How to Thrive Through Workquakes: The New Rules for Career Reinvention

Imagine waking up to find your job gone, your industry upended, or your life priorities suddenly shifting. For many, this scenario isn’t hypothetical—it’s a lived reality, and in 2025, it’s more common than ever. These 'workquakes' can be voluntary (like a career pivot or sabbatical) or involuntary (like layoffs or health crises), but all share one thing: they force us to rethink who we are and what we want from work.

Research shows that the average professional will experience a major workquake every 2.85 years. The good news? These moments, though disruptive, are also the gateways to your most meaningful growth.

So how do you thrive through a workquake? Start by asking yourself the six essential questions: Who supports me? What do I love doing? When am I at my best? Where do I feel most alive? Why does this matter to me? How will I move forward? This framework, used by top coaches and leaders, turns chaos into clarity. For example, one professional, after losing her job during a merger, used these questions to launch a community food project that became more fulfilling than any corporate role she’d held.

Next, build your career mosaic. Don’t rely on a single job for identity or satisfaction. Instead, cultivate multiple roles—side hustles, creative projects, volunteer work, learning new skills—that together form a resilient and rewarding work life.

Finally, embrace the power of narrative. The story you tell about a workquake shapes whether it becomes a source of trauma or transformation. By reframing setbacks as chapters in a larger journey, you gain perspective and hope. Share your story with others; studies show that storytelling not only helps you process change, but also inspires others to find their own resilience.

Workquakes are inevitable, but suffering is optional. With the right mindset and tools, you can turn every disruption into a new beginning—and inspire those around you to do the same.