Do You Feel Lucky?

Posted by: Darlene Duncan, CWDP, JSS
                 Training Coordinator

Even in today’s economy I know people that have left one job, for whatever reason and walked right into another position. Some people will say, “They’re just lucky, that’s all. It’s not that easy.”

However, I tend to subscribe to the philosophy behind the quote from Lucius Annaeus Seneca regarding luck.

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

In other words, those people made their own luck.

Stop and think about your job search efforts and how other aspects of your life may be having an impact on your job search efforts.

Do you have a personal relationship that’s interfering with your job search? Is your significant other supportive? Or are they always finding things for you to do, things that eat up your time leaving you little or no time to effectively job search?

Maybe it’s not your significant other that’s finding other things for you to do, perhaps you’re procrastinating. A friend calls and says they’re having a problem with some minor repair that needs to be done at their house. Being a good friend you say, “Oh I know how to do that. If you want I can come by today and take care of that for you.” The next thing you know you’re doing favors for all your friends instead of doing your job search.

Maybe there are other things going on in your personal life that are keeping you from performing an effective job search.

If any of the above sounds familiar, I suggest you stop and take an objective look at yourself. Cut through all the baloney and get to the real reason or reasons that you’re not out their treating your job search like a full time job. Figure out what they are and do whatever you can to eliminate or at the very least limit their impact on your job search. Once you know the cause of something it can often be easily fixed.

If you’re looking for more information on this topic you can start with this article. Click here for the article. 

For those you who are treating your job search like a full time job and you’re still not having success, it’s time for you to evaluate your job search methods. Job Search Methods will be my next post. So stay tuned.

 

 

 

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

Posted by: Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC
Training Coordinator

I’m sure you remember hearing that question on a regular basis when you were growing up. Some of us had very definite ideas and others were all over the map. If you’re among today’s unemployed, that question once again has relevance for you.

Perhaps the career field you’ve been working in is going the way of the blacksmith. A lot of jobs that used to exist have either been automated out of existence or they’ve been combined with other jobs. These new combined jobs require more and different skills.

So regardless of your age and work experience you may be facing that question again, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Don’t look at this as an obstacle to overcome. Look at it as an opportunity. On average in our society we will each have about nine careers and probably three jobs in each of those career fields.

It’s not like you’re quitting a job to join the circus. It’s not like you’re being irresponsible and quitting a good job to go off on a quest for a childhood dream. You’re already unemployed. Since we spend more time on the job than we do with our families you really should pick a job you’re going to enjoy.

Don’t limit yourself to thinking like a responsible adult when you start thinking about what you want to do. Instead, perform your job search with the abandon of a youngster. The reality is that the possibilities are endless.

Take interest surveys and career assessments. Figure out where your abilities and interests intersect with the job market. Once you find that intersection start thinking about ways you can turn your abilities and interests into a money making proposition. Is there a job out there that matches up to you? Or are you one of those people with the self-discipline to be an entrepreneur?

Just remember that whatever route you choose, it will have its ups and downs and twists and turns. Every job has its negative aspects so pick something you’ll enjoy in spite of its negative parts.