Building A Resilient Mindset In The Challenging World Of Career Transitions by Caroline Forman, h2h Lead Consultant

“Losing your role unexpectedly can be a very stressful time and I’m glad I can play a part in easing that stress by supporting and guiding our clients to navigate the uncertainty in a way that works best for them.”

In the challenging world of career transitions, whether due to redundancy, restructuring, or a change in personal direction, resilience is one of the most critical skills to master. As a career and outplacement coach, I am deeply influenced by the work of Jenny Campbell and in particular her insights on resilience at The Resilience Engine. One of the most profound elements of Campbell’s approach is that resilience is not about being unshakable or simply enduring stress. Instead, it’s about embracing our capacity for change and adapting to new realities.

Formula

Personal Resilience: Mindset + Pacing & Perspective + Purpose

Resilience: A Capacity for Change

One of the foundations of Campbell’s approach is that resilience is not synonymous with toughness or avoidance of stress. Rather, it is our ability to adapt to and accept change that truly measures our resilience.

In my role, this shift in mindset is crucial, especially for individuals dealing with unexpected changes like job loss. When your role is suddenly no longer part of an organisational structure, the ability to quickly recognise the impact of that change and embrace it becomes essential. Transitioning into the job market after a redundancy can be disorienting. At these times, resilience isn’t about pushing harder or denying the feelings of uncertainty and loss. Instead, it’s about cultivating a mindset that allows you to adapt, strategize, and move forward with purpose.

Jenny Campbell’s formula for resilience, above, has been transformative not just in my personal approach, but also in how I coach my clients.  Each of these elements is critical, and they become even more valuable when resilience is running low during a job search. In coaching sessions, I consistently review this formula with my clients to help them understand where they might be struggling and how to strengthen their resilience.

Mindset: It’s all too easy to fall into negative thinking when faced with a series of job applications that yield no responses. Job search fatigue can wear down even the most positive individual. This frustration can stem from various factors – AI systems sifting through CVs, an overload of applicants, or internal candidates being preferred. While these elements are often out of your control, maintaining a strong mindset is crucial.

In fact, one of my recent clients shared some wonderful feedback. He had been struggling to see how his skill set could apply outside of his current industry, and this lack of roles in his area was fuelling his anxiety. By working together, we identified not just his current strengths, but his potential skills—those capabilities he hadn’t fully explored yet in his career. Shifting his perspective allowed him to expand his job search into areas he hadn’t previously considered, leading to an increase in interview requests and a much-needed boost in his enthusiasm and energy.

Pacing and Perspective: This part of Campbell’s equation is just as important. Job seekers often feel a sense of guilt if they step away from the hunt to recharge, especially if they are under pressure to find work quickly. However, maintaining your energy and preventing burnout is crucial to your long-term success. I encourage my clients to balance their time, incorporating activities that restore their energy and offer a fresh perspective.

Purpose: Finally, we discuss purpose, a key driver in maintaining resilience during job transitions. Without a sense of purpose, it’s easy to feel lost. For some, purpose is tied directly to their career, while for others, it can be found in personal pursuits, relationships, or community involvement. Helping clients reconnect with their purpose often allows them to see the path through the uncertainty and the stress of change.

If you or a member of your team are currently finding it difficult to maintain a positive mindset through the job search process, I encourage you to reflect on this approach: mindset, pacing & perspective, and purpose and reach out to h2h for support during redundancy and or internal career moves. We can help you dive deeper into how to leverage these concepts to build your resilience and transform your career path.

Contact us at enquiries@h2h.uk.com or www.h2h.uk.com to start the conversation and map out a plan that sets you on the path to success, no matter what the obstacles.

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