Hello,
May I suggest you consider the following:
- Ensure you exchange contact details with all of your friends from work, be it via LinkedIN, personal notes etc. When you say you are going to keep in touch, do ... their friendship will last forever, if they are genuine & who knows, one of them may just be able to help you out in the future (or perhaps you might help them out).
- Get a few written references on headed paper. While in theory written references are not worth a lot these days, in practice you won't have the option in the future I'd suspect (given your employer is leaving the country etc.).
- Get some good tax & pension advice immediately, if you have not already had the benefit of same. Some good advice might save you a small fortune, either on your departure or in the years to come.
- Assuming you can afford to hold off working for a while as a result of a good redundancy payment, then do. Nothing wrong with taking a little time off to clear your head, relax, then focus on trying to get a job you would actually like (obviously I'm assuming you will be in the financial position to do this).
- Consider some further education, as mentioned by SoylentGreen above. There are numerous part time and full time courses available, which ultimately will serve you well (either in your next job, or perhaps just life in general).
- Finally, don't panic. I am reliably informed by a number of friends who have gone through the experience of being made redundant that there comes a point in time when you start to really worry about the future and if you let it, it can take hold of you and really make you panic about what is going to happen to you next. Don't let it, things work out for everyone over time