Strictly Shock: When You Suddenly Find Yourself Unemployed

 As a massive Strictly fan, I wrote a blog for our Office Services takeover week, comparing the sparkly reality show to various stages of looking for work. Spoiler alert! At the weekend, competition favourite, Dev Griffin, was eliminated from the show in something of a shock result. Visibly distraught, it was clear that Dev – and many of the viewing public – thought he had much further to go in his Strictly journey. So, once again relating my favourite reality show to actual reality, what do you do when you find yourself unexpectedly out of work? Polish up your CV Is your CV the most up to date that it could be? Are your references still relevant? Is the layout and format professional? Often, your CV is the first impression your potential employer or recruiter will have of you, so it’s important to get it right. Make sure you add in as much relevant information that you can, thinking about skills; problem solving; attitude and qualifications. Get a friend or family member to read it over and always double check your spelling and grammar. Improve your LinkedIn LinkedIn is a great networking platform, and many employers will look over your profile before inviting you to interview. So, if you don’t have an account, now is the time to set one up. If you already have an account, ensure that – like your CV – it’s as up to date as it can be. Reach out to friends and colleagues to give you recommendations and start sharing industry relevant content or commenting on others’ posts. This will allow you to look really involved in your market. Think of your personal brand Personal branding is a big thing for employers, who will often check out your social media profiles before offering you an interview. Would you hire you based on what you post? Another element to think about is market knowledge. If you regularly write content or speak at events, think of a way to get this across so that potential employers can get a sense of this dedication. Register with a recruiter It might sound biased, but we really do have an excellent network of connections at all levels of the Office Services market – why not utilise them? We can help expand your job search and open up opportunities that you might not have previously considered. We will also get to know you as a candidate – in terms of your wants, needs and ambitions – to ensure a perfect culture fit in a new company. Get networking Get your face out there! There are sure to be listings for local events online. There is usually a good mix of paid-for and free events open to anyone who is interested. This might be an industry specific event, or it might just be something that would boost your confidence and networking skills. Either way, it’s always a good idea to get talking to potential decision makers. If you would like to speak to our Office Services team about moving to a new job, we’d be delighted to hear from you. We have a number of full-time and contract roles available. Click here to meet the team and get in touch with us.