When a client's industry shrinks or a role disappears, the instinct is to send the same resume to the same kind of job. Slow that down. A disruption is a chance to choose the next field on purpose, not just the next posting.
Work these three questions in session before they apply.
What are their top strengths?
If they want out of the last industry, start with what they are already praised for. What do colleagues bring them? Which credentials or knowledge are scarce? Make a short list of competitive advantages before you touch LinkedIn. That list tells you where to look and how to talk about them.
Where are the opportunities, and where will they be a year from now?
Some sectors contract while adjacent work stays in demand. Ask whether their skills transfer into a field that is hiring, or into a bridge role that keeps them close to a dream industry until it recovers. A travel worker might take operations, guest support, or logistics work that still uses the same muscles.
What skills should they add now?
Time between jobs can be used for a short, relevant course, not a random certificate pile. Choose learning that makes them more competitive a year out in a field that is actually growing. Then put in-progress study on the resume only if they have started.
Do not let a client treat a layoff or a bad year as a personality crisis. Treat it as a targeting problem you can work in one sitting.