So you’ve been made redundant

It seems to be that 2025 has been a year of ups and downs globally and locally. Businesses are realigning themselves which in some cases means cutting of staff costs.

Soo you’ve been made redundant, and you find yourself back in the market – it can be quite scary, but, you can embrace the opportunity and move onwards and upwards.

No matter what age or genre you are or what industry you work in, I would suggest a five point plan.

1. First up get a clear picture of your finances.  This means you need to work out (a) how long you can comfortably manage without a steady pay packet coming in and (b) look at what you have got for that redundancy/final pay.  Then you need to build yourself a lean budget ie: know your minimum cost of living. Once you have this it will reduce your stress and give you the ability to make clearer decisions.
2. The next step is to reflect on what you actually want next. Do you want the same role, same Industry? Do you want to work from home more, or worker closer to home or maybe even work part time? My advice is jot down all the things you enjoyed in your last role and then of all the things you did not enjoy. This will give you a clearer picture of next step and will stop you chasing everything and anything.
3. Now you need to get into the nuts and bolts! First up you need to polish up your resume along with your LinkedIn and Seek profile. This is where a good recruiter can help you. They will be able to help you with layout/key words and length. The number of times I meet a senior candidate who has worked for 20+ years and have crammed their career on to a 2 page resume in font size 8 because they were told this is what is expected. This is a no-no, as you need to present yourself in the best possible light and sometimes a little more is better. Make sure your profiles show endorsements and recommendations.  This will help you reflect on what you have accomplished. I would suggest you start to rebuild those connections. This is where you can reach out to people you have worked with in the past – let them know that you are exploring new opportunities. This can feel a little uncomfortable at first but the majority of people genuinely like helping, and you know what, maybe you will be able to return the favour one day! I also suggest joining or attending online industry groups and network events – these can lead to new opportunities before they have even been advertised.
4. When job searching, don’t be put off by job titles. An example of this is the title of a BA (Business Analyst). If this was in the Accounting and Finance arena you could also be known as an: Accountant, Financial Analyst, Management Accountant, Budget Analyst. BUT if you have the title of a BA in IT other names could mean Systems Analyst, Functional Analyst, Data Analyst or an Integration Analyst. I think this week my crazy title for the week is a Portfolio Assistant. Surprisingly this is a role that is similar to an Administrator/Personal Assistant! So read and re-read what they are essentially asking for.
   Remember: Male vs Female application thresholds – (research cited by Seek and LinkedIn shows:
   • Men apply when they meet 60% of the listed requirements (roughly 3–4 out of 10 dot points).
   • Women apply only when they meet 90–100% (often 7–10 out of 10 dot points).

   Which leads to the confidence gap – This difference isn’t about skill but confidence; women tend to self-select out if they don’t tick every box, while men are more likely to “chance it.”

   Remember if you are sitting at home looking for a new opportunity your new job right now is to get yourself another job so take the time and invest in this search.

5. Finally, remember to look after yourself. In my industry I see candidates every day that are made redundant and to be fair it is not a nice feeling. Some take it well, while others crumble. It can really knock your confidence, so remember to take a step back, keep a daily routine up (could be exercise or learning, don’t just drift) and treat your job hunting in small consistent steps. When you are in the thick of your reboot, my suggestion would be to:  apply to 2 to 3 opportunities a day along with a learning session daily and weekly.  I would also reach out to 5 contacts and attend 1 network event.

Please feel free to reach out to Optimum Consulting, or myself, should you need help in your next endeavour.

Alicia Sumich 
Group Manager – Business Development