inspiring stories
See change in your life as opportunity
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“For me, both instances of being made redundant was a way of ‘the universe’ righting my ‘wrong’ decisions and getting me back on track. I knew that I had veered off path, accepted job roles despite my gut instinct telling me that they were not a great fit and I was becoming more and more apathetic and frustrated in my role.”
“ I was made redundant as a fundraiser for a charity. I had been there 3 years, it was the ultimate sabbatical. What I hadn’t understood until this point in my working life was that transferable skills were a real thing. The qualities required for managing volunteers, inspiring donors and adapting communications for different audiences, from senior corporate leaders to 5 year old school children were pretty aligned with the change effort required to deliver a major technology project to a business not used to change.”
“I was made redundant in 2015 and didn’t really understand the journey or how rough the road to recovery would get or be. I was never one for throwing in the towel or admitting defeat but at times it was difficult to manage and keep a lid on things. Reflecting back it was the kick up the arse I needed if the truth be known, opportunities often arise when you are least expecting, although I had to create the conditions and have a plan which I put in place.”
See it as an opportunity. Look for the positives and relish in the freedom that comes with looking at the future as a blank slate, with your pen poised to write the next chapter of your story. Use the time for reflection if you can.
“Brainstorm your options. What aspects of your previous role did you enjoy, what do you want to avoid if possible? Many people enjoy ‘portfolio careers’ – could you find interim employment to tide you over and create a side hustle doing the thing you really love? Be open to all possibilities. If someone had told me a year ago that I’d have set up my own consultancy I would never have believed them. Take yourself out of your comfort zone, you never know where it might lead you.”
Take the opportunity to rethink everything about your life. Some people know they want exactly the same career after redundancy. I had to start my life again at square one, and I’m extremely fortunate that I was able to build up my work around my ongoing health issues. It was great practise for balancing my current business around my 2 young children. I think if I’d had more confidence that it would be possible for me to find a flexible way of working when I first got ill, I wouldn’t necessarily have had to hit rock bottom in the way that I did. So learning to look 'outside of the box' has definitely served me really well since I was made redundant. I feel such a lot of gratitude to have the life I now have, and none of it would have been possible without my redundancy.