Are you proactive about the risk of losing your job?
In this episode, I chat to Jannine Fraser, who works right at the coalface, helping people navigate career transitions when things go wrong - and how to prepare yourself in case they do.
We spend so much time obsessing over our super, property and portfolios, but we often ignore our most valuable asset: our ability to earn.
Think about it… your career isn’t just a job - it’s an asset that needs constant reinvestment.
And yet, I see so many people with big, successful careers getting caught off guard by restructures, redundancies or shifts in the market, suddenly unemployed and underprepared for what comes next. So how do you protect your employability in midlife and beyond?
In this episode, I sit down with Jannine Fraser, who works right at the coalface helping people navigate career transitions when things go wrong. She’s the managing director of outplacement firm Directioneering, which means she’s the one helping people pick up the pieces and reshape what comes next.
This is an open honest conversation about what’s actually changing in the job market and what you can do now to stay relevant, ready and resilient.
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE OF THE PODCAST HERE:
Highlights of the conversation:
Why “job security” is the wrong way to think about your career: What matters more is employability security and your ability to adapt.
What’s really happening in the job market right now: The market is tightening, roles are taking longer to secure, competition is increasing, and even senior professionals are moving into contract work.
Why midlife can be a high-risk zone: Many people in their 50s have stopped actively managing their careers, just as the market is demanding more adaptability and new skills.
Why most people don’t treat their career like an asset: If people invested the same time and strategy into their income as they do their investments, they’d be in a far stronger position.
What “staying employable” actually looks like: It’s not about always being job-ready, it’s about staying current, connected, curious and engaged in your field.
The hidden factor that impacts employability more than people realise: Your energy, presentation, connection and how current you appear all play a role, even if it feels superficial.
The biggest mindset shift: Take responsibility for your employability. No one else will manage your career for you.
Career changes in your 50s and 60s: Being creative at the right moments around what’s next may increase your longevity of employment substantially.
From Bec’s Desk
This week I’m writing from a very chilly Hobart where it “feels like 5 degrees”. I’m back on the AMP North Adviser Roadshow, and this is my second destination this week, having spent a day in Adelaide with the Super SA Education team working on strategy too.
A bit of a shock to the system after those 30-degree Brisbane days.
Nevertheless, life on social media has just kept going. I am loving making reels each day, whenever I can, with new titbits and lessons to help. If you have ideas or questions - feel free to send them my way!
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But what I really want this week is your help!
We’re putting together a podcast (or two) about you — how you’re finding your sense of purpose, reinvention, and direction in your Prime Time and into retirement.
So we want to hear your stories. In both letters and in voice messages (you can just hit audio record on your phone to record it then email it to me if you want!)
Tell us things like:
How have you reinvented yourself or found a fresh sense of purpose lately? A hobby, volunteering, pickleball obsession, sports club… anything.
Have you shifted out of the 9-to-5 into part-time work as a way to ease into this next chapter?
Downsizing stories — have you packed up the big family home and made a move to something smaller or different?
Big changes, small changes, unexpected twists — it’s all gold.
Send them in — I’d love to hear what your Prime Time is really looking like in short, experiential stories.
Send me an email to bec@epicretirement.com.au or if you want or just reply to this email, send an audio-grab (no more than 3 min please) of you talking about your changes, twists or new passions.
There really is nothing better than REAL stories! Thanks for being a part of the fun on the show!
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The second thing I’d love your help with is An Epic Start.
This is a project I’m doing with my daughter (alongside the retirement and midlife education I always do). We’ve kicked it off as a TikTok and Instagram channel… and it’s official — we’re writing a book together too - called… An Epic Start.
The idea is simple. It’s a place you can point your adult kids to — to help them get started right at the beginning with financial literacy. And you can help and support them alongside it.
We’re setting ourselves a real goal: taking Paris from almost nothing at 22 to buying her first home before she’s 25.
I’m teaching her how to do it — and we’re learning out loud as we go. Because the rules aren’t the same as they were when I bought a house - so we need to ‘figure it out’ and we’re asking a whole heap of awesome people for their advice and the information we need along the way too!
We’re talking budgeting, saving, investing, mindset, asset protection, and what it actually takes to get on the property ladder today.
And more broadly, we’re learning how we can help young people get an epic start. And we’re already having lots of fun with the tiktoks and Insta reels! So come on over and follow us. And send your adult kids.
Cheers Bec Wilson Xx
The Earlybird 25% off deal is not going to last.
Our next program kicks off on 14 May, and Earlybird (25% off) is limited to the first 200 places - and they’re nearly full. So don’t delay if you’re planning on booking - do it now!
This is a six-week retirement education program designed to build your confidence and help you make sense of the many decisions ahead.
If you’re starting to think seriously about what comes next, this is the perfect way to get prepared.