The Redundancy Reset – How to Thrive After Job Loss
- Brainz Magazine
- Oct 13
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 14
Jackie Carroll is a career, mental health, and well-being coach who helps individuals and teams achieve fulfillment and success. She is the host of "Coaching Corners with Jackie Carroll" on YouTube and a passionate advocate for personal growth and purpose-driven living.
Losing your job can feel like the rug has been pulled out from under you. Redundancy often brings a wave of emotions, including shock, anger, fear, even relief, and it’s easy to get stuck in the spiral of “what now?”
But redundancy doesn’t have to define you. With the proper reset, it can become the launchpad to a stronger, more fulfilling career. This is your chance not just to bounce back, but to thrive.
In this article, I’ve set out my 6-step formula for navigating redundancy with strength and confidence. These steps are designed to help you transition from shock and uncertainty to confidence and momentum, enabling you to rebuild, reimagine, and redesign your career on your own terms.
Whether you’re looking to bounce back into a role quickly or use this as a chance to explore something completely new, this framework will guide you from victim to victor.
1. Permit yourself to feel: Start with honesty
The first step is often the hardest, accepting what’s happened. Too many people push past the emotions, trying to “stay strong” or “bounce back” overnight. But redundancy can feel like a personal rejection, even though it’s rarely about you.
When you allow yourself to acknowledge the loss, you also create space for what comes next.
Reflection prompt:
How am I really feeling about this change?
What emotions am I avoiding, and what would it look like to permit myself to feel them?
2. Reframe the narrative: From victim to victor
Instead of seeing redundancy as a door slammed shut, think of it as a redirection. Some of the most successful career changes happen because someone was forced out of their comfort zone.
This is the moment where you begin to shift from victim to victor. Victims dwell on the loss, victors use it as fuel for reinvention.
Reframe exercise: Write down three ways redundancy could ultimately benefit you. Even if they feel small or unrealistic, this helps train your brain to see possibilities where it once saw loss.
3. Reconnect with your strengths and values
When your job title is stripped away, it can feel like your identity is stripped away with it. This is the time to reconnect with who you are, not just what you did.
By grounding yourself in your strengths and values, you create a career compass that helps you choose roles aligned with who you are becoming.
Practical step: List your top five values and five strengths. Keep them somewhere visible. If a new opportunity doesn’t align with them, it’s not your path forward.
4. Reset your confidence: Build the muscle daily
Redundancy can deal a significant blow to your confidence, leaving you to question your skills, value, and even your identity. It’s natural to second-guess yourself when your role is taken away, but it doesn’t mean you have been taken away. Your experience, your strengths, and your achievements are still yours, they don’t vanish with a job title.
The key is to rebuild self-belief, piece by piece, intentionally. Confidence isn’t something you “get back” overnight, it’s something you strengthen daily, like a muscle.
Confidence boost exercise: Start a “career confidence file.” Gather old performance reviews, thank-you emails, and examples of where you made an impact. Whenever self-doubt creeps in, this file serves as a reminder that you are capable, valuable, and resilient.
Shifting from victim to victor begins with reminding yourself of your track record. You’ve succeeded before, and you will succeed again.
5. Create a bold new plan
This is the turning point, the moment your reset begins to take real shape. Rather than rushing into the first job that comes along just to feel secure, choose to pause, reflect, and design your next step with intention. This isn’t about settling, it’s about building a career that excites you and aligns with your values.
Action step:
Refresh your CV and LinkedIn.
Write down 10 dream companies or sectors that excite you.
Reach out to one contact this week, not to ask for a job, but to explore possibilities.
Victors don’t wait for opportunities to knock, they go out and build momentum.
6. See redundancy as a gift, not a setback
It may not feel like it right now, but redundancy can be the catalyst for transformation. Many people discover it was the push they needed to finally pursue a career that fits who they are today, not who they were years ago.
Perspective shift: Ask yourself, "If I could design my ideal work life without limitation, what would it look like? What would I regret not trying in this next chapter?"
Your answers can become the vision that guides your reset.
By following these six steps, you will not only recover from redundancy but you will also be equipped to thrive in your next chapter with confidence and purpose.
If this article spoke to you, Jackie’s Redundancy Reset program launches in January 2026. It’s designed to help you rebuild confidence, reframe redundancy from victim to victor, and create a bold plan for your next chapter. If you’re ready to use this moment as a launchpad, this could be the reset you’ve been waiting for.
Follow Jackie’s work on YouTube.
Jackie Carroll, Career, Mental Health, & Well-being Coach
Jackie Carroll is a career, mental health, and well-being coach specialising in helping high-performing people and teams achieve fulfilment and success. As the host of "Coaching Corners with Jackie Carroll" on YouTube, she inspires audiences to align their careers with their values and reach their full potential. With expertise in personal growth and team development, Jackie offers actionable insights to empower individuals and organisations. Her mission is to inspire growth and purpose in every journey.
