This blog is intended to get job-seekers back on the right path to finding a job that they will love. This author, me, really cares about people and finds it highly satisfying to assist them with finding a new career or position that will help them with their work / life balance. Life’s too short to become a corporate slave working 60 or 80 hour a week. week after week. Remember, we’re all expendable …
From this point on, no more “pity parties” as my grandmother, Mimi, use to call those episodes that we all have when we’re feeling sorry for ourselves. One of the first things that you need to do while in career transition is to join a civic group or charity as a volunteer. That’s right, thinking about others will help you stop thinking so much about yourself and your current “lack of work” situation. Plus, it’s altruistic! Guess what? That older gentleman pruning bushes next to you for the Inner-City Improvement Group may just be a CEO or VP for a company that just might have an opening for a someone like you.
“Elevator speech” – no, this is not a rambling diatribe that you mutter to yourself while riding an elevator. The elevator speech is a short, concise explanation of your current job situation with people that you may meet at parties, at the grocery store, or even friends that may not know that you’re currently unemployed. You have to swallow the P-word, PRIDE, when trying to expedite landing a job. I know, it’s humbling stuff to tell your buddies and neighbors that the paychecks have stopped. I’ve been through career transition twice in my career, and it was a shock to my system the first time it happened, but, I had the good fortune to plug into a CT (career transition) group immediately.
Most CT groups are sponsored by churches or temples / synagogues. These groups are great places to get moral support during the CT. I can honestly say that I believe that you will get more help from total strangers during career transition than you will from family members. By participating in good CT groups you will now potentially have another 20 or 30 pairs of eyes or ears to look and listen for new job opportunities on your behalf. Let me stress this point – you shouldn’t go through CT alone! If you try, you will be lonely, miserable, angry, confused and your job search will be much longer. Google the phrase “career transition+your city” and it should pull up a list of CT groups in your city or town. If for some reason, there’s not a CT group in your area, then start one! Contact me if you need info on starting your own CT group.
One last tip about making it through career transition, get a quick grip on your finances. Look at your basic needs and take care of them as usual. The “nice-to-have’s” such as your children’s private school tuition may have to take a backseat for awhile. Kids are resilient, they can handle public schools. Those nice rides out in the garage may have to be traded for a reliable car with a lower monthly note.
Keep your chin up …more thoughts on CT next week!
Mark
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