1. Career Transition

Transitions are changes which may be expected or unexpected, good or bad, that can unsettle our lives. Losing a job is a life-changing experience that takes us on the road to transition. Realize you are not alone and it is normal to feel an array of emotions throughout this transition process. The following are some thoughts on how to deal with the changes you are currently experiencing.

William Bridges, author of the book, The Way of Transitions: Embracing Life’s Most Difficult Moments, believes that individuals go through a process when faced with change. He believes that change happens to everyone, and in order to successfully come through the change, each person must pass through the transitional process. He identified three stages an individual goes through when coping with change: The Ending, The Neutral Zone and The Beginning.

The Transition Process:

The Ending:

• This is the time you realize things have changed. You are saying goodbye to the old way of life. You may find it hard to focus on anything.

• At times you may feel relief that the uncertainty is over, even some joy and happiness, and then the next minute feel confused and sad. You may try to minimize the impact of what happened and start to feel numbness and shock.

• You may even deny what has actually happened. Then fear, anger and sadness can step in and you truly begin to feel the impact of what has happened.

What can you expect to feel during this career transition process?

• You may find it difficult to say good-bye. It may be especially difficult, when the circumstances creating the change are beyond your control.

• While change is a natural part of life, any unexpected change may bring about the feelings of loss and grief.

• It is a normal part of the transition process to experience any or all of these feelings.

Where are you in the Transition Process?

Take a moment to reflect on your thoughts and feelings about your current circumstances. What was your first reaction when you heard the news?

Are you experiencing feelings of (circle one or more):

Anger? Sadness? Shock? Elation/Joy? Depression?

These feelings are normal during the transition process. Exercise may be helpful for working out any feelings of anger. Talking to someone about your feelings can help address your feelings of sadness and depression.

Those closest to you will experience the transition process with you. Often it is more difficult for them because they wish they could take away your emotional distress and loss. They may feel helpless. It is just as important for them to reach out and find support. This is a good time for open communication and personal support for each other.

During this time it is important to identify your external and personal support networks.

These resources will be your anchors of support where you can receive understanding, emotional support, encouragement and guidance.

Taking Stock of Your External Support – Where to Go for Help:

The popular TV show, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," allows its contestants the opportunity to reach out for help when they cannot confidently answer the question. They call it a "Lifeline." Each contestant can contact one of his/her lifeline members when the "going gets tough."

You need to know who your Lifelines are during this process: people and organizations you can reach out to in time of need for support and resources:

• Professional Career Counselors, Therapists and Psychologists – Can provide professional counseling to help with the grieving and job search process.

• Religious Community – Many religious organizations run or sponsor support groups.
• Community Centers – Offer classes, support groups and community activities.
• Local Community Organizations - Rotary, Lion’s Club, and the local Chamber of Commerce or professional associations, provide great networking and volunteer opportunities.
• Job Clubs – Usually sponsored by non-profits like Women at Work, Jewish Vocational Services or other religious organizations.
• Educational institutions – Community Colleges, Four-year Colleges and Universities may offer regular and extension classes on job search and career exploration.
• One-Stop Career Centers – Can provide individual and group assistance with the job search process.

• Professional Organizations – If you belong to a professional organization or association, you may be able to tap into networking opportunities or job listings.

Most importantly, don’t forget those closest to you. The next step is to identify your personal support.

Take Stock of Your Personal Support:

During this time of career transition, it is important to connect with your circle of family, friends and professional contacts. It is important for you to know where you can go for the different types of support you may need during your transition. Below is an exercise to help you tune into your personal network of support.

List under each category at least two people you know who can be counted on for support during this transition process:

• Family -

• Friends and Community -

• Work Network –

• Professional Association Network -

• Professionals – (Doctor, Dentist, Hairdresser, etc.)

• Additional Support –

Who do you go to when:

• You have a problem -

• Want friendship -

• Want to learn new things -

• Want acceptance and approval -

• Want to play -

• Want good, sound advice -

• Want to explore new ideas –

Positive things you can do for yourself during the Transition Process:

• Get plenty of rest and good nourishing food.
• Exercise – keep your body and mind strong and in shape. Burn off any negative emotions.
• Volunteer – Find an activity where you can give back to others.
• Review and evaluate your future plans. Take time to really think about where you want to go from here.
• Join a professional organization, group, club, religious or community program. This gives you the opportunity for personal growth and development. This also provides a way to expand your support network.

Once we have identified our network of support, we have the help we need to proceed through the next stages of transition.

The Neutral Zone:

Imagine you are floating on a ship in the middle of the ocean. Land is nowhere in sight and all you can see for miles and miles is water. That is how Bridges describes what an individual feels like during the Neutral Zone.

Life is no longer the same. It feels like you have nothing solid to hold onto.

Feelings of disengagement and disenchantment with everything around you may set in at this time. You may have feelings of depression and feel lethargic. Perhaps a little disoriented, "How did I end up here?"

This is the time you need to prepare for the new opportunities ahead. You may begin the process of searching for meaning; why did this happen to me and where do I want to go from here?

Crisis or Opportunity?

When you "hit" the Neutral Zone, this becomes a time of self-reflection. It brings new meaning to the Chinese language character for crisis, which is also the same character for the word opportunity.

The Neutral Zone gives you the time you need to reorient yourself and process the feelings you had about the past and prepare yourself for the future.

Like a Vision Quest or a journey out into the wilderness, this is your chance to refocus and renew.

Now is your time to discover what you really want in life!! Take time for the self-assessment exercises and reflect upon those hidden dreams you have always wanted to pursue. It is time to test the waters.

The only way to break through the loss is by working through the transition process.

The Beginning:

After you have said good bye to the old and given yourself the time to discover what your next steps in life will be, you are now ready to say hello to new opportunities. It is a time of hope.

Take the experiences from the past and integrate them into your present life. Realize life goes on. You may suddenly have feelings of excitement. You may suddenly wake-up focused in a positive attitude toward the future.

You are ready to take on that new job, go back to school or just move on with your life.

Transition Survival Exercise

The exercise below will help you remember that change and transition are a natural part of life. You have been through change before and you successfully made it through to the other side.

· Think of a time or experience in your past when everything changed - how did you choose to deal with the situation?

· Name three positive things you did for yourself during this time. (For example, I joined Toastmasters and networked with other professionals in the field, I took a weekend trip to the ocean, or I met with a Career Counselor and put together a career plan.)

· What would you have done differently if the same situation occurred today?

· What was the most important lesson you learned from that experience?

Remember:

Transition is a process. You may feel yourself go back and forth through the stages like a pendulum in a grandfather clock. One day you feel there is no hope and the next day you see the future. The next day you feel depressed or sad, but then you bounce back to hope again. This is all part of the process.

Everyone is unique in how they deal with change. These stages are to be used as a guide. Not everyone will experience the same transition process in the same order. However, everyone must say goodbye to the old way of life in order to embrace the new opportunities.

Change is a part of life, but how you choose to deal with it is up to you. Will you choose to hang on to the past or move forward?

Suggested Readings

Bridges, William, (1980). Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes. Menlo Park, CA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co.

Bridges, William, (2001). The Way of Transitions: Embracing Life’s Most Difficult Moments. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing.

Deits, Bob, (2000). Life After Loss. Cambridge, MA: Fisher Books.

Gelatt, H.B. (1991). Creative Decision-making Using Positive Uncertainty. Los Gatos, CA: Crisp.

Schlossberg, Nancy, (1989). Overwhelmed: Coping with Life’s Ups and Downs. Washington, DC: Lexington Books.

Spencer, S. A. & Adams, J.D. (1990). Life Changes: Growing Through Personal Transitions. San Luis Obispo, CA: Impact Publishers.

Stearns, A.K. (1995). Living Through Job Loss: Coping with the Emotional Effects of Job Loss and Rebuilding Your Future. New York: Fireside.