Redundancy to reinvention: comms professionals, we know your pain, let us share our advice

Redundancy can feel like a punch in the gut, especially when you’ve poured your heart and soul into crafting strategies, aligning messaging, and managing crises. Whether you saw it coming or it hit you out of the blue, losing a corporate communications role is never easy. But here’s the good news: this is not the end of your story… it might just be the plot twist that leads to a better one!

Here’s a practical guide to help you navigate redundancy, regroup, and take control of your next chapter.

1. Give yourself space to process

Redundancy is personal, even when it's not. Give yourself a moment to feel whatever comes up; frustration, grief, relief, confusion. It’s all valid. Talk to people you trust, journal, walk it off – do what you need to do. Processing the emotional impact is the first step to moving forward with clarity.

2. Know your rights and benefits

Before diving into what’s next, get crystal clear on your financial and legal situation. This includes:

• Severance pay: Review your redundancy package carefully.
• Unemployment benefits: Apply as soon as you're eligible, there really is no shame in this, it’s just being practical.
• Pension and healthcare: Understand any impact on your benefits.
• Outplacement / career transition support: Some companies offer career coaching or CV help.

Don’t be afraid to ask HR questions or consult an employment lawyer if anything feels murky. Also, is your company offering you anything extra? This might include paying for career coaches to help with your next move, your CV and interview technique. Make sure you take up and make the most of all the additional benefits you’ve been offered.

3. Revisit and refresh your personal brand

You're a communications professional, you know how to build and manage reputation. Now’s the time to turn those skills inward. Audit your:

• Portfolio: Gather writing samples, campaigns, case studies and references before you walk out the door (making sure that you are not breaking any NDAs of course).
• LinkedIn profile: Highlight achievements, not just job descriptions. Make sure you have a professional photo, not you on your walk in the countryside or one from ten years ago. Fill in all the sections and make sure your profile ‘gets seen’ by recruiters.
• CV: Tailor it to reflect your impact and versatility. Remember you’ll need a few versions, especially if you’re considering applying to both in-house and agency roles.

Be mindful of AI – in both your LinkedIn profile and your CV, make sure you use keywords so that you’re noticed by AI scans in applicant tracking systems (ATS). We recently wrote about this in our blog: Get found in the AI recruitment whirlwind.

This is your chance to tell your story, not the story of the last company you worked for. In fact, you need to be ‘selling’ your story.

4. Tap into your network

Your greatest asset right now? Your relationships. Reach out genuinely, not transactionally. Let people know you're exploring new opportunities. Attend industry events, join LinkedIn groups, register for virtual meetups and say yes to gatherings with old colleagues from your earlier career. Most roles in comms come through word of mouth so get talking. Remember, people like to talk about themselves and help others. If you let them know that your role has been made redundant, then they are even more likely to extend help. Most people understand that it happens (up to three times in your career apparently) and can empathise and want to help you. We’ve previously shared our insights on how vital it is to build a network in corporate communications.

5. Is It the right time to change career?

If you’ve been quietly wondering whether corporate communications is still right for you, redundancy can be the permission slip you didn’t know you needed.

Ask yourself:

• Have I felt fulfilled and energised in my work or just busy?
• Do my values still align with what I’ve been doing?
• Is there a path I've always wanted to explore such as marketing, coaching, writing, entrepreneurship?

This is your chance to take stock. A career change doesn’t have to mean starting from scratch. The skills you’ve built in comms such as clear thinking, creative problem-solving and audience insight are incredibly transferable. Whether it’s moving into adjacent fields like brand, sustainability, or public affairs, or pivoting entirely, the most important question is: what kind of work do I want to do next?

6. What should you do if you’re on gardening leave?

If you’ve been placed on gardening leave, you’re still technically employed but not actively working. For many, it’s a strange limbo – you're being paid to stay home, but you can’t start a new job just yet.

Use it wisely—but strategically. This is prime time to get your ducks in a row:

• Update your CV and LinkedIn profile
• Reconnect with your network
• Research the market
• Reflect on what you want next
• Speak to headhunters
• Build your portfolio or personal brand

Can you job search while on gardening leave? Yes, and you should. Gardening leave doesn't stop you from applying or interviewing, it just delays when you can start. Most employers understand this and are willing to wait a few weeks for the right person, especially for mid-to-senior comms roles. Just be transparent about your availability and notice period.

If you’re exploring a career change or considering freelance work, gardening leave gives you breathing room to test ideas, upskill, or lay the groundwork without the pressure of income loss.

In short: it doesn’t delay your search, it gives you a head start.

7. When should you start your job search?

It’s tempting to jump straight into LinkedIn job searches the moment you leave a role but don’t feel pressured to rush. If you can afford a brief pause, take it. Even a week or two can help you reset emotionally, gather your thoughts, and get clear on what you want next.

That said, don’t wait too long to take action. We have heard many times, “I have a great payout and so I’m going to take 6 months off and then start looking.” We say, you might want to rethink that as finding the RIGHT job can take a long time and momentum matters.

Here’s a balanced approach:

• Week 1–2: Rest, reflect, and get your admin in order (e.g., update your CV and LinkedIn, understand your package, talk to HR).
• Week 3 onward: Start reaching out to your network, speaking with headhunters, and exploring opportunities. This doesn’t mean applying to every job you see but it does mean getting into the rhythm of the search.

If you’re unsure what you want next (a similar role, a shift, or a new sector), you can explore and apply at the same time. You don’t have to have it all figured out to begin. Just start. Clarity often comes through action, not before it.

8. Can a headhunter help?

In a word: yes.

A good headhunter (especially one who specialises in communications roles) can be a powerful partner in your job search. They have access to roles that aren’t always advertised publicly, and they can advocate for you with hiring managers who trust their judgment.

Here’s how to make the most of that relationship:

• Be clear about what you want: The more focused you are on industry, seniority and culture, the better they can match you. Although don’t be completely closed off to new ideas.
• Be open about your situation: Redundancy is nothing to hide. In fact, it often means you're available quickly and open to options. This can work particularly well when headhunters need to fill a contract or a role fast.
• Stay in touch: Headhunters work rapidly, and timing is everything. Checking in periodically (without overdoing it) keeps you on their radar.

Remember, many headhunters work for clients, and they are waiting for the right role for you. There are some proactive headhunters who will represent candidates too and will proactively open up their network to you and look for a job for you. However, they are rare and most just wait for a role to come along for you and then they will get in touch. Think of them as part of your broader job-search ecosystem, alongside your own networking and outreach.

9. Upskill or explore

If you're in a lull between roles, consider it a reset moment. Take an online course in digital strategy, crisis comms, sustainability, AI or even graphic design. Not only does it sharpen your edge, it shows future employers you’re proactive. Is there some relevant volunteering you could do?

Bonus idea: start a blog or podcast. Share insights. Show thought leadership. Build your voice and your personal brand. Ttime to step out of the shadows and get seen. You do this for others and now it’s time to do it for yourself.

10. Consider freelancing or consulting

Contract work can be a brilliant bridge or even a long-term path. Tap into your niche and offer your expertise to organisations in need of a seasoned pro.

Your network is the best source of freelance leads as they have a relationship with you and know that you will do a great job for them.

11. Stay resilient and real

Some days will seem energising when you feel there are lots of irons in the fire. Others, a little soul-sapping when some of those leads pitter out. Keep perspective: redundancy says nothing about your worth or your potential. Keep showing up for yourself. Progress might feel slow at times, but it’s still progress. Ultimately a job doesn’t define who you are.

Remember: some of the most successful communications leaders have a redundancy (or two) in their story. You’re not alone.

Final thoughts: rewrite the narrative

You’ve spent your career shaping stories for brands, boards, and audiences. Now it's time to shape your own. Redundancy can be the beginning of a more fulfilling, values-aligned career path, one that might not have surfaced if you hadn’t been pushed to rethink what’s next. So many communications professionals we know whose roles have been made redundant are now in jobs which are even better, and they are far happier.

So, take the time, back yourself, and keep going. Your next role isn’t just waiting, it might be better than you imagined. Next!

For a free download of our full Annual Salary Guide 2024, click here. Salary Guide 2025 coming out soon!

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