Grief isn’t only about death—it can surface any time life changes and something familiar ends. Jess Jones has seen this “career grief” repeatedly through her work in recruitment, headhunting, and leadership: people leaving long-term roles through redundancy, stepping away for maternity/adoption, or facing uncertainty during restructures and acquisitions.

Jess and Rainbow discuss the fear, identity-shift, relationship changes, and imposter syndrome that can arise—especially for high-achieving women—plus the intense emotions that can follow even when leaving a job is your own decision. Jess shares a personal moment of being blindsided by grief after pressing “send” on her resignation.

Together they highlight practical support that helps: listening without assumptions, creating space for emotions, offering outplacement-style resources, upskilling opportunities, and working with a coach. Jess’s key takeaway: learn to welcome emotions and feel them in the body—through tools like journaling and compassionate support.

Guest

• Jess Jones — Founder, Secora Group

What you’ll hear in this episode

• What “career grief” can look like beyond bereavement
• Why redundancy can trigger panic, loss of identity, and relationship grief
• How market uncertainty increases fear—especially at executive level
• Why a redundancy period can also be a chance to recalibrate and upskill (including AI skills)
• Imposter syndrome and the vulnerability of losing your usual support network
• What employers and leaders can do to handle restructures with empathy
• Jess’s personal story of unexpected grief after resigning
• The power of coaching, journaling, and learning to welcome emotions

Key takeaways

• Listen first—don’t assume you know what someone needs.
• Treat people how they want to be treated, not how you prefer.
• Career transitions can bring layered grief: identity, community, routine, certainty.
• Even “chosen” change (like resigning) can trigger powerful grief responses.
• Employers can reduce harm through outplacement support (CVs, interviewing, job search guidance) and emotional acknowledgement.
• Welcome emotions—sadness, fear, anger, joy—and notice where they live in the body.

Notable moments / pull quotes (for promos)

• “Grief shows up far more regularly in careers than we realise—especially through change.”
• “It’s not treating people how you want to be treated—treat them how they want to be treated.”
• “When I pressed send on my resignation letter… it felt like somebody had died.”
• “It’s okay to feel sad. It’s healthy to have emotions like sadness and fear and anger.”
• “Welcome emotions—feel them in your body, not just your head.”

Resources mentioned

• Support/resources on grief in the workplace: www.thegrieftherapists.co.uk



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Tags / SEO keywords

career grief, redundancy, restructuring, outplacement, leadership, workplace wellbeing, identity and work, imposter syndrome, executive coaching, change management, grief at work, journaling, emotions, maternity leave, adoption leave, acquisitions