Thursday, October 15, 2009

Lessons Learned during the career transition

I was on a vacation day during the last week of February when I received a panicked call from a work colleague, saying that management was swinging the hatchet. Jobs were being cut.

The week earlier, my boss had asked me to transfer all of my job responsibilities to another colleague. That seemed suspicious, but being the good corporate citizen, I, of course, agreed to do it. I read the tea leaves, though, so when my colleague called me, I knew that my name was on the cut list.

I first calmed my colleague down and encouraged her to watch out for herself. I then called my office to see how my office mates were faring, which confused them, as they knew my fate but didn’t know if I knew my fate. Finally, I called my boss, who was planning to wait until I returned to work before letting me know, but I forced the issue. I was cut. Downsized. RIFed. Laid off. However it was labeled, after eleven years with my company, I was about to receive my last paycheck.

Forward to the second week of October, over seven months later: I just received an offer for a position as an Employment Specialist for Goodwill of Central Arizona. I will be working in a Workforce Investment Act funded program to assist clients who may experience barriers to employment to find jobs.

This is a brand new field for me, but one for which I have developed a passion during my own career transition. I am qualified for it, by using my marketing and market research background in new ways. In fact, my background allows me a unique perspective that others in my new field may lack.

I feel blessed. In my career transition period, I have met many wonderful, talented, and encouraging people I would not have otherwise met. I have gained new skills. I have a much greater knowledge of, and appreciation for, the Phoenix metro area. And perhaps most importantly for my new career, I have learned several lessons to increase the likelihood of success in a job search:

1) Leave the house. If your job search strategy consists only of hitting the “submit resume” on various job boards, you are in for a long and frustrating search.

2) Define what you want to do, even if it is not directly related to what you used to do. I truly believe that those of us facing a career transition have been given a gift. Are we doing what we want to do? Are we doing what we were meant to do? If not, now is the perfect opportunity to correct course. And even if we are in our chosen field, then the opportunity to practice with a new company will only enhance our careers. I fully embrace that it is no fun being unemployed, but I also know that pain may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

3) Find some reason, every day, to take a shower – either before or after an activity (or, both). Get out of the house. Join groups, whether they are “job search” related or not. Go to the museum on free-admission days. Play with your kids. Explore the public library system. Hike the metro-area mountains. Mow your neighbor’s lawn when you do yours. Anything. Just don’t let your couch form an impression of the seat of your pants.

4) Volunteer. Find a cause you believe in. Help those who are less fortunate than you. Not only is it good for the soul, but you also can practice your skills, or learn new ones. On a practical level, if you do the good job you are capable of, then the organization staff will go out of their way to recommend you to their network.

5) Allow yourself permission, every once in a while, to take an afternoon off. Read a book for your book club. Watch a DVD (the public library has a surprisingly robust, and free, selection), or go to a movie at matinee discount prices. Go bowling, or play a round of mini-golf. It’s okay. Even God rested on the seventh day.

6) Never give up. On your darkest day, when you’ve received the rejection notice or did not get the call back you hoped for, end the day on a positive. Write the thank you note finding something positive to say about the company. Force yourself to go to the networking meeting you want to blow off. Muster up the courage to make the call to the friend of a friend to set up a coffee date.

I am highly analytical by nature. Many times during my transition I have said that while I take no great joy in being unemployed, I do find the career management and job search process to be fascinating. Now, for at least the next little while, I get to turn that fascination into a vocation.

Dear readers, I wish you the success you desire. Please let me know how I can help.