Jobs, Transition, Stress... oh my!

In our Career Stimulus Program at Harper College we offer sessions on dealing with stress. Also through the college, WIA (The Workforce Investment Act) offers job seekers basic job skills training and they also offer training on dealing with stress during job transition. With all the stress in the world today more and more folks should avail themselves of the opportunity to attend stress reduction workshops.

Scientists, doctors and medical researchers tell us that stress is a killer. In the least severe cases, stress exacerbates conditions ranging from high blood pressure to gum disease. At a business level it adds to loss in productivity and quality. Stress on the job causes pressures resulting in all kinds of interpersonal issues. Stress may also have added to the problems between the President and the Speaker of the House over the President’s Jobs Speech after Labor Day. (Or that could have been nastiness and stupidity.)

Regardless of where you sit on the debate between the kickoff of the NFL season, televised Republican Presidential Debates and a Presidential Speech addressing the number one issue facing every working American, stress is a reality for every human being, especially those looking for their next job. It must be dealt with.  One would be hard pressed to list all the different manifestations of stress facing America’s unemployed. The BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) reported for August that 9.1% or 14,000,000 people were unemployed in America. Of those, 6 million are considered long term unemployed (27+ weeks). This doesn’t count the 2.6 million people considered marginal or discouraged workers. That is almost 17 million people with stress, anxiety, and a host of emotional issues affecting our communities, cities, states and country.

Just to paint the picture even more pragmatically, there are countless millions of folks that have jobs, but are sitting on pins and needles in fear of losing those jobs. 0.4 million people became “involuntary part-time workers” due to economic reasons in August. Economic reasons are defined here as due to hours being cut or the inability for find full-time work. Stress in America is probably best experienced on the morning and afternoon commute throughout America. As I drive to work, I’m amazed that there aren’t thousands more accidents each and every day.

Enough of the realities, what can we do about it? Love and laugh more. Love your family more, focus on what they represent to you. Love yourself more; last week we talked about this. Change your self-talk. Change the way you think about yourself. How do you do  that? Laugh more, seriously... it is nearly impossible to laugh for 15 seconds and be stressed. In fact, the effects of 15 seconds of good ‘ol belly laughing will in fact last as long as an hour or more. How do you laugh? The easy way is humor, jokes and comedy. I love watching stand-up comedy. Ellen Degeneres cracks me up. Bill Cosby is a very funny fellow. The Daily Show or Jay Leno make people who can stay up that late laugh. Jokes.com and jokeoftheday.com are great Internet sites that make my friend Conor Cunneen laugh. He even recommends going to these sites just prior to a phone interview, “...it keeps a smile on your face, Tommy me lad,” he says to me.

So this post all comes down to this: “Squash Stress, Laugh!”

Help Congress Help

Recently President Obama signed an extension for unemployment benefits. Some members of Congress voiced their concern that some unemployed people might be taking advantage of the system and not actually looking for work. I recently saw a statistic that  unemployed folks ages 46 to 50 average 14 months in transition between jobs. People ages 56 to 60 averaged  an even longer 22 months between jobs. These are averages, so some people will experience a far longer time without gainful employment.

I know too many people that want to be working and cannot find a job. Many don’t have any unemployment benefits to help support their basic living expenses while looking for work. They are forced to “dip” into their IRAs and 401Ks in order to make ends meet. These folks have cut back to the barest minimum and are forced to take money out of their retirement. On top of this, they’re slapped with a 10% penalty when they can least afford it.

I commend Congress for helping many by doling out money from working tax payers. Another opportunity to help even more people with little cost to the tax payer would be to withdraw the 10% penalty for deserving long term unemployed people. This penalty was meant as a deterrent, but is now a burden on people with fading hope and burdened with mounting bills and living expenses.

I suggested this idea to my congresswomen in 2003 where I received no response to my letter or emails.  Maybe instead of "talking" about  jobs being her number one concern, Congress could create legislation to ease hardworking people’s burden by allowing them access to savings without an additional 10% punishment.

If you agree, call your Representative in Congress and remind them the unemployed are people. Let your Senator know that they need to support this kind of no nonsense legislation. Let our elected officials know that 15 million people in job transition this is a voting block too big to ignore in 2010.

Myths, Conventional Wisdom and Other Rationalizations

   In "5 Career Myths Busted" Maria Hanson of LiveCareer discusses five different myths that conventional wisdom teaches, which are absolutely false... unless you make them true by believing them. Human beings create self-fulfilling prophecies by accepting something erroneous because it speaks to our deepest fears. Here are the myths that Maria Hanson addresses:

• Myth #1: I can't get a job without experience.
• Myth #2: All that most workers care about is their salary.
• Myth #3: It's too late to change careers.
• Myth #4: Multitasking is the most efficient way to work.
• Myth #5: Without close supervision, most workers will get away with whatever they can.

   I want to comment about myths one and three. If you find yourself in transition or even just starting out from college Myth #1 is a statement that everyone feels must be true. Someone experiencing difficulty finding a job will state this myth and then say, "It's a real Catch-22" referring to the Joseph Heller novel. If you hear someone say this to you, feel free to hold them accountable by asking the question, "If that is true why isn't there 100% unemployment?" The trouble is if someone is holding on to this myth as a rationalization for not landing a job, what real reason are they missing?  Something that is in their power to change is going unnoticed.

   Myth #3 is a similar kind of rationalization that people use to stay stuck. I'm too old, or it's too late. I've changed careers three times in my life, maybe four depending how you count the career I am in now. Again if this myth is true no mother who raised her children could ever work again outside the home. It may take some additional formal education or training program, but people do it every day. Actually for my clients that are burned out from their most recent job, the prospect of changing careers is an exciting opportunity.

   Here is where attitude comes into the equation. Having a positive, enthusiastic attitude with a certain amount of patience will make all the difference. We all have "transferable skills." These are the skills that are required to be successful in various different careers. Project management is one of these skills sets. I cannot think of an occupation that does not require some level of project management. What is incumbent on the career changer is communicating how the transferable skill is the hard part and the specifics of the new field can be learned quickly.

   Not everyone will buy that argument. People want to believe that their field or industry is unique and I don't blame them: we all want to feel special. The health industry says no to many applicants because, "You don't have any health care industry experience." Yet, with a little learning and taking the time and effort to establish a relationship with people in the field you can move into a new industry. Building and growing relationships are really important. Reaching out to folks asking to meet for an "informational" or courtesy interview is key.

   As people with hiring authority get to know you and what you bring to the table you'll make the connections that will land you a job. This is true for your first job or if you are changing careers.