I've lost my job
Losing a job is not a verdict on your ability. The first job is to stabilise your money, then rebuild your search on purpose rather than in panic.
Start the assessmentWhat to do, in order
- 1The first 24 hoursDon't sign anything you haven't read. Write down what you were told, get it in writing, and check what notice and pay you are owed before you agree to anything.
- 2The first 7 daysWork out your monthly floor: what must be paid, what can pause. Check what support you may be entitled to where you live, and give yourself a search start date.
- 3The first 30 daysRebuild your CV around outcomes, pick two or three target roles rather than everything, and start conversations with people who already know your work.
- 4If the search stallsRun the diagnostic. Low interview rates and low offer rates are different problems with different fixes — treat them separately.
Tools for this
- Career Comeback AssessmentThe full diagnostic: your score across seven positions, your barriers and your plan.
- Redundancy Calculator — UKIn buildEstimate statutory redundancy pay based on age, service and weekly pay.
- Layoff Financial Survival Calculator — USAIn buildWork out how many months your savings cover after a layoff.
- Job Application TrackerIn buildTrack applications, stages and outcomes so you can see the pattern.
Read next
- How to find a job after redundancyA practical order of operations after redundancy — stabilise your money, rebuild your CV, target properly, and avoid the panic-applying trap.
- How to explain an employment gapEmployment gaps get penalised in screening more than in interviews. Here's how to account for one factually, without over-explaining.
- Career change after redundancyRedundancy forces a decision. Here's how to tell whether to return to the same career or change route, and how to cost each option.