04/06/2026
Career transitions are among the most significant experiences in working life. Moving into leadership, changing employers, retiring, or experiencing redundancy all involve more than a change in job title. They often bring uncertainty, identity shift, new expectations and emotional adjustment. While some people find these moments energising, others experience increased stress, anxiety or reduced wellbeing. Understanding why is critical for organisations that want to support mental health at work.
Major career transitions that have measurable effects on mental health:
Promotions were generally associated with improved wellbeing.
Job changes produced more modest improvements.
Retirement appeared positive for many people after adjustment.
Redundancy or job loss had the strongest negative impact.
Personality refers to the relatively stable patterns in how people think, feel and behave. In organisational psychology, personality can act as a moderator: it can influence how strongly a career transition affects mental health. For example:
A promotion may feel exciting to one person, but overwhelming to another.
A job change may create confidence for one employee, but uncertainty for another.
Redundancy may cause prolonged distress for some, while others use it as a catalyst for reinvention.
The event matters, but so does the person’s interpretation of the event.
Certain personality characteristics may influence how people navigate career transitions:
People who remain calm under pressure may cope better with ambiguity.
Proactive individuals may seek support, feedback and opportunities more readily.
Highly self-critical employees may place excessive pressure on themselves.
Those who value stability may need more clarity before feeling confident.
Socially confident individuals may build new relationships more quickly.
This does not mean personality determines outcomes. It simply helps explain why workplace change is not experienced uniformly.
Personality should never be treated as destiny. Even highly resilient employees can struggle when transitions are poorly managed. Equally, thoughtful organisational support can help a wide range of employees adapt successfully.
Organisations can reduce transition-related strain by providing:
clear expectations and success criteria;
realistic workload planning;
regular manager check-ins;
structured onboarding or transition plans;
access to mentoring or peer support;
psychologically safe spaces to raise concerns.
For HR and people leaders, the implication is clear: career transitions should be treated as critical wellbeing moments. They are not only operational milestones; they are psychologically significant events that can influence engagement, performance and mental health. As careers become longer, more fluid and less linear, employees will experience more transitions across working life. Organisations that recognise individual differences will be better placed to support people through change.
At Awair, we believe evidence-based people practices begin with a simple principle: career transitions may be universal, but individual responses are not. By combining psychological insight with thoughtful organisational support, employers can help people not only manage change, but thrive through it. Contact us to speak about how we can support.