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Finding out that you've been made redundant can leave you feeling confused, helpless, angry and scared. And once the news has sunk in, there's bound to be a million questions running through your head, such as how long will it be before you find work again, how will you keep up with your mortgage payments and other bills, and what's going to happen to your career?
But as depressing as redundancy can be, focus on the things that you can do to get through it, stay positive, and fight back against unemployment.
- Review your finances
First things first. If you've lost your job, the first thing you need to do is take a good look at your finances. Make sure you know exactly how much redundancy pay you're entitled to and find out how much you have in your saving accounts so that you know exactly what you've got to fall back on.
Work out which are your priority bills - these include your mortgage/rent, council tax, electricity and gas, TV licence, mobile, internet - and make sure you budget for them. Cancel any non-essential items such as your gym or film rental membership to give yourself some extra disposable income.
- Claim benefits
While you're out of work, you should be entitled to contributions-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). If you're over 25 years old, you'll receive £65.45 a week - if you're younger, you'll receive £51.85 a week. Even If you don't qualify for contributions-based JSA, you may be eligible for income-based JSA.
Depending on your circumstances, you may also be able to claim other benefits such as Council Tax Benefit or Housing Benefit.
- Update your CV
If your CV hasn't been kept up to date, now's the time to give it a good make-over. The trick is to sell yourself without going over the top. You still need to be truthful and you need to ensure your CV is clear and concise. Find out how to revamp your CV or which phrases you should avoid using.
- Polish up your skills
With the rate of unemployment on the up, there's even more competition for each job. And that means you need to focus on the skills that will make you stand out from everyone else.
It's worth doing some research into what skills you need for the types of jobs you want to apply for. If certain skills have got a bit rusty it's well worth applying for a course to brush up.
If you're not entirely sure which skills you need, take a look at Monster's Career Snapshots . These will help you explore new opportunities and give you an overview of where you can best apply your skills.
Redundancy doesn't have to be the end of the world - in fact, you could see it as an opportunity to follow a new career path. And if you're worried about money, courses don't have to be expensive. If you've got an iPod or iPhone, you can now download lectures with iTunes and you won't have to pay a penny! Alternatively try Home Learning College and learndirect for quick and flexible courses in various subjects.
- Get applying!
Try setting aside some time in the morning or evening and have a good browse through a job site like Monster to see whether there's anything that sparks your interest.
It can also be a good idea to sign on with recruitment agencies. If you do decide to do this, give your agency a ring once a week to check in and find out what's going on - if you keep in regular contact, you'll be one of the first people your agency thinks of if a suitable job does come up.
Finally, try to stay positive. It can be incredibly disheartening to have your job application rejected, or even worse, to not even receive a response. But try to stay upbeat and stick at it. After all, you're not going to get a job if you simply give up and decide to spend every day on the sofa in front of the TV.