Preparing For, and Overcoming a Job Loss
Posted on March 5, 2010
Filed Under Bank Foreclosures |
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
http://www.articlesbase.com/career-management-articles/preparing-for-and-overcoming-a-job-loss-683496.html
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19 Responses to “Preparing For, and Overcoming a Job Loss”
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Is it true the GOP is preparing for potential widespread losses in November?
House Republicans lost three recent elections when customary campaign themes failed to sway voters and their candidates could not overcome the "negative perception of the national party," according to an internal review that underscores the potential for widespread losses this fall.
I have no fear of anything. As fast as that can happen,they can also lose it if they fail to do anything. I’ve seen it time and time again.
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I think the GOP will get a bad beating in November. But they are sure not "preparing" for this. They will do everything to prevent it. Or maybe anything.
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Thats the sentiment, but a lot can happen from now to Nov. But if we do lose, we lost fair and square, thanks to GW.
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Sadly yes. Even though I am Democrat I still respect the Republicans and do no that they are preparing to take a heavy blow this November. I know this because my Dad is a member of the Minnesota National Republican Committee andwas going to run for Congress but was advised no to because of the wide Republican losses that wil;l happen in Novemeber..
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I would agree with that. George Bush cast the party in a bad light in the eyes of the public (I personally am fine with him) and as a result I suspect the GOP is wary about the November elections.
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Yes, and as well they should. They have completely isolated a major part of their support base (conservatives), and hung us out to dry. They’ve moved as far left as they can without out Liberalling the Democrats.
They will lose and deserve to until they come back around to solid, fundamental conservative ideas.
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In world of politics, each party is preparing the plane in case of defeat because life doesn’t stop after the election. Also deals will be made with the opposite party to cease the rivals, etc.
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Well the presidency is up for grabs, but if a democrat can when in a historically republican communities in Mississippi and Louisiana then it safe to say that the Repubs will have a bad night no matter who wins the election.
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If they’re not, they should be.
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YES, as desperate they acting here obviously seems that way
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I think we have a rumor monger here. The main stream media supports the left wing liberal loonies. The like-minded loonies in the media are always looking for ammo to use against Republicans.
Don’t bet your bank account on the outcome of any race.
Democrat outsiders have been running as more conservative than the Republicans that have been ousted. Then they get reined in by Ms. Pelosi.
In a recent Republican primary, the incumbent Republican lost out to his conservative rival. The incumbent advocated illegal immigration for years. Conservatism wins every time.
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with outgoing pres of 8 yrs, generally the other party has an advantage,
so i am sure that they were making such preparations,
but by looks of things now, probably not so large loss as anticipated,
but that is what makes elections
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They will definitely lose 5 Senate seats and a fairly good chance they could lose 7. If things get totally out of hand for them and McCain keeps sinking it could be even more.
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No
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I think that its true (although most in the media and Republican party don’t want to admit this openly) that the Republicans are headed for some devastating losses this fall. But how can they prepare? Their best hope would be to perform acts of contrition, repent from their evil ways, totally and unequivocally abandon Bush, renounce neo-con ideals, AND apologize to the American people for working so hard to impoverish them and diminish their civil liberties.
That scenario is not likely however; I don’t see that as part of the Republican DNA. Rather, I suspect that they will continue to resort to the same old tactics of making up lies and smearing their opponents and trying to cast fear into the hearts of Americans. The question then becomes, are we as a country, finally ready to renounce this horrible party and take the necessary steps to get our country back?
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stealth, you wonder why all republican lawmakers get branded as ‘Bush Republicans.’ Do you think it might be because almost to a man, they have, with very few exceptions, fallen in lockstep behind him and supported every one of his legislative agendas? Even today, with Bush’s popularity at an all-time low, they continue to vote against the American people on issues like FISA and Iraq. When Bush & crew commit illegal or immoral acts, Republicans don’t condemn him, rather they go out accuse the Dems of partisan politics. They are indeed Bush Republicans.
it’s funny because bush is further left than he is right. yet libs continue to bash him on a daily basis. bush is a big spender; big govt politician. he has done a terrible job with the border, he’s made no efforts to hinder the outrageous number of abortions in this country yet somehow because he is apart of the "gop" everyone in the gop gets branded as a bush republican. bush is a liberal in my book. it’s a shame that the good conservatives of this day get a bad reputation from people in the party who are not even conservative.
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They better
DEMOCRATS"08"
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Only that part of the party that has lost its way.
Ron Paul is running unopposed, having defeated his opponent in the primary with over 70% of the vote.
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