Transition Is No Time For Catching Up On Chores

Inevitably, everyone will find themselves in transition at some point in their lives. Being without a job may come about as a result of your company merging or downsizing, having your job eliminated, getting fired for poor performance, or maybe because you just got fed up and quit. Being without a job can be both a blessing and a curse. It might just give you the time to re-evaluate your life and career goals and give you the push you need to make a change you’ve been contemplating for years. Many outplacement studies have shown that people who lose their jobs more times than not end up in better jobs, perhaps even making more money. There are lots of reasons for this phenomenon, one of which is that we all get comfortable in a job and enjoy the security over taking the riskier chance of leaving a job for a promise of more opportunities and more pay.

But if you’re not careful, being in transition can also cause you to sink to emotional lows and perhaps even depression. It’s easy to start to feel sorry for yourself and begin to question your self-worth. It’s also very easy to sleep in each morning, turn on the television or surf the internet for a few hours, and call it an early day, all while convincing yourself that a new opportunity will come along any day now. There’s an old saying that finding a full-time job is a full-time job. That means that you need to be spending 8 hours a day, 5 days a week on your job search. It does not mean surfing the job boards for 40 hours per week. Only about 20% of all jobs are filled through job postings, so why would you spend 100% of your time on that one task? Job boards should be considered one arrow in your quiver. You need to be attacking your job search from every possible angle; networking, phone calls, emails, lunchtime meetings, coffee meetings, association events, etc. Fill your week with productive opportunities to find that next great job, and save the job board surfing for the evenings and weekends.

You need to stay busy! You need to approach each day as if you were going to work. Get up at your normal time, shower and get dressed, and be ready to start your day, just as if you were going to the office. If you don’t normally cut your grass until the weekend, then you should not be out in the middle of a workday cutting your grass. Obviously, if there is a school event that you would normally miss because of your work schedule, take a break, and put a smile on your child’s face by showing up. And stay active with a regular workout routine, as this will prepare you physically and mentally for the challenges you are facing.

Want to learn more about how we can teach you or your team these essential skills? Visit us at www.odasiconsulting.com.

By John P. Savas