I wrote about being made redundant in an earlier blog, where I talked about the Bridge model, where it’s helpful to realise the stages people go through during this stressful time.
Here I give some further tips for people who find themselves in this position, on their options.
First though, I want to talk about how important it is to look after yourself if you are in this position. Being made redundant usually comes as a shock and you can often feel like you’ve had a rug pulled from under you. This is can occur, even if redundancy is something that you decide that you want. The time leading up to the date you leave can be an emotional roller-coaster.
Self-awareness
Redundancy is an important time to reassess your values and skills. Taking on a careers coach at this time can help you to do this. Your identity is tied up with your job role, so when you find yourself out of work, this can be hard to deal with. Having a coach will help you stay confident and focused, you can also make do some work on your mindset to make sure you keep this as positive as possible.
Options
There may be several options that you will be considering:
- Applying for another job
- Freelancing/setting up a company
- Volunteering
- Taking some time off to take stock e.g. travelling
I will deal with each of these options in turn:
Applying for another job: You’ll want to make sure you update your CV and your LinkedIn profile. Applying for a few jobs will help you get used to going for interviews again, if you haven’t had one for a while.
Freelancing/setting up a company: Redundancy could be your chance to try this out. Networking and contacts from previous roles will be helpful here. Being in charge of your own company will test your skills in finance, personal branding and selling. If you set up your own website, you’ll learn these skills too.
Volunteering: This is useful as it will get you out of the house and it’s a chance to try out or learn some new skills, as well as meeting some new people.
Taking some time off: If you are able to take time off, especially if you are lucky enough to able to go travelling, this will give you some time to get some perspective on what your next move will be.
For all these options, it’s important to keep on top of your finances and to plan ahead.
Getting some support is really something you should consider when in the middle of a redundancy. I have been through redundancy once myself, so I can empathise with how it feels. I have done some variation of all the options that I describe above, before settling on becoming a freelancer and running my own company. I can, therefore, offer support if you are in this situation, do get in contact: lisa@lisastonecareersandcoaching.co.uk / 07766018081.