Many federal civil servants in Ottawa are anxious about their career prospects and considering a leap to the private sector, according to one local career strategist.
It’s perhaps not surprising as the federal government prepares to cut tens of thousands of jobs by 2029.
“I’ve had quite a few conversations with people who are very anxious about this,” Jesika Arseneau told OBJ on Wednesday. “Some are already talking about packages and making that departure and then others are worried about what’s to come.”
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In its 2025 budget, released Nov. 4, the federal government said it intends to reduce the size of the public service to 330,000 through job cuts, attrition and early retirement. That means that by 2029, there would be about 40,000 fewer federal employees across the country.
Arseneau, a marketing specialist and former vice-president of strategy and culture for Ottawa’s Tag HR, launched her own firm, Forge & Haven, last month. While she typically works with senior professionals to improve their branding and strategic communications, she will also be assisting public- and education-sector workers who are looking to transition to the private sector.
“I’m helping professionals who are looking to transition into different roles, new industries and position themselves competitively,” she said. “A huge impetus for me has come from seeing talented people struggle to articulate the value of their work. There’s a personal element that’s needed to help job seekers gain confidence, especially with this very difficult job market we’re in right now, and huge talent retention concerns in Ottawa.”
According to Arseneau, there is one demographic of public servants that is feeling particularly unsettled. While younger public servants are more flexible and less embedded in their roles and many senior leaders are preparing to retire, the group in between is in a more challenging position, she said.
“A lot of people are later in their careers but not quite at that point where they would otherwise be thinking about retirement,” she said. “Now they’re forced into a difficult position. Because they’ve been in public service so long, it’s really intimidating for them to make that change later in their career. And I’m speaking to some people who almost want to retire early, even if they may not be in that position, because of that fear about the transition.”
Any major career change is nerve-wracking, said Arseneau, who has previous experience working with clients making the public-private jump. But with so many people expected to do so in the coming years, in an already tight job market, she said there are added factors to consider.
Central to public servants’ concerns, she said, is a fear that their skillsets won’t fit within the private sector, especially those who have only worked for the federal government. But Arseneau said many public servants have skills that make them attractive to private-sector companies.
“Large-scale operations, working with stakeholders, compliance, overseeing major projects — those (skills) are so transferable when it comes to working in the private sector,” she said. “It’s all about how you frame it and shifting that mindset away from organizational achievement to individual contributions.”
One thing she said public servants might struggle with is their resumes.
Arseneau said a typical federal worker’s resume could be anywhere from six to eight pages, detailing every project they’ve worked on and systems they’ve used. She said that level of detail is unnecessary and even off-putting to private-sector employers, who typically want no more than two pages of information.
“The hiring process is going to look very different, much faster, and often includes more of a relationship-based element,” she said. “There are a lot of people using applicant-tracking systems as well. So understanding how to get around those and make yourself stand out in that context is important.”
For those thinking about taking the leap, she said a good place to start is online, polishing up LinkedIn profiles and professional websites.
And without the connections that job-seekers might have had in the public sector, Arseneau said the next step would be to attend networking events. Gaining knowledge about the private sector and putting boots on the ground can help job-seekers find companies and positions they didn’t know they aligned with.
“Ottawa is incredible because we have so many different types of businesses thriving,” she said. “It may be intimidating and it might feel like it’s not as stable, but you can absolutely find a lot of stability within the private sector. There are tons of opportunities and amazing employers that are committed to great employee experiences. It’s about finding where you fit. As long as you’re putting that proactive energy out, you will find your place.”
