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I can't actually believe I'm writing this but I've been laid off from my job.
On 30th May over half of the company was made redundant in one fell swoop.
As I write this today (16th June 2023) I think it's all finally sunk in. So I wanted to share a bit about this whole experience to get it off my chest.
I also wanted to give you all a little update on where I'm at (I know the newsletter hasn't been very active lately).
I guess it's one of those things you think will never happen to you. This company survived the pandemic after all so surely it could make it through anything.
With that said, it's been hard to ignore the mass layoffs that have been happening globally over the last several months. It doesn't seem like many companies are escaping this purge.
And in hindsight, there were some big ol' red flags cropping up at work that were setting off alarm bells in my head long before this announcement.
Even with all that, it's still easy (or perhaps just comforting) to think it would never happen to me. But it did.
I worked at this company for almost 9 years so it's a sad end to a large chunk of my career.
I fell into the world of Technical Writing by chance thanks to this job and realized how much I love doing it.
I had the opportunity to work with some really talented and skilled people over the years who I learned a lot from.
I also developed some great friendships with people that extend outside of work.
As for what's next, well it's hard to say.
I'm very fortunate to have been given one month's notice for my redundancy. I finish up a the end of June, which as I write this is fast approaching. I'm also entitled to redundancy pay which will give me a bit of a buffer as I search for a new job.
I'm now diving back into the world of interviewing for jobs which is something I haven't really done in over 8 years. It's a lot. Almost a full-time job in itself. Resumes, LinkedIn, interviews, recruiters, Zoom calls, Glassdoor reviews, it seemingly never ends!
With all that said, I am positive and hopeful that I'll find a new job in the near future. I'm also extremely motivated to continue growing my skills as a Technical Writer and can't wait to start sinking my teeth into some new projects.
Overall I'm looking forward to what's next.
In terms of where that leaves this newsletter; well, I'm keeping Design Insight alive for as long as I have an interest in creativity and an interest in sharing my insights online.
Things may be slow for a while as I try to navigate through all this but I'm hopeful new and even greater editions of this newsletter are yet to be published.
Thank you dear reader for your continued interest in this publication and in what I have to share 💖
🔗 Useful Resources
Instead of some interesting things I found online, this week I want to share some useful resources for people who've been made redundant that I've found useful. All of these resources are Ireland-specific:
Make sure you have a Public Services card that's up to date: MyWelfare.ie
A redundancy calculator to estimate how much redundancy payment you're entitled to: Redundancy Calculator - MyWelfare.ie
Citizens Information is another excellent resource for information on redundancy: Redundancy - Citizens Information
MABS has a helpful page for the financial side of redundancy including managing your redundancy pay: Recently redundant - MABS
Til next week 👋
Michelle
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A newsletter about creativity and design. Each week I share insights from what I've been watching, reading, or listening to. Released every Friday at 5 pm GMT.
Really sorry to hear this :( it's a rough situation that feels like trauma at the time, but you can take some comfort in knowing it's absolutely nothing to do with your skills or value. Good luck with the interviews!
Sorry to hear the news Michelle. Remember to give yourself some space and grace to heal and recover from this experience so you can come back stronger. With your passion for writing, maybe lean into writing to help get your through all of this. Wishing you the best in your job search as well as discovering new opportunities.