Managing An Unexpected Career Change
If you are one of the millions of people who get an unexpected pink slip, the fact that you are
getting laid off can be terrifying. It doesn’t have to be that way, but many people don’t prepare
themselves for the eventuality of a career change and prefer instead to coast through life. When
market forces or a major illness interrupt their career, they may have no idea how to start a new
career. Let’s be clear, you can switch into another career quickly, but not if you don’t plan your
strategies way ahead of time. Once the emergency hits, you won’t have the calm head required
to look at all your options objectively. So, don’t wait until something happens to force you out of
your career, be proactive and start looking at ways to manage a potential career change even if
your job seems as secure as the rock of Gibraltar.
In this career planner, several different strategies will be discussed that can help you make a
successful career change in a week, should the unexpected arise. They are the foundation for
making a smooth transition. Each of these strategies may take time to settle in and that is why
you need to do them before you actually attempt to switch careers. You want to lay the
foundation and be prepared, just like you would if a hurricane were getting ready to strike your
town. Don’t expect the government forces to be able to reach your door to help you, in that
event. Similarly, in a situation where the economy is shaken, you may have fewer federal
resources available. Do check them out, but also prepare to take control of your own life.
Some of the items to be discussed will seem like common sense to you. They are. There is no
magic bullet that makes one suddenly qualified for a new position at just the right time. It takes a
common sense approach and the ability to plan and strategize for all contingencies. It starts with
a willingness to be realistically appraise your own skills and the determination to do the hard
work to make your own future secure, without relying on chance or fate. So, the advice given
here can help you whether you are laid off or whether you are making a leap into selfemployment.
If you have the strategies in place when the time comes to quit your job or leave, then you can
utilize the seven day plan to keep you on the right road to future income. It can give you a
feeling of security in rough times and it can help to motivate you. The worst thing that can
happen when you are suddenly without work is that you decide to take it easy for a while. That
is not the time to take it easy, that’s the time to take out your plan and focus on some strategies
