Lia Hedley, 27, Personnel Adviser
What circumstances led to your redundancy? I had been a personnel adviser for a large British retail company for around 18 months. The company decided to make a cost saving of approximately 50% on salaries, dramatically altering all the roles in personnel. They opened a call centre, moving much of the work out of the field and back to head office, passing responsibilities back to line managers in stores.
How did you feel? Shocked initially, not just because I wasn't expecting it but because of the numbers involved and the dramatic change of the jobs. I was upset, panicky about the future and de-motivated at work. I found it easier to bury my head in the sand and try to forget about it, so during this time I did nothing about looking for other work.
How did you secure new work? I have decided to apply for a different job within the company – for the time being. Often when redundancies are made companies are required to freeze some vacancies to give staff a chance to apply. Redundant employees would often be priority candidates for these vacancies. I am hoping to secure a team manager position. I'm planning to take up some training courses and improve my IT skills for the future and am still looking outside the company for my ideal job.
What practical advice can you offer? Make sure you know your rights. If a company is making more than 20 people redundant they are required to have the staff vote for an employee representative who will be involved in the decision making. You should use this representative to put your views forward.
Julia Cassells, 29, Sales Manager
What circumstances led to your redundancy? I was sales manager for one of the largest printing companies in the UK. I'd been there for roughly a year when the company went into liquidation, as their biggest customer announced plans to move the majority of their business elsewhere.
How did you feel? I was devastated. The company had a difficult history but in the year since I'd joined we had made significant progress, especially in attracting new business. It was so hard to accept it was all over. I felt angry at first and then really upset, not just for myself but for my colleagues too. There wasn't even an opportunity to say goodbye to many people as we all had to leave immediately.
How did you secure new work? I am currently the UK Sales Manager for Mohn Media, a printing company in Germany. I began by networking and calling up people I knew from other companies. Initially this was very encouraging as people were willing to meet up. However, it soon became clear that a lot of them just wanted information about my previous company. I began freelancing, which lasted for a period of six months before I got my next permanent job. This was the best strategy for me as it gave me time to re-evaluate where I was going with my career and work out which kind of company I wanted to work for next.
What practical advice can you offer? don't leap into the first job you are offered. If at all possible, take time out temping or freelancing and use this period to consider where you really want to go next. Remember that getting the right job might take time. Keep yourself busy, use any contacts you have and above all don't lose your confidence.
Ben Finch, 33, Consultant
What circumstances led to your redundancy? I was working as a consulting assistant for the consulting arm of a professional services firm. When the practice was sold off, several members of my team moved over to the parent company. I stayed because of opportunities in the consulting firm, especially under the new ownership and the new team structure created by the rest of the team leaving. A couple of months after the transaction was completed I was made redundant in a new round of job cuts.
How did you feel? I was disappointed because I had decided to stay with the practice in order to get more responsibility. I was also surprised because I was in high demand at work. However, I realised that being made redundant was just the sort of wake-up call I needed. I had been looking for new work for a while and had also been exploring the possibility of doing an MBA. I hadn't been particularly productive about sorting out either.
How did you secure new work?
I didn't race into the new job as I had received a very good redundancy package from the company. I took some time off and went travelling. On my return I brushed up my CV and threw myself into the job hunt, applying for different positions through friends, family and assorted contacts, as well as signing up with recruitment agencies and approaching companies on spec. At the same time, I applied for an MBA, which I am starting next September. I got my current job after a chance meeting at an MBA fair. I am now a consultant for a technology consultancy as opposed to an all-encompassing management consultancy, which means I work with 20 people instead of 2000.
What practical advice can you offer? Talk things through with friends who have been made redundant themselves, as it can help to swap stories. Also, to safeguard against future worries, when you start a new job, be sure to look into the outplacement services the new company has to offer.
