NextChapter

Job transition platforms for laid-off professionals: how to choose

If your severance offered outplacement, use it first. If it did not, start with free public help such as an American Job Center, then add a tool you can start for free. This page explains the three paths and how to choose between them.

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Path 1: outplacement your employer pays for

Outplacement is job search help that your former employer pays for, often as part of a severance agreement. The employer arranges it, so ask HR whether it is available before you sign, and get what it includes in writing.

Companies that provide it describe themselves like this on their own websites, as of 2026-10-29:

  • Randstad RiseSmart lists career coaching, internal talent mobility, redeployment and outplacement, and presents them as solutions delivered for employers.
  • LHH lists Career Transition & Mobility and Outplacement among its offerings for organizations, and points individuals to career support and its Career Studio.
  • Careerminds says it offers outplacement and support for people leaving an organization, with executive coaching and leadership development, delivered through the organizations that engage it.

Questions to ask an outplacement provider

  • How long does the service last?
  • Who is my coach, and can I meet them?
  • Can I start before I sign my severance agreement?
  • What is included: résumé help, interview practice, job leads?
  • What do I keep when it ends?

Path 2: free public help

American Job Centers are part of the U.S. Department of Labor’s One-Stop system. The Department says they offer job search help, job referrals and placement assistance, and re-employment services for people who claim unemployment insurance. It also notes that some services have eligibility requirements, so ask what applies to you.

Your state unemployment agency and your local workforce board are the other public starting points.

Path 3: tools you can start for free

NextChapter is a job transition platform for white-collar workers. It is free for candidates: a Market Reality Assessment that shows how employers read your background, a weekly Search Sprint plan, and an AI career coach. Employers, recruiters, workforce agencies and nonprofits pay for the organization side.

How to choose

  • Who pays: you, your former employer, or the public.
  • What is included: a plan, coaching, tools, job leads.
  • Whether a person or software coaches you, and how often.
  • Whether it is built for your level of experience.
  • What happens to your data when you stop using it.

Frequently asked questions

Is outplacement worth it?

It costs you nothing when your employer pays, so it is usually worth using alongside your own search. Ask what it includes and for how long.

Can I get outplacement if my employer did not offer it?

Sometimes. Outplacement is something employers arrange, so it is easier to ask HR before you sign a severance agreement than after you have left.

Are American Job Centers free?

They are publicly funded. The Department of Labor notes that some services have eligibility requirements, so ask what applies to you.

Is NextChapter free?

It is free for candidates. Organizations pay for the employer, recruiter and workforce-agency side.

Do I need a platform at all?

No. Many people search on their own. A platform helps most when you want one plan, tools and coaching in one place.

Start with a free read on your background

The free Market Reality Assessment shows how employers read your background and which roles fit it.

Get my free assessment