Career Stumble – Act like a Swan
Posted on July 09, 2013 by Susan Gurnik, One of Thousands of Leadership Coaches on Noomii.
When life turns your career upside down, how do you recover?
CAREER STUMBLE? ACT LIKE A SWAN
Ever wonder about that serene Swan gliding across the lake? How does that majestic creature move forward with seemingly no effort? It is all an illusion, for under the water, that Swan is paddling faster than your loading email. When life hands you a career mishap, how can you act like a Swan and keep the rest of the world guessing?
I have coached many professionals who feel stunted from a bad career move. Taking a promising new job that turns out to be a disaster. Not being able to overcome a personality conflict with a boss that stunts career advancement. An internal transfer to a new position that turns out to be an extremely bad fit. Office politics that hinder your effectiveness, or worse, result in bad reviews. A change made to accommodate loved ones that results in what feels like a career coma. It happens.
In fact just about everyone who has had a long industrious career has faltered at least once. Think about people in the public eye. Many extremely successful entrepreneurs have had plenty of failures including Steve Jobs who was ousted from his own company 1985 but is now remembered for being a great leader and revitalizing Apple. Who would have thought that Robert Downey Jr. would rebound from jail in the 90’s to box-office success in Sherlock Holmes and Iron Man? If these people can recover while under the scrutiny of the public eye, surely, you can mount your own quiet comeback. Ready for more?
REALIZE YOUR PERSPECTIVE IS DISTORTED
Career hick-ups hurt our sense of self. And often, that stumble is the result of some kind of betrayal. “They sold the job as something it is not.” “The new management never gave me a chance.” “I got caught up in a political issue that really had nothing to do with me.” You are hurt. You were treated unfairly. Perhaps you were lied to or deceived.
Mourning over the injustice is natural and part of the process. But like the Swan, keep those personal feelings out of view. You can express your pain to very close friends and family that will not judge you, but, when around professional associates and acquaintances (i.e. people who may also help you someday with your career) be serene, upbeat and talk with an attitude of always moving forward. A side benefit? Merely the “act” of being positive will sooner or later rub off and you will begin to believe your own words.
NO ONE ELSE CARES ABOUT YOUR PAIN
Well maybe your spouse or your parents care, but professionally, everyone is quick to forgive as long as you get back on that bull. Every career is going to have ups and downs. Making a big deal about the setback can be a disaster. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy – if you tell everyone you don’t think you will ever be the same then they will believe you. You will not be offered opportunities or be given a “second chance.” You will become permanently mired in your pain.
Our society rewards a make-lemonade-out-of-lemons attitude. We like to be inspired and help those who put pain aside and move on. Even if you don’t feel like lemonade today, fake it when around professional associates.
THE BAD DAYS DON’T ERASE THE GOOD
OK, for the past two years you had little advancement and feel like you developed no new skills. Does this erase the other 12 years of a productive and progressively advancing career? Hardly. You haven’t lost those skills. You haven’t lost that experience. You can still do the work. Yes, yes you can. Get your confidence back and I assure you, you will be able to revive your “make-things-happen” self.
YOU MAY STILL BE ASKING
How do I transform myself from a drowning rat to regal Swan?
How do I know when I am ready?
How do I know when I am on the right track?
How do I transform my public image?
How do I “get back out there?”
STEPS TO TRANSFORM YOUR CAREER:
(1) Find a plan for self healing out of the professional public eye
(2) Make sure you know what you want in your next career move – this is a time for career evaluation and internal contemplation.
(3) Prepare your new “package” – that is, your personal brand, how to present yourself in person and on paper.
(4) Change your attitude one event at a time; gradually increase your exposure online or at networking opportunities
(5) Finally, actively network and let the universe know what you want.
NEED HELP?
Career Coaching provides a confidential professional environment for you to process your career setback. The Coach will be that outside perspective to revitalize your faith in your own strengths and abilities.
Clear and defined goals are essential to repositioning yourself after a career stumble or disaster. Coaching tools, programs and assessments guide you through development of a new career path strategy.
Finally coaching will assist with your new personal branding package; a consistent message from your “10 second commercial” to online presence and resume. The result is clarity, peace-of-mind and an achievable plan.
READY TO GET STARTED?
