Many of us have a story of being fired, furloughed, laid off, or otherwise just plain out of a job. In a society that defines people by their work, this can be one of the most devastating experiences in our adult lives.
When everything is spinning out of control and there’s no sign of normalcy ahead how can we possibly feel relevant, not to mention find a job and brag about ourselves?
Here are some tricks we’ve used to find our relevance even in the darkest moments in our careers:
Believe in yourself, even when no one else does.
This can be incredibly tough when life kicks you in the teeth but making the daily choice to believe in yourself will change everything. Start by asking, “Why not me?” and giving yourself permission to believe in yourself. Seek out your biggest fans or a great coach to help. Once you’re convinced, it’s easier to convince others.
Own your accomplishments.
Review your work history and take ownership of what you’ve achieved. Pull out past performance reviews, revisit old project notes, and start making a list of what you’ve done and how you’ve done it. You’ll soon find there’s more to brag about than you thought. (This is a great exercise to complete before writing your resume)
Keep repeating your accomplishments until you are comfortable bragging about them.
Once you’re comfortable telling the person in the mirror all you’ve done, start telling your network and ask for help. (Everyone has a network)
Identify your strengths.
Know what you’re best at. Start using those talents to benefit others. Giving without expectation is the ultimate form of networking. (We use the CliftonStrengths assessment for this)
Lastly, it’s ok to be sad, scared, or disheartened during a time of big career change. Give yourself permission to feel what you’re feeling but don’t stay there. You have so much to offer and the world needs you.
Reach out to us to meet great coaches ready to help.
