From redundancy to regional lead: One HR leader’s job search journey

"I thought I would land a job quite quickly. But I didn't."

Sarah Jane Boulton had 20 years of experience in learning and development. She'd worked across pharma and FMCG in the UK, Australia, and Hong Kong. She was a regional head with a solid track record.

Then restructuring happened. She was made redundant.

Like many senior HR leaders, she assumed the next role would come easily. It didn't.

When your network doesn't exist

Sarah came out of her organization and realized something uncomfortable: she didn't have a network. "I came out of a really good role not knowing what to do and how to do it or where to focus my time."

She'd spent years developing others. Coaching others. Building careers for others. But when it came to her own career transition? She was stuck.

This is the pattern I see constantly with senior HR leaders. You've been tapped on the shoulder for roles. Headhunters have called. You've moved up internally. You've never actually had to look for a job before.

Until you do.

The assumptions that don't hold

Sarah had assumptions coming out of redundancy. Someone would want what she had. The role would come quickly. Her experience would speak for itself. "Reality is it's so competitive and there's a lot of people in your situation and it's really hard to secure that role that you're looking for."

The longer she was out of work, the wider her expectations became. Salary? Doesn't matter. Role? Whatever's available. Just get me back in. "It's quite hard to kind of keep your confidence and knowing your value but then not knowing where to go with it."

What actually worked

Sarah joined the Job Search Accelerator for Women in HR. Not because she lacked skills. She coaches and develops people for a living.

But she needed focus.

"I develop people all the time. I coach people all the time. But when it comes to yourself, do we really focus on the things we need to focus on?"

The program helped her get clear on three things:

1. Where to spend her time. Not applying to 50 jobs online. Strategic networking instead.

2. What she actually wanted. Not just any learning role. A strategic role where she could drive business impact.

3. How to network with intention. Not "Do you have any jobs for me?" but "I'm this, this, this. This is who I am and what I offer."

She spent two days a week networking. Three mornings a week applying. The rest? Scheduled time off. Hiking. Traveling. Being patient with herself.

The breakthrough

Sarah is now Regional Learning Lead for APAC at MSD in Singapore.

"I do feel at home. I do feel that it meets my job satisfaction. And I also know that I bring value to the business."

It wasn't fast. It wasn't easy. But it was strategic.

What you can steal from Sarah's approach

• Build your network before you need it. If you're currently employed, start now. If you're in transition, make networking your priority.

• Network with intention. Know your top three strengths. Be able to say in one sentence what you offer. You're not a job description.

• Be patient with yourself. Job searches take longer than they used to. The market has changed. AI has changed how people apply. You can only control what you can control.

• Don't settle. Just because you don't have something now doesn't mean you can't strive for something better. 

• Schedule your job search like a job. Set days for networking. Set mornings for applications. Then schedule time off. You need to refresh and revive.

  
  

The bottom line

You spend your career developing everyone else. When was the last time you invested in developing yourself? Sarah didn't figure this out alone. She got support, structure, and a community of HR peers who understood exactly what she was going through.

The next Job Search Accelerator for Women in HR cohort starts February 23rd. Application deadline is February 20th.

If you want to hear the full conversation with Sarah, listen to episode 4 of the Women in HR podcast.

Want to find out more? Book a call with me. This is your year to go from stuck to sought after. Onwards!

I work with female senior leaders in Human Resources who feel stuck to help them love their work or find work they love. I write about:

👂 Executive & career coaching

📄 Career development and career transition

🎯 Job search strategy

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