Now What? - Life after redundancy

theinvisiblequeue.co.ukOver the past six months, I've spoken with dozens of people navigating redundancy. Through the podcast, messages and numerous conversations that started with "I thought it was just me." Every single one echoed the same thing, this experience isolates people in ways most support systems don't acknowledge.So we built something different.The Invisible Queue is a community platform for anyone in that strange, grinding period between losing a job and finding solid ground again. The name captures what this actually feels like — you're standing in a queue, but you can't see how long it is, who's ahead of you, or when you'll reach the front. You just know you're in it.In this episode, I'm joined by Lisa, Vicky, and Russ — the team behind The Invisible Queue — to talk about why we built it, what it actually is and why the usual options don't cut it. Recruitment sites treat you like a pipeline problem. Wellness content offers breathing exercises when you need practical help. LinkedIn encourages performative-positivity (while your inbox stays empty).We're doing something else: practical tools, honest conversation and a space where you don't have to explain why this is hard.If you're in this position right now — or you know someone who is — this episode explains what we've built and why it might help.

The basics of job searching. Updating your CV, tailoring applications, following up; they don't stay done. You do them, they work or they don't and then you have to do them again the next day. And the day after that. It's not a checklist you complete once. It's a daily practice that never quite feels finished.Which would be fine if it delivered predictable results, but it doesn't. You can do everything right one week and hear nothing. Take your foot off the gas the next week and suddenly get an interview. The relationship between effort and outcome is broken in ways you can't fix by just trying harder.This episode is about what happens when you hit a week where you just… don't. Where you can't face another application form or another round of tailoring the same sentences to slightly different job specs. The guilt that shows up when you do less than you think you should. And why easing off isn't the same as giving up — it's often the thing that stops you from stopping entirely.

Other people's good news is one of the quieter challenges of redundancy. Not the hardest thing, but one of the most disorienting because the feeling it produces doesn't have a clean name and nobody warns you it's coming.This episode gives it a name. Looks at why the moment someone in your network lands a role can feel like information about your own search when it genuinely isn't. Examines what the public performance of good news — the announcement, the comments, the whole ritual — is actually showing you and what it's leaving out. And works through how to stop someone else's timeline becoming your own measuring stick.Practical, honest and a bit more forgiving than you're probably being with yourself right now. If you're asking yourself now what? You're in the right place.

You know you're capable. You've got ideas, drive, the whole thing. But when you're job hunting, ambition starts to feel less like fuel and more like something you need to apologise for.This episode is about the weird contradiction of being ambitious while applying for roles you're overqualified for — and still not getting them. It's about the shame that creeps in when you can't even get a call back for a job you could do in your sleep. And it's about what happens when you realise that waiting for permission might be the thing that's actually killing you.No neat answers here. Just what I'm doing about it right now, which may or may not be the right call, but it's better than sitting around pretending the ambition doesn't exist.If you're tired of folding yourself into shapes that don't fit, this one might land.If you're asking yourself 'now what?', you're in the right place.Check out Starting Over — another podcast supporting people navigating redundancy and career transition:https://open.spotify.com/show/4sJJ60cFs02lECqjWlxHcr?si=0415c60728d141a6

When redundancy happens, the spotlight lands on one person. But the uncertainty doesn't stay in one lane. It spreads into finances, into plans, into the people sharing the same space and nobody really warned them in advance.This episode looks at what redundancy actually does to the people around you and what it's like to be on the receiving end of someone else's wobble when you've got your own stuff going on. What good support looks like in practice, why asking for help feels harder than it should and how to stop the people who love you most from quietly running out of road.If redundancy has affected your household — whether you're the one job hunting or the one watching someone you love do it — this episode is for you.If you're asking yourself now what? — you're in the right place.

Job searching has a special talent for making even fairly stable adults feel they’re one delayed email away from developing a brand new personality. It can be hopeful one minute, exhausting the next and strangely capable of turning 'just waiting to hear back' into a full-time emotional side quest.In this episode, I’m talking about how to stay optimistic after redundancy, during job search uncertainty and through those stretches where interviews are done, decisions are pending and your confidence is trying not to wander off unsupervised. I look at the difference between what you can control and what you can’t, why that matters so much when you’re job hunting and how to protect your energy when rejection, silence, or waiting for outcomes starts getting into your head.I’m also joined by Evie Squires, founder of Mother of All Jobs, to talk about flexible work, career confidence, working parenthood and how her own redundancy experience led her to build something genuinely useful for parents looking for better, more flexible job opportunities.So if you’re dealing with redundancy, job rejection, job search stress, confidence wobbles, or the general emotional weirdness of trying to stay hopeful while your inbox remains suspiciously quiet, this one’s for you.Find out more about Mother of All Jobs: motherofalljobs.co.ukFollow Mother of All Jobs on InstagramIf you enjoy the episode, follow, subscribe, leave a review, share it with someone who might need it, or send Haribo. I remain open to all support models.

What happens when a job looks perfect on paper, pays well and suits your skills, but the commute feels like taking a ring to Mordor and the hours would wreck your family’s balance?In this episode, I talk about job search reality, life balance, flexible working and why the real question is not just “could I do this role?” but “does this role actually fit my life?” I explore why flexibility matters so much when you’re job searching, what “hybrid working” can really mean in practice, and how to assess whether a role is genuinely sustainable. I also share practical tips how to consider the opportunities in front of you.The episode also includes a conversation with Vicky Ross, freelance Careers Consultant, LinkedIn specialist and career coach, on career fit, flexible work and making better job search decisions.Perfect for anyone navigating redundancy, career change, hybrid working, flexible jobs, work-life balance and the reality of finding a role that actually works.

What do you do when redundancy creates space in your life — and along with the stress, uncertainty and job searching, there’s also a small voice saying, maybe now’s the time to finally try that thing?In this episode, I’m talking about passion projects, side hustles and the strange pressure to reinvent yourself when your career has been disrupted. I get into why these ideas can feel so appealing during redundancy, why we often put ourselves off before we’ve properly begun, and why the projects that gain momentum are usually the ones we keep moving forward in small, consistent ways rather than treating them like instant rescue plans.I also share a conversation with Liam Walker, who used redundancy as an opportunity to lean into his love of cycling and start Liam Walker Cycles — a YouTube channel that has grown, gained traction and opened up new opportunities, even while he’s still navigating the reality of finding his next role. It’s a grounded, honest look at what it means to build something meaningful without pretending it has to solve your whole life by next Tuesday.If you’re wondering whether redundancy might be a chance to try something different, start a creative project, explore a side hustle or finally commit to an idea you’ve been circling for ages, this episode is for you.Find Liam Walker Cycles here:YouTube: www.youtube.com/@liamwalkercyclesInstagram: www.instagram.com/liamwalkercyclesIf this episode resonates, please follow, rate and review the show — and share it with someone else who’s currently asking themselves, now what?

You walk out of an interview thinking you represented yourself well. You gave good answers. You sounded like yourself on a good day. Then someone asks how it went — and suddenly you hear yourself downplaying it, caveating it, softening it before the result has even arrived.This episode is about that.I’m exploring the strange way redundancy can affect confidence — not always by changing what you’re capable of, but by changing how willing you are to trust your own judgement. After enough rejection, silence and near-misses, it can become harder to say, “I did well there,” even when you know you did.I talk about the quiet self-protection that can creep in after too many disappointing outcomes, why imposter syndrome is less of a one-off flaw and more of a long-running maintenance issue and how a brief but sincere period in my twenties as an almost-acoustic-singer-songwriter taught me something unexpectedly useful about confidence, competence and knowing your range.I also share four practical things that have genuinely helped me rebuild confidence in a way that feels grounded, realistic and usable — not forced, not cheesy, and not dependent on pretending you’ve become the sort of person who starts the day by high-fiving their own reflection.If redundancy has left you second-guessing yourself, underselling your strengths, or feeling oddly cautious about your own ability, this episode is for you.If you’re asking yourself now what? — you’re in the right place.

Redundancy does an odd little trick. It doesn’t just take away a job, it takes away the easy, everyday connection that came with it. No Teams pings, no corridor chats, no accidental “oh you should speak to…” moments. And when that background noise disappears, reaching out to people can suddenly feel weirdly high stakes.In this episode, I talk through how to reach out to people after redundancy in a way that feels genuine, not salesy - and how to give yourself the best chance of actually getting replies. We’ll cover how to spot shared goals and shared values so your messages feel relevant, a simple structure for what to say (without sounding like a corporate chatbot), and how to follow up without turning into your own debt collector.This isn’t about becoming a “networking person”. It’s about small, intentional connections that bring clarity, confidence, and momentum back into your week.

Personal brand can sound like something that requires a ring light and a sudden interest in 'thought leadership'. In real life, it is much simpler. It is what people come to you for, what they trust you with, and what they say about you after you’ve left the meeting and they’ve opened their next tab.In this episode of, I make personal brand feel normal and practical. I talk through how to work out what yours actually is, how to describe it without sounding like a walking job advert, and how to apply it so it guides what you go for, what you ignore, and how you show up in interviews, networking chats, and LinkedIn without doing the professional equivalent of buying a blazer you will never wear.This episode also includes a short interview with Lisa Heyward, a higher education professional who specialises in examination and assessment, where we chat about what personal brands mean to her and how redundancy impacts the sense of self.If you’re job hunting, pivoting, or just tired of explaining yourself from scratch, this one will help. If you know someone in redundancy-land who could do with a bit of steadiness, share it with them.

Ghosted after an interview? Or applied for something great and got absolutely nothing back?This episode is for anyone who’s tired of pretending silence doesn’t mess with their head. We talk about why ghosting lands so hard during redundancy and job hunting, how it quietly turns into overthinking and compulsive inbox-checking, and how to steady yourself when you’re stuck in that 'what does this mean?' loop.It’s practical, it’s kind and it’s designed to help you stop turning other people’s lack of response into a personal verdict — so you can keep moving, keep applying, and keep your nervous system vaguely intact.If you know someone in redundancy-land who’s refreshing their inbox like it’s going to reveal a plot twist, send them this one.

Job interview prep after redundancy is a weird little moment where you finally get the interview and your body reacts like you’ve been booked in for something far more dramatic than 'a chat about your experience.'In this episode I talk through the pre-interview prep that helps me show up clearly when confidence is wobbly and my brain is prone to going blank. I share how I build an 'evidence bank' of what I’ve actually done, how I go line-by-line through my CV so I don’t get caught out by my own bullet points and how I research the role and company without disappearing into productivity-shaped panic.I also cover the part that's more important than I first realised getting your examples out of your head and into your mouth. I practise saying them out loud so the impact lands without me taking a scenic route through the backstory and I keep the focus on what I did, what changed, and why it mattered.Finally, we get into the day-of nerves: simple cue-card prompts, a mindset shift that stays firmly on the right side of “manifesting,” and a breathing technique I use when my heart rate starts doing its own interview.If you’re job searching after redundancy and you’ve got an interview coming up or you just want a calmer, more structured way to prepare this will help you represent yourself in your best light without turning prep into a second (unpaid) full-time job.

Redundancy has a way of turning perfectly normal days into something… slightly loaded. Suddenly you’re measuring time differently, your inbox has the power to ruin an afternoon,and “being proactive” can become a full-time personality.In this episode, I’m sharing a few things I’d genuinely like to tell the version of me at the very start of it — not big inspirational slogans, but the practical, unglamorous truths that would’ve saved me a lot of stress. We get into why networking is less 'selling yourself' and more 'finding your people', why clarity matters more than volume in the job hunt, how resilience has to be sustainable (not heroic), what rejection does to your confidence over time, and how parenting shifts when you’re physically present but mentally elsewhere.If you’re in that in-between stage — doing loads, still feeling behind, trying to stay calm while everything feels slightly uncertain — this will help you feel less alone and a bit more steady. And if you know someone who’s just entered the redundancy era, this is a very solid “send without awkward caption” episode.

Ever had a perfectly normal plan to 'be proactive' in the job hunt and somehow ended up applying for roles at 11:47pm that you wouldn’t even want if they came with a free Nando’s?This episode is about over-applying — that phase where job searching stops being a strategy and starts being a coping mechanism. Because over-applying isn’t motivation or discipline. It’s often anxiety in a productive-looking outfit.I talk about why it feels so good at first (hello, tiny dopamine hit), why it turns brutal over time (rejection fatigue is real), and the hidden damage it causes: confidence erosion, decision fatigue, and that weird identity blur where you stop choosing roles and become 'someone who applies for jobs.'In the practical section, I break down the difference between intentional applying vs panic applying, plus a calmer way to step out of the spiral without 'giving up'; just applying with more direction and less self-punishment.If your inbox checking has become a part-time job and 'submit' is the only moment your shoulders drop, this one will make you feel seen — and steadier.Listen now if you’re navigating redundancy, job search anxiety, job hunt burnout, or that relentless pressure to prove you’re 'doing enough'.

People mean well after redundancy. They really do. But there’s one 'comforting' phrase that shows up again and again and instead of helping, it adds pressure, guilt and that horrible feeling that you should be handling this better.In this episode, I unpack why a certain well-meant line lands like homework when you’ve been made redundant, how 'encouragement' can accidentally trigger productivity guilt and what’s actually going on underneath the panic, comparison and constant 'now what' loop.There’s also a quick detour into early parenthood (twins, no sleep and a deep craving for a fast-forward button) because it's not just a redundancy thing, it’s a timing thing.You’ll come away feeling steadier, less judged by your own calendar and clearer on how to respond when people try to help but miss the moment.If you’re dealing with redundancy anxiety, job loss confidence wobble or you’re stuck in that strange 'I have time but I can’t breathe' phase this one will hit.

If you’re going through redundancy, job searching, or career uncertainty, you might have noticed your brain doing something unhelpful-but-understandable: reaching for a fantasy that makes everything feel instantly safe.This episode explores comfort fantasies after redundancy and how they can help you cope, until they quietly become a way of avoiding the present. I share a real example of how quickly “this is stressful” can turn into “it’ll be fine when X happens,” and why that mindset can keep you stuck in waiting mode.You’ll learn how to spot the difference between enjoying vs waiting, what your comfort fantasy is actually trying to protect you from, and three practical steps to regain a sense of control without forcing yourself into relentless productivity.If you’ve been feeling anxious, stuck, or like you’re buffering through life, this one’s for you.

Small talk is meant to be harmless. Weather chat. Mild nodding. A quick “busy week?” and everyone carries on with their life.But in redundancy it can feel like a contact sport. Because one minute you’re making conversation at “the things” (kids clubs, dog walks, community stuff, awkward queues) and the next someone drops the trapped question:'So… what do you do?'In this episode I unpack the unspoken social contract of small talk and why redundancy makes the usual script feel loaded. We’ll cover:Why 'what do you do?' can feel like a landmine and the three ways people answer it (ghost job, honest answer, humour smoke bomb)Forced optimism (often genuine, sometimes… not what you need in that moment)Oversharing, and why 'how are you?' is basically code for 'please say fine'Then I share a simple redundancy specific tactic: pre building one sentence you’re comfortable with, plus a few practical small talk tips you can use anywhere — including the days you’d rather throw a social smoke bomb and ninja roll your way to the biscuits.And if you’re asking yourself now what, you’re in the right place.

Disappointed by a job rejection, a “thanks but no thanks” email, or life generally pressing the nope button? Same.In this episode of Now What: Life After Redundancy, I talk through how I handle disappointment in real time from the job hunt trenches. Over the festive break I spotted a role that felt like a perfect fit, tailored my CV and cover letter like my future depended on it… and got rejected the next day. Which felt less like “careful consideration” and more like I’d been politely denied by an AI screening robot.This isn’t a definitive guide to emotions (I am not the Jedi Council), it’s a “here’s what helps me” framework you can try when rejection stings and you still need to keep moving. I share a practical set of steps to process disappointment, separate facts from the spirally story in your head, take the lesson without turning it into self punishment, and do the next small thing even when your motivation is buffering like 90s dial up.In this episode:How to process disappointment without pretending you’re fineCoping with job rejection and application ghostingA simple mindset shift: facts vs the story your brain inventsTurning rejection into useful data (not a personal verdict)The “next tiny step” method to get back on the application horseIf you’ve been disappointed recently, leave a comment with what happened and what helped or just type a single word like blomonge and I’ll know you were here.If you’re asking yourself now what… you’re in the right place

New year’s resolutions are meant to feel hopeful but somehow they often land like a performance review you did not ask for. In this episode I unpack why we love a fresh start, why January pressure is so loud and what a healthy resolution actually looks like when real life is tired, messy and occasionally held together by snack based optimism.We talk about the difference between gentle intention and unnecessary self punishment, why most resolutions fail because they rely on motivation not systems and how this all hits differently when you are going through redundancy and trying to rebuild confidence without turning January into a second job.You will leave with practical ways to set resolutions that support you, not ones that judge you, plus a few geeky pop culture detours because it would not be my podcast without them.If you would like to support the show and help keep it going you can join us on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/lifeafterredundancyIf you find yourself asking “now what?” you are in the right place.

'Tell us about a time you failed.'It’s one of the most uncomfortable interview questions — and it hits even harder when you’re already navigating redundancy, uncertainty and too much thinking time.In this episode, recorded in the strange Christmas in-between days, I talk about preparing for interviews while juggling festive chaos, worst-case scenarios, and the quiet pressure to have everything figured out. We unpack what interviewers are actually listening for when they ask about failure, why this question matters more during redundancy, and how to talk about mistakes without freezing, deflecting, or spiralling.Along the way, Bradley joins me to break down the GROW coaching framework, a simple way to bring structure to reflection, rebuild confidence, and turn experience into something you can clearly articulate.We also touch on the silent struggles people carry, especially at this time of year, and why checking in on those who seem 'fine' matters more than we realise.Practical, reflective and quietly reassuring, this one’s for anyone asking themselves “now what?” after a career shake-up.If you’d like to support the show and help keep it going, you can find us over on Patreon. It’s where I share a bit more of the thinking behind the episodes, some extra content and generally keep the lights on.

In today’s episode, we’re tackling the wild world of advice — the good, the bad, and the “did you really just tell me to manifest a new job?” variety. Being made redundant seems to unlock a hidden level where everyone becomes a life coach, whether you’ve asked for it or not. So this episode breaks down how to figure out which advice is genuinely helpful… and which belongs in the recycling.We’ll walk through a simple five-question filter you can use whenever someone lobs guidance your way:Is it relevant?Is it knowledgeable?Is it empathy or ego?Is it aligning with your values?Is it creating clarity or pressure?If you can run advice through that little checklist, you’re already miles ahead — or at least less likely to end up making a vision board of things you absolutely do not want.We’ve also got a contribution from Bradley, who’s sharing amazing wisdom nuggets that somehow manage to be insightful, comforting and ice hockey flavoured all at once. Standard Bradley behaviour.And as always, if you’d like to support the show, help it keep going, or unlock the After Party episodes where I talk a bit more freely (sometimes too freely), you can hop over to Patreon .Grab a brew, get comfy, and let’s untangle the difference between good advice, bad advice, and that mysterious advice someone once gave you that you’re still thinking about for all the wrong reasons.

Feeling stuck? Buying things you absolutely don’t need? Wondering why Amazon drivers now greet you by name?Same.In this episode, I dive into the very real (and very sneaky) world of dopamine chasing — the quick hits, the impulsive spending, the “this will fix me” purchases we all make when life feels uncertain, especially after redundancy.We’re talking:🎯 Self-soothing by shopping🔄 The Amazon Prime shame cycle we pretend we’re not trapped in🧠 The blurry line between comfort and coping🎮 My completely unnecessary Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade💭 And how nostalgia can tempt you into buying things that don’t actually helpThis isn’t a lecture from someone who’s nailed it — this is me admitting I get this wrong a lot and have to remind myself why the dopamine hit never actually solves the bigger “now what?” feeling that redundancy leaves behind.If the show has helped you, made you laugh, or just reminded you you’re not losing your mind… you can support it on Patreon.I run everything myself, and your support genuinely makes it easier to keep the podcast going (and keeps me from panic-buying more tech I don’t need).You can join here: patreon.com/cw/lifeafterredundancyIf you’re navigating job loss, low days, money worries, or just the overwhelming urge to buy something shiny to feel okay for five minutes… this one’s for you.And if you’re asking yourself now what?You’re in the right place.

Ever wondered how people manage to hold down two full-time jobs at the same time? Is it the rise of remote work? Witchcraft? A very understanding boss? Or just the modern equivalent of trying to dual-wield lightsabres without cutting off your own arm?In this episode, I dive into the world of overemployment — the surprisingly common practice of running more than one full-time job simultaneously. The financial temptation is real (two salaries? Yes please), but the reality… well, it gets messy faster than a child changing their Christmas list after the Amazon cut-off.I talk through:✨ What overemployment actually is✨ Why people do it (spoiler: money)✨ And why I, personally, would crumble under the pressure like a poorly iced Yule logIf you’re navigating redundancy, curious about overemployment, or simply wondering what other people are doing to survive the modern job market — this one’s for you.

Low days hit harder when you’re going through redundancy.One minute you’re powering through job applications, and the next you’re staring at your CV like it’s personally betrayed you. In this episode, I talk through how to actually spot a low day before it sweeps you away and what practical steps you can take to get yourself back into gear - even if your internal energy bar is flashing red.With relatable stories (including an Elf on the Shelf who has fully given up), plenty of humour and real, usable, advice; this episode is here to remind you that low days don’t mean you’re failing — they mean you’re human. You’ll learn how to recognise your warning signs, how to manage yourself with compassion, and how to keep momentum going in small, realistic ways.If you’re navigating redundancy, burnout, endless applications or just one of those days… you’re not alone.

So you lose your job… and somehow end up doing more laundry, cooking, ironing and school prep than ever before. How does that happen?In this episode, I dig into what really goes on when redundancy quietly turns you into the default housekeeper — even when that was never the plan. I talk about juggling job searching with the endless list of “useful” tasks, how the 5-in-50 method keeps me on track, and why feeling busy doesn’t always feel like progress.We get into:the surprise pressure of being home all daythe low days that creep in when life feels stagnantthe balance between family impact and career impactwhy support (from partners or online strangers) matters more than you thinkand the art of staying sane while folding fitted sheets badlyIf redundancy has left you doing everything from bathroom cleaning to emotional gymnastics — while trying to hold your confidence together — this one’s for you.If you’re asking yourself “now what?”, you’re in the right place.

Redundancy can make the Christmas season feel heavier — and those perfect adverts don’t help. This episode I talk about the adverts I've seen, how they affect your confidence, and the mindset shift that makes the biggest difference.

What do your hobbies say about you when you’re standing at the crossroads after redundancy? In this episode, Steeby unpacks a relatable Reddit post about adding hobbies to your CV and why something so small can stir up big questions about identity, confidence and self-worth.From video games to sewing, we talk about the personal parts of our lives we’re often told to hide — and how they can actually help during a job search.A reflective, humorous and honest look at rebuilding after redundancy and figuring out “who you are” when the career label falls away.

Redundancy will have you questioning everything — your career, your skills, and whether you should finally run away to join the world of professional yodelling.So in this episode, I dive into a brilliant r/UKJobs thread where real people share the jobs they genuinely love. Their stories — from pilots to librarians to people who somehow enjoy spreadsheets — helped me rethink my own direction and figure out why sticking with my field might actually make sense (for me, my sanity, and my children’s unreasonable addiction to Weetabix).If you're feeling lost, job-hunting, or just want reassurance that you're not the only one Googling “jobs that don’t require me to be a morning person,” this episode is your companion. Expect honesty, humour, and a surprisingly uplifting look at finding purpose after everything goes sideways.Perfect for anyone navigating redundancy, career changes, imposter syndrome, or the general chaos of being a functioning adult.

Feeling stuck in a constant loop of comparing your life, your job, or your progress to everyone else’s?In this episode, Steeby breaks down the comparison spiral — why it happens, how it steals your energy, and what you can do to finally escape it. You’ll learn how to:Recognise when comparison is taking overShift from “why them” to “what now”Turn envy into actionRedefine success on your own termsWhether you’re rebuilding after redundancy, navigating a career change, or just tired of feeling behind, this episode will help you find your own lane again — and stay there with confidence

That first morning after redundancy hits differently. No alarm, no meetings, no emails — just a strange quiet that feels both freeing and frightening. In this episode, I talk about a structure that has helped me in the emotional aftermath of losing a job, the temptation to rush into “doing,” and the slow, uncertain process of finding my rhythm again.

Join Steeby as the stall is set out to answer the question 'Now what?'.'Now What?' is about life after the big changes — the uncertain middle where you’re not who you were, and not yet who you’ll become. I’m sharing my real-time journey through redundancy, parenting, and rebuilding a sense of self — with a few detours into the things that keep me sane and smiling.