Coping with the Loss of Your Job

Loss is one of those areas that people must cope with, at some time or another, in a variety of areas in their lives. Some people have experienced many losses at once or in a short peroiod of time, while others have experienced less significant losses over a longer period of time. If you are facing or coping with a job loss, you may be experiencing feelings you did not expect. Whether your job loss came suddenly, unexpectedly, or had been planned, it is still a loss and can require some time to adjust to it and the differences it will make in your life.

Some people have been quite happy about the loss of a job they didn't like, but the reality of the change can still have a dramatic effect on your emotions and overall well-being. We know that the same type of loss may affect different people in diffeent ways, but most would agree that you often need time to gain an understanding to cope with a loss - and, in the case of a job loss, that often comes when you do not have the luxury of time because of the need to generate income.

If you are not coping well with the loss of your job, you may need to take a different approach. Start by thinking about your situation - do you describe your situation as an 'opportunity', a 'challenge', or a 'blessing'? Or do you believe it is a 'tragedy', a 'travesty', or a 'crime'? If you believe you have been treated unfairly, which may or may not be true, that belief can keep you from moving forward. Even in those instances, it is to your advantage to view the situation as neutral or positive - circumstances that can lead you to something better if you are open to possibilities.

I have worked with a number of people who were forced into a job change and those who viewed it as a good thing, or at least as a neutral event, managed to work through their feelings more easily than those who continued to resent the forced change. The unfortunate thing about anger is that it usually shows through - either in your writing or in an interview or other discussions. Obviously that could be a real hindrance to finding out about and landing a new job.

If you need assistance coping with a job loss, please seek it out. Resolving those issues can save you job search time later.


Mary Ann Davis, M.A. is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice; providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions, in person or at a distance. She has assisted individuals through various transitions; including career change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, and grief work. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor by the National Career Development Association; recognized as a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is certified as a Distance Credentialed Counselor.

Check out her web site at http://www.YourCareerPlan.com. To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential voice message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.

Don't Let an Old Resume Hold You Back

Over the years I have talked to a number of poeple who were considering changing jobs but hesitated, either because they have never created a resume, or because it has been too long since their last one. There are many people who delay looking for a new job or changing careers because they don't feel like they want to deal with creating a resume.

In some respects, basic resume formats are the same as they have been for years, but there are some new types of resumes, particularly the electronic version. Before you worry about that; however, you need to start putting your basic information in writing. You should write down every job you have had in the last 10 - 15 years at least, and write a description of each job, including skills demonstrated, tasks completed, and any tools, technology, or machines used. Also write some statements about accomplishments or achievements in each position held. You will also want to write some statements about what you enjoyed in each job. Also list your education - what level of education you have completed, if you have a degree, your major or focus of courses you completed and/or any job related training you have received. It is also a good idea to write down the skills and traits that you possess that you want to use, that will be beneficial to a potential employer.

Once you have gotten that far, you will need to decide the format you want/need to use. Although there are several different resume formats that are acceptable, it is in your best interest to use the format that you feel best presents your background and demonstrates why employers should be interested in your qualifications. There are many resources available to help with resume updating - books, on-line resources, and people. Your completed resume should be a strong representation of you, but a resume is also a work in progress. If you send out some resumes and don't get the responses you had hoped for, you may want to do some fine-tuning to it. But the important thing is to start on it; once you have some things written down, you can make adjustments, as needed. Another benefit to working on your resume is that reading some of what you have done can give you some ideas about things you enjoyed that you would like to add or continue to have in a work situation; it can also be a teriffic boost to your self-esteem.


Mary Ann Davis, M.A. is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice; providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions in person and at a distance. Her work includes discussions on a variety of life transitions, including career change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, and grief work. She is recognized as a Master Career Counselor by the National Career Development Association; certified as a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor.

Check out her web site at http://www.YourCareerPlan.com. To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.

Updating Your Resume

If you don't have a current resume, whether you are actively pursuing a new work situation or not, you should have one. If you have not updated your resume within the last two years or so, it may be a good idea to do so. Even if you have not changed jobs in the last two years, it is very likely that your work responsibilities have changed. Begin by writing your current responsibilities and any significant accomplishments since you last updated your resume. Write your accomplishments in quantifiable terms, to the extent possible. So you will want to identify ideas or suggestions you made that were implemented, new programs yo initiated, etc. Also write down any savings that resulted, i.e. reduced expenses or increased revenues, etc. include other changes that have taken place, e.g. the number of people you supervise, the budget you handle, etc. Also determine if you have been involved in new activities, professional or community organizations that may be beneficial to include in your resume. Also make note of any work-related training or education you have received or completed since your last update. Think of others things that have been important in your work that may not be apparent or clear on your former resume. Then review your additional information to determine what would be appropriate to include on your new resume - keeping in mind that your resume should be written with your current career goals in ind. If you have a new career direction you plan to pursue, write and revise your resume to fit that direction. If you do not have a plan, just clean up what you have written and add it to your original resume or replace some of the text. If you have several versions of your resume, you may want to label the revised version so you can remember the date you updated it or mark it as "in progress". Even without a new direction in mind, you will have a document that can be adjusted, if needed, when you do have a new direction to pursue. It is usually easier to adjust wording than to create new phrases. etc. Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice providing career coaching and counseling for life's transitions. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Check out her Web site at http://www.YourCareerPlan.com. To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.

More Thoughts on Expanding Your Vision of Your Future

Life transitions include a variety of situations and circumstances, many of which do not involve job or career change. Think of the transitions you have experienced in the last 5 to 10 years or more. For most of us, as we mature, the transitions begin to add up. Perhaps you are trying to cope with your first, last, or only child going off to college or to kindergarten; or you celebrated your 40th birthday, or you are approaching retirement. For others, the transition was triggered by the loss of a loved one or a relationship. Other people are thrust into a transition because of a non-event - something they thought would happen that didn't. All of these transitions are part of life and coping with them often requires an adjustment of our perspective of life and our view of how things 'should be'. Some transitions that are the result of a very painful event may require more emotional strength, effort, and time to cope with the resulting changes. Even transitions that are happy events, such as your son or daughter getting married, may still require some time to adjust to your new living arrangements and the changes that result. If you can find something to turn your attention to, that may help you put the thoughts of your loss aside, even if for just a little while. Focusing on something outside of your routine or learning something new can also help. There is nothing that truly can replace your feelings of loss, but they should decrease - over time. Soon you will have created a 'new routine'. If you have experienced life transitions that have made it difficult for you to get your life back together, you may choose to seek assistance to help you regain your perspective. By appreciating today you can begin to regain your footing. By expanding your vision of your future, you may find meaning and be able to create a new view of your life. Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice providing career coaching and counseling for life's transitions. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Check out her Web site at http://www.YourCareerPlan.com. To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.

Resolving a New Job

We are fast approaching the end of another year and this may be the time you make your New Year's resolutions. Many people would like to change jobs or do different work in 2008. If you are sharing those thoughts, now is a good time to write out what you resolve to achieve in the new year.

So spend some time thinking about what it is that you would like to change. If you feel you need to change the tasks you do on a regular basis, you should consider what else you could do for the same employer. If you believe that you want to continue with the tasks you do, but need to change the environment in which you do it, you probably also need to look outside your current organization. You are definitely not alone in your thinking. Before you take any action, I encourage you to make a plan for the change you would like to implement.

Write a goal statement - explaining what your new situation will include - in as much detail as possible. Your goal should be something that is doable, even if it requires some stretching, or learning new skills, or acquiring new knowledge. Include a time frame by which you will accomplish it. This is where some people lose motivation - they look at their goal and figure they will never be able to find time to accomplish it while they are working full time.

It helps to write out your objectives or the steps that you will take to move you closer to achieving your goal. You should also include time frames for your objectives. Many people find they need to break some of their objectives into small, bite-size pieces of things they can do when they have just 15 or 20 minutes to devote to something on their goal to-do list. By having those small pieces identified already, it will make it easier to actually accomplish one of them when you have those few minutes to work on your goal.

Create some type of method to keep track of the objectives as you achieve them - or if you need to make adjustments to them. It can be a simple list with your overall goal as the title and each objective identified by a different letter. That way, each smaller step for each objective can be numbered, perhaps in the order they should be completed. For example, if you are planning a job search, you will need a resume and brush up on your interviewing skills, among other things. So, the resume might be objective B. Then finding your current resume would be item B1. Revising that resume would be item B2; typing the revised version would be B3, and so forth. Some people will create flow charts or something with graphics, showing how they will get from here to there. The format does not matter, what matters is that you create your plan and have it written out in some readable form.

It is generally helpful to have a plan that can help you keep on track toward accomplishing your goal. By writing it out, you can become clearer in what you need to do. Besides, as long as it is just in your head, it is not a real plan, but a dream. You can plan now to make 2008 great!

Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice providing career coaching and counseling for life's transitions. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Check out her web site at http://www.YourCareerPlan.com. To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.

Do You Find It Hard To Make A Career Decision?

Some of the people I work with say they find it hard to make a career decision because they have so many career dreams. Some of them find themselves thinking there are so many things they could do that they don't want to eliminate any of their options. If this is your situation, I urge you to keep in mind that, depending on your age, you may have a few, or several, more opportunities to make career changes. Just because you decide on one direction today, that does not necessarily mean that all of your other career possibilities will be gone forever.

Research indicates that more people are changing jobs every 3 to 4 years. Of course, not everyone will fit that statistic, but the average person will probably work in as many as eight (8) to ten (10) jobs during their lifetime. The basic idea is that you will likely make several more job changes. So, although each decision about a job or career change should be well considered, you will likely have more opportunities to make those kinds of decisions.

Generally, career management begins with knowing yourself - the things that interest you, the skills you possess, the work values that are important to you, and other personal factors. Most people also need to expand their knowledge of the world of work, or at least have information about the occupations they are considering. Look for areas where the skills, values, etc. you possess are required by the occupation(s) you are considering. There are no guarantees, but the more knowledgeable you are, as you make your decisions, the more likely they are to be sound decisions that you can easily live with.

Mary Ann Davis, is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice providing career coaching and counseling for life's transitions. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC).

Check out her Web site at http://www.YourCareerPlan.com. To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.

Are You Stuck?

If you feel you are stuck in your job because there is nothing else you could do, I encourage you to put on your creative cap and think about different things you could do. Start by making a list of activities you have done that you enjoyed. These could be things from your work life, community or church activities, or other aspects of your personal life. If you feel your job has changed over time and you no longer enjoy most of the tasks you do, also list the previous tasks you did that you enjoyed. Spend some time creating your list, and then begin identifying the common themes in the activities you identified. Does it include planning the project, creating something, helping people, etc.? Review that information to get ideas about activities that you may want to include in your new work situation. Then work on creating a list of career possibilities that would include your preferred activities. Include all careers you can think of - even if they are not your most attractive options. Just knowing that you have options can help you expand the list of possibilities for serious consideration. Once you have narrowed your list of possible career directions, you may need to do some checking to find out what the actual requirements are for each option, skills needed, values that may be met in that type of work, and other important factors. Then you can eliminate any options that would require more preparation than you are willing/able to undertake. Work through your remaining list to prioritize the potential career directions you have identified and develop your plan to achieve that career or occupational situation. Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice providing career coaching and counseling for life's transitions. She is recognized as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor. Check out her web site at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/. To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.