Red and Green Lights

Red and Green

Red and Green lights direct traffic flow and generally protect us from chaos.  The STOP along the way is eventually followed by the Go.

So it is with our careers.  We are stopped by many factors (customers to colleagues, technology, personal issues and cutbacks).  Our challenge is to find a new idea, opportunity, contact, solution, new direction and to continue the journey … to get GOing.

What are the obstacles and hurdles you are facing?  Have you uncovered the issue(s)?  cause(s)?  And, have you recognized your responsibility for developing some possibilities and a plan for taking action?  Recently, I met with a client who has recently landed a new job.  We reviewed his `journey’ and both felt it would be helpful to briefly review it with you:

Joe said he was “stopped in his tracks” when the boss gave him the message that his job was no longer funded and that Friday would be his last day.  He understood that sales were slow and that there was less and less work; however, he felt that his skills were many and strong.  He also had been described as an `excellent’ performer for years.  Wasn’t there something else that he could do at the company?

Joe received a lot of sympathy and support from family, friends and former colleagues.  He heard that it `wasn’t his fault’; yet it still hurt – the fact of being out of work for the first time in over ten years and the reality that his finances weren’t in the best shape (he realized he’d been living `paycheck to paycheck’ with too much credit card debt as well as monthly car and mortgage payments).

After a week of feeling `down’ and experiencing self-doubt (did he have the skills to get another job easily? would his age be a factor?) and concern (the unemployment rate in the area is over 10%, etc), Joe began to take a look at himself and to get going and develop his personal marketing plan – an Action Plan:

a)  He developed a resume with our help that summarized his experiences, education and his strengths (his Success Attributes);  he also got some business cards made to help in his upcoming networking activities;  and he began to make a plan with objectives/dates that included:  making daily contacts with agencies/recruiters; searching the internet for at least (but not more than) two hours per day: and, contacting his network of family and friends to inform them of his current `unemployment’ status and to enlist (ask for) their assistance … their ideas, contacts, suggestions.

b)  He took action … realizing that his primary objective was “getting a job“.  After two months and several frustrating `rejections’ …  he had an interview that led to a terrific job in a field that was new to him … but was one in which he could apply his many skills and personality traits and preferences.

Planning, Persistence and  Positivity – a Positive Attitude (and the help of others) were his partners on the journey.