Top 10 Ways to Cope with Job Transition

Job transitions can be stressful—whether they’re due to layoff, a new job or working extra hours because others workers were laid off.  If you’re facing one, consider the following.

1. Take an honest look at yourself.  What are your strengths, weaknesses, skills?  How did those influence, positively or negatively, your transition?

2. Step up your self-care.  Major changes are physically and emotionally taxing.  You need self-care now more than ever.

3. Engage your curiosity.  What went wrong, or right?  What could you have done better?  What worked really well?

4. Focus on what you want… and less on what you don’t want.  Keep your eye on the prize.

5. Find support.  Since your transition affects your family as well, it may be better to seek the outside support of friends or professionals.

6. Work on your thoughts.  Calm your fears and reinforce your sense of hope and happiness.

7. Reassure (or avoid) those who are threatened by, or jealous of, the change.

8. Create your own rite of passage.  Ceremony and ritual, religious services and communing with those of similar faith, all can help with transitions.

9. Let go of how things were “supposed to be” and accept “how things are.”  Find appreciation for what is and where you are going with your career.

10. Keep things in perspective. Or try on a new perspective. Don’t get stuck. Remember, the only constant is change.

Author’s content used with permission, © Claire Communications

Career Management Quotes of the Week!

“When I was able to get down the road a ways and look back, I realized success is 90% ­perseverance. The key is to stay in the game”
– Trevor Rees-Jones

“Opportunities don’t often come along. So, when they do, you have to grab them.”
– Audrey Hepburn

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
– Thomas Edison

Job Search Quotes of the Week!

“Someday, Everything Will Make Perfect Sense. So For Now, Laugh At The Confusion, Smile Through The Tears, And Keep Reminding Yourself That Everything Happens For A Reason.” Unknown

“An Arrow Can Only Be Shot By Pulling It Backward. So When Life Is Dragging You Back, It Means That It’s Going To Launch You Into Something Great.  So Just Focus, And Keep Aiming.” Unknown

What NOT To Do If You Get Fired

People are fired every day; it is a fact of life.  Most of us will experience at least once in our career.  However, there are a few things that you shouldn’t do if you are fired, and here are the top seven.  So, don’t…

1)      Storm out of the building cussing, crying, screaming, or doing anything that doesn’t show a professional manner.  Yes, you are upset, but acting out in front of your coworkers and superiors will not help the situation, and can backfire when you ask for references.

2)      Forget to ask for a reference letter or two.  You will be surprised how many supervisors and other colleagues will write you a letter of reference, even it is more of a personal reference.   

3)      Hesitate to ask why?  If you are being fired, you have a right to know why.  This is particularly important if your supervisor has not followed company protocols, which could buy you additional time in your job, or even save your job, after petitioning Human Resources.

4)      Be pressured into making a decision on the spot if the company gives you the choice of resignation versus termination.  You could be giving up your rights to unemployment insurance and severance.  Read everything carefully and consult an employment attorney if necessary.  

5)      Thoughtlessly criticize your manager, coworkers, employees, etc., either as you leave, or on social media.  Those comments can come back to haunt you later.

6)      Post news of your firing on social media immediately, asking everyone you know for help and appearing desperate.  Get your resume, LinkedIn and job search act together over the next few of days before involving others in your job search.

7)      Devalue you.  When you are fired it is easy to assume there must be something wrong with you, that you will never get another job, or envision the worst possible outcomes from the dismissal.  By funneling your energy into a job search, and empowering yourself, you will find a new job quicker, and keep many of those worries at bay.

While being fired is upsetting, it can also be a new beginning.  Look at your job search as an journey, not a problem.  As Helen Keller once said:  “Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows.”  To your career and job search success!