The Life of the Unemployed Professional
I am going through a life journey that is full of twists and turns, but it sure is exciting. Don't get me wrong. Occasionally I wake up with the "I'm freaked out about the future" sweats in the middle of the night and wonder about what is right around the corner, but every day, I am out there, meeting new people and networking to either identify a new consulting opportunity or possibly land my next corporate position.
Come close... I want to tell you a secret.... I am LOVING this process helping those that are in the same boat I find myself. I have found that I get very passionate about helping those in transition learn to love the process of identifying the next stage of their career. Like a kickstand to a bike, I enjoy propping those up that need support and allowing them to stand tall and proud, regardless of their situation.
This morning I want to share two simple truths that smarter people than myself have shared but that I believe passionately. Hopefully this will help you if you find yourself in a transition or you are living through the semicolon of your career. Lets consider this the start of a conversation.
Truth #1: I met a guy recently that said it perfectly. "Anxiety comes from the chaos, not the fear of the future." This couldn't be more true! As I network and talk with others, it seems that, generally, we all believe deep down inside that at any stage of life, we will eventually be ok. Or as my mother used to tell me... "this too shall pass...". I also believe that, as a Christian, if we are faithful, we will be protected. So it is not the fear of the future that "enriches" your life with those nights of unrest. It is the chaos. It is a lack of organization. Not having a plan for the next day or a list to check off; that is what generates the sleepless nights! Get organized! We can talk about how in a later installment.
Truth #2: As I hear people's stories I continue to find that, just like me, all these people are more than just bullet points on a resume. They are color and life. They are back stories and dreams of amazing futures. They are tragic as much as they are heroic. In each interaction, I discovered something important. I have valuable skills that can assist those that find themselves in a life stage of transition. I can help them tell their amazing story and if I don't use my skills for this purpose, I am doing all of them a disservice. Whether it is teaching a free web development class, or writing about how to make companies and recruiters chase you, I can assist those that find themselves in transition to move on.
I'll tell you what! You have skills that can help those around you too. As you sit and meet with people, think through how you can add value to them; not just how they can add value to you. If you give, you will receive. You want to know where my consulting clients are coming from? Friends of people that I have offered to help.
So here is the thing: I have found a formula that gives me a new perspective. I have established goals that give me milestones to chase. And I have learned skills from over a decade of sales and marketing leadership that I can share with you and you can implement during your search. You see, finding a job is a sales and marketing process. And sales/marketing today is not all about personality and likability. It is about track-ability and accountability. We will talk about that later too.
As part of my journey to give back, I am going to start writing about what I am learning in this process. Each week I will provide you something simple like a truth or a tool that can be used or a perspective that might change yours. Maybe one of these will be what you need to get to your next stage. I'm also hosting another free website build class on February 9th. If you are in the North Atlanta area and would like to join, you can register here.
We are on a journey for sure. But stay tuned and we will land softly together.
Keep Climbing!
John
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