Make a Tough Break a Lucky Break
Written by Matt Harrison, Director of Recruitment Firm Hope & Glory.
Redundancy is a different experience for everyone, whether it came out of nowhere or had been on the horizon for a while. Matt Harrison has spent his career on the other side of the table. As Director of Hope & Glory, a specialist recruitment firm for communication professionals, he has guided many people through this exact situation. In this article, he shares five practical steps to help you move forward with confidence, get back into motion fast and understand how to compete in a market that isn't giving anything away easily.
1. Get out of the blocks fast.
And when I say fast, I mean from the day you’re made redundant. Most people don’t have
the luxury of taking a long holiday or sitting around replaying what should have happened or how unfair it all feels. As tough as it is, this is the moment to move. Update your CV, start talking to recruiters, call people in your network and get yourself interview-ready. You are a good person and you are going to work again. The challenge is everything that needs to happen between now and the day you land the next role, especially in a slower market.
2. Get good people around you early.
If you need support, get it early and don’t be shy about it. Be ready to ask for help. That could be from a specialist recruiter, workplace lawyer, financial adviser, counsellor or simply smart people you trust. Redundancy can knock confidence around more than people expect. Having the right people around you helps keep your thinking clear and stops you drifting into panic or isolation.
3. Try to look at the upside.
It probably won’t feel like it straight away, but I’ve seen plenty of people end up in better jobs after redundancy. Better culture, better boss, better pay, better lifestyle. Sometimes people stay too long because the familiar feels safe. Then something happens that forces change, and it ends up being the push they actually needed.
4. Turn the dial up on activity.
This is not the time to sit quietly at home refreshing job boards every five minutes. Instead, you need to be doing lots of high quality activity with decision makers. Talk to recruiters. Catch up with old colleagues, or IABC connections. Go to events, such as local IABC Mingles or other industry events. Tidy up your LinkedIn. Let people know you’re in the market. Momentum matters. Most opportunities come through conversations, visibility and staying connected to the right people, not just firing off applications on Friday afternoon and hoping for the best.
5. Be realistic about the market.
Competition for communications, marketing and media roles is fierce at the moment, so don’t be slow to recognise it. There are good jobs out there, but strong candidates are missing out every day as well. Once you accept that it’s a competitive market, your attitude and actions need to reflect that reality. Treat the process seriously. Prepare properly, do your homework, follow up, stay visible and don’t assume your experience alone will carry you through. The people who tend to navigate this market best are usually the ones prepared to compete harder and stay resilient throughout the process.
6. Be the best storyteller of your own story.
As communications professionals, we spend our careers telling other people's stories. This is the time to tell your own. I see a lot of talented comms people do a surprisingly poor job of selling themselves or clearly articulating what makes them different. Don't just list jobs and responsibilities. Build a clear narrative about who you are, what you've achieved and the value you bring. Whether it's your CV, LinkedIn profile or interviews, make it interesting enough that people want to know more. In a competitive market, a strong story can be the difference between being remembered and being overlooked.
One thing Matt returns to throughout is the value of staying connected. Professional networks don't just open doors, they keep you close to what's happening in the market, what employers are actually looking for, and what your peers are navigating. For communication professionals in Victoria, that's exactly what IABC Victoria is here for. Whether you're looking for your next role or simply want to stay sharp, the IABC Victoria community, its events and its peer connections are worth leaning on.
