A sudden job loss can be very unsettling, and it makes a person look inside in order to get perspective on their situation.
I was a person that was laid off too a few years back, so I know what it is like to not have a job to go to.
I feel fortunate, though, that I was building my coaching practice while working full time. Because of that, I was able to transition into coaching full time. But still, not seeing the same faces everyday, having deadlines, and an office to go to, took some getting used to.
The best thing about that experience is I had the opportunity to create whatever I wanted with my future. I could coach full-time. I could go into consulting. I could freelance. Whichever way I chose, I knew that it was the start of a new adventure.
For me, the job loss was a blessing; and it can be a blessing for you. Yes, you will worry about how you will pay the bills, if you will get another job, and when the new job will come. You will also have the opportunity to spend more time with your family, friends, and yourself. You will have time to do all the things you wished you had time for when you were working. You can go to the gym, get outside more, and use the time to reevaluate your life and your career. (Yes, this is a good thing.)
So How Do You Make Peace With What Just Happened To You And Create A New Future? I Have 7 Tips For You:
1. Recognize That Losing Your Job Was Not Your Fault
Yes, there is some relief knowing that the inevitable has finally happened vs. the waiting to see if you will go next. But there is still a little part deep inside you that wonders if it was your fault. Maybe if you worked harder, then this would not have happened. Maybe if you worked weekends, evenings, etc, it would have been some else that was cut. Maybe if you participated in office polices more, you would still have a job. All these thoughts drain your energy and take away from the contributions you made when you were there. Your company was not doing well. They had to cut costs, and you were one of the people they cut. This is all there is to it. Period. Stop making it mean something more.
2. Decide What's Important To You
You probably have put YOU on hold for years as you have been spending all your time figuring out how to mold yourself to be someone else. You worried about what your boss thought of you, what his or her boss thought of you, and what your co-workers thought of you. You spent many evenings trying to calm down or figure out what to do with a co-worker or boss that was driving you crazy. All of this is gone (if only temporarily) and now you get to decide what is important to you. What makes you happy? What gets you excited? These are questions that you can answer because you have been given the gift of time to do so.
3. Recognize That The Time Off Is A Blessing
Things in life happen for a reason. There was some purpose for you to stop and reassess how you have been living your life at this point. Why do you think this happened now? Were you working too hard? Were you neglecting yourself? Was your family screaming for you to spend more time with them? Now is the time to see if your former lifestyle will fit your future one. Use the time wisely because an opportunity like this one may never come again.
4. Decide What You Will Do Next:
Will you stay in the same career? Will you do something different? Will you start your own business? Or, will you decide to scale down your lifestyle so you can stretch out the time before you go back to work? There is no right or wrong choice, only what calls to you. Trust your instinct. The answer is inside you. It is up to you if you will take the time to listen.
5. Put An Action Plan In Place:
Now that you have free time, how will you make it as productive as it can be? How many resumes will you send out each week? How many hours each day will you spend searching for jobs online and in the paper? How may people will you talk to, and how e-mail's will you send out? Your job search does not have to consume you, but having a daily plan, will keep you from sitting in front of the TV saying "I really should be looking for another job."
6. Get Support:
Enlist the help of a friend, spouse, coach, colleague, etc. Someone who will listen and support you through this transitional period in your life. Looking for a job can be frustrating, time consuming, and disappointing. Remember that you do not have to do it alone.
7. Reward Yourself:
Yes, the final reward is finding a new job, but there are milestones that can be rewarded along the way. Sent your resume to five employers? Reward. Went on one job interview this week? Reward. When you look back, you will know that you are not the same person you were before this happened. And, you will smile to yourself because you know that this is a good thing.
So what do you say? You only have one life to live so it might as well be one you love! [2008-09-27] Print this Page Send to a Friend
Deborah Brown-Volkman - I am a Professional Certified Coach (PCC), and the
President of Surpass Your Dreams, a successful career
and mentor coaching company that has been delivering a message of
motivation, success, and personal fulfillment since 1998. We
specialize in three areas: 1) Career coaching for Senior Executives,
Vice Presidents, and Managers who are looking for new career opportunities or seek to become more productive in their current roles. 2)
Start-up and practice building for those who want to make
coaching their next career. 3) Marketing, public relations
and writing services for those who want recognition and fame in
their career.
Current and
former clients include individuals from: JPMorganChase, Oracle
Corporation, Lucent Technologies, General Motors, Procter & Gamble,
Ziff Davis, IBM, American Express, EDS, Ogilvy & Mather,
McCann-Erickson Worldgroup, Columbia University, New York University,
Chief Executive Magazine, MSNBC, & BMW.
I am a
Published Writer and my articles on how to be successful in your
career can be found on hundreds of web-sites. I am
the Author of three books titled
Coach
Yourself To A New Career(A Guide For Discovering Your Ultimate
Profession),
Four
Steps To Building A Profitable Coaching Practice (A Complete
Marketing Resource Book For Coaches) and
Four
Steps To Building A Profitable Business (A Marketing Start-Up
Guide For Business Owners, Entrepreneurs, And Professionals) and
Co-Author of
The
Essential Coaching Book (Secrets to a Winning Life from the
Professional and Personal Coaches of the United Coaching Associates,
Inc.) I also write a e-mail newsletter and weekly tips titled:
Surpass Your Dreams that offers you practical advice and steps so
Monday can be the best day of your work week.
I have been
featured as a career expert for
WABC-TV New York Eyewitness News ,
CNN , News 12, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Smart
Money Magazine, Business 2.0, The Chicago Tribune, and New York Newsday. I was also
a featured guest on BBC, Radio Scotland when they came to New York
City to find out how people were coping in their careers since the
September 11th attacks.
I am a Graduate of
Coach University's Coaches
Program, which is an accredited program for Business & Personal Coaching,
enrolled in
CoachVille’s Graduate School of Coaching, an International Coach Federation (ICF) Professional Certified Coach (PCC), which gives you a coach who has high ethical standards and has met rigorous coaching requirements based on education and professional coaching experience, and a 2004 recipient of
CoachVille’s Annual Thomas Leonard coaching award for contributing to the
success and evolution of coaching, which gives you a coach who is
knowledgeable, experienced, and well-trained; a Founding Member of
Coachville.com a coaches training portal created by the
founder of Coach University; a Member of the International Association
of Coaches, New York City Midtown Coaching Center, and 24/7 Coach,
which gives you a coach who uses the latest and cutting-edge coaching
techniques; a Member of the
International
Coach Federation (ICF), the most well-known and
respected coaching organization in the world, which gives you a coach
who is has numerous resources to provide; and a Member of the Moriches
Chamber of Commerce, Westhampton Chamber of Commerce, Moriches Rotary of New York, a career expert for
LongIsland.com, and a Charter Member of the
ICF-New York City Speakers Bureau, which gives you a coach who is
active and prominent in her community.
Before becoming
a coach, my background included twelve years running sales & marketing
programs for Fortune 500 companies and dot.coms. I received an AAS
degree in Data Processing from Queensborough Community College, a BBA
in Marketing from Hofstra University, and a Certificate in Financial
Planning from New York University. This gives you a coach with a
strong business background.
I live with my
husband and best friend, Brian, in Long Island, NY.
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