For many people, the very word ‘redundancy’ alone is enough to send a shiver racing down their spines. If you have a comfortable job and a steady income then the last thing you need is for business restructuring to come along and upset the apple cart. However, redundancy needn’t represent the big scary monster hiding under your comfortable bed and while it can be inconvenient and devastating in many ways, there are positive aspects to redundancy too. They say that when one door closes another one opens, so read on to find out how you can transform a professional crisis into an unexpected opportunity overnight.

A new opportunity

Careers, much like anything that is regular and familiar, can quickly become as comfortable as a worn pair of jeans. Before you know it, you could have spent years in the same job without really going anywhere; for many people and in many industries, if you’re not moving forwards then you may as well be standing still. Few people will voluntarily jump into action in the pursuit of a new career, but redundancy can be the push you need to take your career to the next level. Why see redundancy as a disaster when it could be the opportunity your career has needed to progress?

A chance to enhance your skillset

Working full time can often affect the way you spend your leisure time, as any hours spent away from the office become increasingly precious. It’s unlikely that you’ll have found the time or inclination to improve your skillset while in work, so a redundancy package could represent a timely windfall to help you make yourself indispensable to any future employers. Training programmes can help you to learn new skills and develop existing ones, giving you a greater chance of moving up the employment ladder over time.

Time for a change

Pursuing a career change can be scary and with the time constraints of a full-time job to contend with, you’re unlikely to find the hours you need to fill in time-consuming application forms or to rewrite your CV. Redundancy can provide a chance to grasp the bull by the horns and make a change for the better, realising your dreams and pursuing opportunities you’d otherwise have been too cautious to follow.

Lending a helping hand

It goes without saying that the positive aspects of redundancy aren’t always easy to experience without help, and keeping your chin up when everything around you is changing can be easier said than done. Outplacement and redeployment services are there to help redundant employees make the most of their time, putting them back on the road to employment and helping them to reassess or even to hone their abilities. Don’t let redundancy get you down - contact us to find out how you can transform a crisis into an opportunity with the help of our outplacement programmes.