This post is specifically to support staff in Higher Education who are at risk of redundancy/ have been made redundant, looking to change careers, or at a career crossroads.
Whether you’re in academia or professional services, times are tough right now. I hope you’ll find this list of curated resources helpful if you recognise yourself in any of the above descriptions.
Feel free to share this post more widely with others who may find it helpful.
Online resources
Women Space – Personalised Growth for Women Leaders led by Professor Christina Hughes, offers a useful blog, courses and workshops. Designed for female academics and Professional Services staff.
Career Change Archives – The Career Catalyst
How to unlock your personal power through storytelling – The Career Catalyst
How to capitalise on LinkedIn’s 2025 algorithm changes – The Career Catalyst
Job Shadowing HE | Susannah Marsden– a podcast exploring different roles within HE
Raj Sidhu’s YouTube video short on LinkedIn
Raj Sidhu’s Career Change YouTube video short
Podcasts Archive | Amazing If -Squiggly Careers
The Career Catalyst– a range of blog posts on all aspects of careers
Books
How To Get a Job You Love: Find a job worth getting up for in the morning, by John Lees
Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career, by Herminia Ibarra
Rethinking Retirement for Positive Ageing, by Denise Taylor
People who offer career coaching in this space
Anne Wilson SFHEA | LinkedIn Career Change Coach for Higher Education Professionals: Reinvention, Identity and Career Confidence
Professor Abigail Gregory https://www.professorabigailgregory.com Solutions-focused Executive Coach
Christina Hughes | LinkedIn Executive Coaching – unlocking leadership potential
Maria Kukhareva | LinkedIn Certified transitions and solution-focused coach
Jenny Jenkin | LinkedIn– Helping women leaders in HE to regain control
Caroline Dunne www.carolinedunne.com Helping leaders navigate change with confidence and care
Natasha Weller | LinkedIn Career Coaching for mid-career professionals at a crossroads
Tessa Harrison | LinkedIn Executive Coach supporting leaders transitioning into, through and out of their leadership careers
Sarah Blackford | LinkedIn Helping researchers and academics build successful careers
Anna Schaffner https://www.annakschaffner.com/ Private Story Solution Coaching
Prof. Karen Heard-Lauréote | LinkedIn Mentors individuals towards promotion, professional recognition such as PFHEA and NTF, and transitions into consultancy or freelance careers
Andy Stockanathan – andysockanathan.com Offers an 8 -week coaching programme suitable for experienced academics from the creative arts/industries
Managing change-Resources courtesy of David Winter
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Force-field analysis — A tool for understanding the various forces for change in your career
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Scenario planning — A tool that helps you to prepare for uncertain futures
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What changed? — A tool to explore what might change for you in a career transition
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Your response to change — A tool to explore your reactions to a change situation
A Career Change Toolkit from Jobs.ac.uk
Alternatives to academic careers- shared by Kelly Kistner, PhD
Careers in Research Panel — Academic & Alt‑Ac Pathways with Advice from Real Scholar‑Practitioners
Careers in Research Panel — Academic & Alt‑Ac Pathways with Advice from Real Scholar‑Practitioners
CV advice and expertise
https://career-advice.jobs.ac.uk/cv-and-cover-letter-advice/
Useful online questionnaires
What are your Strengths? | Strengths Profile A range of questionnaires designed to identify your key strengths, from FREE to Leader profile (£70.00+vat).
StandOut Assessment – TMBC a FREE questionnaire, exploring how others see you. Identifies two top Strengths
Free Personality Test | 16Personalities a FREE questionnaire based on MBTI, which identifies your preferences.
Schein Career Anchors Test FREE test designed to identify your motivations, values and attitudes to work
The FREE IMA Strategies questionnaire describes how you approach communication with others. You’ll receive a report which will describe your communication style in relation to one of four colours and what that means. Exploring how you communicate with others can provide you with helpful ways to describe your approach to working with others at job interviews.
The VIA Character Strengths questionnaire identifies the personal qualities you have to offer. These can be helpful when you are ‘selling yourself’ in an application or at an interview. If you’re asked “What would you bring to this role/team?” you can select some of the qualities highlighted, with examples of where you’ve demonstrated them.
The FREE Personal values assessment identifies the things you need to to be true to yourself. Exploring what’s most important to you in work can be helpful when making decisions about which organisations you’d like to work for and whether their values fit with yours.
The FREE Work Values Test identifies what’s likely to motivate you in work.