Jack’s Empowerment and Inspiration: 23. SKILLS AUDIT - redundancy empowerment - empowering redundant workers - empowering redundant staff

23. SKILLS AUDIT - redundancy empowerment - empowering redundant workers - empowering redundant staff - empowering redundant employees - making redundancy work for you - is redundancy a dead end? - is redundancy the end of the road? - making the most of redundancy - empowering the redundant worker - Jack Lookman - Rita Nnamani - Olayinka Carew - Jack Lookman Limited - Amebo - Ire o - Ire kabiti - Empowerment and Inspiration - Empowering And Inspiring Generations - Yinka Carew

When faced with redundancy, the natural reaction is to panic, rush into job applications, or question your market value. But, before you do anything else, there's one critical step that might completely impact your comeback story: assess your current abilities. A skills audit is like looking through a magnifying glass at your experience – not to evaluate it, but to see precisely what you contribute to the table.

Many people underestimate their skills. When you've done something for years, it no longer feels exceptional. You think, "Oh, everyone can do that." But this is rarely true. A skill audit serves as a reminder that what comes easy to you is often difficult for others. It’s also how you discover what you can sell, improve, or pivot into next.

Start with a list of everything you’ve done in your working life. Don’t limit it to your last role. Go back as far as you can — volunteer work, side projects, managing a team, handling customer issues, writing reports, training new staff, coordinating events. Every task holds a clue to a transferable skill.

Now, next to each one, write the skill behind it. If you’ve ever trained new employees, that’s not just “helping out”—that’s leadership, communication, and mentorship. If you’ve worked under pressure to meet deadlines, that’s time management and problem-solving.

As you write, you’ll begin to notice patterns. You may realise you’ve spent years strengthening skills in analysis, organisation, teamwork, or creativity. These are the foundation blocks that can travel with you into any role, industry, or business.

Once you have your list, divide your skills into three types: technical skills (what you can physically do, like using certain software or tools), people skills (like teamwork, empathy, and negotiation), and thinking skills (like decision-making, planning, or adaptability). This helps you see your range more clearly.

A strong skill audit also includes identifying the gaps. Redundancy gives you the time to honestly ask, “What do I need to learn now to stay relevant?” The job market shifts fast, and sometimes we get too comfortable doing one thing for too long. Look at roles that interest you and compare their requirements with your current skillset. The difference between the two becomes your learning roadmap.

There are numerous free or low-cost options to improve your skills in the UK. Universities and corporations support courses offered on websites such as FutureLearn, Coursera, and LinkedIn Learning. Even local career centres and community initiatives frequently provide reskilling classes. Each new ability you acquire is another method of telling yourself, "I'm still moving forward."

But don't think of this solely as a technical exercise. It is also emotional. Each time you remind yourself of your capabilities, you gain confidence. You begin to perceive yourself not as someone who has lost their career, but as someone who still has immense value.

Thank you very much to all our readers. You are much appreciated.

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