Redundancy after 15 years - how worried should I be?

[Ilikeviognier]

Facing redundancy having worked for an organisation for 15 years. Job roles during that time have been and are all communications related (marketing/customer comms/media relations). Not senior management.

Worried for a few reasons- a. Having been somewhere for so long, will that put other employers off. 2. Am in my mid 40s and I gather ageism is a real thing in the world of recruitment.

how long would you assume it might take to get another job? And what would you do right now if anything?

There’s a long lead time on this and I’d have a long notice period. I’m also not expecting to know if this is happening for a few months.

Get them to pay for retraining as part of package , get a good payout for your years in their service and talk yo a lawyer.

Speak to recruiters now, to start once you get a termination date (assume its 6 months?), would interview closer to termination date, better to be in a job that out of one when looking.

Handhold for you, in was made redundant in 2024 whilst pregnant, took me 8 months, and that's with a termination date the same as my due date, but I was on the phone to recruitera before my c section, had interviews 2 weeks pp. its hard out there. But its doable if proactive

I don't think ageism would apply to someone in their 40's!! So don't worry about that first of all.

I also don't think it's negative to have a stable job history at the same place for 15 years!

It sounds like you are in a good position with lead time, and I would be proactive about applying for new roles and maybe looking at what training and support is available in your current role.

I am sorry though. Redundancy is horrible; my place of work recently went through a restructure and it was very unsettling even for those of us who have kept our job.

I'd get some interview coaching. The jobseeking world has changed massively in 15 years.

Thanks all. Yes 6 months notice . World you start looking now- given that I actually don’t know yet if I’ll lose my job or not….

Raise your profile on LinkedIn and think about your contacts- do some networking with similar organisations etc to prepare if it happens. Always useful to do.

That’s a good idea @thesandwich thanks.

No, don't look until you are in a position to accept an offer.

I worked for firm for 18 years many different role. With Comms related roles you will stand a great chance of getting a role

after 18 years full time and 5 years contracting for my permie role I did say I’d not had a formal interview for 15 years

feedback I got going into the interviews is that I wouldn’t have made it past 2nd stage if I hadn’t have told them I’ve not done interviews for a very long time

just be truthful and remember to sell yourself. Yovuve done this role for 15 years. You know this

@OnTheBoardwalk I’ve done interviews, but they have been for internal roles.

I work in the same field and with 15 years of varied comms experience, it sounds like you've got loads of experience and skills to offer any Marcomms team. I don't see why it would put people off if you have stayed in the same place for 15 years - the management has evidently trusted you with a variety of roles there, and perhaps you stayed loyal to an organisation that you've been happy in, or that worked for your lifestyle. I've done exactly the same and have employed several others like us.

My DH has gone through redundancy twice. He had a 3 month run up both times plus 3 months PILON. He made the most of it by taking a systematic, focused approach to applying for other roles every day to line up his options. The writing was on the wall with those jobs though so we felt he had to. We were able to bank the PILON both times because he went from one job to another. We wouldn't have been able to save that money another way.

While the jobs market is reportedly very competitive at the moment, there seems to be more remote or hybrid options which can open up opportunities further away if you are prepared to travel some days or work from home. That said, I have heard of lots of companies that are trying to transition more staff back to the office so it's not guaranteed longterm, and it obviously costs to commute.

This website helped my DB with job hunting www.getflint.work/ It matches CVs with live job ads and suggests CV improvements.

Upskilling on effective use of AI in your industry is one of the best things you can
do. That and getting your LinkedIn sorted and more visible

Thankyou everyone!