Career Resilience when facing unexpected job loss | Western Cape Government

Career Resilience when facing unexpected job loss

Building Career Resilience

According to Careerminds (2019) “Career resilience, is defined as the ability to adjust to career change as it happens and, by extension, adapt to what the market demands”. “Developing career resilience means taking charge of one’s own career and the ongoing development of characteristics identified with employability”.

Careerminds (2019) also provides for the following tips for developing career resilience:

1.   Demonstrate a commitment to personal excellence

2.   Accept change as an opportunity for growth and challenge

3.   Maintain positive outlook even in times of uncertainty

4.   Take charge of your development

5.   Become a lifelong learner

6.   Find your sense of purpose: Visualize your future, define your goals

7.   Develop emotional intelligence: Think creatively and flexibly, focus on the future

8.   Cultivate personal and professional relationships

9.   Reflect often: Reflection fosters learning, new perspectives and self-awareness

10. Practice self-care: Exercise, eat healthy, and spend time with supportive friends

 

Career resilience in the face of unexpected job losses

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As the economy ebbs and flows, employees, regardless of their skills and of how long they had been working, face the possibility of employment hurdles in their careers, such as unexpected job losses as a result of operational requirements.

The loss of a job is a difficult process wherever it takes place. 

Such unexpected losses affect workers financially, mentally, emotionally and physically.

It is important to understand why this has happened.  Retrenchment, for example, is usually the last resort taken by organisations and business owners to keep their businesses going.  Remember that the process does not in any way define you as a person or as an employee.  It is important not to make any big decisions on the day you face loss of employment, and instead wait until the initial shock is over before taking any actions that you could later regret.

The Department has developed a guide to help workers with supporting career resilience when faced with  unexpected loss of employment.

The information will help you to:

• Know your rights

• Find financial and emotional help

• Consider your options for what to do with your redundancy payment

• Work out a budget to get you through

• Get tips when applying for a new job

The guideline is available for download below

(Click the image below to download the pdf)

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The content on this page was last updated on 28 January 2020