In this sluggish economic climate, competition for work is fierce and people are spending longer job-hunting than ever. Not only can this be extremely disheartening, but a post-redundancy lull of this type poses another problem: the longer you’re out of work, the bigger the hole in your CV becomes, putting off employers and further jeopardising your chances of finding a new career.

There are several ways that jobseekers can keep a CV looking fresh and attractive, however. By avoiding state of redundancy-induced torpor, you can demonstrate initiative and get-up-and-go to any prospective employers.

Go Back to School: You can significantly improve your chances of finding a new job and your skills by registering for a course at an FE college or teaching yourself. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune – there are plenty of cheap or even free online study courses. Or take an evening class and get a qualification at the end of it.

Give a little: Raising money for charity is a great way to demonstrate your enthusiasm and organisational skills, as well as your philanthropy. Think of a charitable or local cause you believe in and then find out how you could help. If you’re stuck for ideas, many charities have starter packs for would-be fundraisers.

Work for Free: There is much more to volunteering than doing a shift in the local charity shop. Save The Children, for example, trains up Speakers to raise awareness and Oxfam hires people as stewards at music festivals. If you manage to find something relevant to your career, your volunteer work could go down really well in interviews.

Start blogging: Free to set up and easy to use, a well-written blog will showcase your communication skills and help you reach a new audience – all without leaving the house. Visit www.blogger.com for tips on how to start.

Degrees of Separation: Whether it’s maintaining a good network of ‘virtual’ contacts on LinkedIn and Twitter or making the most of industry events, networking is a tried and tested way of looking for and finding work. Networking will help you meet new people and prove to prospective employers that you are still a motivated member of their industry.

Challenge yourself: Run a marathon, set a new record or take up an extreme sport. Pushing the boundaries will prove that you have commitment and determination – both to yourself and a prospective boss.

Take your chances: Rather than letting redundancy become an excuse, use it as a spur to action. Stay active and take the initiative by helping out on your child's school trip or getting involved with the local council.

Whatever way you find of ensuring your CV doesn’t start to look tired, it’s important that you find it rew arding and that you can justify it to employers. Despite the obvious difficulties associated with redundancy, it can, on occasion, be an opportunity to try something new and it could even lead directly to a career change. And anything that proves how talented, hardworking and committed you are will go a long way when searching for a new job.

Tags: career change, new career, Redundancy

In this sluggish economic climate, competition for work is fierce and people are spending longer job-hunting than ever. Not only can this be extremely disheartening, but a post-redundancy lull of this type poses another problem: the longer you’re out of work, the bigger the hole in your CV becomes, putting off employers and further jeopardising your chances of finding a new career.

There are several ways that jobseekers can keep a CV looking fresh and attractive, however. By avoiding state of redundancy-induced torpor, you can demonstrate initiative and get-up-and-go to any prospective employers.

Go Back to School: You can significantly improve your chances of finding a new job and your skills by registering for a course at an FE college or teaching yourself. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune – there are plenty of cheap or even free online study courses. Or take an evening class and get a qualification at the end of it.

Give a little: Raising money for charity is a great way to demonstrate your enthusiasm and organisational skills, as well as your philanthropy. Think of a charitable or local cause you believe in and then find out how you could help. If you’re stuck for ideas, many charities have starter packs for would-be fundraisers.

Work for Free: There is much more to volunteering than doing a shift in the local charity shop. Save The Children, for example, trains up Speakers to raise awareness and Oxfam hires people as stewards at music festivals. If you manage to find something relevant to your career, your volunteer work could go down really well in interviews.

Start blogging: Free to set up and easy to use, a well-written blog will showcase your communication skills and help you reach a new audience – all without leaving the house. Visit www.blogger.com for tips on how to start.

Degrees of Separation: Whether it’s maintaining a good network of ‘virtual’ contacts on LinkedIn and Twitter or making the most of industry events, networking is a tried and tested way of looking for and finding work. Networking will help you meet new people and prove to prospective employers that you are still a motivated member of their industry.

Challenge yourself: Run a marathon, set a new record or take up an extreme sport. Pushing the boundaries will prove that you have commitment and determination – both to yourself and a prospective boss.

Take your chances: Rather than letting redundancy become an excuse, use it as a spur to action. Stay active and take the initiative by helping out on your child's school trip or getting involved with the local council.

Whatever way you find of ensuring your CV doesn’t start to look tired, it’s important that you find it rew arding and that you can justify it to employers. Despite the obvious difficulties associated with redundancy, it can, on occasion, be an opportunity to try something new and it could even lead directly to a career change. And anything that proves how talented, hardworking and committed you are will go a long way when searching for a new job.

Tags: career change, new career, Redundancy