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 Volume 8, No. 3 |
March 13 , 2009 |
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Career Undertaker
As we were leaving, one of the guests turned to me and said, “I hope I don’t have to use your services!” I felt as if someone had just thrown a bucket of ice water on me. It was the first time I had ever had anyone talk about dreading the prospect of coming to see me as a client. I have always viewed what I do as helping people to enrich their lives, and it had never occurred to me that someone would see it as inseparable from the painful possibility of losing their job.
Not That Kind of Undertaker At the end of last year, when I looked ahead to 2009, I expected that a much greater percentage of my practice would center on people who were out of work, and that I would be providing more of the kind of damage control I used to when I was in outplacement. This has not been the case. Instead, I am attracting more and more clients who are taking steps to get themselves on the higher ground I advocate in my book by taking responsibility for the leadership of their own professional lives. Often these are people have given so much of themselves to their jobs that they have neglected their careers. They tend to be strong performers who are starting to see that a fifty-plus hour work week is no guarantee of safety, and that an exclusive focus on their job keeps them from staying connected from other sources of work. They do not view me as an undertaker, but as someone who can help them “undertake” their transformation into a person who knows how to take charge of their professional life in way that is proactive, entrepreneurial, and even enjoyable. It’s not that they don’t have concerns about the future. Indeed they are experiencing same fears that prompted the I-hope-I-don’t-need-you comment from my fellow guest at the dinner party, but they are preparing for uncertainty, rather than defending against it. Preparation Pays Off From a practical viewpoint, consider the task of writing or updating your resume. If you do it while you’re still employed, it’s much easier to recognize your accomplishments and articulate them with conviction because they are part of the present, not the past, and they are not obscured by the pain of loss. On the emotional side, think of it as a counterbalance. You have absolutely no control over the decision to eliminate your position. It’s as if at any time someone can decide to drop a 300 lb. weight on the other side of the see-saw you ’ve been trying to keep even and fling you up into the air. The only way to get back to a place where your feet can touch the ground is to add ballast to your side by taking charge of what you do have control over—how you respond, how you position yourself, your attitude, your skill level. A client who works for one of the staggering financial services giants was recently let go. Long before he was downsized, he had already started to expand his circle, both within his industry and in other fields he was interested in. He became skilled at information interviewing and found that making the time to do this kind of outreach broke his sense of isolation, fed new ideas, and energized him. He started to use his leadership, project management, and communication skills to advance his own goals, exploring new ventures through moonlighting and gaining confidence in presenting himself as a valuable resource. Just three months after he was laid off, he landed a job with a higher title, excellent benefits, and even more vacation time! Just like everyone else, while he was in the search process he went through periods of grief, moments of panic, and a lot of confusion, but he had a plan to follow and support in place to steady him enough to take the next step forward. He learned to think of himself as a vendor responsible for telling senior management how his services could help solve their problems, a strategy which served him very well in interviews. Because he used his time wisely before he was laid off, he has more than a new job—he has the security of knowing he can generate work, even in hard times. We hear a lot about the tendency to “hunker down” in this economy in regard to spending decisions, but people are also crouched in the corners of their workplaces hoping they’ll be overlooked when cuts need to be made. It’s better to stand up and look it in the eye. Avoidance only prolongs the anxiety.
Readers Write
I love Anne Tyler books—they are so funny and quirky. Your point is well taken—step out of your comfort zone. Business owner, Eastham, MA
I have actually had two recent opportunities to be an “accidental entrepreneur.” The first was two summers ago when I was unexpectedly welcomed to sell my artwork in a gallery in Sandwich, Cape Cod. I left after talking with the gallery owner knowing that I had no current artwork, had no studio, had nothing but a willingness to participate and a sense of adventure. I subsequently produced some delightful artwork, created my own business cards, and had a tremendous amount of fun along with some success. The second occasion is now, when I am starting a consulting business in planning and economic development. I have many years of experience and knowledge and I have had business cards printed and am getting out there. I find, though, that my confidence is suffering and this process is more stressful than fun. I realize I need to be able to translate that sense of adventure and fun from my artwork to my professional life in order to succeed in having the new work life I envision. Consultant, Hyannis, MA
Center News
Beverly was recently interviewed online by the DaniWeb IT Discussion Community who wanted her advice on work-search for the technology sector. You can read about it here.
SmartStart Workshop
Beverly and her husband, Michael, have both written articles published in the latest edition of newsletter of the Gestalt International Study Center. You can read them here.
PO Box 156, 40 Oak Leaf Rd
Our long-term relationships with clients, recognition by peers, and growing reputation as a community resource speak to the excellence of the services we provide and our commitment to making the world of work a better place for all. Stick illustrations by Eloise Morley. Copyright © 2009 |
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All paths to authenticity lead through the doors of humiliation. In our waking hours we see work and worry as inseparable companions. For many of us, the real midwife of work is worry. We are sure from experience that there is no real work without worrying about what needs to be done to prepare for it, with what needs to be done to carry it out, and what needs to be done and to preserve its gains. We work, therefore we worry. Only those who put more energy into self-pity than into paying attention are truly marooned.
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An exceptional newsletter. Very incisive and helpful. I will happily forward it and use it.
Countless readers of Richard Bolles’ 
