Meet the coach: an insightful interview with Sarah Bryer, a Career Coach at Careerminds

With an impressive background in recruitment, Sarah Bryer joined Careerminds in 2023, with the aim of smoothing the path for participants going through the outplacement process.

In this interview with Sarah, we delve deeper into her coaching experience and get more of an insight into her role, the services that Careerminds offers, and the outplacement industry overall.

It’s very straightforward really – my role is about helping great people get great jobs. I support people who have been laid off and, in its simplest form, create a job search strategy, help them to create or improve on their CV, provide support with interview practice, and eventually steer them towards a new position.

I can work with people with a year or two of experience, or decades of tenure at their last company. I’m able to help all levels, but it isn’t as simple as just tinkering with their CV. Most of the participants on the outplacement programme are going through a massive change, and they might need support with looking at going into self-employment or signposting for wellness support or retirement, as well as someone to listen to them and offer up salient advice.

I listen to what they need. I’m a bit of a jack-of-all-trades and pretty nosey as well, which is a great asset to have in this job! There aren’t many industries, levels of people, or situations that are new to me now, which means I’m able to deal with anything that comes my way. Being able to share my knowledge about the recruitment process really helps my clients to have confidence in me. I am a very positive person too, and a problem solver, so whatever the situation is, I know I can help.

For most of my career, I worked in recruitment – agency, and in-house – with the most recent as an Operations Manager for a well-known insurer. Like a lot of people, I was made redundant in the pandemic and this gave me a chance to reflect on what I wanted from my career. Having had experience of going through redundancy, I was in a great position to be able to help people find great jobs, demystify the processes – as I’d been there, done that – and help people not feel so alone. It was a real calling for me.

I just allow them to talk, explain any anxieties, and explore those with me. As I said, I’m a positive person, and people always walk away from my sessions feeling better about themselves. I get to know them as much as possible by understanding what role they did and what business they’ve come from, plus what their aspirations are for the next part of their journey. I have a ton of tools at their disposal, but am also aware that confidence, neuro-diversity, and even personality type can affect how people use them. There is no one size fits all.

Short and sweet, but so important – listen to your coach!

The coaching service at Careerminds is very thorough. Those needing help will be able to work with a coach who cares about their journey. On the initial call, the participant will be oriented, told what their programme looks like, have a view of the Careerminds system, and a chance to tell us about themselves, with the added opportunity to ask any questions they might have about the programme or the process.

To companies, the knowledge that you’ve provided a tool that will make a world of difference to the people you’re exiting, and to their peace of mind, has to be top of the list. It’s so tough losing your job, but I’ve also been the one telling people that news and that is no picnic either. But knowing my staff had support when they left me would make me feel more positive for their future.

How smart they are. These individuals are always great, in fantastic industries, and with such interesting jobs. Every person I meet, without exception, has been so lovely, despite their circumstances. But it’s when people secure new jobs… that’s just the best!

I had a client with outstanding skills who had received four offers, with three from well-known brands, and the fourth, which she put as her last choice. She was an excellent candidate and should have been offered all four positions. In the end, she was offered just the one, her fourth choice. We went through her values, and what she was looking for, and despite the company not being a household name, it ticked every single box, for now, and the future.

She accepted the job, and quickly realised how well-known the company was in their particular field. She had the most incredible onboarding experience and has been fulfilled ever since.

Moving to online-only models has been groundbreaking, i.e. being able to have good half-hour chats with clients wherever they are based. This means we can be very purposeful, make the most of the time without people having to travel, but still get an amazing experience from a coach in their part of the world.

Talk to someone who has experienced the benefits of outplacement. There are often different types of packages available if the budget doesn’t stretch very far. If job centres are not the place for your staff, charities are inundated, and the market seems to be getting tougher, the impact that this type of support can have on your people is priceless.

At Careerminds, our industry-leading outplacement services offer incredible results for displaced employees with an 80% engagement rate, a 95% placement rate, and a fantastic 99% satisfaction rate.

If you’re interested in learning more about our engagement rates, or just want a chat for further information, take the time to speak with one of our experts and see if Careerminds is the right outplacement partner for you and your organisation.

Elizabeth Openshaw

Elizabeth is a diligent, articulate, and versatile Blogger and CV Consultant with over 13 years of experience in the job search sector, including extensive expertise in outplacement services and CV reviews, supporting job seekers and all of those involved in the recruitment process. With a personable and self-assured outlook, Elizabeth consistently produces work to a high standard and hits deadlines 100% of the time. Showcases excellent organisational and time management skills, proven by 17 years as a Journalist on numerous national publications including as Features Editor on a monthly glossy magazine and as a regular contributor to Men’s Health, Slimming World and Candis. As Director of her own company, OpenDoor CV Expertise Ltd, Elizabeth displays a high level of professionalism, demonstrated by the positive recommendations and testimonials from many previous clients. Additionally, she is an active member of both the British Association of CV Writers (BACVW) and the Institute of Employability Professionals (IEP), supporting people to gain work, progress in work, and retain work.