Making Fearlessness Your Career Transition Companion

Linda Schnabel, PCC, MCRS, MCIS, MCCS, JCTC  
Senior Consultant & Strategist, Graham Management Group

Here we are just past the halfway mark of 2009 – a year that has been anything but secure and promising. We’ve been battered by the storm of a deep recession and continue to be recipients of daily reports about recovery that are, at best, conflicting and confusing. Unemployment rates in Canada edged up to 8.6% in June and our U.S. neighbour to the south reported that its jobless rate hit a 26-year high after the economy cast off 467,000 jobs during the same month.

When the normal tendency is to derive solace from a sensible world that spins predictably according to our expectations, no wonder we have all experienced waves of fear during this rather uncertain and unpredictable year. In his book, “Transitions,” William Bridges states that “…change causes losses, and it is the losses, not the changes that we react to.” He also says that transition invites us into an uncomfortable “neutral zone,” a no-man’s land that suspends us, sometimes rather fearfully, between the old reality and the new.

So how, you may ask, is fearlessness possible during a time of change when the vast majority of us feel like victims of the recession’s steely grip – unable to control the external world? If you also find yourself in the neutral zone of career transition, you may be experiencing intensified loss and fear.

As an aid to fortifying your transition and job search in uncertain times, here is a Top 20 List for gaining control as you attempt to wrap your arms around that sometimes elusive companion, fearlessness.

1. Acknowledge that it’s a normal human reaction to experience fear when confronted with loss or change.
2. Explore the underlying reason for your fear; it’s not enough to simply feel it, you need to understand what’s driving it.
3. Tap into your personal source of spiritual energy, whatever this means to you; faith in something bigger than your current situation is a great antidote to fear.
4. Identify your worst-case scenario and build realistic contingency plans to prevent this.
5. Be careful to tame your imagination since it’s seldom accurate and often breeds increased fear.
6. Make a list of what you need and want; focus on this rather than what you left behind or lost.
7. Ask yourself some powerful and probing questions:
1. What can I learn from this situation?
2. What do I need to know that will position me to live through this transition successfully?
3. What resources do I have that can make my journey smoother?
8. Build a personal support team of positive people whom you trust; stay clear of the toxicity that is generated by negative conversations and people.
9. Ask for appropriate help when you need it. As the expression goes, “no man is an island.”
10. Step outside your comfort zone; it is in new places where learning and growth are most often experienced.
11. Create a written log of your greatest professional accomplishments to boost your confidence and self-regard. This will help you write powerful self-marketing materials.
12. Take inventory of the skills and qualities that you have to offer a new employer. If you have trouble with this exercise, ask someone on your support team to help.
13. Invest in a career coach to keep you accountable and proactive in a strategically designed job search.
14. Make sure your résumé is a document that well describes your skills, chronology, essence, and added value.
15. Enlarge your professional network but don’t simply “collect” people on social media sites. Aim for meaningful relationships that provide opportunities for give-and-take.
16. Build an online presence that is both professional and purposeful but don’t forget to engage in face-to-face interactions as well.
17. Keep a positive attitude. No one wants to associate with a whiner or victim, but they’re happy to support someone who is relentless, professional, and optimistic.
18. Practice positive self-talk; quickly make corrections when your internal tapes become negative.
19. Pay it forward; be ready to give to those around you who may also be uncertain and fearful. Be an anchor and encourager when that is within your power.
20. Live in the moment; don’t lose the wonder of today by being wrapped up in the fear of tomorrow.

As we all have come to learn, nothing stays the same. Today’s worries soon become stories of our past. So the bottom line is: embrace change and ambiguity so that you can make fearlessness, not only a career transition companion, but better still, a cohort in all aspects of your life. This in no way suggests that unwelcome waves of fear will be eliminated from your human experience. However, it does mean that the waves will be much more tolerable because you know how to survive in the neutral zone. In fact, there is nothing to prevent you from thriving if you set your mind to applying the tips outlined above!
 

Linda Schnabel  has spent the past decade in the career management field and holds designations as a Professional Certified Coach, Master Certified resume, interview, and career strategist, and Job and Career Transition Coach. As senior Consultant for Graham Management Group, Linda assists executives, managers, and six-figure professionals through the full scope of career transition. You can contact Linda and find further information and articles directly at www.GrahamManagement.com.

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