A New Alliance— Don’t fight it, Ignite it!

The Global Pandemic is awful, but it doesn’t have to be total gloom. The moment calls for us all to learn, purge, reemerge, connect, and step into different roles. This piece is to help job searchers or the otherwise restless in my network to move forward— Be it by furlough, choice, or just the universe telling you that it is time, or two of the three in my case.

I was furloughed on July 23, 2020 for the first time in my career. Hello gig economy during the Global Pandemic, goodbye benefits and work I loved! It was a shock, but, as you will read, it resulted in a career upgrade and a new challenge.

No one is immune; Be ready

I am an optimist at heart, always have been. It is not blind optimism; it is a choice to believe in the abundance of the world and to free my mind from the limits and false constructs of the past. My friend Ginny is fond of saying, “The 20th Century is over.” True, in fact, it has been over for 20 years now, so why are we not evolving our mindsets, institutions, or job search approach to meet the times? Much of the strife in the world today stems from resistance to change.

I have a laptop, a wealth of experience, and meaningful connections- So do you!

Thanks to a former client and friend of over 12 years, I was able to do some strategic consulting in areas I love—Sales, HR, and training. This collaboration has given me the ability to stretch my professional experience to include working directly on the business, not just in it. Thank you, friends in Canada and Switzerland!

Move fast

At 1:00PM I was furloughed. By 1:15PM I had shut down my work laptop and plugged in the new one I had bought for my consulting gig and went immediately to work at my new job—finding a full-time job I wanted.

I broke taboo myths of the Twentieth Century; I enthusiastically announced the furlough on all social channels, including LinkedIn, and immediately outlined a plan to communicate what I was looking for in my next role. I knew this would be hard and would take more time than usual, so I broke all the norms.

Your network is your net worth -Porter Gale

I immediately scheduled calls with former colleagues, clients, my mentor, and other key leaders in Learning and Development to discuss their preferred partners and vendors. Those conversations culminated in many introductions and some major industry insights and ideas that will guide my approach with clients moving forward.

70% of workers get jobs from referrals

The week prior to furlough, I had received a couple LinkedIn messages from trusted people in my network about opportunities even before my full-time search. I had placed them on the back burner, but quickly moved them to the front, reached out, and applied. I set up four interviews in my first full week off the job. A former colleague made the introduction that would result in my next play! Thank you!

Here are some tips for my esteemed network should you find yourself in the same situation:

Ditch wrong thinking about the past: I wrote out my frustrations, read them aloud, and then threw them away along with any bad feelings associated. I examined more closely the most recent experiences with others, processed them, addressed them, and then put them all in the past where they belong.

Address what happened head on. Do not sugar coat, make excuses, or wonder “what if” when this happens. Replace blame with curiosity, be open to how you can improve your approach moving forward and identify how and where you want to work.

Focus on what is next. Change is good. It is not easy, but it is good, really good. Keep your eyes on the prize.

Help others along the way. I learned from my fellow furloughs that the generosity of sharing your ideas, knowledge, and job search work helps everyone involved. Give back to others and they will never forget that. Sunjay and Kathy, thank you!

Take note of who reached out. These are your true allies. Thank them, help them, and love them. The others are probably in too much pain or shock themselves to help you—have compassion and love them anyway.

Form your personal Executive Committee (ExCo) My mentor holds me accountable; my best friends lift me up, my network teaches me, my closest allies are very much a critical part of my search. Tell them what you need, want, and the approach you are taking. Let them help.

Make room for your “next play” by refreshing your business acumen, your technology, and your workspace and your next chapter will be a better one with new opportunities to grow and new people to cherish. I purged clutter (digital and physical), re-read books I love, and watched way too many TED Talks. These things helped me forward, remain calm, recharge, and grow.

On Monday, August 31st 2020, I started my new role at The Ariel Group as VP, Global Clients. To say that I am thrilled would be putting it lightly. I love collaborating with this ensemble of experts in Learning. We help people write, speak, and engage with emotional intelligence and impact—whether they are presenting to a group, sending an email, coaching a direct report, or responding to a client’s needs.

Please reach out and connect so we can collaborate!