Hi allI have been made redundant from my job after just a year and have no choice but to accept and move on.I am now faced with a difficult scenario of seeking a job while being unemployed. This is new territory for me and a bit scary - I'd appreciate if anyone with a similar experience could provide some useful insight into the following:- What's the best approach towards explaining why I spent just a year in my last job? (context: worked for a blue chip tech consulting firm)- For any given role, will prospective employers will value me less against candidates in employment? If so, what can I do to increase my success rate?All responses will be much appreciated.

If you are good at what you do, then you need not worry. Between 2001-03, the company I was with made almost 30% of my team redundant in 3 different rounds , but except a handful (2 or 3 people), all of them got a decent job within 2-3 months, and those were the real bad days - Some even got hired in other companies on a much senior role than they were in their previous roles. So that was the answer to your 2nd question - Employers will look for what you can offer them and bring to their company in terms of skills and experience , and less about the fact that you were made redudant.About the first point, I would rather say the truth then make up a story about why you were there just one year. Trust me , if you meet the criteria , they will take you - Period.Good Luck

Tintin is quite right IMHO; moreover anon redundancies happen - it's a commercial fact of life and hiring firms understand this. Be honest and tell them you were made redundant - if you can flesh out what went wrong which led to the redundancy (eg lost a major project or whatever it was) so much the better as it places it in context. Remember also to flag up how many others went - if 200 went is looks a lot better (for you) than if you and a few others went (which might look more like dismissal).And add this positive into your thinking; being made redundant you are available more or less immediately - the biggest problem in hiring consultancies have is getting the right people and they all want them yesterday, so if you are able to jump on board and get working straight off the bat this is a big plus for stressed and overstretched hiring managers and project leaders.

How would voluntary redundancy look to a new employer and if you were made redundant either through choice or force would they even find out?

Whether it was voluntary or not is more or less irrelevant. Yes they could find out - MC is a small world after all and people talk, so just playing the odds could make an educated guess about whether it was forced or not. But frankly it would make no difference - why should it?There were obviously reasons why you were made redundant and one firm's misfortune is anothers gain so be that gain and get out there with a positive frame of mind! No one will judge you for being made redundant anon - but they WILL judge you for a negative mindset.

I agree it is critical that you are positive in interviews. Focus on what you learned, what you achieved etc.. Negativity will be seen as weak.Also get out there and network from day 1 because it will take you twice as long as you think. And now you think it will take twice as long it will still take twice as long as you think.

The rules are these:1. stay positive. nothing looks worse than a person who cannot cope with what is happening to him/her. Imagine the message this sends out to a potential employer who might want to put you under pressure and expect you to deliver projects against the odds. If you cannot sort your own life out.....2. Do not underestimate the task ahead. While you must not panic, you must not be too relaxed about it either. My advice is to analyse the market, figure out which companies may be interested in you, check out the various jobs advertised and think about your entry strategy. It is better to put in 2 or 3 well constructed approaches per day than 30 cut and paste jobs... Do not just "spray and pray".... yet!!3. Take a bit of time to relax, spend time with children (if you have them), do something you have not done for a while. If you do get going again, you will be pretty determined to stay employed so do not punish yourself for enjoying the time off a little. If you are playing sport, socialising etc, be positive - you will be amazed who your friends know. A staggering percentage of people secure jobs via chance social contacts. Do not allow yourself to get dispondent. People will actually help you more if they think you are on top of things. A friend might know someone who can help you. Imagine the call to the contact "please help my friend out, he is really desperate. poor guy was practically in tears round my house the other day" vs... "a friend of mine has just been made redundent. the company had to cut staff due to the credit crunch in the US and the effect this had on the revenue streams... last in first out, you know how it is. He is a brilliant guy though and I am sure that he will not be short of offers once the word gets out"4. plan for the worst, hope for the best. Work on the theory that with good strategy and a bit of persistence, it will take you 3 months to be back in work. If you get unlucky - it could be longer - if you had a redundancy payment, don't blow it!5. Keep as many balls in the air as possible. Every interview or job application is important. The one you do not think is a priority now may be your top choice later either because the others have not worked out or because it turns out to be a better opportunity than you realised.6. Work with recruiters by all means but do not expect them to do all the work for you. If they call you or email you, reply promtly. Keep in touch with them but do not hound them. A call every 2 weeks and an email every week is probably enough. Take the time to make sure they have understood your profile. Offer to meet them or take them out to lunch if you think they are able to help you. Much as recruiters hate having their time taken up by candidates, you get a much better service if they know you. The worst recruiter might just by some quirk of fate have the best job. Do not rule out the job because of the recruiter - and vice versa... the slick, articulate strong recruiter may be pushing you in the wrong direction. Use recruiters to help you get interviews with companies you cannot get access to yourself. Once in the interview the floor is yours. Overall, do not see this as any sort of negative. By all means, analyse what went wrong, learn etc but there is virtually no stigma attached to redundancy these days. This could just be the best thing that ever happened to you...

Thank you to all who took the time to respond to my post. Must admit there's a lot of insightful (and motivational) input.Completely agree that I can't let this drag me to despair and must turn this into an opportunity instead.I think my strategy is pretty much along the lines of the what 'can ravi bopara bat' so kindly outlined...1. Take some time out to relax; clear my head and regroup - ultimately come out of this with a positive mindset and surge ahead2. Have a multi pronged entry strategy i.e. via recruiters, direct, professional/ personal contacts...3. Be consistent e.g. set a realistic target to reach out to x number of firms identified apply to at least 1 to 2 advertised roles per day (focussed approaches not cut and pastes)4. Ensure recruiters understand my role/ career objectives and keep in regular contact with them to stay up to speed on the latest opportunities5. Spend my redundancy pay wisely (maximise saving).I know it's pretty much a re-hash of all your posts - but please let me know if you have anything to add.Thanks!

anon,did you not agree that you would make no public comment about the termination and about the existence of a settlement? Check your CA (Compromise Agreement). It's a small world..

To Can Rvi Bopara Bat...the answer is no!, and neither can the rest of the team!!

original poster - what firm were you with? Heard a rumour in the pub last night that some layoffs may be happening (*are* happening?) at my own firm (ACN)Concerned my neck may be on the block!thanks

ACN are laying off people- I know 3 in the last couple of weeks "counselled out". All MCIM.

thanks for the reply, anon. Heard today that these are voluntary redundancies, and are happening at A1 level, with people being offered 10k severance.Any idea what level these people were? Cheers

No not voluntary of what I have heard. Of the three I know, 1A1, 1 C1, 1C2.Very worring

ACN are looking to make 'staff' redundant I hear....Well a couple of things may be at work here:1. The industry is wising up to the reality that ACN are just glorified admin staff packaged up with Woolworth's wrapping paper as 'advisors' and are thus cutting back on hiring these rogues2. ACN leadership has finally worked out (with the help of a little GCSE maths) hiring a thousand or so bleary-eyed graduates and putting them on the hence is not conducive to a robust, sustainable and profitable business modelZB

Job hunting can be tough and you've probably heard it before but you can try to see it as an opportunity. I really recommend a book called "What Color Is Your Parachute?". It's a bit cheesy American at times but has some decent advice and really helps in terms of how gruelling the job hunt can be, dealing with rejections, how to think about what you're doing and especially useful stuff on if you're thinking about changing career at all.

Most of my work is on-shoring the ACN messes, go on be a Tiger Grrrr......Caged and sleeping in your own droppings :)

Taxman - where do you work?