Dear J.T. & DALE: I have been in the financial services industry for 10 years and have been successful but not happy. I tried career coaching, and although it was a great study in who I am and what I want, I failed to find my “aha” moment. I want to get out of my protective shell and branch out into more creative endeavors.
– Maritza
J.T.: Most people keep playing it safe while waiting for their dream career to present itself, but I’ll tell you: It doesn’t happen. To have that “aha” moment, you need to take a calculated risk and do something that will scare you in a good way, something that’s the result of purpose and planning. What transferable skills do you have, and how you could marketthem to companies that inspire you? With the right planning, you can move to a job that is new and exciting.
DALE: That might work, but there is a fundamental flaw in most career planning. Instead of assuming that you can think your way into identifying the perfect job, I’d recommend that you start where you are, experimenting with career revelation. For instance, if you are passionate about the environment, you could volunteer to start a “green” initiative with your current company. Maybe the next step is being a financial analyst specializing in alternative energy. I don’t know where it will take you, but if you do it right, you can follow your heart without giving up your current career, and ultimately evolve into a new and exciting job.
J.T.: I’m all for following your heart, but that doesn’t mean that logically evaluating skills and employers is irrelevant. Yes, experiment, but why not increase your odds of learning with carefully designed experiments?
Dear J.T. & Dale: I am 48 years old and have been laid off from my mechanical engineering job. The layoff was preceded by my supervisor giving me some seriously negative reviews. I was successfully working with our internal clients, but my hard work and ideas for change were invisible. This really tanked my confidence, which in turn hinders my job-search efforts.
– Luke
J.T.: You definitely must address the crisis of confidence you are having right now. Getting fired is tough. You need to process this so that when you meet with prospective employers, you can calmly explain what transpired in a way that allows the conversation to move on to another subject.
DALE: You’ll never get there if you stick with “I was right/they were wrong.” Three things you must do to successfully overcome being fired: Understand it, learn from it and put it in context. You have to figure out what provoked those negative performance reviews. Your old boss probably won’t talk, but visit with former colleagues and seek insights. Maybe you’ll conclude that you didn’t do anything wrong, but we can all learn, especially when it comes to the unwelcome dance of office politics. Lastly, put being let go in context by coming up with a list of references at other companies who will praise your work.
J.T.: Yes, you must remember: Their opinion is NOT everyone’s opinion. You have been successful before and now need to focus on your successes and the strengths you used to bring them about.
DALE: When you do that, you put the layoffs in perspective – first for yourself, then for your next employer – and as you do, your confidence comes flowing back.
– Workplace consultant and career coach J.T. O’Donnell has coached, trained and mentored employees and managers on a wide variety of career-related subjects since 1994. Her book, “CAREEREALISM: The Smart Approach to A Satisfying Career” is available at JTODonnell.com. Management guru Dale Dauten has written six books and is an authority on innovation in the workplace. His latest book, “Great Employees Only: How Gifted Bossess Hire & Dehire Their Way to Success” is available at Dauten.com. Copyright 2013 King Features.
