Turning Setback Into Opportunity

July 20, 2009 | Category: Career

You know the saying: Every cloud has a silver lining. Not everyone can see that slim sliver of hope, but it is usually there, visible only to those who can look beyond the immediate disappointment to see the possibilities lying beneath.

Even in a job market that is losing over 500,000 jobs a month, there are employers that are hiring and people who unemployed that are returning to work. If you are unemployed or worried that you might lose your job, there are practical steps you can take today to turn your setback into an opportunity.

1 - Career Self-Assessment
Have/Had you been working in a job that you found enjoyable and fulfilling? Does/Did it have advancement potential and provide you with a ‘living wage’? If you answer No to any of these questions, take a few minutes to complete a career self-assessment, such as those offered at Career Compass and JOBehaviors.

2 - Determine Your Local “Growth Jobs”
Do you know what jobs are growing in your area? At Career Voyagers, you will be able to find growth occupations listed by state. Other resources that help you identify local growth jobs are your State Labor/Economic Development Offices or your local Workforce Investment Boards.

3 - Upgrade Your Skills
As you’re assessing your interests and options, ask yourself if you need additional education or job training. You may qualify for a Pell grant for classes at a local community college or you may be eligible for free training offered by a One-Stop Career Center or local Goodwill.

4 - Update Your Resume and Prepare for Interviews
Free assistance with resume writing, job search techniques, and interviewing skills are often available at Goodwill career centers and One Stop Career Centers. If you haven’t been in the job market for a while, take advantage of these free resources.

5 - Get Your Boots On and Pound the Pavement
Don’t let unemployment get the better of you - make a daily job search schedule, set goals for the number of resumes and job applications you will complete each week, regularly visit you local career center, and don’t give up!

Visit the Career One Stop for more ideas on how to get back to work.

Tags: Tips and Advice

3 comments
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Felicia Cohron December 29, 2009 1:10 pm
I want to see the silver lining, I really do. But I have 2 kids aready on assistance that I can’t afford. I know that there is a reason for everything, and God will provide for those who are according to my last employer, not like me. I have a past that is not so great, and a mood disorder that gets me into trouble. It is just to hard for me to see a possitive. The only good I have is God and my 2 kids.

[Reply]
Kelley Reply:
January 15th, 2010 at 5:03 pm
Felicia, never give up. I know how you feel, but God tells us to persevere…his word is that he will never leave us or forsake us. I am going through some of the same things you are, it is hard…some days I don’t even think there is a reason to get out of bed. Then I remember how much God loves me and how much he needs me to suceed. Most importantly, I remember that the enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy…I let him do enough of that stuff to me, I refuse to give him anything else. God gives us obstacles in proportion to the amount of people he expects us to help when we overcome. So if your obstacles are huge now, God must have really big plans for your future. Keep going sister, being a disciple isn’t suppose to be easy…but the rewards are eternal.

[Reply]
Sarah Reply:
January 29th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
Thank you so very much I personally really needed to hear that message, ad you to be encouraged, because bright is your future in blessing others with your message from God, now watch what God do for you in time to come, time and chance happens to us all in the right place at the right time, their are brighter days ahead. keep the faith.

[Reply]

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