Quitting Without a Plan
I’ve been hit lately with lots of people looking for a job — needing help with finetuning a resume or actually securing leads. One gal was among the last to quit her job out of a string of other employees that left the company. Says a lot about the management of the company - doesn’t it? But, this gal’s departure was probably expected and somewhat prompted by the management just to “clean house” once they realized they had a “walk out” in progress.
Smart, but disillusioned, angry, and out of focus, this gal is still struggling to find her “next step.” She had planned her “escape,” but didn’t consider that she might be parting sooner rather than later. She hadn’t either begun her “plan” or didn’t realize she needed one before she was already on her way out the door. This was a case where new owners presented a management style that was diverse from the previous owners’ management style. The previous owners had total loyalty and buy-in from their staff — hence the progressive walk-out when older staff didn’t agree with the new owners. Without time to formulate a good plan - she did what everyone does in a situation like this — she had a knee-jerk reaction — she decided to look for a change. She wanted to put this experience completely away from her. I fault no one who feels the need for a career change, but like anything this “big” in your life — it does require a plan.
Most people don’t think to plan their job hunt well ahead– they just throw the resume out there and see where it lands. They go “job fishing” versus “job hunting.” I’m too much of a control freak to leave something that important up to the “job gods.” I’m not saying spontaneous networking might not produce a dream job or that checking the want ads might not get you the kind of job you wish — but putting a little effort into planning your “objective” based on what you know you need (and don’t need) in an employment situation is a good first step in creating a plan. And creating a plan helps the mental and emotional process — whether you’ve been couch sitting for a while or are departing a long-held position. It is a positive step.
Here’s more advice: once an objective is in place — then get some help in preparing a professional-looking resume. Another pair of eyes will make a world of difference. Now you can work on getting some leads using people from your network who either are decision-makers or have connections to decision-makers within the industry or occupational field of your “objective.” If you are currently employed — work them quietly and carefully. Do everything in your power to give yourself plenty of lead time to make a career transition and try your best not to burn a bridge upon your departure. Should that happen — don’t bring it up — don’t talk about it out in public. Should you find yourself suddenly without job — don’t be seen in public angry — or like the rug just got ripped out from under you. Don’t let yourself look like you are on a long vacation. Look impressive — own yourself — step above any issues from the past — learn from it and let it go — be and look professional like you are ready to walk into the right position at a moment’s notice. Keep your resumes with you. Assume even casual conversations could, in fact, be preliminary interviews. I have had it happen with myself and clients. Hopefully, you won’t find yourself in a forced job-hunting situation, but now you know that the first order of business is to create a plan.
Tags: career change, fired, giving notice, job hunting, laid off, quitting a job, resignation, resigning, resume writing
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