Lessons Learned in the Workplace
A month ago I wrote my last front-page post about my sudden/unexpected career shift and the process of accepting it and moving forward. Since I normally average one front page post per week, the long layoff should be evidence that this event has taken over much of my life. Five weeks after getting the news it is still a big adjustment. Dealing with job anxiety sucks. I mean, takes-over-your-every-waking-thought sucks. As I noted in my last post I have no history of anxiety issues so this has been unchartered territory. To deal with things I have tried a multi-pronged approach which has been helpful in moving forward.
What I already knew but needed a reminder of is that the ‘new’ economy is heartless. This is the third time in a row I have moved to a new position with my company through no choice of my own. This is mostly my fault for allowing my career to happen to me rather than taking control of it. I have zero guilt over exploring other options within my company and outside. I’ve learned that my managers will probably respect me more for taking that initiative so I am going to do just that.
I’ve also re-discovered that I need my wife even more than I thought. She has been my rock through all of this and I am bursting with gratitude for having her in my life. Having her as a sounding board for my thoughts and having someone to maintain some sense of normalcy in our home while I adjust has been invaluable. I have always been a proponent of marriage but now I find myself wanting to shout it to every single person I know.
On the career front I decided to enlist the help of multiple resources. To deal with the anxiety of having things move beyond my control I thought about athletes and what they do to deal with setbacks. Sports psychologists have become the norm and since I have always thought highly of talk therapy I’m trying it out. Having a neutral party to listen to my fears has taken some of the burden off of my wife and also given me a fresh outside perspective. The counselor I am working with is also helping me to order my thoughts somewhat which has been the most helpful. He listens while I blather for 50 minutes and then shares the themes he has seen in what I said. We meet every couple of weeks and it has been very helpful.
I also thought about professionals like actors or comedians who use agents to help them mold their careers. My biggest concern has been the 10 years I spent in corporate America, outside of my field of study, and how that will look if I apply for jobs at history-oriented companies. So I met with a very well-respected career counseling firm here and town and I am enlisting their help in assessing my skills and my job experience. This is not just about finding a job in my chosen field but also to see if there might be other career paths where my skills would be a good fit. I have been out of the game for so long that I need this advice in exploring the job market of today. Having the help of professionals in doing this is a big comfort.
I am applying for a lot of jobs both within my company and outside. My company is huge. We have around 400,000 employees worldwide and the biggest single location is right here in Louisville. The company is so large though that it’s hard to explore all of the options available. So by applying for positions it gives me a chance to meet with managers in other departments I am less familiar with and hear about what they do. Not getting those positions carries no negative connotation in my company and I treat the interviews as fact-finding sessions. If a better opportunity presents itself at the same time, this is all the better. Outside my company I find that each job application, even if not fruitful, creates a sense of excitement and optimism that is addictive.
The last thing I have done to move forward in my career is to conduct lots of impromptu ‘interviews’ with friends and acquaintances about their jobs. Hearing what my friends like and don’t like about their jobs has brought about a remarkable amount of perspective. I have learned that a lot of people are not crazy about their jobs and that some things that bother me about my job are legitimate concerns and others are an exaggeration. In addition, hearing from friends who love their jobs give me hope for myself.
And that’s where I am. I miss blogging but my new position comes with a healthy amount of overtime right now and until I find a balance, my posts at the League will be sporadic. In the meantime, I’m curious to hear from the commentariat. What do you like or dislike about your job? Have you been successful in shifting careers and what advice would you give to someone in the same spot?
Best of luck, Mike. Unfortunately, I don’t know that I have much to offer in the way of help or advice, but know that you have my support and well wishes. Godspeed, brother.Report
Mike, it’s so good to hear from you, hear how things are going. I wish they were better, but what you report is good enough. For now.
First off, tell your wife that your friends (at least this one friend) on the internet thing she’s rock-bottom awesome. I agree, people who don’t have good marriages don’t know what they’re missing. Someone’s got your back, and you’ve go theirs. We had a thread yesterday where love as the foundation of marriage got a lot of hashing. But it’s not love, or romantic love; it’s trust and love together. And it’s worth working toward. It takes time and commitment and effort.
I’m so relieved to hear your looking at your options. My sweetie’s doing much the same, though he doesn’t have the big company to search within.
And +1 on the therapist, and recognizing that this is a gift to your wife. Also a good resource on how you present yourself.
It’s just my suspicion, but my guess is your biggest hurdle will be letting go of humility and talking yourself up enough to stand out in the crowd the way you should stand out. This is a good time to take some deep seated pride in accomplishments and skills.
Please keep us posted. And history jobs. Change can be a very good thing. A rebirth. I wish it so for you.Report
“Have you been successful at shifting careers..?”
This is from a post I have been able to wrap up satisfactorily:
When I made films I defined success this way: A film was successful if it made enough to make another one, and left everyone involved eager to do it again. When we set out to take INTEMPERANCE south I said I’d call the trip a success if we got to the Caribbean with no one badly hurt, and everyone willing to do it again.
Have I been successful at shifting careers? Not yet. But more and more “success” mostly looks like living to fight another day. Or at least living long enough to take about the party of 15 bachelorettes that called about going for a party cruise this June!
Hang tough, Mike. I see lots of green shoots. Before you know it they (whoever they are) will be begging to have you back!Report
I like my work – when I see our stuff on people’s children it fills me with pride.
I hate the balance of pay to stress. There’s the long commute as a kicker. If I had it all to do over again I would pledge never to live so far from a job again. A long commute is a drain and it costs you a lot more physically and emotionally than financially.
I probably need to get back in the hunt again, but it’s scary when you’ve had the same employer for 10 years. People I know tell me there are plenty of jobs out there – for folks that have jobs and skills.
Lots of people are still afraid to try and change jobs though, from what I see. Good for you to be resolved on it.Report
I like my work – when I see our stuff on people’s children it fills me with pride.
I don’t know what you do. But this sentence makes speculating so much fun.Report
I expect it’s either children’s clothing or chocolate.Report
Hovercards + Google should be enough. If I didn’t occasionally write things that could get me fired, I’d be more specific because I am very very proud of what we do and I’m sure almost any of you that have kids own(ed) our stuff.Report
Mike,
RL > VL (Real Life Virtual Life)
Make no apologies. I’ve been there, as I’m sure many have, and it does suck. Only thing worse is doing it alone. The only quibble I’d have is “What I already knew but needed a reminder of is that the ‘new’ economy is heartless.” This heartlessness isn’t new.
Good luck and remember to keep on thinking of the things that you do have. You’re still better off than a whole lotta folks.Report
This heartlessness isn’t new.
Just more pervasive. The HP way is dead.Report
Mike,
Shifting careers can be hard. But take a page from the open source programmers. Your best armor against “I was out of the field for 10 years” is, “Here’s what I’ve been doing to get back in shape.” Your writing, your research is your portfolio.
And you’ve got an excellent forum here to proof your work.
A woman who just left her abusive husband and hasn’t been working for 10 years? Well, for six of ’em she was raising kids. So, her goal is to show what skills she’s developed, and how they’ll be useful in the new company.Report
Do what you’d like to do. If someone’ll pay you to do that then great! If not then get a job you don’t hate and try to keep your commute short.Report
I’m a big believer in short commutes.Report
Five minutes. I can and often do walk to work when the weather is nice. I swear by it.Report
what commute? I sleep on da bus.Report
apropos of your comment North:
http://www.theonion.com/articles/find-the-thing-youre-most-passionate-about-then-do,31742/
From reading Mike’s past posts, I think Mike will do just fine given the value he’s provided to his work. At least he isn’t getting stagnant in what he does, and maybe he’ll have an opportunity to do what he loves instead as well instead of just what pays the bills.Report
Mr. Dwyer, I am sorry to hear about your job anxiety, and wish you the best of luck in finding a better job and career path.
FWIW, I suddenly lost my job a couple of months ago (short answer: a large gift/donation was promised, then refused when time came for payment. The gift was the same pledge every year – about 60% of the operating budget. Over half of the staff was let go, including me.)
You’re exactly right with this:
Dealing with job anxiety sucks. I mean, takes-over-your-every-waking-thought sucks.
If you’ve had job anxiety in the past, you vaguely remember what it felt like (unpleasant!). But, at least for me, you don’t really recall the feeling until you feel it again, and it’s much more intense than you remember. And, the current economy is just different. Really DIFFERENT (TEOTWAWKI- different!).
I truly wish you the best and hope you find something that is better for you, Mr. Dwyer. And soon.
From my view, I think you’re doing almost all of the right things. The only advice I offer is Patience.Report
All,
Thanks for the kind words. I know I am lucky. I’m still employed (for the same pay) and my new coworkers are actually better in some ways than my old ones. The blessing of my current situation is that I can be patient in exploring new opportunities and not have that sense of urgency that would have come with being unemployed. While things are frustrating am excited about the future.Report
Yes, it’s much less stressful to be exploring new job opportunities when you’re employed than it is when you wake up every morning hearing the voice of the computer from Gauntlet saying, “Mike needs food…. badly!”Report
I’ve shifted careers a few times, and it’s always been about looking for where the money is.
The part I hate most about my current occupation is the travel. It’s not travel overnight, or even for a week; but months on end away from home. And I like my home more and more the older I get.
Also, the field is very certification-driven, and it seems like they’ve been inventing a lot of new certifications for ordinary tasks over the last few years. Of course, employers look for those. It has the effect of reducing my marketable skills until I go to some seminar.
But I do really enjoy the work. I like what I do, and I’m good at it.
Knowing when to bail has been what’s kept me moving up.
Contacts from work have always been the most valuable.Report