Redundancy to Opportunity: lessons learned from an unexpected journey

Sometimes life takes unexpected turns, and not always the ones we hope for. Recently, due to a change in strategic direction, my awesome New Ventures team, which launched the Find Your Rhythm app at Medibank, was disbanded, and my role was made redundant.

Let me tell you, I had an incredible time at ahm and Medibank. I gained invaluable skills, shared countless laughs, and worked alongside some truly dedicated and talented people. I’m incredibly proud of what we accomplished with Find Your Rhythm—a new brand and product designed from the ground up via deep customer discovery to help empower women on their health journeys by aligning their wellness goals with their hormone cycles. It was exciting to be part of something that not only aimed to help users solve real health & wellbeing problems but also contributed to Medibank's innovation and strategic agenda.

But let’s be real: it’s tough when you're suddenly told you can't continue a journey you genuinely enjoyed. I'm not gonna lie - It’s hard not to take it personally, even if HR tells you it’s not about you. And I know I’m not alone; many others in the tech and product space have faced similar challenges lately.

Now, a few months later, I’ve had time to reflect on this unexpected chapter, and I’d love to share some lessons I’ve learned along the way. After all, hearing others’ stories helped me feel less alone, and I hope my experience can bring you some guidance or solace if you find yourself in a similar boat.

Lesson 1: Ride the Emotional Rollercoaster

You’ll experience a whirlwind of emotions that can feel a bit like the five stages of grief. First comes DENIAL—you’re shocked and confused, wondering what went wrong. Next is ANGER, where frustration and questions pop up/ or boil over (and maybe you take it out on your close loved one a bit too much upon reflection). You might then find yourself BARGAINING, reaching out to people to weave a way back to how it was or reframing the situation into a chance for growth or safety. Then, DEPRESSION might hit, with worries about how you’ll get through this, pay the bills, find your professional identity or even get a new job in this difficult market. Finally, you hopefully reach ACCEPTANCE, where you accept there's so little you can control and the best way forward is just taking proactive steps to find a new job that hopefully brings new growth, excitement and learnings your way.

Lesson 2: Network Like Your Next Job Depends on It

Reach out to everyone in your network. This isn’t just about finding a new role; it’s a great chance to reconnect with people you may not have spoken to in ages. You’d be amazed how many others have navigated similar waters and are willing to share insights or lend a helping hand. Remember, the world is surprisingly small, and those connections can lead to exciting opportunities.

Lesson 3: Find Your Redundancy Tribe

Seek out others who are going through—or have been through—redundancy. It’s comforting to know you’re not alone, and you’ll gain practical advice from those who’ve walked this path before. A huge shoutout to everyone who took the time to chat or grab coffee with me—your support was invaluable!

Lesson 4: Keep Your Career Documents Up to Date

Update your resume ASAP and start sending it out! Capture all the key activities, achievements and outcomes from your most recent role so you don' quickly forget about it (or negatively bias any of the positive experiences you had before the redundancy). But don’t stop there; keep it updated as you progress in your job search. Cover letters? They’re nice to have, but I found a well-crafted resume often does the trick on its own. Just be prepared to talk about everything on it!

Lesson 5: Know What You Want, But Stay Open to Change

In a niche field, finding an exact match for your next role can be tricky, especially in today’s job market. Reflect on what you loved about your last job and what you want to explore next. Being open to new or tangential opportunities can lead you to unexpected and exciting paths. A step down, sideway or even upwards can all be viable and important new career steps that you should be open to consider.

Lesson 6: Be Honest and Upfront

Don’t shy away from discussing your redundancy with recruiters, talent acquisition teams or interviewers. It's commonly understood it's not YOU that was made redundant but your role or team. Especially if you work in certain types of roles (like innovation / new product development), these type of things are inevitable in your career. Honesty is often more effective than crafting a fake story. Prepare a concise elevator pitch about what happened, then quickly focus the conversation to what you learnt, outcomes you helped deliver and how you can bring all your talents and experience to future roles & organisations.

Lesson 7: Stay Busy and Productive

Use this time to tackle personal projects or tasks that have been on your to-do list forever—be it your long-overdue tax return, home improvement projects, or indulging in your guilty pleasure TV shows. Take some time to process your emotions and decompress after you finish up at your last workplace. Once ready - job hunting is a job in itself, so treat it like one! Set aside time for networking, meet-and-greets, and job applications. And remember, it may take 2 - 4 months from initial application to offer, so patience is key but setting up your pipeline of opportunities is important to keep momentum going.

Lesson 8: Stay Positive and Keep Hustling

The job market can feel daunting, but opportunities are still out there. Don’t let the number of applicants scare you! Apply widely and keep your spirits high. Every rejection is one step closer to the right opportunity. Embrace the process, seek feedback when you can, and keep moving forward with optimism.

Redundancy is never easy, but it can be a chance to reflect, grow, and discover new opportunities. I hope these lessons resonate with anyone facing a similar situation. Remember, tomorrow is a new day filled with fresh possibilities!

And on a bright note, I’m thrilled to share that I’ve secured a new role at a beloved Australian retailer. Stay tuned for updates! If you’d like to chat more about this or if there’s anyway I can support you through a similar journey, don’t hesitate to reach out.