Ten years ago, I was made redundant.
It wasn't unexpected. My entire department was let go last in what became the final round of a long series of restructures. It was high profile; it was in the media.
Still, when the time came, it was difficult and surreal. I was a young engineer, and it was my first redundancy. After the initial shock, I found myself sitting with a senior colleague - someone I knew would inherit my portfolio. My goal was to walk him through a folder on the company drive, where I had kept and labelled all the referenced documents, client contacts, preferred workflows, and other references I had compiled over the years.
At that point, I was the sole tech rep handling 11 active projects, reporting to a single manager with no parallel teammates. I've always documented my work - definitely not in anticipation of redundancy, but because that's just how I work. It's a habit that keeps me organised.
The senior colleague was someone I respected deeply. We'd weathered through tough projects together. I considered him a friend, too. I also knew the company had faced difficult years. I had put a lot into those 11 projects and wanted to see them continue successfully, despite the challenges faced by the company. So, supporting a smooth transition just felt like a logical thing to do. And that was that.
I soon moved on to new roles and new companies. Then, two years later, the company invited me to rejoin - I said yes.
Since then, I've ventured into many different industries and evolved into one of those 'seasoned engineers'. I had long forgotten about that early chapter in my career - until this morning, when I came across a LinkedIn post from someone recently made redundant. They had been receiving calls from their former employer asking where things were. Furstrated, they responded by quoting a $65/hour consulting fee, citing their right to make a living.
Every situation is different, and everyone handles theirs with their own principles and boundaries. For me, following what felt right at heart had luckily led to a sense of closure, and quietly shaped what came next. Being made redundant could often be seen as a setback. But in my case, it became a positive talking point in every future interview. I was lucky enough to see the story come full circle.