By Bethany Lee, 2024 Fellow and host of the John Schofield Trust Podcast
Redundancy. It’s a word journalists are all too familiar with. Right now, it feels like there’s a new headline every week announcing a batch of layoffs.
It’s hard, it’s destabilising, and it can fill you with feelings of doubt. I know, because it happened to me.
If you’re going through redundancy right now, have in the past, or just want to know more about what to do if it does happen, we’ve compiled five key pieces of advice and a list of resources, from job boards to keep your eye on to charities that can provide help.
The following pieces of advice are taken from an episode of the John Schofield Trust Podcast which compiled voice notes from several journalists who have faced redundancy. You can listen to the full episode here.
1. Keep moving forward
It takes time to recover from the news of redundancy, but often circumstances mean that you have to keep going and find a source of income. Every single journalist who sent us a voice note did freelance work after being made redundant, myself included.
“That would be my advice to anyone going through redundancy at this point, don’t wait for a job to come up for you,” Reporter and Editor Pete Carville said. “What you should do is go out and find and do any work that you can. You have to keep moving and you have to keep adding to your CV.”
Carville also emphasised that “you can’t have any vanity about the work that you take on, sometimes you just have to pay the bills”. He added: “Once you start looking for work, once you start showing people what you can do, life gets easier and the job hunt will get easier as well.”
2. Be kind to yourself
When I was made redundant, my John Schofield Trust mentor Tamsin Selbie reminded me of the phrase “redundancy is the most personal thing that can happen to you that has nothing to do with you, personally.” Even though I knew in my head that the whole ordeal was not a reflection of my performance, feelings of self doubt did creep in.
Editor and Consultant Louise Ridley has been made redundant three times. She said: “It’s not shameful. It’s not you personally being made redundant, it’s your role. If you can separate those two things it can be really helpful. Companies are thinking about structure, cost, and the bigger picture when they’re making these decisions so it’s often not a reflection on you or your role… Be kind to yourself and focus on what you do well.”
3. Use your network
Turn to people for help. If you have a personal support network, lean on them. Equally, talk to people in the industry.
Laura Hendry, a Senior Journalist at BBC Radio 4, did a Linkedin post after her redundancy. “I was touched by how people got in touch to offer support”, she said. “There are really good people out there who are willing to help you.”
After I was made redundant, I wrote a list of people in the industry that I felt comfortable reaching out to, whether it was just to tell them what had happened, to ask for references, to enquire about freelance work, or to ask them to keep an eye out for me. This should also be a great lesson that, even if you have a job, you should always be networking and nurturing those connections – I was only a year into my career but because of freelance work I’d been doing and my involvement in things like the John Schofield Trust, I felt I had a strong network to reach out to.
4. Take control, where you can
Every redundancy looks different and your company will have its own procedures. For me, it was all very quick, with minimal meetings or contact, but for others there can be rounds of negotiations and long notice periods.
John Johnston, Head of Audio and Video at FT Specialists, said that after a wave of redundancies at a former company, the process became “very transactional with the HR team.” He said: “You have to keep your head high and try to keep the emotions out of it as best you can, particularly when you’re negotiating with the company that is trying to make you redundant.”
However, Ridley emphasised that it is truly up to you how much you engage. “It’s a really formal process that can feel quite cold when it’s people you might have worked with for a long time more intimately,” she said. “There’s lots of options to attend meetings or suggest alternatives. You can choose to put energy into that, or you can just focus on what comes next and not attend meetings. Whatever feels right for you is fine.”
5. Look ahead
I remember everyone telling me that I’d “look back eventually and be glad” that this had happened. Even though I knew in those moments that they were probably right, it was hard to see until I came out the other end. Now, I could ramble on for ages about all the things the experience taught me.
Johnston said that when he looks back at his redundancy, he realises it was almost a good thing: “No one should expect to be at a company forever, and a redundancy actually financially can sometimes be the best way to leave a company.”
Ridley said that redundancy valuably taught her more about the commercial side of the industry. “Early in my career I really didn’t pay much attention to the business side of journalism and where the money was made or how well a company I was in was doing,” she said. “If you understand how the business works you can spot when cuts might be coming and prepare for them.”
She added: “Redundancy is also a chance to reflect on what you value in a workplace and in a job and carry that with you as you move forward in your career.”
Resources
The Media Mentor – Career advice and job board. There is a Whatsapp channel you can join which is updated daily with job postings.
Journalism.co.uk – B2B publishing brand dedicated to the journalism industry. Have a job board and freelance directory.
Journalists’ Charity – Charity supporting journalists in the UK and Ireland. Have a “Next Steps” programme that provides career coaching, CV tailoring, and training.
Journo resources – Community for advice, job postings, pitch guidelines, and one-to-one sessions. You need a membership to access.
NABS – A dedicated, free and confidential helpline for those working in advertising, media, and news.
The Film and TV charity – A support charity for those who work in film, TV, or cinema. Can provide practical support with mental and physical health and financial wellbeing.
Printing Charity – A support charity for those who work in the print sector (including publishing). Can provide practical information and advice through a free and confidential helpful or financial support.
ACAS – Independent and impartial service who help employers and workers with free advice on workplace rights, rules, and best practices.