Fear and Changing Jobs

Changing jobs can create fear for people. resume writer NJ, professional resume writer nj, resume writing

Over the past week, I have had several clients tell me that it took them a long time to inquire with anyone about resume writing services.  I was a little surprised when I had two clients tell me the same exact thing: “I’m afraid.”

The Comforts of Autopilot: Why Change is Hard

When you drive to work every day, which roads do you take? Do you have to stop before you turn left at the Exxon station to remind yourself to turn left? Or is it automatic? Which shoe do you put on first? You probably don’t even know, for one simple reason: we are all creatures of habit.  It’s very comforting to drive the same way to work every day, stop at the same Dunkin’ Donuts, order the same breakfast, park in the same parking space, say hello to the same people in the same cubes, and put your lunch in the same spot in the fridge at work.

What is difficult though, is change.  People are terrified of change; and since your job takes up at least 23.8 percent of your time if you work 40 hours a week, changing that one thing is actually quite huge.  You are not only changing your job, you’re changing your co-workers, your route to work, your salary, the places nearby to eat lunch, maybe what you’re allowed to wear, whether you have an office, etc.

Stop Overthinking Your Next Career Change

I’m often mystified that people are so stuck on sameness that it’s easier to stay in a crappy job than make some movement.  What if it’s really not a better job? What is a better job? Is more money worth more hours? Is less stress worth less money?

Stop and read that paragraph again.  Does your head hurt yet? Mine does.  Sometimes I think part of the problem for people changing jobs is overthinking it.  Ask yourself a simple question…Am I happy in my current job? If the answer is no, make a list of what will make you happy.  This list is the beginning of defining what you value.  Once you are looking at the list, you will have some concrete reasons why it’s time to make a change.

Examine Your Values: Money, Family, and Time

Let’s say that your list has the following career-related values written on it: money, time with family, big office, vacation time, and good insurance.  Take a pair of scissors and cut each item out.  Now, place each value in order from highest to lowest.  You can use your values as a visual guide to help you decide what is important to you in your new job.  Once you have something concrete to work with, moving jobs won’t seem as scary.

Fear Of Wasting Time?

Another thing that I know gets me stuck is what if I invest all this time in ___ and it doesn’t work out? Well then, we won’t know unless we try.  A lot of times, if we sit there in our “stuckness” (Yes, I know that’s not a word), it just gets bigger, and bigger, and bigger, until picking up the phone to call the resume writer seems worse than calling the dentist to schedule your root canal.

What you have to ask yourself is, what is worse, the situation I am stuck in now in my current work situation, or the possibility of failure if I try to find a new job and don’t succeed? The only thing at risk is time…and time is going to tick away whether you pick up the phone or stay stuck.  Often taking the first step is the most difficult.  I have had many clients say that once they start talking about their current jobs and the sort of new job or career they want, it becomes easier.

Sometimes all it takes is the conviction to take a risk and not worry what might go wrong, or why, or how, or what if it doesn’t work out.  ~J.O.

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Coping with Unemployment: Taming the Negativity Beast

Overcoming negativity in unemployment, job search, professional resume writer nj, resume writer nj

I typically follow up with clients after working with them on their resumes to see how their job search campaign is progressing.  I recently completed a resume for one particular client about 2 weeks ago and thought that today would be a good time to check in.  I called and asked her how her interview went.  Reluctantly, she told me she was still wearing her pajamas and was camped out in front of the TV watching reruns of Gilligan’s Island.  Does this sound familiar?

The Aftermath of Unemployment

Are there newspapers piled up at your front door? A pile of unopened bills tossed on the couch?  I remember when I lost my job…There were cartons of half eaten Chinese food strewn across the kitchen table and recycling piling up in the corner.  My pajamas became my new uniform and I avoided going to Dunkin Donuts at 8:15 am like I used to because “they” were there…You know, those people going to work, dressed in their fancy clothes  and driving their BMW’s.

Maybe you have experienced something similar? If you have ever been laid off or found yourself suddenly unemployed, you know it can be a demeaning and dehumanizing experience.  You have probably thought to yourself, “How am I going to pay the bills? How will I support my family? What if I don’t get unemployment”?

Unanswered Questions about Job Loss

“What will I tell my future employers regarding why I no longer have a job? What has happened to my value as a human being if I am not contributing to society”? Many people quickly get overwhelmed and lapse into depression.  Many of my clients come to me asking questions like this and are often embarrassed they feel this way.

Exercise Your Ability to Define Yourself

There are a couple of important things to keep in mind.  You can’t let your job loss define you.  This has been especially difficult for my clients who are work addicts…You know the type, don’t you?  Working 60-80 hours a week, hiding in the office to avoid family life or other personal issues.  In this situation, your job has defined you, so when it’s no longer there, there is a giant void that needs to be filled.

Fill Your Mind With Something Else but Please, Don’t Feed the Negativity Beast

If you fill that void with negativity, that negativity will come across in interviews, in your cover letters, and the way you present yourself in an interview.  Instead, tell yourself that most everyone has been through something like this and that you are not alone.  Next, take a piece of paper and write down “I am not my job.  There is more to me than this job, and I will find another one. “

Hang it somewhere you can see it. In fact, staple it to your forehead so that when you look in the mirror, the negativity monsters have no means of surviving in your head.  If you don’t feed into them, they won’t have any hopes of surviving.  Redirect your anger and beat those negative thoughts into submission.

Job Search Strategy: Resumes, Cover Letters, and What Else?

The other important issue to keep in mind is that your job search campaign will consist of so much more than a resume and cover letter.  If you approach the process with a negative mindset, that will affect your ability to effectively search for a position.  You might not even have your eyes open to all of the possibilities out there for you because of your mindset.   Once you take steps to change your frame of mind, you might find yourself open to new opportunities.

Expanding Your Career Strategy Skills: Interview Skills, Job Search Skills, LinkedIn

Often my clients are lacking interview skills, job search skills, experience with LinkedIn, or are unfamiliar with ways to network.  Each of these areas needs to be developed in order for you to find employment.  I am here to help you with not only your resume and cover letter, but to help you navigate these other areas as well.~J.O.

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