The Career You'll Love » job loss

Tips to Prepare Yourself Against an Unexpected Job Loss by Creating an Alternative Career Path

Carl — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 04:21:55 +0000

The most important exercise I do with the clients I coach on career issues is simply this: Create a career plan B.

It’s a straightforward idea, but pays huge dividends in what you learn about yourself.

Ask yourself this question: If I were to lose my job tomorrow, which other paths would I pursue?

The Golden Handcuffs

Carl — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 18:15:42 +0000

The Career You’ll Love

Sponsored by Carl Dierschow’s career blog at www.Dierschow.com

Welcome to my career tips newsletter! I encourage you to pass this to anyone who might have an interest in revitalizing their career – instructions for subscribing are at the bottom.

The Golden Handcuffs

I had an interesting conversation with someone last week who was struggling with this thought: “I can’t think about leaving my job, because I’ll never be able to get the kind of salary I’m getting now.”

I can relate – I was trapped by that fear for many years.

It’s not something that you want to talk about, either, because it combines some deep fears of financial insecurity with a fear that you’re just a money-focused idiot with no moral values at all.

So let’s first recognize that this is indeed the case. Like the fear of death, losing your financial security is something that’s deeply uncomfortable. But like death, it’s also immensely important to think about.

The most important key to unlocking my own handcuffs was when I had a discussion with my financial planner back in 2005. I found it particularly unhelpful to continue going around the circle: “How much money do I need in order to retire?” “It depends on your lifestyle, how much you plan to spend.” Finally, I gave him a scenario: “Suppose I were to leave my job tomorrow, take a year off to complete my education as a coach, and then build up an income which would be roughly half of what I’m getting now.” After crunching the numbers, his answer was simply: “Yes, you can make that work.”

This instantly helped me realize how much flexibility I had, and that I didn’t need to be tied to my job unless I wanted to.

Since that time, when my clients talk about the need to develop career options, I ask them to think through the scenario that they would lose their job tomorrow. That’s scary as hell. But once you move beyond the initial shock, you start to recognize that there’s useful options and choices to be made.

You also start to think about how much value your sanity and work satisfaction has in your life. For instance: How much would the reward have to be to cause you to commit armed robbery? OK, the first answer is that you’re an upright and moral person, and no amount of money would cause you to do that. But for $10 million? $100 million?

What holds you back? It’s a sense of values, of being able to live with yourself, and not wanting to take the risk of losing all you hold dear – losing contact and relationships with your loved ones.

So if your sense of values can keep you from going out and getting an obscene amount of money, clearly it’s very important to you. But if you’re violating those same values by staying in a job you hate, it’s really the same thing. You’re selling yourself for that money and the security it represents.

Some people start to recognize this when they lose their jobs, because all of a sudden the decision was made for them. So here’s the thought exercise for you:

Suppose you lose your job tomorrow. OK, it’s traumatic, it’s scary, and emotions will take over for the next week. But then what?

What will you do? Seriously? Will you try to find a job that’s identical to what you’re doing now? Will you go off and start that company you’ve been wondering about? Will you go back to school, and in what area? Will you talk with your partner about changing the structure of your family to permit a different kind of job?

If you can get beyond the fears, this will be the most important career discussion you’ll ever have with yourself. Guaranteed.

An important resource

This discussion today got me thinking about a movie I saw some years ago, The Magic Christian, starring Ringo Starr and Peter Sellers. It was a hilarious take on the question: What would you do if money was literally no barrier?

It’s a thought-provoking question, because it helps to bring out the true values you would like to have in your life. Who says we can’t have a little humor when we think about serious topics?

Here’s the Google Search for it. Check out the Youtube videos and go rent it.

Carl Dierschow is a Certified Small Fish Business Coach and author of the career management guide, Mondays Stink! 23 Secrets to Rediscover Delight and Fulfillment in Your Work. He is a career coach for those going through interesting transitions, and works with small business owners who need to create breakthroughs in achieving their business goals. Find out more at www.Dierschow.com and www.SmallFish.us.

If you are interested in individual career coaching, group coaching, or other resources which might help you with difficult choices, please contact Carl at carl@dierschow.com.

Connect with Carl on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to get timely updates and connections to a broader range of professionals.

To subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, send an e-mail to newsletter@Dierschow.com

You’re 80% of the way there!

Carl — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 02:16:43 +0000

The Career You’ll Love

Sponsored by Carl Dierschow’s career blog at www.Dierschow.com

Welcome to my career tips newsletter! I encourage you to pass this to anyone who might have an interest in revitalizing their career – instructions for subscribing are at the bottom.

You’re 80% of the way there

When people look at the challenges ahead when making a job or career change, it often seems as if the barriers are insurmountable. Let me offer a different perspective, based on how far you’ve come in your life.

You have been thinking about this change for some time, haven’t you? You’ve started to imagine yourself in your new situation, “trying on your new self.”

You have a whole life of practical skills, working effectively with people, aligning around larger organizational goals, and creatively taking initiative. These are skills which weren’t nearly so developed when you were fresh out of school.

You have a lot of valuable experience in the previous jobs you’ve had. Your particular path has been somewhat unique, and can help you stand out from other people if it’s the right situation.

You’ve been developing a passion for change, readying yourself internally. You’re looking for those great opportunities which will help lead you toward your bright future.

So you’re already 80% there. The rest is hard work, yes, but the momentum is building.

Right?

An important resource

I had a chance to chat with the author of a new book, From Laid Off To Living. It does a great job of helping people who are struggling with the emotional journey after losing their job. If you’re in this situation or seeking to support someone who’s lost their job, have a look. It’s simple, but powerful.

If you are interested in individual career coaching, group coaching, or other resources which might help you with difficult choices, please contact Carl at carl@dierschow.com.

Connect with Carl on Facebook and LinkedIn to get timely updates and connections to a broader range of professionals.

To subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, send an e-mail to newsletter@Dierschow.com

Prepare for your next job loss, for peace of mind

Carl — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 19:41:09 +0000

Sorry to tell you this, but there’s a good chance you’re going to lose a job in the future. And quite likely it’s going to be something outside your direct control.

Fine. So what have we learned from the last few years? After all, a lot of us have had our lives totally upended through our own job loss, or those close to us. It would be great if the next time didn’t cause quite so much heartbreak.

Breaking through those job-search barriers

Carl — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 01:38:07 +0000

I had a chance to give a presentation today to a group called Job Re-Joov. Carol Chenot leads a dynamic group to revitalize their job search efforts, and I was pleased to be able to be a part of it.

The presentation I gave was titled You are not your job title, and focused on how to broaden your job search well beyond the scope of what your last job paid you to do. The problem is this: Once you broaden the scope to be anything in the world, how do you know what to concentrate on?

Here’s the answer:

What you like to do
What you’re good at
What others will pay you for

The good news is that YOU get to pick the balance between these three elements. No matter what you choose, if it’s the best for where you are right now, you can get behind that choice. It’s very empowering, and usually eye-opening.

So check out the slides, and if you’re in a position to need this kind of help right now, by all means contact Carol on the website.

Playing nice when you leave a job

Carl — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 23:41:42 +0000

Here’s an interesting article on the MSNBC website about how to leave a job gracefully.

As with many articles, some of the most helpful information is actually in the little sidebar embedded in the page, so make sure you check that out.

I’ve talked about this before, but here’s the thing: Even when you’re leaving a job – especially at that time – you have to decide who you want to be. Ultimately, you have to be at peace with yourself over your decision. And, believe me, your choices will come back to haunt you in the future. The world is just too small to hide from karma.

So, decide: Do you want to be known as honest, useful, helpful, someone that those people might want to work with again? Or do you want to be known as deceitful, bitter, and someone they’re glad to not have to know anymore?

Yes, it may hurt. We’re all human, and pain is a part of that game. But it’s your choice to how you use that pain, whether you use it to burn your bridges, or to build new ones.

A new day has dawned

Carl — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:18:19 +0000

Well, this is a big day, at least emotionally. My opportunities to find another job with HP have come to an end and I’ll be formally terminated today.

I can honestly say that I’m not upset about this. Instead, it’s just the final acknowledgment that I need to say goodbye and move on with my life.

I’m incredibly lucky, actually. Despite an interesting bout with a crown falling off my tooth Monday – got that all fixed up yesterday – I have my health and as many mental faculties as I’ve ever had. More important, I have an incredible range of friends, colleagues, and supporters. It’s amazing how much of a difference that makes for getting through the day.

And for the moment, I have a lot of energy and ideas. Here’s the current priority list:

Complete the HP termination process.
Continue to monitor local job listings, looking for opportunities in business management, product line innovation, organizational effectiveness, and coaching.
Contact companies which deliver coaching as a primary service, to see if they’d be interested in hiring me as a coach.
Start developing the idea that I would independently consult on business planning/operations/effectiveness, connected with organizational coaching.
Explore an idea I had on coaching around sacred liturgical music.

But in order to do these effectively, I’ll have to close off a number of action items which are buzzing around my head, inbox, and task list. I’ve been kind of letting that slide in the last three weeks, so I have to get back to being organized.

And today, my wife and I are going to start swimming regularly – a bit of damage was done to the diet while we were on vacation. But it was such a great time with our daughter!

Another tiny spark on the job front!

Carl — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:30:26 +0000

Oddly enough, I got a call back about a L&D job that I applied for recently. I had to tell the nice screener person why I’m interested in L&D jobs, and what kind of experience I have in delivering training to executives. Although a bit disorienting – I had just gotten out of Mass and was in the vestibule of another building – I’m glad that I had some clarity in my mind around questions like that. It was still a bit tough doing the context switch.

The hard question was when she enquired about my target salary. She wouldn’t give me the pay range of the job, but instead asked me to tell her MY target range, with the understanding that I should expect a drop in pay and it’s all negotiable anyway. That’s always a tough question to answer, but I hope I did a decent job of winging it.

So another tiny glimmer of hope suddenly emerged!

A day of beginnings and endings

Carl — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:16:24 +0000

It’s a day of great movement in my life, many things are in flux.

First, I found out that the job opening which seemed possible at some point has now slipped from my grasp. So the probability is now vanishingly small that I’m going to get an HP job in the next three weeks.

On the plus side, my son returned safely from a wonderful trip to California, where he engaged with leading minds in the homebrew community and learned a great deal. Can’t wait to hear the scoop from him.

On the downside, I’ve heard lots of bad news – relatives of friends dying, more people losing their jobs, and on and on. There’s a great number of people we need to pray for this week.

But the big positive: We just began the 19th Sacred Music Colloquium tonight. We started right off with a bang, singing Veni Creator Spiritus. There’s absolutely nothing like hundreds of people coming together to sing a beautiful hymn like that – and doing it successfully! My heart leaps with joy.

We practiced some other music for tomorrow’s Mass, with varying levels of confidence. Ah well, more work to do.

I signed up for the polyphony choir being led by Jenny Donelson, and we had the first practice for that group tonight. The hymn O Salutaris Hostia (Pierre de La Rue) actually came out in 4-part harmony pretty well after a few run-throughs. An attempt at solfege was a bit rockier, that exercises parts of my brain that aren’t turned on very well.

But it’s only the first day. We wouldn’t want to get it perfect right from the beginning.

The Entr’Acte

Carl — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:32:53 +0000

My friend Yee Sing reminded me to add another update on how the career-change journey is going. It’s been a strange week – a lot going on, but little going on. Let me explain.

My hunt for jobs inside HP has basically run its course. Yes, I check the job board every morning. I even applied for a couple of HR-type jobs the other day. But there’s only one job that I really have any chance of getting, and it’s not likely to come to the short-list state for another week yet. As a result, the ability to spend time focusing on my future in HP has gradually declined.

I also gave a presentation to some HP leaders on Wednesday, thus completing the last of the formal commitments I’d made. It went very well, but it’s sad to realize that it’s probably the last one I’ll be able to give.

If I do land that position I mentioned, it will be rather strange to RE-engage. Not a concern, really, but just something much different than any experience I’ve ever had before.

So my time this week has started to shift to my future career outside the company. But because I’m going to that Colloquium next week, it doesn’t feel like I can start any BIG efforts. I also think that my time away for the next three weeks will help me to clear my head. When I get back, my full intention is to work on three things:

The final separation activities – health insurance, stock options, and so on.
Contacting companies that are in the business of delivering coaching services, to see if they’d hire me as a coach.
Defining my new coaching+consulting business, and learning from others who have successfully done that.

When I played in the orchestra for musicals in High School, I learned that there’s a piece of music which is played after the intermission, to start the second act – it’s called the Entr’Acte. That’s where I feel that I am right now in my career – closing the first act, and getting ready for the second. But since the second act hasn’t really started yet, it feels more like a preparation stage – a leaning-toward.

But since I continue to get so much support from friends around the world (thanks, Yee Sing!) it’s not a terrifying experience. Just a leap into the unknown.