Redundant and alone? I asked for help – and you can, too

I can still feel the wooden frame of the cheap couch digging into my hip as I tried to get some sleep. This is what I’d left my family in Melbourne for – life at an Auckland startup. 

For the first six weeks, the office couch was home. 

Then, for the next seven years, the company was home. But recently, a bushfire roared through my life and flattened everything. Three weeks ago, I was made redundant. There was a loss of identity, but the loss of the communities I’d built with colleagues and in my role was worse. 

So, I sought human connection and reached out to a few people who have been successful in their chosen fields. 

I barely knew or didn’t know every single business leader quoted here. When I originally spoke to them, I had no intention of writing this piece. Remarkably, everyone just wanted to help. Let’s stamp out this bushfire together!  

Step 1. Take time for yourself and don’t rush into something  

“Don't take it personally,” said Simplicity chief executive Sam Stubbs. “Redundancies are for a reason, and usually linked to the economic realities of the enterprise. That is not personal.”   

Todd Graydon, CEO of Blunt Umbrellas, said: “In your 20s and 30s, you are bound to make poor choices that inevitably fail and it’s a tough lesson at the time, but if you embrace the learnings and you add them to your toolbox, you will naturally make better decisions in the future.   

“Do, fail, learn. The good stuff is ahead of you.”   

Entrepreneur and tech investor Mark Hurley’s pragmatic advice was: “Throw it in the bin, move on. Don’t let it affect your confidence. You let it affect your confidence and it can be a career-defining event versus a bump in the road.”   

Laura Weir, of the ArchiPro building services and products search platform, said it’s important not to feel pressured to move on too quickly. “Some of my friends jumped straight into new jobs, which caused more emotional damage in the long run.”   

For me, this step looked like two good ugly cries with close friends and spending some time staring at the ocean. You do you!  

Step 2. Ask successful people for advice

In an email, briefly say who you are and why you’re writing. Ask for advice via one or two questions, then thank them for their time.   

“Don’t be ashamed of what you are going through,” said Stubbs. “It’s a common area of grief. Every adversity is an opportunity, a chance to take stock, work out what really matters, and work towards that.   

“Rarely do we get the chance to change.”   

My own experience: the more people I reached out to and met with, the less alone I felt.  

Step 3. Think about who you are and what you want  

“I remember the founder of a successful business saying to me that the best thing that ever happened to him was being made redundant,” said Dean Anderson, CEO of investment manager Kernel.  

“I'd embrace this moment, especially if you have the financial security to not feel rushed into something. “If you can, take time to work out what it is you want from this opportunity, given you've been handed a clean slate with no constraints.”   

Financial blogger Ruth Henderson, creator of The Happy Saver podcast, recommended taking a snapshot of your life.   

“Is this a three-second, three-day, three-month, three-year issue? When will I have this sorted out?   

“Mentally set the timer on that. Pause all unnecessary spending and open an account nicknamed 'Last Resort’. Put any money you would have saved or invested in there.   

“Then, when you pull a paycheck again, you can invest whatever is left.”   

Step 4. Talk to many businesses

Jason Wang, a partner at Icehouse Ventures venture-capital firm, suggested: “I recommend ‘kissing a lot of frogs’ and talking to as many businesses as possible before committing to your next role. There are always amazing opportunities popping up.”   

Mark Hurley said: “Don’t be afraid to reach out to companies directly.”  He added: “There are two common attributes I see in all successful people: they have the ability to sell themselves and their ideas, and they can learn new things quickly.”  

Step 5. Consider pivoting into something new

Westpac senior platform engineer Brandon Farrell said: “The people I’ve seen do particularly well have been the ones who used the shakeup to pivot into something completely new, whether that’s turning a skill or passion they have into a business or using the opportunity to finally do something they’ve always thought of doing.   

“The people I’ve seen struggle more were the ones who went and looked for something exactly like what they did before, in a market where all businesses were struggling.”   

Doing something different might involve writing an article for BusinessDesk. Just saying.  

Step 6. Consider casual work while you decide  

Sometimes your "Last Resort" account may need a little top-up.   

Graydon said: “The best way to find a job you love and a career that will help you to be successful is to follow what you’re naturally interested in. Follow your curiosity rather than what your mates are doing or, worse still, a business-school strategy on how to make money.”  

Said Stubbs: “All things shall pass. As tough as it feels right now, it will get better. It usually does.”  

Hopefully, these steps will make dealing with redundancy easier. 

From sending a few emails to people you barely know, or don’t know at all, you can find yourself standing side by side with a world-class network, helping one another to defend against life’s bushfires.