Got made redundant AGAIN! But wonder if I had anything to do with it (or not).

[Isitameproblem]

I've been made redundant 3 times now, and I'm starting to wonder if it's a ME problem.

My problem has been choosing the wrong job, chasing some sort of illusion of career progression, but not looking at the bigger picture.

What these roles have in common is that they have been at very small companies (25max, although one was bigger but definitely looked like money laundering at times!) and even though there's a job spec/description, in practice it ends up being completely different. I always felt that they didn't necessarily know what they were looking for.

This last/current job, they ended up giving me a better title so I would take the job. Ironically it's because of THAT that I'm being made redundant.

I already felt something was not quite right, but I'd like to have a period of introspection to know what I can do better so it doesn't keep happening. To me it's clear, I thrive at bigger, global companies, but there must be something that's inherently ME too.

When I worked for a huge multi national company, I worked with someone who had been made redundant 7 times.

At the time, we all thought that we would work there until we retired.

It was first time redundancy for myself.

My colleague was not amused.

Lots of people wereade redundant at the same time.

BTW I believe that AI will create more job losses.
However, I believe that new opportunities will be created in other industries.

Op, update your CV & apply for jobs

You can also apply for contributions based job seekers allowance & your National Insurance contributions will be paid while you are not working.

You should not take redundancy personally, it is about the job ending, not the person.

Apply today, cannot be back dated

https://www.gov.uk/jobseekers-allowance

Unfortunately, before the two years it could be anything! They're just calling it redundancy.

The good need is that with my notice period pay, + JSA, + we're completely covered! (At least til next year)

But I can only apply after I'm considering unemployed, right? Which would be and the end of my notice period.

I’ve lost my job/ been made redundant four times. I think it is certainly something to do with me (choice of jobs, industry and of course there must be a reason they’re choosing me). But that doesn’t mean it’s my fault. The last time was still stressful until I got a new job but nothing like the first time

I'm sorry OP, hard not to take it personally.

Can you afford a couple of sessions with a coach, or get in touch with someone in your industry for some mentoring and support to help you figure things out?

It's possible that you're not a good fit for small orgs which are inherently chaotic and all hands on deck. I've been in leadership in one small and rapidly growing org. Those who thrived either spotted a skills gap and made themselves indispensable or were super flexible and not particularly bothered what their original JD said.

That's just one place but I think it's fairly common.

Definitely don’t take it personally. I’ve been made redundant twice in my career and have experienced two more rounds of redundancy that I escaped, whereas others didn’t. All of these were at large companies with over 1000 employees. During my career I have also worked with a number of small companies with less than 25 employees like you. I definitely prefer working for larger companies, despite the redundancy experience, because they generally have better procedures, processes and benefits in place and usually pay more. I worked at the small companies when my kids were much younger because at that time it was easier to get flexible working with smaller organisations. Now that’s much less of an issue with large organisations and I would never work for a small company again, especially a family business. In my experience they are the worst because they will always put the family members ahead of other employees. I have seen this at first hand in two of these small businesses when other staff were ‘let go’ and before you knew it another family member, who had previously been uninterested in the family business, had arrived to replace them. I’ve told my kids to think carefully about working for a small family business for these reasons.

Same for me, I’m on my fourth one.

I e usually worked in small companies but went to a much bigger company, thinking it would be more secure, but no. At least I got a good layout though.

Im in the type of role that always gets cut back when times are tough, so maybe it’s that’s.

That's easy to say but not easy to do. The mortgage and bills still need paying, kids need feeding. It does become personal then.

Exactly, that sums it up pretty well!

Manager just said she had no clue it was coming, and they might offer something else and keep an "open mind".

Slightly off topic but does anybody have a good budgeting spreadsheet? Just want to visually see how many months we have of "stability"

slightly related im wondering if it was our overall team behaviours etc that also got our team made reduntant. addmittidly there were other mini teams too that were better than us but it does make me ponder if its partly why

I spoke to a coach today, not much help!

Had my initial cal too, and I managed to negotiate an extra week (so two weeks between meetings). That + annual leave now gives me 4 months of salary!