April 2006
Life's a Bitch
By
President of Workforce Associates
and author of
NetWork: Maximizing Your Career Resources on the Internet
Available online and in print from Author House
April 2006
Life's a Bitch
By
President of Workforce Associates
and author of
NetWork: Maximizing Your Career Resources on the Internet
Available online and in print from Author House
Last month I had lunch with someone to discuss a community action project in Indianapolis. During the course of the conversation about grant writing and fund raising, the gentleman suddenly turned to me and said "I really can't concentrate on helping other folks right now. What I really need is help for myself!"
Not knowing him, I wasn't sure what to expect, but as you can readily imagine, he blurted out how betrayed he was feeling because he had been let go recently during a local company's reorganization. What I didn't realize is that this popular lunch spot that I had chosen for our conversation was also the popular place for management from this company to drop by and pick up lunch. As we were talking, these lucky managers came in and out, either ignoring the unlucky former colleague or calling out to him as if nothing had happened.
It's hard to tell someone who has pretty low self-esteem at the moment that there are bright spots just over the horizon. You and I know that they are there because we've been through them before, but this young black man who was a first generation college graduate thought that he was buying job security by working hard to get his Bachelor's in Management Science. And he was already contributing to his community by volunteering as a mentor to young, vulnerable black teenagers who were in danger of dropping out of high school.
So I quickly changed the conversation from What can you do for me? to one of How can I help you? I started out by reminding him that a little mourning was in order but . . . "Here's a new opportunity. What dreams and plans do you want to accomplish now that you're free of a job that didn't challenge you and a buy-out package that is buying you time and counseling to come up with even better opportunities?"
Answers to these questions elude many Americans who are employed or close to being laid off. More than half are in jobs they have no enthusiasm for, according to the Wall Street Journal and a recent Gallup poll cited in a new book, Life's a Bitch and Then You Change Careers: 9 Steps to Get Out of Your Funk and on to Your Future.
"Changing careers is scary," said author Andrea Kay, who is a well-known career coach and a columnist for Gannett newspapers who wrote this book with its provocative title.
"A lot of people don't put thought into their careers initially. They don't look at themselves inwardly as you need to do," she said. "People make decisions based on outside influences, and also sometimes circumstances in their lives create or force them to take jobs that don't fit who they are or don't create a path for them."
Kay, 51, who lives in the Cincinnati area with her husband, found herself at such a crossroads after she had started out in public relations and advertising. She found that she wanted to do something to better help people. She took time off to reflect and discovered she was not alone in her quest for the perfect career. She eventually became a consultant, speaker and syndicated columnist on careers. This is her fourth book.
Kay said that the idea for the book sprang from the many e-mails she gets from people across the country discouraged at work. The title was inspired by a client who was especially miserable. Yes, life was bad for that person, she thought, but it didn't have to be.
Having just finished reading it for this article, I suggested to my new friend that he buy Andrea's book. Compared to the drivel of many career books, this one takes a realistic approach to making personal decisions about new careers and opportunities.Ê The book discusses how to look within yourself and to make realistic assessments about your strengths, weaknesses, talents, and experiences - for career guidance.
"Consider your dreams, what you would do if you didn't have to work," she said. "Then consider what you're good at and interested in. Don't focus on what you'd like to become but rather on what you'd like to do," Ms Kay said in a recent interview. "Ask yourself how you would like to spend your days." The book discusses common fears, employment trends and how to fit skills and interests into the workplace. "It's all about how to create the life that you want and the career you want so your career fits with your life. So many people's careers limit their ability to participate more fully in life."
Andrea Kay goes on to provide this pithy advice for folks who are voluntary career changers or thrust into a career change like my friend:
--Stay away from labels; they're too limiting. You need to see yourself as a walking, talking set of skills, talents, knowledge and passion instead of a job title."Beyond analysis of what motivates you personally in a career is constructive information about building your electronic resume with loads of keywords that will leap off the page to a potential employer. She's also a big believer in using a blend of chronological and functional resumes to tell your story, especially if you have a wealth of experience and don't want to be discriminated against because of it. The examples of resumes in her book are among the best that I've seen.
--Try to make the "best" choice, not necessarily the "right" one. "Right implies guarantee, and there is no guarantee."
--Don't let fear of change overwhelm you. "Every choice has a consequence. You have to declare, 'I want this change.' Put it in writing."
--Don't expect anyone else to tell you what's right for you. "Your ideal career fits your values, your personality and the life you want."
Andrea is also a strong supporter of efforts of people of all ages to become unpaid interns in their proposed new career. It's a great way to network and learn the ropes and impresses the heck out of an interviewer. And she highly recommends joining professional chapters of associations and becoming involved in them.
Check out Life's a Bitch and then You Change Careers: Nine Steps to get out of your Funk and on to your Future by Andrea Kay at your local library or pick it up from Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com. You'll be glad that you did!
Happy April and a beautiful spring!
Jane M. Lommel, Ph.D.
jlommel@WorkforceAssociates.com
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