What to do after being made redundant

It happens to many of us. We go for roles that we don’t get. We lose our jobs. We might get demoted. We resign. We are made redundant. In whichever way it happens, we move on from an organisation where we have expended considerable time and energy. Whether through our own volition or some arbitrary action by some unseen hand in another time zone, at some point in our life, we will not have a job or get the role we want.

A few weeks ago, a friend was made redundant from their organisation. They had already gone through the cycle of Shock–>Anger–>Transition–> Grief–> Acceptance and wanted to discuss what was happening. The main questions on their mind were: So now what? And where to go from here?

They weren’t looking for a 1-2-3 step to update their resume or how to reconnect to a work network, or what job to go for. It was a more profound level of awareness that this event happened for a reason and how they might unpack it to prepare for their next thing.

I shared my perspective on what to do after being made redundant through my experiences, and here’s what came out.  

First perspective

First and foremost, they need to take the time to think about the story and the meaning they might be telling themselves about this event.   They need to distance themselves from the event and understand what they are saying to themselves. Is the interpretation of the event empowering and affirming? Or are they in blame and bitterness mode? 

What I am advocating is for them to take the time to find the meaning they are giving to the event so that it may help them move forward or determine whether it is a meaning that keeps them stuck in the past, lamenting what could have been, should have been and might have been.

Being made redundant is tough, and what I have seen is entirely unforeseen. No warning. There is a lack of control, and it is natural to feel rattled, afraid of the unknown and perhaps even some loss of confidence and increased doubt.

The emotions are real and need to be dealt with. However, there are many ways to look at this situation and draw many meanings from this event. One possible meaning is that…there is no meaning. It happened because the person being made redundant happened to be on some spreadsheet, being reviewed by someone far, far away, in a land far removed from where the employee is, by someone quite possibly using an algorithm or some other process to allocate redundancies.    My friend happened to be the casualty of this process. So the meaning might be that the company chose to adjust its business model and workforce allocations and that being made redundant is not a reflection of them as a human, their abilities or capabilities.

This is where the power of their story can make a difference. This is where they can make a new meaning of what happened to them, start regaining control, and regain their confidence.

Now, you might be saying that there could be a substantial reason why this person was picked. Maybe they didn’t do what they needed, and the organisation deliberately picked them. Ok, sure, quite possible. And if they had a chance, they could have asked for feedback or an explanation. But they didn’t get the chance, as many who face this situation know. And who is to say that feedback would have been of value?

So, the opportunity for them is to reframe and choose how they interpret the situation. They are the ones that put meaning to the event and the situation they find themselves in. No one else can.

Second perspective

The second perspective is understanding what learning they received from the situation. There are always learnings. We learn every day. So why not when it is a significant event like not getting a job or when made redundant? What are the learnings, and how can they be applied to the next thing or the new job? How might they use the event as a catalyst to shape their sense of self? 

When events happen around us and to us, they shape us, whether we are in control or not (think COVID, lockdowns and all that). The event changes us in ways that, if we don’t reflect on it, are lost learning opportunities. And learnings are the gold we can take into our next role or opportunity.

Third perspective

Lastly, I encouraged them to get into future thinking mode. Take the new story and the learnings and shape them into an opportunity to reinvent themselves. I am a big fan of this process. I am not encouraging them to throw everything out or become something they are not. Instead, I suggested that this is a great time to review their values, principles, how they show up and the activities they participate in. Do they still serve them? Or are the habits something they fell into while on the job and are now no longer relevant to them and their new future?

Reinventing ourselves is not a linear process we follow with a defined roadmap. Reinvention is about a journey of self-discovery and reorientation of who we want to be moving from this point forward.

I encouraged my friend to use tools like reassessing their values and the wheel of life to recalibrate what is important to them and develop the actions that make sense for them moving forward. 

So, did they have their questions of so now what and where to go from here answered?

Yes, through the conversation, they felt much more confident to explore the story they are telling themselves, the learnings they need to identify to reinvent and reorient themselves for a future-focused vision and a process to move towards action.

This loop is something you may wish to explore. And how fast one can go through the loop depends on you. Each person will have their tolerance for how long it will take. There is no right or wrong answer. Know that it is a non-linear process; you might have to go back and revisit the story or the learning before you can move on to the action.

Final thoughts

I know it is challenging not getting the job we want. Or losing the job that meant something. It is not a fun process, but it can be a joyous defining moment of self-discovery and self-exploration. It can be an opportunity to reassess what no longer serves and reimagine a different path and future.

And if you are struggling and not finding your way through the disappointment, know you are not alone. Please seek help through a friend, a colleague, or a professional counsellor or, if in Australia, contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue or support in your country.

As always, if you invest in yourself, the rewards will be unfathomable.

Until next time.

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