If you’re not doing the work you love, it’s high time to make your plan
What if the job you would love to do requires you to shift career direction? What would you do? We suggest you make a plan. Below are the stories of 3 real people (names have been changed) who were laid off and decided to use their transitional time to create plans to shift career direction. They are all now well on their way to doing what they love!
An electrical engineer with more than 15 years experience in a Fortune 500 company, John wants to teach math and science to high school kids. What did he do when he got laid off?
- He arranged networking meetings with teachers to “learn the ropes” and to find out what it takes to be a teacher in his community.
- He completed a substitute teacher certification program and is waiting to hear back about his application.
- He went to a specialized job fair where they were recruiting teachers.
- He began to volunteer through his local Partners In Education organization, which paired him up with a school that needed a math and science tutor for their students.
John is doing his homework to find out if he has what it takes to do the job, and, most importantly, he has learned that he gets along well with high schoolers. Last time we spoke, he was still dedicated to the mission, and the mission was going well.
A machine technician in a manufacturing plant, Javier’s dream is to become an emergency room nurse. What did he do when he got laid off?
- He enrolled in school and finished the last few classes needed for his primary degree.
- He applied for nursing school.
- He reformatted his resume so he could show transferrable skills and started to look for a contract job in healthcare while he waited to get accepted into nursing school.
Javier knows that when he graduates, he is guaranteed a job in a high-demand field. His wife and kids are on board with the plan, and he’s thrilled about going for his dream even though it means 2 full years of studying and hard work ahead.
Stephanie’s mom, dad and husband contracted serious illnesses during the course of one year. As her husband underwent a second round of chemotherapy, she decided that she was more passionate about helping people prevent and deal with illness than she was about her project management job. What did she do when she got laid off?
- She signed up with an education/certification program to become a health coach.
- She created business cards, a website and joined several organizations so she could network.
- She regularly attends start-up support meetings given by the certification program so she can launch her business successfully.
- She has made alliances and connections with several personal trainers and local health clubs in her community.
Stephanie is excited about having a deeper purpose and looks forward to being able to use her natural ability to nurture, serve and teach people.
Inspired? Sure hope so! If you’re not doing the work you love, it’s high time to make your plan.
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Angela Loëb is an author, speaker and career coach. She and her partner, Jay Markunas, help people make successful career transitions through seminars, webinars, tele-coaching events and individualized coaching services. Listen to them on The Job Search Boot Camp Show. Find out more about their programs & services at www.greatoccupations.com.