Your Job Transition Is Coming!

If you currently have a job, congratulations. But recognize that you’re NOT going to have that job at some point in the future.

Given the state of the job market these days, that transition is probably sooner than you’d like it to be.

It might happen as job loss, reorganization, retirement, or even a change that you elect. But it’s coming.

Today you have a choice: Do you want that coming transition to be hard, or easy? If you just wait for it to happen to you, then you’re probably going to have a tougher time of it than if you start making some preparations. Even in a situation where you are jumping eagerly into your next job, there’s things that can make it easier.

If you prepare.

And it’s not a long list, actually. Here’s what you should be spending some time on:

• Decide what you would LIKE to be doing next. Anything is fair game, because this is about your deeper goals and needs. It’s very personal.
• Investigate what it would take to move in that direction. The sooner you get started, the more time you’ll have to learn new skills, develop new networks, and position yourself so that others support your direction.
• Start looking for the opportunities. The longer you have to look around, the more likely it is that you’ll find something that lines up with your goals.
• Take care of yourself: physically, mentally, spiritually. The more resilience you have, and the more cushion you have in your savings, the easier it will be to go through the rocky times inherent in any job transition.

This is all pretty straightforward; it’s not rocket science. Even five minutes a day can make a huge difference over time. The hard part is convincing yourself to get started and to keep going, little by little, even though you don’t see any immediate reward.

But when that job change is upon you, you’ll be glad you started now.

by Carl Dierschow