The Career Funeral: The One Exercise Every Professional Should Do Before Change Hits

Forbes

2 days ago

Behind every box packed is a story reshaping itself. This moment isn't just about what's lost. It's ... More about what's next.
We prepare for life's significant milestones: weddings, graduations, and retirement. But when it comes to our careers, we rarely prepare for the one thing we can count on: change.
And change is everywhere right now. Across industries, professionals are facing a wave of economic uncertainty. Layoffs have disproportionately affected historically stable sectors, like government, healthcare, and education. Organizations are constantly being restructured, work is being outsourced, and teams are shrinking. For many, the work landscape feels unpredictable, and the anxiety is real.
Many of these layoffs are less about individual performance—they're driven by strategy shifts, automation, cost-cutting, and market dynamics. It's a wake-up call for high performers who once considered a heads-down approach as a guarantee for job security. Doing excellent work matters, but preparing for what's next is just as crucial.
Additionally, the rapid rise of AI is prompting a global reset in the workforce. Technology is not just altering how we work; it's changing who has the opportunity to do the work. According to McKinsey, up to 30% of work hours across the U.S. economy could be automated by 2030. Some jobs are being redefined, while others are quietly being phased out. In this environment, traditional career planning is no longer sufficient. What professionals need now is career insurance: a proactive way to protect and future-proof their livelihoods.
This is especially significant for employees on work visas, where the stakes are much higher. If they lose their job, they may have only weeks to find another one or face losing their legal status, work authorization, and even deportation. It's not just a career disruption—it's a potential family, financial, and life crisis. For them, planning isn't optional. It's essential.
It's not only people in transition who need to reflect, realign, and reimagine their careers. Many seasoned professionals feel stuck in roles they once dreamed of. They've reached a ceiling or realized they are climbing the wrong ladder. It's a success trap; you're an achiever, but still feel unfulfilled inside. The Career Funeral helps you ask: 'What title, story, or identity am I holding onto that no longer reflects who I am?'
That's why I created the Career Funeral exercise—rooted in over a decade of coaching professionals through promotions, pivots, layoffs, and reinventions. I've seen firsthand that the hardest transitions are not about skills but about identity. The invisible weight of former roles, outdated definitions of success, and unprocessed endings can quietly hold people back. The Career Funeral helps professionals name what they're carrying, let it go, and move forward with clarity. It's like a personal career insurance plan, created not out of panic, but with clarity and courage.
Palliative care nurse Bronnie Ware, in her book 'The Top Five Regrets of the Dying,' notes that the most common regret is, 'I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.' That insight rings true for our careers as well. The Career Funeral is not only a strategic reset; it's a moment of truth—an opportunity to ask: Am I becoming my best self, or just a polished version of someone else's expectations?
Jamie Dimon, CEO of America's largest bank, once had his career upended. After being fired in his 30s, he went home and told his three young daughters. One was worried they would have to sleep on the streets, and another asked if she could still attend college. The oldest wanted his cell phone. Dimon later reflected that the gathering of colleagues that night felt like 'being at your own wake.'
It's a powerful reminder: career loss isn't just about a job—it shakes your identity, plans, and family. But it can also be the start of reinvention. Dimon went on to become one of the most respected CEOs of our time. What felt like an end became a Pivot.
But how do you move forward in your career when the future feels uncertain or unclear? That's where the Career Funeral Framework comes in.
The Career Funeral framework progresses through four distinct phases: Rapport → Release → Ready → Reinvent. It is designed to help professionals begin planning their next chapter.
The Career Funeral Framework: A purpose-driven framework to navigate change with clarity, ... More resilience, and confidence.
Rapport: The Career Funeral exercise begins with a step that most people overlook: establishing rapport with yourself. Before you let go, plan, or reinvent, have an honest conversation by asking:
In this phase, you reconnect with your values and identity. It's the purpose and soul check before the strategy. It's journaling when you felt most alive—or most lost—at work that can help surface insights. This self-dialogue lays the foundation for everything else that follows.
Release: Here, you write a career obituary for something you're letting go of— a dream, identity, or attachment. Follow it with a Thank-You Note to honor what it has taught you. Letting go doesn't mean accepting failure. It means creating space for growth.
Ready: Ask yourself, "If my job ended tomorrow, would I be prepared financially, mentally, emotionally, and with a plan for what's next?" Most people aren't. That's why this phase focuses on creating a 5-1-1 Career Emergency Readiness Plan. Identify five people you'd call, one skill you wish you already had, and one alternative path worth exploring. This isn't a thought experiment; it's career insurance in action. In President JFK's words, 'The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.'
Reinvent: Create a career declaration that defines who you're becoming and commit to three actions: one skill to develop, one relationship to nurture, and one way to refresh or grow your personal brand. Reinvention isn't about discarding everything; it's about planting seeds for what's next.
Who is the Career Funeral exercise for? Most professionals find themselves in one of three distinct career stages when navigating change: planning for it, seeking what's next, or rebuilding after a disruption. These stages aren't fixed; they reflect where someone is in their journey, mentally, and professionally. The Career Funeral meets you where you are and helps you move forward with purpose.
Three Career Moments that Call for Reinvention
The Planner: Someone still employed but sensing change on the horizon. For them, the Career Funeral is about readiness and exploring future options. Sarah was an executive at a Fortune 500 company. Although her role was secure, she sensed change—new leadership, shifting priorities, quiet exits. She used the Career Funeral to release the internal dream she'd outgrown and began preparing for what might come. Within six months, she increased her external visibility, expanded her network, and secured a significant role at a purpose-driven brand on her own terms.
The Seeker: A professional in between roles and questioning what's next. They can use the exercise to let go of the past and design a path that reflects who they've become. Kevin had just left a draining leadership role and was unsure of what came next. Writing his career obituary helped him realize he'd been chasing titles that impressed others but never aligned with his core. Through the exercise, he reframed his story, pivoted his career, and became a leadership coach. This aligned with who he was and the impact he wanted to make.
Career disruption isn't just about a job. It affects your identity, your plans, and your peace of ... More mind. But it can also mark the start of reinvention.
The Rebuilder: A professional recently impacted by a layoff or disruption. The framework helps them grieve, regroup, and re-enter the workforce with clarity. Segun was laid off during a company-wide restructuring. The Career Funeral gave him space to process the loss and unexpected freedom to let go of the pressure to climb. He reconnected with trusted peers, repositioned his experience, and ultimately stepped into a role that provided both meaning and flexibility.
For HR and people leaders, the Career Funeral isn't just a personal tool—it's a cultural one. Organizations that promote career reflection before a crisis are the ones that retain and engage top talent. Incorporating this exercise into career conversations, leadership programs, or even offboarding initiatives can help build more resilient, self-aware, and future-ready teams. Imagine if every exit interview concluded not with regret, but with a statement of what happens next.
Insight alone doesn't change careers; action does. After completing the exercise, professionals need to move from awareness to execution. For example, a Career Obituary isn't just a journaling activity. It's your cue to update your résumé, change your headline, or have an honest conversation with a mentor. Your Readiness Plan becomes a routine—tracking skills, investing in your network, and building optionality before it becomes urgent. Your Career Declaration sets the tone for a 30–60–90 day strategy, guiding what you invest in each week.
Most career advice emphasizes addition: do more, learn more, achieve more. But real growth often begins with subtraction—letting go of what no longer fits. The Career Funeral isn't about endings but about alignment. It's an opportunity to reflect on who you want to become and design a path that reflects your full potential.
If you're not actively thinking and planning for your career's future, someone else will do it for you. And you might not like the result. Why take that risk when you have the chance to shape what's next with clarity and courage?
When you hold a funeral for your career, you're not giving up. You're giving yourself permission to evolve. To honor what got you here and build what's next. And in doing so, you may just avoid the biggest regret of all: living someone else's version of your life and career.