Greetings and welcome to Overcome Job Loss. Thank you for enrolling. Throughout this course module, we will discuss key information that is essential to making a successful career transition and landing a great new job. At times, some of the information may seem obvious and other times, what we discuss may seem intimidating. Just know that each item we discuss is an essential step toward achieving career satisfaction. The bottom line is we are here to help you in your time of need.
Odds are, if you are taking this course, you have either just lost your job, recently lost your job or you are worried you are about to lose your job. No matter which of these circumstances you find yourself in, you can triumph in the face of adversity. Yes, you can land a job in even the toughest economy.
Everything happens for a reason and you will succeed
You are now free to live life to the fullest and to find joy in your work. You are now free to find… not just any job… not just a pay check… but… a great job that you can really enjoy and where you can thrive. This course is here to impart to you the critical success factors that will help you in your time of need.
Ignore the news... employers are still hiring
At most any given moment, thousands of employers are hiring people. At times, you may not know that from watching the news. But, it is true, companies are hiring. There is always employee turnover. Every day people are quitting and retiring. Every day there are companies out there expanding and opening new plants and locations. Try to ignore the headlines you see in the newspapers and on TV. Those headlines typically only present one side of the story, the sensational side.
If you follow the road map outlined in this course module, you will succeed. Yes, unemployment may be historically high. Yes, the headlines in the media are often negative. But, let’s separate the facts from media perception. First of all, let's say the unemployment rate is around 10%. For anyone unemployed, this is awful. However, at 10% unemployment, that still means that there is 90% employment. In school, if you scored a 90 on a test, you got an A.
But wait a minute. How can the economy be scoring a grade of an A when often all we see is doom and gloom? Every day we get bombarded with negativity. When you pay attention to the negativity in the news it can be downright depressing. A key to your success will be tuning out as much negative noise as you can.
Headlines do not have to be your reality
Just because a newspaper has a big headline saying ABC Company laid off 500 people doesn't mean that it has to be your reality. What about the 2,000 small businesses that hired somebody that same day? The problem is most of the news we get is a one-way street of negativity. Think about it for a minute. Remember the last time you watched your local news on TV. Maybe it was last night. Of the 30 minutes of news, how much of that news was devoted to something positive?
If your local TV news is like most, maybe only 30 seconds to 7 minutes are devoted to something positive. Typically, the local news starts out with a murder, a shooting or something else horrific. If there isn't a murder or a major crime being reported, then it is some sort of disease like Mad Cow or Swine Flu. It seems the only time something positive is reported in the local news is often in the final 30-second segment right at the end of the broadcast.
News programs are rarely upbeat and positive
Maybe, if it happens to be a good day, a local sports team will win or the weather may be nice. If it is a super good day where the local sports teams win, the weather is great, and there is a “feel good” segment at the end of the news, then maybe, at best, there would be 7 minutes of positive news out of a 30-minute newscast. But that is the best-case scenario. In most cases, you are lucky to see two minutes of “feel good” news in a typical broadcast.
Why spend so much time talking about the news in a job search course? It is important to discuss the negativity that surrounds us to keep things in perspective. It does not have to be your reality. After all, unfortunately, it is negative news that sells. Consequently, it is important to ignore as much of the news as you can because negativity will only serve to sabotage your efforts. Sure, it is important to stay abreast of key information, but use a very strong filter.
The next time you see a negative headline that states XYZ Corporation just fired 1,000 workers, remember you are only getting one side of the story. Try not to focus on the 1,000 workers that were fired. Instead, concentrate on the fact that more than 90% of America is working! Being depressed and negative will only hurt your chances of success. There are thousands of employers in any given moment hiring. This course module is here to help you succeed.
Case study:
Jim was downright depressed when he lost his job as a corporate trainer for a pharmaceutical company. He was 49 years old and worried he wouldn't be able to find another job. After all, he lost his job when all of the headlines showed doom and gloom.
While Jim didn't love his previous job, it was a job. He really did not like the job because he had taken a pay cut to get that job and the commute was terrible. His quality of life really suffered. But, after all, it was a job... so he thought.
Well, as it turns out losing that job was a huge blessing. In less than a month, using the techniques you'll learn throughout this curriculum, Jim got a great new job paying over $20,000 more in salary than his previous job. Plus, his commute to and from work was cut in half, as the job was much closer to his home. Perhaps, best of all, is he really liked his new co-workers and enjoyed the new position.
Getting laid off turned out to be a huge blessing for Jim. He found a better job, paying more money, and it was much closer to home. As a result, his quality of life greatly improved. He was finally happy in his job.
Losing your job allows you the opportunity for a fresh start
Look at this time in your life as a blessing. Just like with Jim in the cased study above, this is now your opportunity to a fresh start. This is your chance to get the most out of life. This is now your opportunity to land a great job that you can truly enjoy. You can even earn more than every before and have the best quality of life imaginable. The choice is yours. When you set high goals for yourself, even if you fall short, you will be better off than aiming low.
Shoot for the stars, aim high, keep your spiritis high and land a great job! We are here to help you succeed.