So as you know the big hairy northern hubby has been made redundant, and I blogged about the first steps to do, which included wallowing and getting some perspective on the old job. Then I blogged about how important it is to look at the basic foundations of your life to strengthen you whether you have or are worried about being made redundant.
Now we are going to start to look at some ideas for the way ahead. It’s very key to have the mind set that there is a ‘silver lining’ waiting out there for you and you are going to snap it up.
So, what could be the ‘opportunity’ for you in being made redundant? I’m going to list a pile for you, because I know it can be tricky sometimes to even think it through.
I’m hoping for tonnes of comments to add to the ideas and give you a boost of confidence too.
First there are some basic ones to do with a slight change of job:
- Work with different people – maybe you weren’t really a match for them, maybe they were mean, maybe they socialised a bit too much and you need to drink less, maybe they were boring? The HR people actually told me once that it must be stressful for me to work in Oracle because I was so different!
- Change what you do – maybe you would like less stress, or to focus on just one area, or have more variety? I was better with a job that didn’t have too many big highs and lows, so support was much more consistent for me in comparison to consultancy.
- Change which area you work in – Your skills might easily translate to another area of the business or a similar one. I get bored quickly so when I worked in IT I went through consultancy, training, project management, support, account management and software engineering!
- Change the hours you work – perhaps the days were too long, or you could go part-time?
- Change the commute – maybe there is something nearer that would be better, or on a different tube line that would reduce the stress levels
- Reduce or increase the travel – do you want see more or less of the world?
- Change how much you were paid – did you need a kick to earn what you deserve, or would you like less responsibility and less money?
- Change the work-childcare mixture in the family – perhaps you would work less days and your partner would like to work more? One of our best friends now works a reduced hour week and it makes total sense.
- Work abroad – maybe it would suit the family to go away for a few years, learn a new language or see a new culture or have a better quality of living
- Go contracting or consulting – I can’t believe I never did this for a while when I worked in IT, we are thinking it might be a good short term option while we think through all the options.
- Move location – we are thinking of going back to good old Bristol
- Start your own company or small business
- Take a family gap year – I’ve always wanted one of these
- Take a period of time out to rethink – maybe you need a massive change and time to get healthier physically, emotionally and mentally?
- Take time out from work and spend it with the kids? maybe with some cuts and the money from the redundancy you could literally stop work for a while?
I took redundancy in April 2009, 3 months after I was TUPE transferred. I was now working for my former client and I didn’t want to work for them. And as the only part time person who was considered a manager, I saw the writing on the wall, esp as my new employer had 5 managers out of 10 staff and I’d have been the 6th.
I took some time off after that as it was immediately in the few months leading up to my son starting school. I wanted to find something flexible I could do but nothing that took me away from my daughter who started a year later. I struggled to find anything and whenever I did get to interview, it didn’t work out. So, I started my own business as a VA/Project Manager working from home. I’ve used my contacts to get work in a very subtle way – nothing too pushy and because these people knew my work from voluntary work I did, I came recommended and haven’t disappointed. Yes, it’s a juggling act and I haven’t quite got the work balance and decent financial situation going on yet but I’m getting there. And I’m glad I did that. I’d worked in IT like you for 22 years and needed to do something slightly different. We don’t have any childcare outgoings and that suits us.
Thank you Kate, it’s lovely to hear stories of how people have changed their career after redundancy. It does take a while to start up your own business, especially as a Mum, but I’m sure you will get there.