Career Transitions: Leaving, Returning, or Moving Within Community Services
Career Transitions: Leaving, Returning, or Moving Within Community Services
Category: Worker Wellbeing
Reading time: 8 minutes
You've been in this work for years. You're good at it. You care deeply.
But you're exhausted. Burnt out. Considering leaving.
Guilt floods in. "Am I giving up? Am I abandoning people who need me?"
You left community services three years ago. Needed the break. Now you're thinking about coming back.
But worried: "Will anyone hire me after the gap? Did I lose all my skills?"
You've been in disability services your whole career. Thinking about moving to mental health.
Terrified: "Do I have to start over? Will they see me as unqualified?"
Let me show you how to navigate career transitions in community services, when it's time to leave, how to return after a break, moving between areas, and honouring both the work and yourself.
When It's Time to Leave
Signs You Need a Change
Pay attention to:
Dreading work consistently (not just bad days)
Physical health seriously declining
Relationships suffering significantly
Using substances to cope
Emotional numbness or constant distress
Can't remember why you do this
Providing poor quality work
Cynicism overtaking compassion
Fantasising about leaving constantly
Feeling trapped
These signal something needs to change.
Maybe:
Different role
Different organization
Part-time instead of full-time
Break from sector
Leaving field entirely
Leaving Isn't Failure
Common belief: "If I leave, I'm giving up." "Good workers stay no matter what." "Leaving means I wasn't strong enough."
Reality:
Leaving unsustainable situation is self-preservation, not failure
Staying when shouldn't can harm you and clients
Career changes are normal, healthy, expected
You don't owe sector your destruction
Leaving is sometimes:
Self-care
Wisdom
Necessary
Right choice
Types of Leaving
Different transitions:
Changing roles within organization:
From direct practice to management
From management back to practice
To training or policy role
Sideways move for change
Changing organizations:
Different employer, same type of work
Better conditions or pay
New environment
Changing sector within community services:
From child protection to disability
From mental health to aged care
From case management to advocacy
Leaving community services:
Related field (HR, training, consulting)
Completely different field
Return to study
Career break
All valid transitions.
Making the Decision
Questions to ask:
About current situation:
What's not working?
Is it fixable here?
Have I tried to address it?
Is it an organisation or a field?
Is it burnout or wrong fit?
About future:
What do I want instead?
What would feel better?
What am I drawn to?
What do I need to sustain long-term?
What can I tolerate and what can't I?
Practical considerations:
Financial viability
Family/life circumstances
Skills transferability
Market demand
Study/training needed
Talk to:
Trusted colleagues or mentors
Career counsellor
Supervisor (if safe)
People who've made similar transitions
Don't decide alone in crisis.
Leaving Without Guilt
You Don't Owe Sector Your Burnout
The narrative: "The sector needs you. People are struggling. How can you leave?"
The reality:
Sector needs sustainable workers, not burnt-out ones
You can't help anyone if you're destroyed
Individual workers can't fix systemic problems by sacrificing themselves
Your wellbeing matters too
You can care about the work AND leave.
These aren't contradictory.
Clients Will Be Okay
The fear: "If I leave, what happens to my clients?"
The reality:
They'll be transferred to another worker
They've survived transitions before
Your organisation is responsible for continuity, not you
Staying while burnt out harms them too
Do:
Prepare them for transition
Provide proper handover
Finish responsibly
Don't:
Stay because can't bear to leave them
See yourself as irreplaceable
Let guilt trap you
It's Okay to Not Want This Anymore
Sometimes:
The work stops aligning with who you are
You change
Your priorities shift
You need something different
You don't have to:
Justify this
Prove the work isn't for you
Feel guilty for changing
Careers aren't lifelong commitments.
Paths can change.
Honor What You Gave
Before leaving:
Acknowledge:
What you contributed
Who you helped
What you learned
Skills you developed
Connections you made
You don't have to stay forever for it to have mattered.
How to Leave Well
Give Appropriate Notice
What's appropriate:
Follow contractual obligations
Consider role complexity (more notice if senior)
Allow time for handover
But don't stay months if harmful
Balance:
Professional responsibility
Your wellbeing
Prepare Clients
If direct practice:
Be honest (age-appropriately): "I've decided to leave this organisation. My last day is [date]. I'll be transferring your support to [worker]. We have [timeframe] to prepare for this transition."
Acknowledge impact: "I know transitions are hard, especially when you've been through changes before."
Don't:
Disappear without warning
Blame the organisation or system
Overshare your reasons
Make promises about staying in touch if you can't
Do Thorough Handover
For next worker:
Comprehensive case notes
Current situation summary
What's working/not working
Client preferences and needs
Safety concerns
Upcoming plans
Make their job easier.
Even if you're leaving because you’re burnt out.
Future worker and clients deserve good handover.
Exit with Integrity
Don't:
Burn bridges
Trash organization publicly
Leave mess behind
Abandon responsibilities
Do:
Complete key tasks
Document properly
Hand over professionally
Leave on good terms where possible
Community services is small.
Reputation matters.
Exit professionally even if the organisation didn't treat you well.
Taking Career Breaks
When a Break is Needed
Signs:
Complete burnout
Health crisis
Need to recover
Life circumstances requiring time
Want to travel or study
Need perspective
Career breaks are:
Normal
Often necessary
Not career-ending
Okay to take
Practical Considerations
Financial:
Savings needed
Partner support
Part-time income options
Government support if eligible
Length:
Months to years
No "right" length
What you need and can afford
Activities:
Rest and recovery
Travel
Study
Different work
Creative pursuits
Nothing (that's okay too)
What You Might Learn
During break:
Whether you want to return
What you miss about the work
What you don't miss
What you need different
Who you are outside work role
Break provides perspective.
Returning After a Break
Overcoming Fears
Common worries: "Will anyone hire me with a gap?" "Have I lost all my skills?" "Have things changed too much?" "Will I be starting over?"
Reality:
Community services always needs workers
Skills don't disappear
Some things change, you'll catch up
You bring experience AND fresh perspective
Your Gap is Explainable
In applications/interviews:
"I took time away from community services to [recover from burnout/travel/care for family/study]. I'm now ready to return with renewed energy and perspective."
Or: "I explored work in [other field], which gave me skills in [relevant]. I'm returning to community services because [reason]."
Gap doesn't need an elaborate excuse.
Just an honest, brief explanation.
What to Emphasise
You bring:
Experience and skills from before
Fresh perspective
Renewed motivation
Other experience gained during the break
Self-awareness about sustainability
You're not starting from zero.
You're returning with everything you had plus what you gained.
Easing Back
Consider:
Part-time at first
Less intense role initially
Shorter contract to test
Organisation with good support
Lower caseload
Don't jump straight back into:
Full-time intensity
Maximum complexity
Same conditions that burnt you out
Sustainable return matters.
Moving Between Sectors
Your Skills Are Transferable
Core community services skills:
Relationship building
Assessment and planning
Communication
Advocacy
Crisis response
Documentation
Cultural safety
Trauma-informed practice
Case management
Collaboration
Transfer across:
All community services sectors
Related fields (HR, training, policy)
Some commercial roles
You're not starting over.
You're applying established skills differently.
What's Sector-Specific
Will need to learn:
Specific legislation
Funding models
Assessment tools
Sector jargon
Key organizations
Best practices for population
But:
Can learn on the job
Training usually provided
Pick up quickly with experience
Less to learn than starting fresh
Making the Transition
In applications: Emphasise transferable skills, show understanding of the new sector, and explain why you are making the move.
In interviews: Demonstrate how your experience applies, show enthusiasm for a new area, and acknowledge that a learning curve exists.
Starting new role: Ask questions, use beginner's mind as a strength, don't pretend to know everything, and learn sector-specific knowledge quickly.
Common Transitions
From child protection to:
Disability (similar systemic work)
Family services (related focus)
Youth services (age group shift)
From mental health to:
Disability (overlapping skills)
Homelessness services (often co-occurring)
AOD services (related field)
From disability to:
Aged care (some overlap)
Mental health (complementary)
Any sector (skills widely applicable)
Pathways exist everywhere.
Grief of Leaving
Acknowledge the Loss
Leaving involves grief:
Loss of identity tied to role
Loss of relationships with colleagues
Loss of connections with clients
Loss of familiar routine
Loss of purpose tied to work
Even when leaving is the right choice.
Grief and relief coexist.
Give Yourself Time
Don't:
Rush through transition
Minimize impact
"Just move on"
Do:
Acknowledge feelings
Talk about loss
Mark the ending
Process with support
Leaving a job you cared about is a significant loss.
Honour that.
What You Carry Forward
You don't lose:
Skills and knowledge
Relationships (some continue)
Impact you made
Learning and growth
Values and commitment
These come with you.
New Beginnings
After grief:
Excitement about what's next
Relief at change
Curiosity about a new path
Hope for a better fit
Both endings and beginnings.
For Organisations
Support Transitions
Good organisations:
Don't guilt-trip the leaving staff
Provide proper handover time
Complete exit interviews
Learn from departures
Stay in touch with alumni
Welcome returns
Poor organisations:
Make leaving difficult
Take it personally
Bad-mouth leaving staff
Burn bridges
Don't learn from turnover
Learn from Exits
If people keep leaving:
It's an organisational problem, not an individual
Exit interviews reveal patterns
Address what's driving turnover
Fix conditions
Keep skilled workers
High turnover is expensive and harmful.
Better to address causes than constantly recruit.
The Bigger Picture
Community services careers are rarely linear.
Expect:
Multiple roles
Different organizations
Sector changes
Breaks and returns
Periods of intensity and rest
Evolution over time
This is normal.
Healthy even.
You're allowed to:
Change your mind
Need different things at different times
Leave and come back
Try different areas
Put yourself first
Have a career that serves you
A long community services career might look like:
Direct practice years
Burnout and break
Return to a different role
Leadership position
Back to practice
Consulting or training
Another break
Different sector
Eventually leaving the field
All of that is one career.
Not multiple failures.
Transitions are part of a professional journey.
They're okay.
You're okay.
Whether you're leaving, returning, or moving around.
The work will continue.
You need to sustain yourself through it.
That sometimes means changing course.
Key Takeaways
Leaving an unsustainable situation is self-preservation, not failure; staying when you shouldn't can harm both you and your clients
You don't owe the sector your burnout; individual workers can't fix systemic problems by sacrificing themselves
Career breaks are normal and necessary; not career-ending or requiring elaborate excuses
Core community services skills transfer across sectors: relationship building, assessment, advocacy, trauma-informed practice
When returning after break, you bring experience plus a fresh perspective; you're not starting from zero
Leaving involves real grief even when it's the right choice; acknowledge loss of identity, relationships, purpose
Give appropriate notice, prepare clients honestly, do a thorough handover, and exit with integrity even if the organisation treated you poorly
Community services careers are rarely linear; expect multiple roles, sectors, breaks, and returns over time
Reflection Questions
If you're considering leaving, what's driving that? Is it fixable where you are?
What would you need to stay in community services long-term?
What fears hold you back from making career changes?
How could you honour both your commitment to the work and your own needs?
Sarah Smallman is the founder of The Community Workers Hub and believes career transitions are normal, healthy parts of long-term community services work.
