The Battlefield of Unemployment

At various points in the year I have felt like a medic on a battlefield. As I went from stretcher to stretcher there seemed to be no end of newly wounded bodies. Some carried bankers boxes filled with decades of memories, and others had simply grabbed whatever they could. There were the brave, the defiant and terrified all in need of assistance.

Being enlisted to the ranks of unemployment is not something to which many aspire. Yet, in this latest war, there is no age limit or neutral zone. Among the wounded are veterans who gave 20 and 30 years of service to a company and those who barely graduated basic training.

The data and statistics suggest that while progress has been made, this war is not over. Yet, there is hope.

From my position on the front lines, I have seen the good, bad and ugly. I have watched the most critical cases rise up and create a brand new future. I have celebrated as many have gone from bewildered to action oriented overcomers. It has validated what I have known for years, in the employment battle, you alone decide your fate. There is no wound from which you cannot heal.

Whether you have been fired, laid off, reorganized or retired, you can work again.  I am not at all devaluing the impact of our current economic crisis nor ignoring the effect of unemployment on you, your family or your finances. However, you have the choice to focus on the problem or work toward a solution. The choice is and always has been yours to make.

• Evaluate your skills, those obtained through work and life experience. This will help you as you develop your marketing proposition and in your research of potential opportunities. Don’t keep it in your head and trust that you’ll know, write it down.
• Assess how you can leverage your unique offering in the market. Remember that no other person on earth has exactly what you have to offer.
• Don’t struggle alone. Join (or form) a job club, or find a career professional. Having trusted mentors or advisors can benefit you with information, resources and a sounding board for your search strategy.
• You are not a victim. Get over the notion that this was “done to you.” Review the experience and learn from it. Mourn the loss of and then by all means move on.
• Hire yourself.  Assuming that you were a responsible employee, you got up every day and did your job, often when you really did not feel like it. You were accountable for your actions, and you managed your workload. Put that same drive, commitment and action to use to find your next opportunity.

No one likes involuntary unemployment but it is certainly not the final word on your career or life. This is not the first economic downturn and it will not be the last but you can survive, even thrive with the right arsenal and attitude.