
· The responsibilities
This means your resume must hit those targets clearly, succinctly and immediately. Not on page 3, not in verbose language and not in a layout that makes it hard to read. Your targets must be hit from Page 1, with the rest of the resume acting as backup!
Your resume will consist of more than one page but work on a strategy that the first page will be sufficient in itself. Try and put enough information on the first page that will tell the reader all they need to know to offer you an interview. It’s an exercise in being concise. Look upon it as a work of art. Re-work it several times so that your first page is a business card, your entree into the interview room.
Another tip when you are unsure of relevant experience is to first tell them about all your achievements and competencies which are relevant to the job and then about your other experiences which could well help you perform the task anyway. These are called transferable skills, skills you have acquired over the years, which have value and which you can transfer to your new job when you land it.
One recent survey carried out by resume experts found that over 90% of resumes often use general terms and do not ‘fit’ the job in question. Let the applicant beware.
Always tailor your response to the job being advertised and review it many times before sending it to a prospective employer.
If you want to stand out in a crowd contact http://ClarityCareerManagement.com.au for further advice on how to write your résumé.
As you grow older your responsibilities change. Switching from full time to part time work becomes an option for many people. You may make less money, but you may have more time to yourself. With that extra time you could take on leisure pursuits or start a home-based business. The possibilities are limitless.
Empowerment for Mature Aged Workers is often found through security, which is important to most of us. However, there comes a time when security is not as important as it once was. If that’s your situation, working fewer hours and having more time to do other things becomes a real option in your decision making.
Achieving your goals might prove to be as simple as changing from full-time to part-time work.
To add more variety to your range of options you could have a “portfolio career”, that is full-time work consisting of different part-time work. For example you could work five days a week, spending Monday and Tuesday as an independent self-employed consultant and then work Wednesday to Friday for a firm which employs you. So your options can be summarized as:
· Full-time at the one job
· Part-time giving yourself more free time
· Full-time combining two separate part-time jobs
For more information about empowering yourself as a Mature Aged Worker, refer to my book "New jobs for Older Workers" available on Amazon. in that book we look at how you can prepare yourself to take the actions that are needed to empower you and make a successful career change. We consider the choices that you have to make, the changes that are required, the challenges you face, and the need for confidence to make it all happen. By recognizing this it is clear that we, too, can become empowered and learn new ways of creating a new career that suits your current needs.
For further information contact us at http://claritycareermanagement.com.au/contact-us/
Myths vs Reality
Society today seems to be dominated by youth and beauty, and labels and stereotypes about mature aged workers can be a hidden trap. Maybe it was always like this, but when we were young we thought it was perfectly normal. Now it seems ageist to us! The media go wild about ‘beautiful young things’. Television programs seem to cater for and star young people. However, look a little harder, and you will see that there are many mature workers involved in every industry.
When you stereotype something, you box it in. Age is a common stereotype. The image of an older worker who is slow to learn, set in their ways and dull to have around is full of prejudice and stereotype. It is also blatantly not accurate for most people. However, ageism, sadly, is alive and well.
Nevertheless, let’s face facts here; some older people are indeed slow, finicky and dull and so fit the description and stereotype of Mature Aged Workers. But so are some younger people! What you have to avoid is falling into the trap of perpetuating that image.
You are looking for work in the 21st century. Workplaces are contemporary and you need to be contemporary also in order to be considered a suitable employee. Don’t dress like a 25 year old, and conversely, don’t go to work looking like your grandmother. You don’t need to be the computer whizz kid in the workplace, but you must have the appropriate level of skills for your job. You can wear your glasses to read, but don’t make a big deal about the fact that you can’t read without them. Get the idea? Be your best self in the workplace, not some caricature of your age.
However, even if ageism and stereotypes are common today there are ways to overcome these challenges. While many employers seem to favor young workers there are also many employers who welcome older staff members. They appreciate experience and reliability. You have those qualities in spades. So you have to break free of the stereotypical mold. You can prove that the people who subscribe to stereotypes are just plain wrong. Your challenge is to communicate that you are capable, talented, reliable, enthusiastic and definitely a person worth hiring.
If you are feeling uncertain about your next step contact us at http://claritycareermanagement.com.au/contact-us/http://Claritycareermanagement.com.au/contact-us/
