Lehman put you out of a Job? Alternate Avenues
Photo Credit: Bert Van Dijk @Flickr
From my last post, I discussed how NPOs are suffering under the plight of our current financial meltdown. With thousands of people affected by the bankruptcies, mergers and buyouts, it seems like a bleak economy may be here to stay.
Overall, a job loss is not the end of the world. It may seem like it for a little while, but there’s no need to grow resentful, get angry , place blame or feel like it is some weird “karmic revenge” (it won’t change the fact that you don’t have a job now).
This is why it is more important than ever to use the current crisis as motivation for a serious life change. If anything, those who find themselves out of work may find it useful to do one of the following things:
1. Embark on a 180 degree career change.
A career in finance is no longer (if it should have ever been) the safe path. As you know the old saying, “What comes up, must come down.” The financial mega-boom of 2005 is gone and we’re currently suffering the consequences of the corporate financial and credit largesse (actually, greed).
The unfortunate thousands who find themselves laid off, down-sized, or whatever should take some (quick) soul searching and try entering a career that is the complete opposite of where they’ve been.
Read: this does not mean you go from being an I-banker to a receptionist.
Specifically, this only means that it would be a good idea to focus your new career path towards different types of jobs than the one you had before. Consulting is still chic and entrepreneurship is all the rage.
There are a host of opportunities. Also, if anything, be innovative – after all, you might just like it.
2. Volunteer – it’s not just working for free.
Volunteer work is not always handing out food at soup kitchens (although, that’s wonderful endeavor in itself). You can put skills that you have (or didn’t know you had) to work. For example, volunteering can range from providing pro bono financial advice to fledgling nonprofits (and goodness knows they will need it!), helping social outreach programs reach fundraising goals or counseling teenage runaways.
Brainstorm about various causes you’ve been interested in, once you have a few ideas, begin researching organizations dedicated to those endeavors. Additionally, volunteering is a great way to network and meet people with similar interests and share a belief in fighting for a common cause.
Don’t forget, NPOs love volunteers, just check out the web if you come up blank – you’ll get some inspiration here.
3. Be lost for a while
It’s perfectly okay.
It’s not everyday that you find yourself yanked from your daily livelihood along with 25,000 other people. Take some time (but not too much) to mourn your job loss. There’s nothing like a good cry (yeah, you too guys).
Go out, get drunk, celebrate being jobless (yes, you read that correctly), write a list of things that made your job not so great in the first place, hang out with friends – do whatever you want.
The best thing you can do for yourself is take your mind off the traumatic loss. Losing one’s job (and this goes for those who’ve been fired) is sometimes beyond anyone’s control. A set of events beyond your grasp were set into motion that got you where you are now.
This does not to mean you are powerless and subject to the whims of the mysterious fates, it means that you should feel emboldened to try things a new way, take off the blinders and discover even more about yourself.
Being lost only leads to finding yourself again.
