Surviving Sudden Redundancy

Take stock of your finances

Probably THE most important thing to do once you’ve got that breathing back under control and a chance to let the RSI subside after all the sudden keyboard activity above!
You are far more likely to think calmly and rationally now, so your aim is to find out the true state of your financial affairs.
If you can (you probably came across a very friendly one during the networking exercise above), sit down with a financial consultant who will know how to ask you the right (sometimes hard hitting) questions to get a proper assessment.
Take a very careful look at any compensation you received (if you’re lucky), benefits packages (like insurance policies, pension or private health plans etc.) that you may be able to “roll over” from your old company’s employee schemes. (Take care of this right away too!).

Remember the “who you know” of the Senior Execs

If you managed to do a good job and leave the right impressions with your previous bosses and other senior management, it might just pay off in real dividends now.
Keep in close contact with them!!!

The more connected they are (and the chances are they will be), the faster they will probably find their next great opportunities and look to set themselves up for success in their new post. When that happens, seasoned executives will take quick measures to surround themselves with the people they know and trust. They will build new teams from people they know and that of course could include you!

Make it known that you’re up for the new adventure if you are.

Leverage your own skillset

What can you do to leverage (to get ever more with ever less) the experience that you’ve had so far and the skills you’ve been building? What do you know that others might still want to know? (remembering any anti-competitive agreements you may have). How can you use what you’ve learned to your benefit and to the benefit of others?

Never discount trying something new

Employment prospects or ideas you hear about from friends and relatives might not sound quite right at first, some may even sound downright suspicious ! However, give them a chance to explain and give yourself a chance to explore a bit. Don’t limit your options too soon. Try imagining yourself working in a whole new situation and consider whether you might find your vocation in life in some other industry than you’d previously envisioned.
You might actually learn something new that you never expected, or even discover a connection with something that does actually fit you.

Keep yourself Fit & Healthy – or get fit !

Whether you’ve been really diligent about taking care of yourself while employed or have totally forgotten what wearing a pair of trainers feels like, make your health a major priority now.

Take some extra time to sleep, get some fresh air, take the dog for its walk yourself (!) walk on your own, have a short run, do some yoga – whatever makes you feel your best. The endorphins will help a lot in bringing a smile and positive outlook to your face. You’ll also project more confidence as you go out to pursue other opportunities. You never know who you’ll meet along that run either!

View this as an opportunity to prepare yourself better for the next adventure
At this moment in time, it might seem to you like the end of the world, but the good news is that if you can weather this storm, you’ll only be better prepared for the next adventure – however tough the ride may be. Just remember that the journey of life has a habit of throwing in the odd rough patch – what you can do now to prepare yourself will stand you in good stead for the future.