Challenge: You have assessed your marketability and come to the conclusion that in order to come close to the earning levels of your previous job you will have to leave the area, and you strongly prefer not to relocate.
Commentary: This is a dilemma with which talented candidates are frequently faced. There are numerous reasons why people will prefer to stay in upstate New York. It is a good place to live, overall. In addition, professionals in their forties and fifties will likely have children in high school, elderly parents to be near, or both. The family’s needs seem to be conflicting with earning power, as well as the benefits and status you have accumulated with your successful career so far.
Strategies:
1) If you are committed not to relocate, first look at the financial impact on your short-term needs and long term goals. Invest in working with a certified financial planner. This process will help you and your spouse or partner to clarify your financial objectives and maximize the options. Remember, all choices require some type of trade-off. This situation may require you to concede some aspects of your lifestyle for a while.
2) If you are bound to seeking only traditional employment, realize that convincing an employer that you are willing to accept a lesser job and a lesser pay will be a considerable challenge. Your best bet is to find a growing company where you can potentially recover your status and earnings down the road. Position yourself as a “value-priced” candidate, one that can help grow the business more quickly because you’ve done much of what they need in your previous role.
3) Consider self-employment or consulting. More and more companies are outsourcing niche functions and services. Where might you fit in? Some former professionals have networked together to form consulting groups or small business entities. Other professionals are managing to stay local by joining regional or national consulting firms. These typically pay well and allow you to have your base here, but also require lots of travel and overnights.
Challenge: Your employer has notified you that due to a merger with a competitor your job will be eliminated. You have several months notice and have been offered a lucrative “stay bonus” in addition to severance if you work until the date they have determined. You are wondering how to time and pace your search. It is also stressful to continue to be in an environment where your days are numbered.
Commentary: The good news is you know where you stand, and that your employer has been fair and perhaps even generous in their severance plans. The difficulty, of course, is balancing your current responsibilities with taking care of your career going forward. Employers know that once you’ve been told that your job is eliminated your focus, commitment and dedication to the work at hand will diminish. You will be naturally pre-occupied with thoughts about yourself, your job, and your future.
Strategies:
1) Understand that by giving you this notice and lead time, your employer is taking a calculated risk that you will stay until their determined date. If you choose to accept this situation, it is appropriate and ethical that you give a good faith effort toward meeting their business needs.
2) If possible, try to negotiate for a portion of each week during your notification period to be utilized for your job search. Planning and executing a well-strategized search takes time and thoughtfulness. Many companies are willing to be flexible for you to use some company time to make job-search related calls, do some Internet research, or have excused time for interviewing during this transition period.
3) Plan with your family ahead of time for the “what if” scenarios: “What if the right job emerges before my end date and to accept it would mean giving up the severance package?” “What if I delay my job search until after the end date and it takes longer than I think to secure new employment?”
Challenge: You have had a successful career so far, despite the fact that you do not have a college degree. Your personal or professional circumstances have prevented you from furthering your education, and now you realize that should you lose your job, you will have limited options due to prerequisites for the degree you do not have.
Commentary: Education for the professional is no longer an option. A generation ago many people without college degrees started at the lower levels of their company. Their intelligence, motivation, ability to learn on the job, and to get things done were rewarded by promotions to increasing responsibilities without requiring that formal education be pursued along the way. While you are at a disadvantage when competing against those with degrees, there are strategies to keep your career from coming to a standstill.
Strategies:
1) You will need to rely on networking much more heavily than other forms of job seeking. Working from your strengths – your professional contacts and accomplishments – you can gain visibility and interviews based on your industry knowledge and reputation. Getting other people to assist you at this time is only an interim step. Once re-employed, it is imperative that you take concrete steps toward getting an education.
2) When sending out resumes in response to an opportunity that you are otherwise qualified for, be sure to use an accomplishments driven format that will make it clear what you are capable of. You must document your concrete contributions to past organizations. An old format showing “Responsible for”….will make you a dead-ended candidate, guaranteed.
3) Get the education you need to keep your career going! Whatever your reason has been until now, you can no longer use this as an excuse. Now more than ever, education will be required on an ongoing basis. The good news is that access to ongoing learning is easy through flexible programs and on-line Internet courses. Also, many colleges will give educational credits for some of the knowledge you have gained from your professional experience.
Challenge: You have decided that it is time for a career shift. What you can do, and are most marketable for, is not what you want to do going forward. You feel trapped and confused. You have a good number of years left in your career and do not want to bide your time earning a living with work that no longer challenges and inspires you.
Commentary: There are more people in this situation than you might imagine, yet people who feel this way often think that they are alone. We spend about sixty to eighty percent of our waking hours at work or on work-related tasks. (Or being on call via cell phone, etc.) You owe it to yourself to invest the time and effort to become aligned with who you are and what talents you bring to the world. When you are in your best place with your work, not only does your performance shine, you are a happier better balanced person for your family and other personal relationships.
Strategies:
1) Take some time to get to know you again. Find a quiet place to retreat to, preferably where nature surrounds you, and listen to your thoughts. Think about when and where you have been happiest and most satisfied in your work. Think about how your career has gotten to where it has (usually by chance, not by choice) and most of all give yourself permission to consider doing something else.
2) Get professional assistance and take some career assessments to give you some clues about getting back in touch with your real self. Your traits, preferences and values all need to be clarified and identified, as they serve as the foundation for your journey going forward.
3)Don’t dismiss considering what you would love to do out of fear that it could not provide you with a decent living. More and more professionals are freeing themselves from the shackles of the past. Connecting with your inner passion will free your mind to realize many different options that can make it work for you. This takes courage and determination, but if you don’t do this for yourself, no one else will.
