Made redundant in pharma or medtech: what to do next

If your position has just been made redundant, do these five things in order: take a genuine breath before making any decisions, get the paperwork and confirm the practical details of your exit, tell your network you are transitioning to a new career opportunity, rebuild your resume around achievements rather than duties, and treat the search itself as your interim job, with structure, targets and support. Redundancy in this industry says almost nothing about you and almost everything about portfolio decisions made far above your role: products lose exclusivity, pipelines shift, companies merge, and entire teams are restructured out regardless of performance. The people who land well are rarely the least affected; they are the ones who run the next ninety days deliberately.

We work with people at exactly this moment constantly, on both sides: candidates rebuilding, and companies engaging outplacement support for departing teams. This is the playbook that works.



The first fortnight: stabilise

Resist the urge to apply for everything within 48 hours. Applications sent in the raw first week read like it, and a scattergun start burns bridges with roles you would actually want. Instead, close out the exit properly: collect your paperwork, confirm timing and practical details with your employer, and seek advice on your specific circumstances from the appropriate professionals where you need it, since every exit has its own particulars and they are worth getting right rather than guessed.

Then do the harder thing: tell people. Redundancy still carries an irrational sting, and the instinct to go quiet is exactly wrong in an industry this networked. A short, composed message to former managers, colleagues and the specialists you have worked alongside (“my role was made redundant in the restructure; I am exploring senior regulatory roles from March”) turns your network on months before advertisements would find you. In pharma and medtech, a large share of roles are filled through exactly these conversations.

Rebuilding the story

A redundancy resume has one job: to make the restructure a footnote and the achievements the headline. Lead every role with quantified outcomes, territory growth, submissions approved, trials delivered, teams built, and let the exit be a single unremarkable line. Our guide to writing a pharmaceutical resume covers the format that works in this market. In interviews, the winning tone on the redundancy question is factual and forward: what happened, in one sentence; what you are targeting, in two. No bitterness, no apology, because neither is warranted.

This is also the honest moment to ask the direction question while the calendar is briefly yours: same role at a competitor, a sideways move into medical affairs or market access, contracting for flexibility, or the pivot you have deferred for three years. Structured career coaching earns its keep here, converting a shapeless “what now” into a target list.

Running the search like a job

Give the search the structure the old role used to provide: a working week with target lists, application quality bars and follow-up rhythms, plus honest rest, because a search run from burnout shows in every interview. Register with specialist recruiters early and specifically, telling them the roles, therapeutic areas and locations in scope, since a large share of this industry's vacancies move through networks before they are advertised, and a consultant can only match what they know you want. And track the pipeline like the professional you are: who has your resume, what stage each conversation is at, and when the next touch is due.

What an outplacement service is

Outplacement is career transition support that an employer funds for departing staff: typically coaching, resume and interview preparation, market navigation and structured search support, delivered by an external specialist. For the affected person it converts a hard exit into a supported landing; for the employer it is how a restructure is done decently, and it shows in how alumni talk about the company for years afterward. If you have been offered outplacement, use it fully; it is part of your package. If you are a HR leader planning a restructure, industry-specific outplacement matters, because generic career advice does not know what a market access manager is. Ours is built for this industry specifically.

Frequently asked questions

What should I do first after being made redundant?

Pause before deciding anything, close out the exit details properly, then activate your network with a short composed message. Structure beats speed in the first fortnight.

What is an outplacement service?

Employer-funded career transition support for departing staff: coaching, resume and interview preparation, and structured search help from an external specialist.

How do I explain redundancy in interviews?

One factual sentence on the restructure, then forward: the roles you are targeting and why. Redundancy is a portfolio event, and interviewers in this industry know it.

How long does it take to land a new role?

It varies with seniority, specialisation and the market's timing, which is precisely why the search deserves structure, network activation and specialist support rather than volume applications.

Rebuilding after a restructure, or supporting a team through one? Submit your resume or talk to us about outplacement; either way, the next ninety days go better with a plan.