When implementing role redundancies, managers often raise concerns about whether their impacted employees will be able to find the same job elsewhere.

What if they can’t find the same job, or the right job?

What are the labour market conditions?

Are similar companies also making the same roles redundant?

Is the competition high?

If not this role, then what are their options?

The right support

In the first instance, employers can support their departing staff through a well organised separation process and professional outplacement program. Yet, choosing the next job is entirely in the hands of the individual, which is why career transition coaching is so beneficial.

Not so surprisingly, and with the right support, many individuals take this opportunity to explore their career options more broadly.

Our data shows that, with the support of a career transition coach, only 21% people move to a same role in the same sector. 59% leverage their transferable skills to choose a different role or different industry, and 20% take the opportunity to do something completely different.

Most of us have seen examples of these career shifts. The police detective who opened a puppy school. The senior executive who shifted to part-time consulting. The biology teacher who went back to school to study medicine. The marketing manager who went from big pharma to small business.

There are many factors that influence one’s career direction. The structured process of determining and evaluating career options helps individuals to make the right decision for the right reasons.

A career transition coach supports individuals to evaluate:

Financial considerations – remuneration and the flexibility to consider alternatives
Family – family commitments that need to be considered? (e.g. office location, flexibility, etc.)
Self-esteem – the need to hold a role with a particular status
Life stage – early, mid or late career
Interests – current interests and/or desire to do something completely different
Skills – current skills, transferable skills and the willingness/desire to develop new skills
Risk profile – the level of risk that is comfortable

By providing career transition coaching, employers can support a smooth and constructive transition to the next phase of their employee’s life and career. As a result, the employee will reach key outcomes:

A structured review of their expanded career options
A clear understanding of their career drivers and what is most important to them
An action plan for success

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”
– Dr. Seuss