Have you been made redundant?
It’s hard to ignore that the World is in the grips of a crisis. Times like this, when there is mass uncertainty and economic instability, often lead to people experiencing redundancy and losing our jobs. In fact, around 34 – 44% of us will be made redundant at some point in our career according to CEO Magazine.
2023 has brought with it a wave of redundancies
I’ve been contacted by a lot of clients, old and new, who have been made redundant over the past few weeks. Usually, the first thing people do when made redundant (once they’ve worked through the emotions of shock, panic and fear), is to dust off their CV and urgently try and bring their LinkedIn profile back to life. But is that enough? NO! Far from it.
When we’re made redundant, we can’t just behave as normal when it comes to our careers.
First, you need to realise that you are not alone. The war in the Ukraine, inflation and correction in the bloated tech industry have resulted in many high profile and local Cambridge businesses having to make job cuts.
But it’s not all doom and gloom for the job market.
Many UK employers expect their hiring levels to regain momentum in the summer and in the Cambridge ecosystem there are hundreds of businesses needing skilled staff.
How can your career bounce back after being made redundant?
If you’ve been made redundant consider whether the role you have been doing in your sector is in demand. If your role is not in demand, it is likely you will be competing with large numbers of people for a limited number of roles. Instead of becoming despondent, it’s time to get creative. Perhaps it’s time for a career change? It’s in times of uncertainty that innovation thrives. Could you be using some untapped resources in a new way?
Ask yourself…
- What did I enjoy about my past roles?
- What did I not enjoy?
- Outside of work, what makes me happy, gets my juices flowing?
Transferable skills are key to career resilience during any downturn
How many of the following transferable skills do you have in your back pocket, that you might have forgotten the value of? Transferable skills (sometimes called ‘portable skills’) are the key to staying relevant in an ever-changing job market – particularly now.
Grab a pen and paper or your laptop and take a moment to write a list of the transferable skills you have. Here are just a few to get you started:
- Creativity
- Critical Thinking
- Decision Making
- Driving Innovation
- Execution / Delivery
- Flexibility
- Leadership
- Strategic Thinking
- Team Working
If you’re interested in learning more, read more about transferable skills on the Career Ambitions blog …
Once you’ve identified which transferable skills you have, think about which you enjoy using and where they could be used. I have some clients right now who are coming up with an amazing breadth of skills they are repurposing to tap into the current market.
Redundancy is not an easy thing to face. Once you’ve climbed the Change Curve and ridden the rollercoaster, you’ll come to see it as an opportunity rather than a career disaster. It’s far easier to take control when you know how.
As a career management coach, I strive to inspire career professionals to see change as an incredible opportunity to re-evaluate your career. If you need help getting through redundancy-induced emotions and deciding where to start getting your career back on track, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me. I’m here to help.