Preparing For, and Overcoming a Job Loss

During these fickle economic times, with a record high number of foreclosures, financial markets in trouble, and now the problems in the domestic automotive industries, a lot of people are experiencing job losses, and experts predict that there are more job cuts to come. A common question most people who find themselves at high risk for a job loss is; “what am I going to do next?” This is a good question and the first step towards persevering through a challenging period in one’s life. However, success in being able to overcome a job loss is dependent on how one goes about tackling this tough question.

Fear Factor

It is typical for most people to respond to the question, “what I am going to do next?” with trepidation. Responding to this potential life changing question with fear is almost a guaranteed way to see your worst fears come to life. Yes there are bills to be paid, yes, there usually is a mortgage attached, and in some cases, a car loan still being paid. Perhaps you also have a teenager about to graduate high school, with realistic prospects for college. These are all real concerns most of us face on a daily basis, but there is no cause of alarm, even if you have heard of an opportunity somewhere else. A decision should only be reached after a thorough review of your economic situation and prospects.

Taking it back to the Basics

This is the most time consuming and challenging aspect to successfully preparing for a potential job loss. Why? Because it involves change; as much as most Americans have gravitated towards President Elect Obama’s message of change, people are usually only willing to change when they are experiencing and or perceiving a crisis. It’s tempting to get into denial about your job security, and even your financial matters, but to successfully prepare for a job loss; this is a closet that has to be cleaned. Do you currently have expenses you could do without?  An example of this would be things that go to waste. I have been guilty of this in the past; for example, buying milk and not finishing it before its expiatory date. The fact is, inventory of your spending habits have to be taken, broken down and understood, and most importantly, changed. This can be a daunting task, but once you get into it, you will be too intrigued to stop, and without hesitation, you will be keen to point out spending you consider wasteful and work on ceasing the habit. There are a number of ways you can go about doing this; you can involve the whole family in a talk about expenses that need to be spared, until you find yourself in a more secure position. You can ask your bank or your credit card company for a statement of your spending for the last sixty days. Some of these companies even go as far as to break down your spending habits into different types of expenditures. If you are the withdrawal/cash ATM type, a bank statement should suffice, and you can break down what you spent your withdrawals on. There are also programs like Microsoft money, which can also help you track and budget your expenses.

Playing to your strengths

Recession or otherwise, people still have needs to be met, through the delivery of goods and services. So another good question to ask would be, “what are your career strengths?” “And how can they be used to provide needed services to others?”  This may involve steering away from the specific job you have been doing and branching into a related field that require the same skills set, or perhaps learning a new set of skills for a related job based on a fundamental knowledge you already have.

Once there was a man, who worked for a company, as the company janitor.. The company began going through hard times, and one day he came to work to find a pink slip. How had the company planned to keep their building clean? They mandated their employees to clean their offices, and take turns to cleaning the bathroom and hallway. This man soon found himself in the unemployment line, and surprisingly considering other lines of work he had no experience in. It was only during a session with a career counselor, that he recognized an opportunity in his skills as a janitor. This time he expanded his skills as a janitor to landscaping, and he was able to purchase his first equipments through a loan from a local bank. How did a janitor with no credit land his first loan? He convinced the bank manager about how much more profitable her bank would be, if he beautified the surroundings, and kept their floors having the look of a showroom shine. This became his signature move for landing cleaning contracts, he would show store owners pictures of  the work he had done at a previous store, sometimes a competitor and convince them that his help in making their property more attractive would attract more customers. This is a round about way of saying that even during a recession; people still have needs to be met, it just a matter of understanding how your skills can be used to help meet the needs of others. Yes, there are devils in the details, which is what the paragraph of back to the basics was all about. By getting your affairs in order, you will put your self in a reasonable position to shift gears in your career.

Career Counseling

If you find you are experiencing difficulty in regards to getting your affairs in order or if you have already been laid off and you feel lost in what direction to take your life, seeking the services of a professional life coach or psychotherapist is a wise investment. At the end of the day, regardless of who is to blame for an ailing economy, we all have to take responsibility for ourselves. A lot people make the mistake of placing themselves in an emotional box, and fail to recognize their personal strengths or envision their true potential. Seeking the services of a professional life coach or psychotherapist is a smart investment in one’s self, because people always have needs to be met through the delivery of goods and services.

There are several avenues to explore in regards to career counseling; for example, the local yellow pages, for individual or group counseling, or an emerging popular avenue these days, internet counseling.

Ugochukwu Uche MS., LPC

Ugochukwu Uche
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