Being told you’re no longer needed at work can be a knock to your self-esteem as well as your income. You may find yourself feeling emotional and overwhelmed, making it hard to think straight as you try to work out what to do next.
Whether you’ve been made redundant from your dream job, or if you’re a student who has lost casual work, you’ll likely be worried about how you’ll keep up with your bills and, of course, you may feel concerned about job-hunting, especially if your industry is experiencing downturn.
Here are some simple tips to help you navigate the early stages of unemployment:
Don’t burn your bridges
Once you’ve received notice from your employer that you’re no longer needed at work, it can be difficult to remain upbeat and continue to do a good job in your last few weeks. Chisholm Skills and Jobs Centre Manager Andrea O’Bryan warns the way you work and act as you finish up in a job is what your colleagues will most remember about you. She advises working harder than ever and continuing to treat your co-workers with respect. “Make it the very best work you’ve done,” she says. “Make sure to leave well and thank everyone for their support.”
Your colleagues are part of your network and you never know what opportunities those good relationships could lead to in future. So, make sure to impress as many people as you can with your professionalism and work ethic while you still have the chance.
Check your final pay carefully
Your final pay slip is likely to be more complicated than usual. If you’re a permanent employee, you could be entitled to annual leave, leave loading, pro-rata long service leave and redundancy pay. It’s important to make sure no mistakes have been made and you receive the payments you’re entitled to.
Chisholm Institute Student Support Officer Kaine Reynolds advises checking your pay carefully and using the calculator on the Fair Work Ombudsman website to check if you have been paid correctly. “If you think a mistake has been made, you can call the Fair Work Ombudsman,” he says.
Get on top of your finances
When the pay stops rolling in to your account, your top priority will be your finances – keeping a roof over your head, buying groceries and paying your bills. If you haven’t registered for Centrelink before, you’ll need to register an ‘Intent to Claim’ via the myGov website. You’ll then go on a waiting list and a staff member will contact you to help you set up a Customer Reference Number (CRN). If you already have a CRN you can log in and lodge an application. “The sooner you reach out the better,” Kaine says. He recommends exploring your eligibility and not assuming you won’t qualify for payments based on your past experience. “The qualification criteria is different than it was pre-coronavirus… it might not be the same as it was a year ago.”
If you think you’ll have trouble staying on top of your bills and payments, Kaine says it’s best to contact your financial providers as soon as possible, don’t wait until you receive late payment notices or fees. “When you lose your job, reach out to your financial provider, which could be the bank you have a home loan with, your credit card provider or your phone bill, mention you’ve lost your job and are experiencing financial hardship,” he said. “A lot do have financial hardship schemes and the sooner you go to them the sooner you can discuss flexible payments and grace periods.”
Plan your next move
Take the time to start thinking about what you’d like to do next and to prepare your resume.
In a competitive job market, Chisholm Institute Careers Counsellor Rosie Nelson advises considering roles you may not have before. “You might need to be flexible and look beyond the usual jobs and industries and even the usual working hours you might have fixed in your mind,” she says. Rosie recommends using the Skills Match test on the Job Outlook website to help you to identify which skills you have from your previous job roles and how you can use them for other types of jobs. “Focusing on relevant skills also helps when you need to create skills and responsibility statements in your resume, and helps you to develop examples for your interview responses,” she says.
Next, Rosie suggests reaching out to your network, which includes your friends and family members. “Networking is one of the best ways to get a job,” she says. “You can network through Facebook groups, LinkedIn, family, friends or your local neighbourhood, people do want to help.”
Finally, start searching for jobs online and register on government job websites such as Working for Victoria.
Remember, you’re not alone
Most people will lose a job at some point during their career, so don’t feel you have anything to hide or be ashamed of. “If you think about your family and friends you’d be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t been made redundant at some stage of their career,” Andrea says.
It’s ok to feel sad about the loss and sorry for yourself. Take the time to acknowledge those feeling and then move forward. Rosie advises trying not to take the job loss personally. “It’s not personal, it’s about the supply and demand of the labour market,” she says. “The most important thing is to look after yourself and your wellbeing.”
Useful resources
The Chisholm Skills and Job Centre offers advice on job readiness, training, upskilling and job opportunities or job listings.
Chisholm students can access a range of support services including careers counselling, financial support and personal counselling via Student Services. Phone: 03 9212 5269.
If you’re struggling to manage your debts, call the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007.
For information and strategies to help with emotional stress through job loss and unemployment visit Beyond Blue.
