Life after redundancy

I’ve seen a lot of posts on LinkedIn recently from people who have lost their jobs and this has motivated me to write something from my own experience of redundancy.

Until you actually go through it, it’s difficult to understand fully the effects of redundancy. There’s the stress of not having an income, the worry of not being able to pay your bills, the pressure of having to find another job quickly, the loss of confidence that often comes with losing a job and the fear that other people will judge you.

Even when you know it’s not personal, it can still feel personal and it can be easy to forget that it’s the role that’s redundant, not you. It’s amazing how many people forget that.

Emotional impact

If you can, take some time to process your emotions and recognise that you’re going through a loss. Take time to grieve and to process any anger you might be feeling.

Even if you have to find another job straightaway, don’t dismiss the emotions you’re feeling. Any loss is painful and losing a job, particularly if it’s one you enjoyed, is not easy. Recognise that you’re going through a loss and that it will take time.

If you’re a manager going through the redundancy process while putting your team through it, don’t forget to look after yourself. You can’t support your team effectively if you’re not taking care of your own needs at the same time. This was one of the hardest things for me when I went through the redundancy process. I spent so much time supporting my team that I completely failed to recognise that I also needed support.

Help and support

Don’t be afraid to ask people for help. I’ve seen so many people on LinkedIn sharing other people’s posts when they’re looking for work. Look at the people in your network and see if there is anyone who can help you update your CV, proofread job applications or put in a good word for you if they know anyone who is recruiting. People are often happy to help.

One thing that really helped me after I lost my job was revisiting all the lovely messages I received from people when they heard I was leaving. So many people got in touch before I left to wish me well and I kept all the messages. Whenever I was having a bad day, I’d read some of them and it always made me feel better.

You don’t need anyone else’s validation, but knowing that people appreciated what I had done during my time in that role helped me regain the confidence I lost when I lost my job.

Find something positive

Redundancy is a tough experience, but you can shape it into something positive. Having time on my hands meant I had more time to exercise and I became fitter. I also had more time to study. I was studying for an MBA at the time I lost my job and although I was worried about having to give it up if I couldn’t pay for it, I had just started one of the modules before I lost my job and this gave me something to focus on other than job hunting.

While job hunting will naturally be your main focus after being laid off, it’s important to have a routine that’s not entirely focused around finding another job. Keep in touch with friends for support and make time for yourself. After all, when you start a new job, you want to have energy, not feel completely exhausted and stressed.

Consider your options

Be patient. If it’s taking a while to find another job, look at other options. Temping or freelancing can bring in some money while you look for a more permanent option. If you’ve ever considered working for yourself, redundancy can give you the push you need to get started with your own business.

If you’re in a good financial position, don’t feel you need to take the first job you find. Use the time to reassess what you really want. If you’ve not been happy at work, this is an ideal opportunity to spend some time working out what you really want to do. Although I needed to find a job fairly quickly, I spent some time thinking about what I really wanted to get from my work and this was when I decided coaching was something I wanted to do.

Learn from your experience

When you’re in a better place, ask yourself what you can learn from your experience. For me, it was about finding a much better balance between supporting my team and supporting myself. It was about recognising that losing my job didn’t diminish me as a person and that I had a lot to offer.

Above all, remind yourself that you will find something else. It might not be your ideal job, but getting back into the workplace is important and once you have another job, you can look for something else at a more leisurely pace if it’s not a job you want to do long term.

I can look back on my experience of redundancy having learned from it. I underestimated how stressful it would be, but I probably wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now if I hadn’t lost my job. I would have moved on at some point, but I probably wouldn’t have changed career at that point and I definitely wouldn’t have considered running my own business.

It took a while to come to terms with everything, but I feel grateful that I’m now doing something I love. If you’re going through the redundancy process or if you have recently lost your job, I hope you find something that makes you feel valued and fulfilled.

About me

I work with managers in the third sector to help them work out the next steps of their career while avoiding burnout. I’ve worked in the public, private and third sectors and changed career twice.

I also work with neurodivergent people to help them make the most of their strengths in the workplace and to work out strategies to deal with any challenges they might be facing.

If you need some help figuring out where you want to go next in your career or you’re worried that you're at risk of burnout, email [email protected] .