“Unemployment falls for the 12th month” screamed the headlines last week.
“Less people in the dole queue”; “the recovery is gaining momentum”, we heard.
It certainly was welcomed by the media, politicians and of course, recruiters, alike.
A few setbacks such as Mivan and KPL aside, the fact that over 6 thousand fewer people are claiming unemployment benefit than one year ago is nothing to be sniffed at.
For many of them, the last year re-adjusting to work after long term unemployment would have been difficult.
The feelings of relief and joy of getting a job are certainly understandable, but what aboutfear?
The fear of keeping up with any new advances in industry and in technology.
The fear of working as part of a team again, having been used to your own company for the past number of months or even years.
The fear that you might end up out of work again.
These feelings of anxiety are not uncommon, so, how do you approach going back to work when you have been out of it for some time?
- Develop an action plan: Set yourself goals for the first few months so that you have something to work towards. Completing them will give you a sense of accomplishment so that the apprehension you feel begins to wane.
- Get up to speed: If you’re nervous about new developments in your sector, then take some time to learn about them. Ask for help or even take on a course to keep yourself up to date.
- But, on the other hand, maintain a balance: You may feel that you want to show your worth by taking on many new challenges and overtime etc- but remember, too much too soon might actually backfire. You don’t want to burn out.
- Give yourself time: It’s perfectly normal to feel rusty. Don’t beat yourself up about it.
Starting a new job can be stressful enough without added pressure.
Remind yourself that you have didn’t give up on the job search and that now is the start of a new career journey.
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