Subj : 'Really troubling times': Career advice amid job losses
To   : All
From : News
Date : Mon Apr 15 2024 12:23 pm

A career specialist has shared advice for people potentially stepping into
new careers as government officials propose job losses to save $1.5 billion
in the public service.


It is part of Finance Minister Nicola Willis' plan to reduce annual public
service spending by $1.5 billion, through slashing ministries and agencies
expenditure by either 6.5% or 7.5%.


MPI confirmed in a statement the roles were being cut to "improve efficiency
and deliver savings," with many other government departments such as the
Ministry of Health and Department of Conservation following suit.

CareerEQ's Kaye Avery shared some advice with Breakfast for people who are
"really anxious" for their jobs right now.


"Being prepared is a good thing, but it also can be troubling. It can drag on
and often there's a lot of tensions within the organisation," she said.


Avery said when large numbers of jobs are proposed to be cut, it can create a
challenging environment to compete with other people for a small number of
specialised roles.


"You're competing against a much bigger pool, so you really have to do your
homework. You have to be prepared for that," she said.


Her advice is to understand how to present yourself and know what you want
from the role and "how to tell your stories in a way that is resolved about
the past and convincing".


Moving on too quickly can 'ruin your reputation'
Avery said it is "really important" to confront internal feelings with a
career specialist, coach or counsellor before moving straight into a new job.


"Anger and grief are a big part of the journey really, and you have to really
deal with that first. It's not a good idea to go straight out to market when
you're feeling like that.


"You can ruin your reputation if you go too hard and fast and you're not
resolved."

She said job insecurity within an organisation can be "troubling" as tensions
can arise and impact on people's relationships internally and culturally
within the business.


"People can be thinking 'oh they won't touch me, my role is required, I'm
really busy, I don't know how they can do without my role'," she explained.


Do your homework before going for a new role
Avery said being in a job for a long time can show that you're a committed
person, but can also be a big challenge to pivot into an entirely new career
and people considering it have to "do the mahi" before making the switch.


"Think about 'who am I? What do I want to be doing? What transferable skills
have I got? What skills do I bring from my past job?'"

She said going overseas may be the only answer for someone who works in a
particularly defined skillset or specialised role, such as a pathologist or
lab specialist.


"If you have to, you have to. If you have a mortgage to pay, and kids to
support, you have to find the money, right? So you have to do what you have
to do."

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