Been told your role is being made redundant?

There is no dressing it up. It is one of the hardest things that can happen in your working life.

Even if you half saw it coming. Even if redundancies are happening everywhere. It still lands like a punch.

Your stomach drops. Your mind starts racing. And somewhere in the middle of all that, a little voice starts asking:

What did I do wrong?

So let me answer that first.

In most cases, absolutely nothing.

I have been recruiting for more than 20 years, and right now I am speaking to people every day who have been made redundant. Good people. Experienced people. People who have performed well, built strong careers and added genuine value to their businesses.

Over recent months, we have seen company after company restructure, reduce headcount, consolidate teams and move roles offshore. When a position is removed or absorbed into a restructure, it is a decision about the role.

It is not a verdict on you.

Please hold onto that, because the market may test your confidence, and you are going to need that confidence.

I also do not write any of this from a distance. I watched my father be made redundant twice.

The first time, he was a typesetter at the Daily Mirror. It was the trade he had completed his apprenticeship in and the craft his entire working life had been built around. Then technology changed, and the role simply stopped existing.

Years later, it happened again. This time, he was working as a graphic designer, and software was beginning to do faster what he had spent years learning and perfecting.

I was young, but I remember what it did to him. I remember what it did to my mother. I remember how tight things became at home, financially, emotionally and personally.

That was many years ago, but it has never left me. It is one of the reasons I do this job the way I do.

Redundancy is never just a line on a CV. It affects confidence, identity, finances, relationships and the entire household around you.

But people do get through it. And the right people can make that road a little easier.

So, deep breath. Here is what I would do next.

The First 48 Hours: Slow Down

Your first instinct may be to apply for 40 jobs before Friday.

Please do not.

You will send rushed applications, apply for roles you do not really want and exhaust yourself before the real job search has even begun.

The first few days are about steadying yourself, not sprinting.

Let yourself feel it. Tell the people closest to you.

Redundancy can carry a strange sense of shame, even though there is nothing shameful about it. One of the quickest ways to challenge that feeling is to say it out loud to someone who cares about you.

You may also be surprised by how many people respond with:

You are not alone, and you are certainly not the only capable person going through this.

Get Your Exit Right Before You Sign Anything

This is the practical part people often rush through because they are upset. Take your time.

Understand your entitlements. Know what your redundancy payment should be, what notice you are owed and how your accrued leave will be paid.

If the numbers do not look right, ask questions. If the company is insolvent or closing rather than simply restructuring, things can become more complicated, so seek proper advice before agreeing to anything.

Also, speak to your manager about references while the situation is still fresh. Ask whether they will act as a referee and confirm that your role was made redundant for genuine operational reasons.

Many managers feel awful about having to make these decisions and genuinely want to help. Let them.

Ask for a LinkedIn recommendation too. It is much easier to do this now than six months down the track when everyone has moved on.

You can also ask about outplacement support, introductions within their network or additional flexibility during the handover period. They may say no. But they may also say yes.

If your employer is offering outplacement support as part of your exit, our outplacement and career transition services are worth asking them about directly.

Sort the Money, Then Sort Your Head

Do a quick and honest financial calculation. What money is coming in? What is going out? How many weeks or months of breathing room do you realistically have?

Knowing the actual number, even if it is tighter than you would like, is less frightening than the vague anxiety of not knowing.

Review the obvious non essential expenses, check whether you are eligible for government assistance and create a realistic plan.

Then look after your wellbeing as though it is part of the job search. Because it is.

Keep some sort of routine. Get outside. Move your body. See people. Do something each day that has absolutely nothing to do with recruiters, SEEK or LinkedIn.

I am a trail runner, and I promise you, some of my clearest thinking has happened halfway up a hill, not while staring at a job board.

You do not need to train for an ultra, by the way. A walk will do.

A rested and level headed version of you will interview far better than someone who is exhausted, panicked and trying to solve their entire future by Tuesday.

Approach the Job Search Strategically

The market has changed, and applying for everything you see is unlikely to be the best use of your energy.

Start with your network

Make a list of people who know your work. Former managers. Colleagues. Clients. Suppliers. Recruiters. People you have worked alongside on projects.

Tell them clearly that you are available and be specific about what you are looking for. For example:

That gives people something useful to work with. “Let me know if you hear of anything” is polite, but it is too vague and often leads nowhere.

Update your LinkedIn profile

Make sure it clearly shows what you have done, what you are good at and the type of opportunity you are targeting. Turn on the discreet “open to work” setting if you are comfortable doing so.

And be visible. Comment thoughtfully. Reconnect with people. Share something relevant to your area of expertise. You do not need to suddenly become a LinkedIn influencer. Nobody needs that pressure. You simply need to remind people that you are there.

Following our Elements Recruitment LinkedIn page is a good way to stay visible in the local market and see roles as they come up.

Build the right recruiter relationships

Build relationships with one or two recruiters who genuinely understand your profession and your market. Not 15 recruiters. A couple of good ones.

Be honest about the roles you want, the salary you need, your location preferences and what you are prepared to compromise on. We can advocate for you far more effectively when we understand the real person, not the polished interview version.

You can browse our current opportunities across accounting, business support, customer service, HR, sales, supply chain and executive roles, or submit your CV so our consultants know you are on the market. You can also set up job alerts so relevant roles land straight in your inbox.

Make Yourself Harder to Replace

This is probably the most important part. And, if I am honest, it comes as much from watching what happened to my father as it does from watching the employment market today.

His work was disrupted by technology twice. The lesson I took from that is not that technology is the enemy. It is that the safest place to stand is usually in work that is difficult to reduce to a simple process.

Transactional and highly repeatable work is easier to automate, consolidate or move elsewhere. So think carefully about how you can build the skills that are harder to replace.

Judgement and business partnering. The person who sits with decision makers, challenges assumptions, understands the broader business and helps shape the outcome is valuable. The person who only completes the task is more vulnerable.

Relationships and trust. Being the person people turn to matters. The person who can manage a difficult stakeholder, read the room, support a team and build trust has something that is not easily replicated.

Commercial thinking and communication. Producing a report, spreadsheet or piece of analysis is only part of the job. The real value often sits in explaining what it means, why it matters and what the business should do next.

If there is a gap between where you are now and where the market is heading, use this time to start closing it. That might mean a course, a certification, learning new technology, strengthening your leadership skills or taking on something more strategic.

Time between roles is hard. But it can also be a rare opportunity to invest in yourself without a full time job getting in the way.

One Final Thing

Redundancy can feel like the end of a career. It rarely is.

I have seen people move into better roles after redundancy. Better cultures. Better managers. Better salaries. Better alignment with the life they actually want.

Sometimes it happens quickly. Sometimes it takes longer than anyone would like. And I will not insult you by pretending the market is easy right now. It is not.

But you are more employable than you probably feel today.

The fog will lift. Get your exit sorted. Look after yourself. Use your network. Be deliberate about your search. And keep building the skills that make you valuable beyond a job title.

You have got this.