Redundancy can be seen as either a challenge, or a new opportunity. At times, it might feel like a blow, but at the end of the day, it's possible for you to draw some positives from the situation.

Remember that good things can come from bad situations. Most clients who are in outplacement, end up finding a new role with a much higher salary when compared to the one that they had before redundancy. You might however, need to be somewhat flexible as this will be the only way you can facilitate your career shift and ultimately, broaden your horizons. Don't be quick to flood the job market with your resume and don't run around trying to find any job that might come your way. Instead, take some time to reflect and do everything you can to avoid the scattergun approach. When you are out of work, there is temptation to go ahead and apply for jobs that you can do, as opposed to jobs that you want.

Look into the Future

When you know the job you want and what you need to do in order to get it, you can then start to look for ways to get to where you need to be. It is wise for you to try and find a development plan, so that you can use the knowledge, the expertise and skills you need to become the best candidate possible. You may be wondering, how on earth do you persuade an employer to hire you- just so you can gain skills that you don't currently have? After all, recruiters tend to want those who have skills already, so you will be debarred if you do not have the right skillset. If you want to work around this then find out who has the power to hire you, and then broaden your network. An introduction will get you the meeting, not the job, but it's a start.

Build your Network

Networking is an essential skill. Did you know that over 80% of recruitment comes from networking? Most people know this, but they hate networking and are not at all confident about it. If you feel awkward asking for help, then you are not alone, but now is the time for you to move past that. Most people will respect you when you ask for a helping hand and they will work with you to make sure that you get the support you need as well. At the end of the day, you have to remember that redundancy does not close off internal opportunities, so be proactive. The organisation that you are with right now know you the best, and they are most likely to help you to develop your aspirational competencies, as they know what you're capable of. You need to try and network internally as well, as this will help you to share the view that you have for the future while also helping you to make the internal career transition you want.

If you can't, or don't want to stay where you are right now, then you need to start targeting companies where you will be able to build on the competencies that you have right now. Remember that it is more than possible for you to use your network to your advantage, so you can get the edge if you manage to land an interview.

It would seem that the term "mental health" has become somewhat of a buzzword in the current working environment. Employers are now more motivated than ever to make sure that the wellbeing of their team is their priority and they also want to make sure that they are providing support to those who have depression as well. If you want to ensure your mental health is being supported at all times, then this guide will help you.

Talk to a Colleague

The first thing that you need to do is chat with a colleague. Communication will help you to feel way less alone when you are trying to deal with your mental health struggles. You need to try and identify a person who can be trusted and who can support you during your day to day work. Use this person as a resource, so you can talk about your stressors and anything that you might have a problem with. Having a friendly conversation can help you to limit the amount of pressure you are under while also giving you the chance to focus on the other aspects of your day.

Sleep and Exercise

Think about organising a couple of yoga sessions or even a run. If you do this a couple of times a week while you are on your break, then this will really help you and you may even find that you release endorphins too. The feeling of happiness will soon flood your system, and this will make you feel way better about yourself in general.

Drink Sensibly

Alcohol has been known to change your mood and it can also increase your anxiety too. Rather than choosing the alcoholic option whenever you attend a work function, try and opt for a non-alcoholic beverage instead. This will give you the chance to actively enjoy the company of others without you having to worry about feelings of anxiety or even depression.

Ask for Help

You should never, ever stress yourself by overthinking. If you don't ask, you won't get, so make sure that you go to your colleagues or even management to see if they can help. Your employers have a strong responsibility to try and promote your mental health in the workplace, so make the effort to keep them accountable.

Have a Break

Take a break whenever you feel anxious or overwhelmed. UK law states that workers do have rights, so you can take a 20-minute break now and again. The break can be a lunch break, or it can be simply having a cup of tea. Either way, if you find that you use computers quite a lot, then you may want to think about taking a break from the screen if you can.

Set Goals

It's very important that you set goals for yourself. The goals that you set should be both big and small, as you need to have a good sense of accomplishment. If you want to help yourself then consider writing a list of goals every single day. As you work through and as you complete the goals, you can then cross them off your list at the end of the workday.

Help Your Colleagues

Helping your friends and your colleagues is a great way for you to improve your own mental health. If you improve someone else's day, then you will soon find that you can benefit as you will get the satisfaction from helping them out.

Meditate

Meditating before or even after work will help you to evoke a sense of calm. Studies have shown time and time again that meditation will drastically improve your outlook on life and if you have a stressful day, it's a fantastic way for you to take just a few moments for yourself.

How to Improve Mental Health as an Employer

Mental health problems are continuing to rise. In 2017, the NHS implemented the recommendations that were made in a national report. 40 different points were made, and companies which include Deloitte have all created reports to try and help businesses to take action. Some companies, such as Johnson & Johnson actively recognise the importance of self-care. They give all of their team access to physiotherapists and massage therapists. As an employer, you need to make sure that you are fostering a workplace that is completely committed to mental health. If you want to do that, then:

• Have medical resources for those who have health concerns
• Educate employees on the signs of declining mental health
• Encourage and acknowledge effort
• Develop a workspace where your team can feel valued
• Have short breaks for your team during the day

Employees are going to carry on turning to employers to try and get more support, in an attempt to safeguard themselves. If employers take action, then everyone in the workplace will be happier and healthier.

Jess has over fifteen years recruitment experience, working on both temporary and permanent roles across a range of industry sectors in Surrey. She has always enjoyed building and maintaining strong relationships with her clients and candidates and loves the challenge of matching the right candidate to every role.

Jess was educated in Banstead where she had a flair for languages and drama, regularly performing in her School's theatre shows. Jess also enjoys word related quizzes and appeared on an episode of Countdown in the early 00's!

When Jess isn't finding the perfect temps for her clients, she enjoys spending time with her son and partner, exotic holidays and weekends away discovering exciting new places.

Jess loves a glass of wine or a beer and is always open to trying new cuisine with friends and family.