6 Ways to Get Back on Your Feet After Losing a Job

    

Written by Jovan Lee

It’s never pretty when someone loses a job, gets retrenched or laid off - there is stress, grief, and the inevitable rush to stay afloat. It’s a challenging period, but certainly not one that you cannot overcome. 

If you’re stuck in a similar dilemma, read on for some ideas to get through this difficult time and get back on your feet.

1. Take a Break to Recharge 

When faced with the sudden loss of a job, many unwanted emotions may overwhelm you and this may do a number on your mental health. Hence, it might be a good idea to take a few weeks off to catch up on some much-needed ‘me-time’. 

It’s important to ensure that you are healthy and in the right frame of mind to return to work. Use this time to delve deeper into a hobby you’re passionate about, spend more time with family, or catch up with a long-time friend.

A mental health break will ideally help you:

  • Destress
  • Step back and evaluate
  • Set a new perspective
  • Rest and relax

Being in tip-top mental and emotional shape will be good preparation for when you are ready to search for a new job. And if you are, why not use FastJobs to explore part-time and full-time jobs?

2. Speak to a Career Guide

Do you know what you want to do next? Sometimes, a traumatic experience such as losing a job, getting retrenched or laid off, can be an opportunity to rethink your priorities and direction. If you are clear about your preferences, skip through to the next steps. 

Otherwise, you can take advantage of resources such as Workforce Singapore’s Career Connect, or speak to e2i, which offer career guidance to assist you in making informed choices for your next career move.

Career coaching can help map out your strengths and interests, plan your career path, and get feedback on how your skills and experience will affect your search and what jobs might be suitable for you. Personalized guidance tailored to your needs will help you identify your strengths while working on your weaknesses to build up your confidence.

3. Upgrade Your Skills

With guidance and a career plan, you will be able to better tell if you need to upgrade your skills or learn new skills to achieve your goals.

Picking up a new skill or upgrading your current ones can help to improve your standing in the job market. There are plenty of courses that you can take to learn something new that could benefit you in your next profession. 

Employers viewing your resume or portfolio may also take notice of your hunger to upgrade yourself, hence giving yourself a higher chance of landing the next interview you attend.

A good start to see what’s available is to head to the SkillsFuture website. You can browse through the many training courses they offer and enroll in a suitable course. The key takeaway here is to always improve yourself and constantly seek out ways to do so! And once you're ready, try your hand at applying for jobs on FastJobs.

4. Get in Touch with People in Your Networks

Don’t be afraid to let people know about your current situation. By letting others know that you are in the search for a new job, you are openly inviting contacts with suitable openings and positions to notice you. 

People are generally helpful, and you never know who might be the right contact that will lead you to your next job. Getting a referral is one of the best ways to clinch a role. This is when the network you have been building throughout your working life is going to help you. 

5. Work Part-Time

Finding a new job may take some time. An option is to find a part-time job. Not only will it help financially, it also allows you to grow and learn even more skills that you might not be able to in the classroom. 

Taking up a part-time job also keeps you active and on the ball, making the transition back to full-time employment smoother and less sudden. 

If this is something you want to consider, we’ve got good news for you - move on to the next tip to know more.

6. Explore the Jobs Available and Start Applying

A key step to finding a job is to look at which companies are hiring and what kinds of job openings are available. One option is to look on the FastJobs mobile app, which will give you a good variety of full time, part-time and contract roles.

If you need to update your resume, you can also use our Resume Builder to easily create an easy-to-read, professional resume. Start applying, and don’t stop at just one - give yourself a good chance for success by applying for jobs that fit your requirements

Try it out by downloading FastJobs and apply for jobs you’re interested in now!

Wrapping it Up

Now that you’ve learned 6 things you can do when you’ve lost your job, take this time to get yourself back on track.

Don’t be afraid of change - sometimes, change is required to realize happiness. If you’ve lost your job recently, keep pushing on. All of us at FastJobs will be behind you the whole way - time to get back on track and remember, FastJobs will be there for your job searching needs!