Young life: I have been made redundant for the second time in my twenties

Like many young people, I have been thrown back into a terrifying job market

https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/views/lives/73096/young-life-i-have-been-made-redundant-for-the-second-time-in-my-twenties

https://archive.ph/tQzlm


Alice Garnett is a 23-year-old writer based in London
Illustration by Clara Nicoll

I am officially unemployed. Jobless. Redundant. At time of writing, I have been out of the job that pays my bills for less than 24 hours. Dear reader, I am not a full-time writer, much as I would love writing to be my primary source of income—the current economy does not make such creative careers sustainable. Or maybe I’m simply not trying hard enough. Losing the 9-to-5 job that (just about) keeps me afloat in London is a big spanner in the works. But this is not my first redundancy rodeo.

The first time I received my notice was 2nd January 2023, when the startup I worked for was forced to make another round of redundancies. Alas, that startup has since closed its doors. Within two weeks of this first redundancy, I was offered another marketing role at another startup by a friend and former colleague. At the time, I was paying an extortionate rent of £1,250 a month—and that’s to say nothing about bills—so I did not have the luxury of time (or family money) to mess about looking for something more stable. I took the job, leaping from one ailing startup to another early-stage startup where I would be in a marketing team of one.

Two years later and I am, once again, redundant due to economic forces beyond my control. Admittedly, my being twice redundant before the age of 30 is partly my own fault; I’ve chosen to work exclusively in small, mission-driven companies that strive to do good in the world. Most venture capitalists and angel investors aren’t looking to invest in, say, the wellbeing of older adults or the planet. They’re too busy pouring money into AI, defence or any other means of making rich people richer.

If only I had opted for a more corporate job after university, where I could have focused my energies on increasing shareholder value and not making the world a slightly better place. Though right now it’s not just me who has faced redundancy, but peers in those more corporate roles too. None of my friends have lost jobs due to underperformance, but because their companies are struggling in our ailing economy. Can you see why my generation might be disillusioned with the workplace? We’ve learned that it doesn’t really matter how hard you work—at any moment your job could be taken away by a financial crisis or technological evolution.

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