So… I was recently made redundant.
Today, I want to share a deeply personal experience that many of us have encountered or may yet face: the rollercoaster ride of being made redundant. This is my first experience of it and believe me, these past few weeks of my life have been overwhelming and at times disheartening. If you have or are currently experiencing the same, I’m sure you can relate to these feelings. But fear not, my friend, for in this storm of uncertainty lies the potential of growth, resilience and even some unexpected opportunities!
In this post, I’m going to share with you three of the many important lessons and reminders I’ve taken from this tumultuous experience, and I hope they can help shed light to the emotional ups and downs that come with redundancy and uncover ways we can navigate through it.
lesson one: nothing is permanent, expect the unexpected.
In other words, it’s important to be prepared for change because it’s inevitable, and one simple way of doing this is by keeping a note of all of the things you achieved or were involved in during your time at your role or some form of work experience. And by all the things, I mean everything – new skills and knowledge about using different tools and softwares, performance statistics from different projects you’ve been involved in, different individuals and teams you’ve worked with etc.
Believe me, it has been a saving grace for me while I’ve been updated my CV and marketer portfolio, and tweaking my cover letter for the various applications I’ve made. Sometimes, the initial shock of redundancy can make you feel like you haven’t done enough or even make you question if you’ve achieved anything at all. And this feeling can slow down the progress you make when finding new roles.
Regardless of whether or not you’re experiencing redundancy, please please please make sure do this!
lesson two: don’t be afraid to reach out to those who love and support you.
Trust me, I understand that this moment of your life can feel overwhelming and at times, pretty embarrassing. Your first instinct is probably to withdraw yourself which can feel comforting at first. However, over time secluding yourself on the deserted island of solitude doesn’t help when facing the challenges and negative emotions of redundancy (think of them as sharks swimming around this deserted island you’re stranded in).
Think about if you were actually on the ‘deserted island of solitude’: if a cruise ship or a lifeboat sails by, would you wave it away shouting ‘don’t worry, I’ll figure it out on my own’? Probably not, and that’s okay – you don’t have to deal with this process alone. I guarantee you have a circle of friends, family or even (ex)colleagues that would be more than happy to help support you in this difficult time – some of which have also been in the same boat as you (pun very much intended). Reach out to them!
Not only that, this is your best time to network with people and you know what they say: your network is your net worth! Take this time to connect with other professionals in your industry, or even a new area that has sparked your interest. I’m sure you can learn a thing or two from them and who knows, they might help you land an exciting opportunity that you never thought you’d experience in a million years!
lesson three: remember that your role was made redundant, there is nothing redundant about you.
I know that redundancy can feel very personal and make you think that maybe you weren’t doing enough. That’s why I’m here to tell you that it’s not a true reflection of yourself. You have to remind yourself that your redundancy has come about because of factors that were way beyond your control, like economic shifts, company-wide changes or strategic decisions.
Stop your mind from planting those seeds of self-doubt by distracting it. Some of the ways I’ve managed to do this is by taking myself out on solo dates (another blog post that I’ll share with you soon) and just being kinder to myself. Remember, you can’t expect others to be kind to you if you’re not even kind to yourself. By nurturing your well-being, you’ll boost your confidence and remind yourself of the incredible value you bring to the world.
time to wrap things up!
Redundancy might seem like a personal blow, or a massive plot twist your life series. As painful and draining as it is, it’s the best catalyst for personal and professional growth – consider it your sign to reinvent yourself, explore new horizons and embrace new change.
Believe me when I say: the best is yet to come for you.
Bisous bisous!
Elda xx