The brighter side to redundancy?

Redundancy can leave us feeling vulnerable and helpless. But it doesn't have to be that way - here's how you can turn it to your advantage.

Unemployment levels are getting worse. According to the Office of National Statistics, UK unemployment recently hit 2.03 million, and analysts reckon this could rise to more than three million next year - by which time more than one in ten employable Britons will be out of work.

Feeling scared? Yes, so am I. It's a pretty gloomy picture out there.

But I'm not writing this article because I want to raise alarm bells and make every reader sink into a state of depression. No, instead, I want to show you how to fight back against redundancy and turn it to your advantage.

It's not all bad

Unfortunately nothing can prepare us for those four little words 'we're letting you go'. And once you've heard them, you're likely to feel a combination of the following:

• Helpless
• Angry
• Shocked
• Confused
• Scared

But as bizarre as it might sound, redundancy can have its positives. In fact, losing your job provides a great opportunity to take a step back, reconsider your options and decide whether you fancy taking an entirely new career path.

Perhaps you've always dreamt of becoming a zoo keeper, or opening your own restaurant, or writing a novel. Maybe it's time to follow those dreams.

One of my friends was made redundant last year. She'd been considering moving on to a better role for quite some time, but didn't do anything about it. Losing her job was naturally a shock, but fortunately, because she had been in her role for several years she was handed a decent redundancy package. She also found a new job pretty quickly and in fact, her new role is a higher position, the salary is better, and as a result she's much happier. A blessing in disguise, you might say.

Of course, being made redundant won't always work out so well. But all I'm trying to say is that it can open up new doors.

Top skills

If you've recently been made redundant, a great way of upping your chances of getting a new job is by maximising your skills. Recent research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has identified the five transferrable skills valued most by employers:

• Communication - IT and literacy: communicating clearly through word processing tools, spreadsheets and using the internet
• Self-management: accepting responsibility for your actions, managing your own time, and demonstrating readiness to improve on the job
• Team working: respecting others, co-operating within a team, contributing to discussions
• Business and consumer awareness: understanding the motivators that drive business success, and the importance of customer satisfaction
• Problem solving: applying creative thinking to solve day-to-day problems.

By developing these five core skills, not only could you have a better chance of retaining your job, but you're also likely to boost your chances of finding a new job in a new field.

Indeed, the public sector, teaching, IT, HR and accounting are five industries that historically fare better during a recession*. And all of these use the skills mentioned above.

Horses for courses

If, having looked at the above skills, you feel yours could do with a spot of polishing up, now could be the perfect time to sign up to a new course.

Starting a new course might sound daunting, but can in fact be a great way to boost your confidence. According to research by the Learning and Skills Council, over 80% of people feel more happy and confident after learning a new skill, and over 85% of people feel more creative and prepared to try new things once they have started a course.

To find an appropriate course, it's worth browsing the Careers Advice Service website which offers advice on a wide range of courses. And if you're having trouble deciding which course to choose, you can even assess your skills and work out which roles you're suited to using the skills and interests tool and the career values tool.

Alternatively, Windmills Interactive is another site worth browsing for establishing which skills you need to work on and find out what sort of work might make you happy!

And if you're concerned about how much time you can realistically set aside for completing a course, you might be surprised to hear that some courses don't involve much time commitment at all. Learndirect, for example, offers a wide range of online courses, with some only taking a few hours. They will also allow you to work at your own pace.

Starting a new course doesn't have to break the bank either. Learndirect's courses start from just £17.50 while Vision2Learn (funded by the Learning and Skills Council) offers free online courses on a variety of subjects including computer literacy, customer service skills and business technique.

Make your CV sparkle

Once you've polished up your skills, the next step is to ensure they shine through on your CV. After all, you've gone to the trouble of developing them, so make sure your prospective employer knows it! You can pick up some great tips on how to improve your CV here and here.

You'll then be ready to dazzle your potential new employer in your interview - read this article for tips on interview techniques.

So remember, although redundancy can feel like the end of the world, it doesn't have to be. Losing your job can in fact provide the opportunity to try something new and take a completely different career path. And in some cases, it might even lead to bigger and better things!

More: How to deal with redundancy | Avoid rip-off redundancy insurance | Would redundancy finish your finances?