The Great Opportunity Of Changing Jobs: Just Let Go

Changing jobs can be stressful, especially if you thought you’d be staying forever / for a long time / until you retired, at the job you’re now finding yourself thinking about changing from.

Here are a couple of thoughts that might make the process easier.

1. Why did you think you’d be staying there forever, anyway?

Your response might be: That’s what my father and grandfather did -- stayed at the same job for 20 (30, 40 or more) years so I just assumed I'd work at the same place for my entire life too. Or maybe it's not exactly that you ‘thought’ you’d be staying there forever, but that you wanted to stay there because you didn’t want to go through (what seemed like) the chaos of changing jobs.

Or maybe you’re ‘vested’ in the company financially, meaning with retirement funds, and have no interest in jeopardizing that. Or maybe you just like it there, like the routine, like the people you work with, etc., and want to stay. Probably why you thought you’d be staying at your job is due to one or a combination of those responses.

2.  What if you changing jobs is just a part of the huge, global changing / rearranging / cleaning up / making things better overall and for everyone everywhere process that we appear to be experiencing right now?

It's pretty obvious that a lot has been changing on the planet over the past few years, and for all the upheaval that often appears to be involved, it does seem that things are going from good to better. What if you’re just playing a little part in – dare you even think it? – making the world a better place, by shifting out of a place where you’re no longer needed, into a place where you very much are needed now, in ways you may never know, and even though you might not know what or where that place is just yet?

Maybe you—personally—have some intangible qualities that would be of benefit to another employer at this point in time. Maybe ‘the universe’ is (gently, at least at first, at least until you resist) moving you into new place as part of the overall change on the planet, even if you’re not seeing it that way. Maybe you’re ‘all done’ at the place where you’ve been, your mission has been completed, and you’re needed elsewhere now, AND you’ll be happier when in the new place. (Maybe some or all of these are true for you.)

And finally,

3. What if the changing process doesn’t have to be difficult, but can be fun and easy, as fun as taking a wonderful vacation where great surprises are in store for you as well as a type of pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?

Ok to be clear, I’m not exactly talking about actual ‘gold’, although excellent renumeration should absolutely be on your ‘must have’ list of what you want in a new job (if it's what you want -- whatever you want in a new job, should be on your 'must have' list). I’m talking about feeling happier.

Suppose you knew changing jobs would put you into a place where you were happier than you ever have been: wouldn’t that make the job changing process a little easier? To know that’s what you’re headed toward? To know that everything would be even more than okay when you got there? That it might even be the best thing that ever happened to you?

We set the tone for all of our experiences by what we anticipate. If we think we’re going to have a bad time, we probably will. But if we decide to have a wonderful experience, and surrender to the beautiful potentials that we decide to believe are in store for us -- imagine the possibilities!

Changing jobs doesn’t have to be horrible, unless you make it be that, which—if you’re not deciding it will be a good experience—chances are that’s exactly what you’re doing, letting the experience be awful.

You could decide to believe changing jobs is, somehow, in your best interest, even if you don’t exactly see that right at the moment, and just let it happen. If you have to make a change, for whatever reason, you can choose to do it willingly instead of in resistance. Decide good things are going to happen on this adventure then pack a lunch and the camera and keep your eyes open. This may well be the most amazing journey you’ll ever take.

The key that opens doors to interviews is a great resume. Is yours getting you interviews? If not, I can help. I've been writing powerful, interview-getting resumes for more than 20 years. Email your current resume to me for a free consultation to help you get back on track -- it's easier than you may think!  terrieosborn@gmail.com 

William The Streak

My tendency is to belief that things happen for a purpose, that life goes from good to better, that the best is yet to come. If we don't allow ourselves to become 'broken under the wheel of life', if we can steer ourself away from too much time feeling badly for whatever has happened, when we trust that good things can happen, then they do.

That's what happened to William, when he lost his job, and the farmer who was graced by his arrival on the farm. Things turned out better than either might have imagined at the start.

Here's imagining wonderful new experiences -- in unexpected ways -- for you, too. Trust the process.

WILLIAM THE STREAK

by Bob Franke

The sun was arisin' over Amesbury Hill

At the same time tomorrow, rise again it will

On a thin silver shadow leaping over Jack's Creek,

The dog they call William the Streak.

Now, Dick was a farmer sort of through the back door,

Someone gave him two sheep, so he bought thirty more,

And he raised any vegetable a 'Header might eat,

The work was hard, but life was sweet.

And William was a racing dog until he retired,

He got bored by the rabbit, and so he got fired,

But he found a lucky family near Amesbury town,

To adopt before his boss put him down.

Now some dogs are killers in a sheep man's eyes,

And a few dogs get shot, to no one's surprise.

And Dick was a shootin' man, or so went the word,

And the word just made it safer for the herd.

But when William ran circles all around Dick's land,

In the face of his beauty, Dick stayed his hand,

And when Dick's little farm was marked as William's to play,

The town dogs, they all stayed away.

And the streak they called William was bored by sheep,

They were slow, they were stupid, they put him to sleep,

But the groundhogs and woodchucks were a lot more fun,

'Cause William, after all, liked to run.

And the bundles got bigger on the vegetable truck,

'Cause a groundhog chasin' greyhound is a real stroke of luck,

And the smartest of farmers will learn from the land,

And rejoice when a gift-dog drops into their hand.

So be kind to your neighbors, and give them a break,

Chances are they will give you as much as they take,

And if a short-sighted bastard should fire you next week,

Just remember old William the Streak.

For this world turns around, and we all have our place,

And there's more than one job, and there's more than one race.

Just keep your eyes open and stay close to the land,

If you've the sense of a dog, you'll find a plan.

© 1996 Telephone Pole Music Publishing Co.

"Life is a grand adventure, or nothing at all." ~ Helen Keller

Are you Linked In?

by Terrie Osborn, CPRW

If you're looking for a job, you want to have a LinkedIn page, and it's as easy as going to LinkedIn and setting up a page for yourself - http://www.linkedin.com/

LinkedIn has become a very respected, professional (quite a bit different from Facebook) networking site. You can add lots of information into it, but for starters you can just use copy/pasted parts of your resume or put your whole resume on it.

One of the big things that can create an advantage for you on LinkedIn is to add a decent photo of yourself. Doesn't have to be a studio or stuffy photo, just not super casual like you might post on Facebook. 

Use something that makes you look like a reasonable candidate for an internship or regular professional job. Sometimes someone has taken a great photo of you at a wedding or other social event that you can crop/clean up a bit, and use. You want your photo to make you look smart, friendly and capable. 

Once you've created a LinkedIn page, add a link to your LinkedIn page to the bottom of your resume. That way, if someone gets through your resume and is still interested, they can click on your LinkedIn page and see what you look like, and then your resume is not just a sheet of paper or a Word .doc, now the reader can see that you're a real person.

Speaking of Facebook, you need to be aware of and to control what's out in cyberspace about you. Google yourself to see what comes up. Employers, more and more, do that to candidates they're considering for positions. They do it even before they contact you the first time and may decide to NOT contact potential candidates because of what they've found about them on line. Eyebrow-raising stories abound about what employers have discovered about their employees at Facebook, and the varying degrees of damage Facebook revelations have created to employer/employee relationships.

Make sure whatever is on line about you is stuff you'd be okay with a potential employer seeing. You can set constraints in Facebook so that not just anyone can access your Facebook page. 

If there's other stuff that you don't want to be in cyberspace about you, often you can email the site you find yourself at and ask them to take it down and they will. That doesn't always work but usually it does.

Great Networking Ideas for the Unemployed

by Terrie Osborn, CPRW

The unemployed have two challenges; how to find networking opportunities when you’re not in “the loop” anymore and how to successfully network once you find those opportunities.

Here are five ways of creating opportunities:

Don’t just sit there, volunteer! It’s tempting to treat your period of unemployment as a well-earned vacation, sleeping in, catching up on your reading, etc. but unless your goal is to remain unemployed it can be very helpful to get out of the house every single day. One excellent way to get out, keep your skills sharp and meet new people is to volunteer. Pick a cause that you can get excited about and give them a call to see if you can help. Not only will it provide a wealth of networking opportunities, it will add to your references and you’ll feel good about yourself.

Unemployed? Join “The Club!” You’re not alone and perhaps you know other unemployed people. Create your own “Job Club” and you’ll all cover a lot more ground together than you can alone. Pick a day and plan to meet somewhere for coffee and to swap stories and support. Each of you have undoubtedly uncovered jobs that perhaps you weren’t qualified for or know of companies that aren’t a fit for you but could be for someone else.

Have some fun! Resist the urge to be a hermit—you won’t meet new people hanging out in your jammies all day. Go to anything you find even slightly entertaining. Every community has flea markets, poetry readings, open-mic nights and other free events where lots of people gather. You may run into someone you haven’t seen for a while or strike up a fruitful conversation with a stranger.

Spend even MORE time on Facebook! Social networking sites like Facebook are fantastic methods of getting yourself out there beyond the professional networking sites where you’ve already posted your resume. Spend a little less time on Farmville and a little more time looking for groups and individuals from your industry or where you might like to work. Get creative; write a professional blog, offer your professional services as a consultant through Craigslist or other advertising mediums.

Arrange some informational interviews! This is a lost technique from your college days—it still works for grown-ups. Call a manager in a company where you’d like to work and explain that you’re exploring what it takes to be someone in their position. Ask for a 20-minute appointment to interview them. Remember to treat it as if you were being interviewed. Dress the part and put your best foot forward. Before you leave, ask for the name of one of their associates who they would recommend that you speak to in order to enhance your knowledge.

And now here are five ways of maximizing those opportunities:

Dress for success! Never has it been so important to make a good impression—EVERYWHERE you go—than when you’re networking. Place a reminder on whatever mirror you check before you leave your house. A large sign reading, “Would You Hire This Person?” will do nicely.

Leave reminders! The professionals will all advise you not to hand out your resume like candy and that’s good advice. You want to get your message out there but you also want to appear to be a somewhat exclusive property. To accomplish both, create a good old-fashioned calling card. This is a little like a business card on steroids. It can be a fold-over version giving you more room to list some career highlights or your desired title with your skills, etc. Any print shop can help you create and print professional-looking cards or you can use a site like Vistaprint.com that will do it online at a very affordable price.

Don’t be a Party Pooper! We all know that someone who arrives too early and eager at every party, stays too long, can’t take a hint, talks about inappropriate topics, is overly friendly to people they’ve just met, etc. When in doubt about how to conduct yourself when meeting people for the first time, think about meeting someone’s parents. Your language should be pristine, not full of slang or inappropriate words. Your topics should be minus any controversial subjects, and a smile goes a long way toward letting them know you’re happy to meet them.

To be interesting, be interested! It’s a huge compliment to be asked about yourself so as much as you’d like to cut right to the chase and recite your entire resume to your new associates, don’t. Instead, impress them with your curiosity about their lives, jobs, or even opinions (as long as you’re not bringing up politics or religion).

Keep in touch! I have a friend who schedules 20 phone calls each day to just say hello to people she’s met. It’s not a long call and she always finds something to say such as, “I just went by that restaurant we had lunch at and thought I’d call to see how you’re doing.” She also has made a mental or physical note of any topic that’s been an ongoing discussion so she has more to say than just, “How are you?” She might ask about the recent fundraiser they’d discussed or how the visit with their parents went. She does this all the time and I cannot imagine she’d be unemployed for very long if each and every time she made a call she ended the call with, “It’s so nice to catch up with you. Don’t forget, if you hear about any opportunities please let me know!”