Redundancy has helped Pete Gallen consider his other strengths

Pete Gallen is one of the thousands of New Zealanders who have recently been made redundant because of the economic recession. Although disappointed to lose his job as an IT specialist, rather than panicking about finding work, Pete says redundancy has given him a new way of approaching his career – and his life.

For starters, Pete has been looking at jobs he would never have dreamed of applying for before. “This morning I’ve been for an agency interview about a potential role which is a change of direction for me. They want someone with an IT background, which I have, but there’s also a sales component. I’ve never done sales before.

“In fact, anything to do with sales I’ve normally shied away from. So that’s probably been the biggest thing to come out of this – realising I need to open my eyes a bit wider, and open my mind to the different possibilities out there.”

Keeping upbeat is also important when job hunting during tough times, Pete says.  “A good way of feeling on top of things is by developing a routine. I’ve made a point of sticking to a routine because if you think ‘I don’t have to go work today’, you’ll quickly slip into that ‘I don’t care’ attitude.

“So I’ve made a list of the things I need to do every day: get up, go for a run, come home, have breakfast and then get on the Internet. Go through Trade Me jobs and Seek jobs.

“It only takes an hour or two in the morning to check all the newly updated jobs. Then you might spend some time applying for the jobs you want. After that, there’s no more you can do so I think – well the rest of the day is there to enjoy. I might go fishing or play golf. There’s plenty to keep me busy around the house too with renovating, firewood, housework and cooking.”

Having a hobby has also helped. “I play a lot of golf. But I’m getting involved with the golf club in other ways now. One of the green staff has resigned, so I offered to help out there now. Although the pay would be nothing like I was getting in my specialist role, it would definitely help cover my golf expenses in the weekend, which is a plus, and the experience can also go on my CV!

“Quite often when something is forced on you, it can be a blessing in disguise further down the track. That’s possibly why I’ve felt getting made redundant won’t be a major issue. I’ve been in similar situations, and doors always open in the end.”