It’s not easy to stay calm and positive while your job could be uncertain. But there are things you can do right now to take control of you situation.

How many people sabotage an interview or job opportunity by letting issues in their current or past job dominate the conversation? Quite a few. Get your mindset under control, to avoid possibly sabotaging your next opportunity.

If you allow the negative aspects of your current or past role control your future, you in fact can come across as a ‘victim’ or demonstrate you don’t like change and you become a less desirable candidate instantly. A new employer already knows what your situation is and will look for how you handle it. They look for resilience, optimism and willingness to learn and adapt.

Things to avoid at all costs:

Volunteering any negative opinions about your employer, even if asked, take the high road.
If you offer negative opinions, it is the best indicator that you will do this in future to your new employer.

Taking the redundancy personally.
It is not personal, these redundancies are a business decision. If you take it personal, you will have an ongoing emotional reaction which will be difficult to control in interviews. 

Play the victim.
You are only a victim if you decide to be one. Even negative situations that are beyond your control offer choices. It is up to you what the next choice is, a company is not in control of your entire life.

Making personal comments about your colleagues or managers.
This only serves to highlight your own intolerances.

Letting fear rule you to the extent that you lose confidence.
The facts illustrate that you have held down a position successfully for some time, in many cases for years.  The facts show that you are potential candidate because you have transferable skills, you have experience, you have qualifications and therefore you are employable.

Plan an exit strategy that gives you choices and direction:

Some of you will be thinking: “Thousands of people will all looking for new jobs in the aviation industry at the same time”.  There is no point in spending energy worrying about this as it’s out of your control. And there are numerous scenarios that could occur. For example, not everyone is in the same city, redundancies could be staged or delayed, some people may decide to retire or move industries altogether or you may not be made redundant at all.

Regardless of what the actual numbers and competition for jobs will be, or if you will in fact lose your job, you need an exit strategy. Don’t wait until you are actually made redundant.

Here are few things to consider when putting your exit strategy together:

1. Consider internationally based airlines for example Emirates hire Aircraft Engineers, Pilots and Cabin Crew from around the world.
2. Ever thought of starting your own business or setting out as a consultant?  There are always options if you think how to apply your skills laterally. A business coach can help you identify opportunities.
3. Outplacement Services.  Use this wisely. Use the funding to get your documentation and interview technique to the highest professional standard.  It’s probably been a while since you applied for a job or undergone a job interview, so don’t assume you’ll be OK. The world of recruitment is ever changing, you need to know how to navigate it.
4. What other industries do my skill set transfer to? If unsure, a career coach can help direct you to other suitable industry groups.
5. Network Network Network. LinkedIn is a good place to start.  Update your profile today and make it engaging and professional. Review other people’s profiles for ideas. Link to 5 new people each and every day.
6. Up-skill or re-train.  This is the time to gather more qualifications and training in order to remain competitive.