I've Been Made Redundant Four Times. Here's What I've Learnt.

I've been made redundant four times in the past eight years.

Yep, I'm officially losing jobs faster than Justin Bieber's putting out albums.

And, honestly? It kind of sucks. Like, kind of a lot.

But after four job losses (I'm in print publishing -- not the most stable of industries since the internet became a thing), I'm getting kind of good at it. Not a talent I probably would've wished for but hey, here we are.

What I'm also getting kind of good at after all those redundancies, though, is getting back on my feet after the shiz hits the fan. Here's what I've learnt along the way (aside from, ahem, 'try a new career'...)

1. This Is Not Your Fault

Whether it was a company close down, a restructure or some other reason, being made redundant feels pretty shitty. It’s as if the business you’ve worked your ass off for (the late nights, the weekends in the office!) is basically saying,

"It's not me, it's you."

Ouch.

But what I finally wrapped my head around by redundancy No. 4 is that it actually wasn't me. And if it's a genuine redundancy, it’s probably not you either.

To point out the obvious, if you've been fired because you rock up two hours late every day, take boozy long lunches, yell at your workmates and don't actually do any work – try not to be too shocked here – but it probably actually is you.You wonder what you could’ve done differently, how much harder you could’ve worked, why you weren’t good enough. Yep, it feels like you, personally, have failed.

Incorrect.

You were good enough. You ARE good enough. I was and am, too.

It’s not about being good enough, or the effort or years you’ve put in. It’s not even about YOU, really -- even though it’s YOU who still has rent to pay, a family to feed... It’s about businesses bettering their bottom dollar and, yes, it f**king sucks but, sadly, the 'human-ness' of it all isn't really factored into most company's costings. Which brings me to my next point…

2. Be Like Elsa

You know, Elsa? Frozen? Terrible-but-wonderful-ice-powers-shooting-from-her-fingertips-etc? Love or loathe it, everybody knows her signature tune. Say it with me now:

Let. It. Go.

Yes, I know, much easier said than done. It's hard. Like, REALLY hard. I get it. Did I want to lose jobs I loved four times over? Not really, no. Did I get any say in the matter? Also no. I had zero control – and in a world where we get to have our say on So Very Much about who, where and what we do, eat, wear, say, think, buy, love, fuck, hate, date, etc, etc, having control of something as massive as our livelihood rudely prised from our fingers can come as a massive shock to the system.

I'm not saying you should ignore the hurt, the anger, the fact that you feel like you've just been shafted by the company/the universe/the god you believe in. You've got to feel your feelings to move through them, so don’t suppress that.

But at the same time, in my experience, trying to wrench back control of any situation that’s legitimately outside your power (like, say, your entire department closing down and the company not having any comparable jobs available to slot you into) will just do your head in.

Taking control of the things I could (like bugging HR with All Of The Questions about the process and getting politely up in their faces about any new roles that might be popping up), plus letting go of the parts I couldn't control ("there just isn't a job here that fits your expertise anymore") helped me feel a bit less like my future was in someone else's hands.

3. Prepare For The Worst

I'm not talking zombie apocalypse, but not far off it, either. The fact is, in an unstable industry (and aren't they all right now?), you’ve got to be ready for the shit to hit the fan at any given moment.

I'm not saying live in fear – that would be boring and sad and scary and nothankyouverymuch. But when the world is changing around you, you’ve got to keep up. Just because your employment future looks as stable as an IKEA table (hey, I have had mine for 10 years and it is going STRONG), upskilling is never a bad idea, no matter your industry (even if redundancy never comes your way, you lucky duck).

4. Something Better Is Probably Coming

Well this is just plain science. According to one study*, every time one is relieved of one's job, something that sparks waaay more joy comes along next. It happened in 100 percent of cases in this very valid experiment, and science doesn't lie.

*(Me. I am the study.)

Originally written for 10 Daily (no longer in operation). Adapted for Vocal.