Losing a job certainly does a number on ones self esteem.  It forces you to question your worth and your value.  There is something about being told that your services are no longer needed that causes you to forget all the great things you have done in your career.  Now at a time when you need to project confidence and self assurance as a job seeker, you find yourself questioning what you can offer another employer and wondering if anyone will ever want you again.  During this time of job search when your biggest asset is your ability to talk about your accomplishments, you are quick to dismiss your successes.  Loss of confidence can disable a job search because it immobilizes you and holds you back from meeting new people, picking up the phone or even trying.  Learning how to recover from a lay off is being able to put it in the past and not have it impact your future.  We all have had successes and set backs in our careers.  The question is which will you let define you?

“I love my job, I don’t need to develop my career” said an employee that recently participated in a career development seminar I taught.  She mistakenly thought that because she was satisfied, a good performer and had no plans for advancement this seminar was not for her.  She thought career development was only for those whose had aspirations of advancement or who were discontent in their work.  What she didn’t realize was that the biggest mistake she could make was becoming complacent in her job.  With the ever changing world of work the skills necessary to do a job can also be ever changing.  Even if the job title doesn’t change, often the skills required or the responsibilities change over time.  Employers need a nimble workforce to stay competitive and that boils down to employees keeping their skills sharp.  It also means anticipating how the job might change in the future.  When a job changes due to the changing need of the business yet the employee’s skills remain stagnant it forms a skill gap.  An active career development plan is intended to address these gaps.  Career development is necessary for even those who love their job, to allow them to stay sharp, and continue to be a valuable contributor to the company.

I have a secret to share with anyone who manages employees.  It comes from all the dissatisfied employees that covertly come into our office wanting to map out their exit strategy.  Before I can wholeheartedly endorse bolting from a seemingly bad job situation, I try to get the root of the problem.  Most often it boils down to either the actual job, the manager or the culture.

When discord with the manager is at the core of an employees dissatisfaction, often there are a few simple things managers can do to regain an employee’s allegiance.  The following tips all fall under the overarching theme of communication.

1. Set clear expectations.  It is not uncommon that employees don’t know what is expected of them, how it aligns with bigger business objectives and what success looks like.  Employees view this as an absence in leadership.

2. Regular feedback.  This includes favorable and unfavorable feedback.  Often employees state that they had no idea if they were in line with objectives until too many things piled up and ultimately came crashing down.  Good managers communicate often, openly and honestly.

3. Be accessible and available.  This starts with being approachable.  Managers should create an environment and dynamic that allows an employee to feel comfortable approaching you with questions and concerns.  I hear too often from dissatisfied employees, “my manager is never around or never has time for me”.  Taking and making the time for employees goes a long way in employee retention and satisfaction.

The job market continues to show promise.  Professionals who are proactively managing their careers are seeing that they have options.  Sharing these secrets and offering these simple tips to manager will hopefully help both employee and manager alike.

Quiting a job, especially without having another job in hand can be frightening and seem impossible given our various financial obligations.  But there comes a time when enough is enough and the trade off of staying in a poor work situation outweigh leaving.  Many people would argue that they can’t leave, I often argue that there are always options.  If a work environment has become toxic or abusive or you are starting to feel the cumulative effects of stress, it is time to take pause and pay attention.  If you find that you dread Sunday nights or you are so burnt out and tired that your off time is spent strictly recovering, it is time to consider other options.  Ask yourself are you willing to trade health, well being, family and relationships for a poor work situation?  Is the pay check worth these trade offs?  Remember there are other jobs.  People will stick with toxic jobs,  the “devil they know” even if they know it is killing them.  I say you don’t have to.  The job market is improving, there are other options.  The first step can be scary and often people don’t even know where to start.  They may think, who has time to job search when my current job is sucking all my time and energy?  The secret is first to believe that better jobs exists, second is to create a plan that acts as your exit plan and road map to something new, and lastly use an objective professional to provide support and help you stay on track.