Redundancy is almost always shocking but can be an opportunity as well as a disaster. Keep in mind that you have several priorities: to handle the immediate crisis, to re-evaluate your career and to make plans for your future.
Press for redundancy pay - some employers offer as much as 2 weeks' pay for each year of service.
Losing a job can feel like losing someone close to you. Allow yourself to feel depressed and angry. Tell your family what you're experiencing and ask them for extra moral support during this difficult time.
Don't panic. If you can afford to take a holiday, do so - it may give you a new perspective. If you can't, treat yourself to something for your house or garden, or escape to the cinema.
Then get busy. Examine what (if anything) went wrong in your job - be honest, but don't torture yourself. Did you hang on too long when you knew things were going badly? Was there poor chemistry between you and your boss or your colleagues? Were you less than fully committed to your job?
Investigate any offers or suggestions of redeployment your company makes and make use of any career counselling services it offers. Fruitful new ideas may emerge. See also JOB HUNTING.
