Trials & Triumphs of Career Transition, v.27 - How Developing Strong Rapport with Marcello was Essential to his Outplacement Program Success

Personalizing outplacement programs is the only way to make them matter.  Why spend valuable budget on cookie-cutter programs that don’t truly help someone through a life-changing moment? Learning that one has lost their job is bound to prompt a series of emotions from shock to fear, despair to shame and anger. Not to mention all the trickle-down effects that they have on self-esteem, family dynamics and personal finances.

Take Marcello for example.  When Marcello joined the CMS outplacement program, he had just celebrated his 16th year with the organization where he had led the national sales team.  He was a friendly and optimistic person who used much humour in his communication style.  He seemed ready to take on his next challenge and we got right to work on his résumé.

His résumé spoke to his track record in consistently growing revenues for his employer, citing specific accomplishments and growth percentages throughout the document.  It was impressive.  However, before we could finalize the résumé document with Marcello, he seemed to retreat.

Only when his CMS program coach proactively reached out to his to gently ask why there had been a change in his demeaner, did he confess to his feelings of self-doubt, insecurity, and fear which stemmed from the replaying in his mind of why he was terminated from his job after such a stellar career.  He couldn’t understand it as the reasons they quoted in their decision to part ways with his just didn’t match up with the results he was producing.

These of course are common thoughts for new job seekers.  Being asked to leave a job can give one a feeling of failure, and lack of control over their lives. Some are able to overcome them quicker than others who generally need time to talk it through objectively with a third-party. Managing these kinds of thoughts and feelings are prime examples of why the personalized program coaching at CMS is pillar #1 of the full-service outplacement program and is imperative to our candidate’s success. 

Ensuring the lines of communication are fully open to any discussion a job search candidate may need objective help with and developing a strong rapport with one’s program coach ultimately helps in the delivery of the practical components of the CMS career transition program.

Each full-service program at CMS is managed by a dedicated, proactive, and qualified program coach who works one-on-one with our job search candidates to help them understand and effectively process all the emotions that come with career transition. 

Access to CMS program coaches is unlimited for the duration of their program which can be stopped and restarted according to individual circumstances ensuring zero program time lost.  This means that all CMS job seekers never have to worry if they have ‘run out of time’ with their coach and can connect with them as they are needed.

In addition, through initial discussions with their coach, the practical career transition tools and strategies inherent to the CMS outplacement program are customized, incorporating one’s current life circumstances, existing skills-sets, future goals and market conditions.  These discussions may result in molding their CMS program around retirement, entrepreneurship, re-training or vertical job change goals.

The development of rapport between our candidates and our coaches is essential to creating excitement, optimism and positive momentum through the career transition process and why personalized program coaching is pillar #1 of our full-service outplacement programs.