Eight Golden Rules If You Lose Your Job.

You can read this article on the Marketing Moves website by clicking here.

It’s something all of us fear and unfortunately, a decent amount of us have to consider at least one point in our lives: I’ve lost my job and I need to know what to do to get a new one.

Because it doesn’t happen very often, and no one plans too heavily for worst-case scenarios except perhaps insurance underwriters, the time when we need advice and guidance the most is consequently the time when it’s least available.

So here’s a short guide from Marketing Moves about some important things to bear in mind if the worst (which can sometimes be the best) happens.

How did we create this article? Well, we asked each member of our recruitment team their best piece of advice, and amalgamated their responses into the article below.

With well over 100 years of marketing technology recruitment experience between them, we think you’d be hard pressed to find better, more specialist advice.

As ever, if there’s anything that Marketing Moves can do to help your career or recruitment requirement, please don’t hesitate to email me on [email protected] or call 020 3911 6757.

1. Don’t Panic

It’s easy to let the situation overwhelm you – whether that be burying yourself in all the paperwork and processes of leaving or freezing when it comes to thinking about your next marketing move. This behaviour is only going to do one thing: get in the way of you beginning your job search. HR are there to exit you, so you can let them get on with their job. Conversely, your job is to find a new one, so you can’t put it off or procrastinate by letting days go by with no activity. As with anything, the key to success is a steady head and a considered approach.

2. Speak to former colleagues and industry friends elsewhere

This is absolutely key: getting a job is often about luck and being in the right place at the right time. But by networking, talking to contacts, meeting for coffee or similar you make your own luck and put yourself in the right place at the right time. Whoever you meet might have good advice, know a company, or just offer good counselling.

3. Sort your CV

It’s absolutely vital that your CV is the best representation of yourself, which is one that a lot of people overlook – you need to highlight your key metrics, expertise and deliverables so you stand out. Marketing Moves are always happy to critique/assist in honing a CV, which we strongly recommend to be achievements-based rather than responsibilities! Ask yourself what difference have you made, not just adding last job after last job. It’s a good opportunity to take a step back and start from scratch.

4. Create a careful plan

"I love it when a plan comes together" says Hannibal in the A-Team. And for good reason. After all, how else do you emerge from a shed containing nothing but a few rusty tools with an armoured JCB tank mere minutes later? The same applies to job hunting (kind of). In order to come out of the darkness with that brand spangly new job, you need to prepare for it in the right manner. Which in this case means splitting your week into 10 time-brackets of morning and afternoon, then in each bracket stick to a single activity like calls, emails, applications and so on.

5. Treat unemployment like a 9-5 job.

You have to treat getting a job like an actual job, so be militant on yourself. Get up at the same time you would do for work, and like Gary Neville says: “Attack the Day”. Which makes you wonder what he did at Valencia. Either way, if you’re at home then those DIY projects can wait, as can the cleaning and paperwork. It should be nothing but job application activity from dawn ‘til dusk.

6. Think of it as an opportunity

Most of us at some point in our lives say that we wish we were doing something else. This doesn’t mean a career change, more just a shift from one sector of technology marketing to another to fulfil our career ambition. So here’s your chance to walk the walk. Apply for jobs in the new sector, and rather than try to crowbar your CV to match the new one (which will only get you found out later on), be upfront about your passion for the new area and why your previous skills and experience means you can bring something new to the table.

7. It’s a candidate market right now

Just like the bull and bear markets of Financial Services, the employment market is a see-saw. And right now – probably due to the advent of flexible working and the end of austerity – it’s a candidate market. This means that good candidates are hard to move, staying where they are and not actively looking. So if you’re as good as you think you are, you’ll have the upper hand.

8. Partner with a specialist recruitment business/consultant

Well, we couldn’t write an article without including a blatant, unashamed plug for Marketing Moves, could we! Rather than approach every single recruiter in the world, be selective about who you partner with. You should try to partner with about three agencies: one that covers sector (that’s us), one that covers level (eg an executive search firm) and one that covers function (eg Finance). A bit like triangulating your position on a map, these three combined should get you to your final destination safe and sound.

Summary

What advice would you give to others when looking for a new job? Please do leave your comments below as always. And to discuss in confidence how Marketing Moves can support your career or organisation’s growth, you can contact me by any of the means below:

t. 020 3911 6757

e. [email protected]

li. linkedin.com/melvindayatmarketingmoves