| Leaving a Job
It better hurt.
Leaving any job should be somewhat emotional. Emotional experiences
occurring in response to events are signals to us that the related
events may have a significant impact on our personal goals. The
variations and severity of the emotional roller coaster will depend
upon the nature of the departure and how much you have invested
in people, relationships, and results. This sudden change of personal
goals is why we should have a reaction to leaving a job, even under
the best circumstances.
The majority of employees like you have personal goals that are
focused on results, developing people, and workplace relationships
in everything they do. These types of goals are in jeopardy anytime
there are layoffs in an organization. Even the survivors of a layoff
will experience emotional reactions to the event, as their goals
must be readjusted in light of the changes. If you find that you
do not have these sorts of goals, you are coasting and of no value
to the company, others, or yourself; it’s time to think of
moving on or changing your attitude for the better. Regardless of
the circumstances, it is best to leave a company under favorable
relationships that included leaving behind a number of productive
friends.
Letting your emotions get the best of you, in a layoff situation,
by directing misplaced anger towards the company or individuals
will waste a very valuable commodity that can not be replaced; your
time. When it’s over it’s over, are you going to be
bitter or better? Emotions are directed towards someone or something;
you do have a choice about how this happens. Emotional responses
are often a coping mechanism used to deal with situations; experience
them but don’t react from them. While the emotions are something
we should experience, they should not be allowed to become an attitude
or color our reactions to life in general. It’s up to you
to mange your choices, the emotions, and the attitudes you bring
to bear on starting your new job search.
If you have honestly invested in results and people you can leave
feeling satisfied in knowing you have done all you could do. From
time to time you will want to play the “If Only” game.
Don’t, “If Only” never does any good and it will
waste time that you cannot replace.
It’s not, “just a job”
You may be tempted to blow off your last job as “just a job”.
If it’s “just a job” that you are leaving then
you have failed yourself and those around you. Never accept “just
a job” and never turn a position into “just a job”.
If you don’t care, you should have been fired the day you
started and if you can’t keep it from becoming “just
a job” you don’t belong there. Move on to where you
can make a difference for everyone, the company, the people, the
results, and your own family. Everyone including yourself deserves
the best of what you can do.
9 mistakes not to make
Some common mistakes I’ve made.
- I just need to get my resume in order and start looking.
Everyone can use some help with the resume. It must be easy
to decipher and present a good picture of value for potential
employers. Skip describing your job and talk about what you
accomplished in your positions. Accomplishments are the key
to showing your value. Accomplishments are the results of doing
your job and indicate skills and competencies that you possess.
They are often reported in the resume as a bullet item such
as,
Improved Manufacturing
Performance to Schedule from 51% to + 98%.
This will beg the question, how? Such questions allow you to
paint a picture or tell a story that represents an array of
skills useful to the potential employer, thus creating value.
Another advantage of these types of accomplishment statements
is that they make information easy to find and the numbers cause
the eye to briefly stop and allows the brain to register what
it is seeing.
One of the best models for developing this story is the SHARE
model.
S – set the stage, explaining the surrounding
conditions and environment of the Situation.
H – identifies the Hindrances and obstacles
to overcome.
A – are the Actions that you took to
address the situation.
R – relates the Results achieved by those
actions.
E – is an Evaluation of skills leading
to the success or, an Exit to the story designed to generate
a reaction or gain information from the interviewer.
Assessments such as the MBTI, The EQ-I and Temperament are
also very helpful in this effort to identify those key capabilities
you bring to the job and you’ll want to find ways to imply
or communicate them in you resume and in an interview.
-
I don’t need the Outplacement service being provided.
You would be surprised at the little things you may have forgotten
about a job search and the help provided by Outplacement will
help polish your skills, making you more competitive. There
are lots of people out there looking for the same position you
are and you will need to be a little bit better than them to
secure an offer.
- I’ll take some time off first and then start looking.
There is always a time lag between the start of a job search
and offer for a job. If your vacation was not already scheduled
don’t take one now. Start your search and use the down
time between search activities to do some of those things you
were putting off.
- I’ll find a job on the Internet.
There is a tremendous amount of activity on the Internet and
yet it is only responsible for about 4% of the jobs people obtain.
Use the Internet wisely, post your resume on two or three sites
at most and update them every two weeks. Don’t spend more
than 20% of your job search time on the Internet and only do
that at night when you can’t see real people face-to-face.
What you will use the Internet most effectively for is research
on your target companies.
-
I can find a good job on my own.
Perhaps you had better start by really defining what a good
job is. Make a list and write out the definition. I think you
will find that it is more than good money and regular work.
With this information, some assessments and lots of communication
you can find more than a good job. As far as help goes, the
question is how many more options will you have if you have
good help and the type of help that can recommend you? It is
much easier when you have a network of people that are keeping
their eyes and ears open for you, just as you have for them
in the past.
Help can also come from those that decided not to hire you.
Don’t burn any bridges with your pride; thank individuals
for considering you for a position and then ask if they know
of other possibilities you might check into. There are many
different people that can help you with job search skills, interview
skills and resumes, hear them out and try it.
To identify all the opportunities you must assess where you
are first and then where you are going. You will need to know
the answers to several questions like these that follow.
What are my career objectives and how
does this position fit into them?
What are my capabilities and are they
sufficient for this job?
Do I have unique or generic skills that
can or cannot be transferred to other options?
What training or knowledge makes me
unique and how so?
Am I really doing what I want to do?
What is my reputation and track record
like?
What is my motivation in general and
what is my motivation for a particular job?
-
Just let me interview and I’ll get the job.
Nothing beats preparation. One author recommended 5-10 hours
of preparation for the interview business meeting. Most of us
spend only an hour or two in preparation. If your competitor
for the position spent a little more time preparing for the
interview, he or she may have a slight edge regardless of your
experience. Preparation also allows you to do well in spontaneous
informal interviews or chance encounters with decision makers.
-
If I can just get in the door I’ll get the job.
The door is not always where it appears. The door is most often
people and finding them is crucial to a good job search. Your
networking and the contacts you have made over the years will
pay off here. You need to find these doors and keep the hinges
oiled so when you have a need you can easily get through them.
The best time to build your contacts is while you are working
and be sure to keep a complete up-to-date copy at home. Harvey
McKay’s book Dig your Well Before You’re Thirsty
is a great primer on networking.
-
I’ll be ok on unemployment for now.
It’s never enough and it’s not really free. It
will cost you in your job search and a long time off between
jobs does not say much for you in your resume. Make the time
count and be active in your search.
- Share your mistake with us. Send a brief story to mkimball@technifind.com
Surprise, you are in control
Expect the unexpected when you least expect it.
How could this happen to me!
Because you let it happen.
No I did not; it came out of the blue, totally unexpected.
C’mon McFly where have you been? Economic
trends, cycles and even the US Labor Department have been predicting
this. The stable long-tern jobs of the past are only a myth these
days. Even if things are going good you still need to keep your
options, your network, and search possibilities current just in
case what just happened happens.
Expect the unexpected when you least expect it.
Do the best darn job you can and be ready for anything. It’s
easy to point out all the mistakes management made and how they
are the ones that caused this catastrophe. What’s not easy
is reminding yourself that you are the CEO of your career and you
may have not been making the best choices either. You can’t
control what management did but you can control what you choose
to do with the career move before you.
Expect the unexpected when you least expect it.
What are you going to do when it is the other way around? You’re
in a good job and you find a better opportunity. Will you be too
impulsive or too cautious? You’re the CEO, be ready by planning,
by knowledge and, by assessment to make the right choice. |
