Dealing with Redundancy

Being affected by redundancy is probably the most difficult, stressful and alienating experience to be faced in your career.

To be told your role is no longer required is a huge blow and one that feels personal. It can often come as a shock and takes time to accept and come to terms with. If this has happened to you give yourself time to go through this process. Expect to experience a temporary decrease in your self-confidence. Take steps to look after yourself.

Following many years of experience supporting people make the transition to a new role I recommend these steps:

1. Tell family and friends about the situation, especially those from whom you can expect support and encouragement. You will need their help and support during the period to come.

2. Don’t panic. Do not be tempted to rush off CVs and applications in all directions. Ill-considered and poorly prepared applications are unlikely to be successful and a mailbox full of rejections at this stage is not encouraging. Further they are unlikely to lead to the right job for you.

3. Be selective about the recruitment companies you sign up to. Ensure that they are credible, reputable and understand your requirements. Exercise caution with web-based services and don’t upload CVs containing personal details (eg., date of birth, or home address). These have led to numerous cases of identity theft.

4. Maintain good relations with your (ex-)employer and colleagues. They can become useful contacts for job searching.

5. Understand the details of the redundancy package and the financial assistance available to you (for example, contact your bank manager/mortgage company and advise them of the situation, perhaps discuss a short-term overdraft or increase in existing overdraft). Get qualified advice about your financial options.

6. Undertake a self-assessment process, thinking through your skills, experience, attributes etc. Think through your requirements for the next job (role, salary, location, etc.)

7. Follow best practice to develop a new CV that fully and concisely reflects your case for winning an interview for each specific job.

8. Carefully prepare your job search and all interviews that result.

9. Allow yourself periods of despondency and expect a degree of rejection from employers. This can be hard to accept, especially if you have received many rejections. In between brief periods of “rest” remember to maintain an appropriate mindset – be positive, enthusiastic, organised and focused.

10. It sounds easy and possibly glib to say, but use the situation to positive effect. If you can use the opportunity redundancy offers to find a better job, or to kick-start you into making that career change, it can become the best thing that ever happens to you.


“Don't let life discourage you; everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was."
[Richard L. Evans]

(c) managingchange 2010