Note from Susan

I’m being asked career questions these days that I’ve not heard in several years. Capital spending cuts and layoffs in the oil industry and the trickle-down effect to other industries have people nervous and uncertain about their jobs. I spoke recently to the Women’s Energy Network Mentoring Group about “Avoiding Career Detours”. In our discussions, there was great interest in understanding how to avoid detours in an industry downturn, when it feels like there are few choices available. I explore this further and offer insights in the feature article this month.

March 8 is International Women’s Day, the purpose of which is to celebrate women’s achievements and call for greater equality.  This year’s theme is Make it Happen. It is possible to make things happen in your career, even in downturns, if you have the skills you need to create your own opportunities.

In March I’m launching the virtual program Creating Your Career Opportunities- 3 Key Skills to Getting What You Want. The program will give you skills that will be instrumental in advancing your career. You can learn more by contacting me at Susan@WomenLeadingTogether or checking out the webpage at https://www.womenleadingtogether.com/creatingcareeropportunities/.

My wish for you is that you stay on your desired path in your career and experience the feeling of fulfillment that comes from being engaged in work that you love.

Warm Regards,

Susan

Feature Article

What Do You Do When Your Job Choices Are Few?

These are not the most fun times in business. If you’re in the oil industry, a related industry or in a community that serves the industry, you may be concerned about your job. On the other hand, if you’re a consumer of oil products and are loving the low gasoline prices, sit back, plan how to spend that extra cash and read this…it will benefit you.

Lately I’ve been asked:

• Is it ok to say no to the job they offer me when the company is in the midst of layoffs?
• Do I take any job that comes along and be grateful I have a job?
• If I take a job that is not my preference, how do I make sure my career stays on track?

Things to Consider:

Can I withstand a break in my income stream if I lose my job? If you need a constant income to provide food, shelter and care for yourself or others, then your course of action may be to accept the jobs that come your way and work on mitigating the detour.

Can I mentally withstand the risk of losing my job? Some of you are risk takers. You have adequate savings and/or confidence to survive a downturn and believe you will find work in an acceptable period of time. If you’re one of these, you can be comfortable being choosy about your job opportunities. Most of us aren’t risk takers. If you like having a degree of certainty in your career then read on.

What should I do? If any of these questions apply to you, I invite you to develop your skills in the Women Leading Together course, “Creating Your Career Opportunities: 3 Key Skills to Getting What You Want.”

Let’s see how a woman we’ll call Gabriella handled her similar situation.

Gabriella was a mid-career single mom with three children. Her company was in the midst of a reorg and reducing staff. She was well known in her area of the business but not as well in other parts of the company. Gabriella was highly regarded but in a narrower scope of technical expertise. She had cultivated a network of contacts outside her company. Gabriella had done many things right in managing her career. In the face of job cuts she was not comfortable risking her employment with three college tuitions looming ahead.

Gabriella applied for two jobs in the company, either of which would have given her broader experience, expanded her skill set and built on her strengths. They would have been perfect career moves, but she didn’t have enough advocates in the right places to give her the extra boost she needed to secure the positions.

There was one more possibility. Gabriella had an advocate in a senior position who needed more people with her technical skill set on a project. The job was narrower in scope than what she was looking for and it wasn’t in a visible place in the company. The job wasn’t in line with her desired career path but it aligned with her priorities and played to her strengths. She took the job.

If you are offered a job that you don’t really want for the long run, what do you do?

Before you decide:

• Ask questions about the job. Don’t assume you have to say yes. Make your case for why you would be well suited to other jobs. Test whether there are other alternatives available to you. At least you will have a common understanding of why they want you in the job.
• Make sure it’s a job you can do well. If it doesn’t draw on your strengths, then don’t take it. If jobs are already slim, don’t risk failure or the next job won’t be there.
• Negotiate a shorter period of time in the job. Ask for support to apply for/ be assigned to a new job in a shorter period of time than the standard length of assignment. You won’t know if this is possible unless you ask.
• Get the support from a sponsor to help you get back on your desired career path. Try to make this a documented commitment in your development plan or your annual performance review. Get the support of more than one person. Intentions are usually good, but people change and memories lapse.

If you accept the job:

• Stay connected to the people and areas of the business you want to get back to.
• Develop your advocates. Keep them apprised of what you are doing. Talk about your plan to redirect your career path. Be tactful and show appreciation for where you are (don’t be a whiner about the job) but also make it clear that you don’t intend for this to be a long term stint.
• Communicate your strengths and your accomplishments regularly and relate them to the job you want in the future.
• Always, relate your desires, accomplishments and strengths to the business needs.

In the Creating Your Career Opportunities virtual course you will:

1. Strategically develop advocates who know your capabilities and can speak on your behalf.
2. Comfortably communicate your accomplishments in a way that identifies your value and gains visibility.
3. Effectively make your business case, directly and rationally, to gain support for your requests.

For more information about the course click here. For information about Women Leading together, or if you would like Susan to speak at your next event click here.

About Susan

Susan Hodge created Women Leading Together in order to provide seminars, workshops, and coaching circles to help career women move forward to create fulfilling careers. Visit our website at www.WomenLeadingTogether.com.

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Creating Your Career Opportunities Virtual Program Starting March 13

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