The first time I got made redundant was devastating. I'd only been in the job two or so years but it was a place i really loved working at. It greatly affecte

The first time I got made redundant was devastating. I'd only been in the job two or so years but it was a place i really loved working at. It greatly affected me and was an intense three months. I hadn't been jobless involuntarily before that. The second redundancy, after nearly 8 years, was surprisingly different. I guess it's because I'm older and wiser.... maybe. "You are not your job" is an easy thing to say to yourself but I think you have to go through the experience of being jobless to really internalize that. I think that's what made my second redundancy different. i'd come out of that job having learned a lot and had gained a lot of confidence as an engineer. Losing the job didn't feel like losing a part of myself so much as the first time. One of the most helpful things for me came from a 'career transition' course that my employer paid for me to go to as part of my redundancy. The instructor/presenter was talking about people they'd worked with previously who had spent months engrossed in their job search to the neglect of other things. When asked what their biggest regrets were, one had given an answer along the lines of "I've spent the last six months totally immersed in my job search when I could have spent this time with my kids". The point they were getting that is that in a way, the time you get from a well-paid redundancy might be a rare opportunity and you should take advantage of it to do the things you want to do but never had the time. Certainly look for a job, but don't make job seeking your existence. Ofcourse you have to have the luxury to be able to do that, but I think it's a good philosophy even just to remind yourself that your life always involves more than just a job.