Frankfurt am Main – October 28, 2026 -- Managers who lose their jobs at 40 or 50 don't have to start from zero, according to career adviser Dr. Hans-Peter Luippold, who says the key is repositioning existing experience for a changed job market.
Companies such as Volkswagen and Bayer have been cutting management positions for months. For executives with 15 or 20 successful years behind them, that can mean a sudden restart.
Job loss often shakes professional identity
For longtime managers, a dismissal frequently means more than lost income. Familiar structures, responsibility and professional recognition disappear. Many also haven't written a job application in years, because they got their previous roles through promotions or personal contacts, so standardized rejections can be especially unsettling.
A eliminated leadership post doesn't necessarily say anything about personal performance, the source stresses. Companies restructure or flatten hierarchies, and the skills people have built remain intact.
Germany still lacked about 28,000 qualified leaders in 2025
An analysis by the Competence Centre for Skilled Labour Security (KOFA) found that, on annual average in 2025, roughly 28,000 suitably qualified workers were missing in leadership occupations. That doesn't guarantee quick placement, but it shows job cuts and skills shortages can exist side by side.
Searching only for the previous position is therefore a mistake. Companies need experienced people who control costs, improve production processes, build sales structures or guide change. Mid-sized firms can be attractive because leadership roles there are often broader. Project management, key specialist roles, interim mandates and a move into an adjacent industry are other options.
Mass applications and title fixation backfire
Many affected managers update their CV and send out as many applications as possible. Without a clear goal, this often leads to disappointment. CVs also tend to list responsibilities instead of results such as cutting costs, winning new customers or completing difficult projects.
Fixating on a former title can hide suitable roles under other names. On pay, a previous corporate salary doesn't automatically carry over to other employers. At the same time, candidates shouldn't lower expectations too quickly after first rejections. Relevant factors are the new responsibility, market-standard pay and a personal financial floor.
Three to five success stories make experience convincing
When changing industry or function, skills must be translated to new requirements. A production manager could show how he stabilized unstable manufacturing processes; a sales manager could explain how he opened new markets or won back key customers. Each story should describe the starting situation, the person's own contribution and the result.
A three-step plan after a layoff
The source recommends a structured approach:
- Create security: Settle financial obligations, necessary formalities and a fixed daily routine first.
- Explore options: Assess past successes and personal interests. A comparable leadership job, an industry change, project work or self-employment may all be viable.
- Use contacts deliberately: Only then adjust the CV and online profiles. Former colleagues, business partners and personal networks can open doors alongside job ads.
In a simplified example, a 50-year-old production manager loses his job in a restructuring and initially looks only for an identical role. Analyzing his successes, he realizes his real strength is stabilizing difficult production processes. That opens up plant management, improvement projects or roles in adjacent industries. Whether this leads to a job depends on the local labor market.