JOB SEARCH COURAGE is,
Mind and spirit overcoming fear,
Leading to productive activity,
Moving closer to meaningful work.

It’s ironic that we don’t often see the words “Courage” and Job Search” in the same sentence. I can’t think of anything more important than” courage” to successful job seeking. Webster defines courage as,

“The state or quality of mind and spirit that enables one to
face danger with confidence and gain resolution.”

I like the combination of “mind” and “spirit.”

Courage doesn’t have to be grandiose—sometimes it’s as simple as getting up again to send yet another email or resume. Or make that call.

The faith journey and job hunting have a lot in common. Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk, social activist and prolific writer believed God was calling him to head a new monastery in Central America. When his superiors saw otherwise, he realized his true calling—to stay and continue his work at Gethsemane, his home monastery in Kentucky.

His biographers, Patrick Hart and Jonathan Montaldo wrote about this revelation in their introduction to The Intimate Merton.

“He surrendered himself to the slow heart work of seeking his faith one day at a time
and one night at a time in the place where his eyes opened and shut. He got up and fell
down, he got up and fell down, he got up over and over again.”

Job Search Courage requires looking in and outside ourselves for help. It’s in these places we find others, as well as renewed strength and guidance from our faith. Going it alone is hard. When we bring tested job seeking and networking practices together with spiritual resources, we give ourselves the best chance for success.

TODAY…

Reflect on the courage you need to move ahead in your transition. Where will you get the energy and drive you need–inside and/or outside? If you’ve fallen down, what will it take to get you up?

Thomas Bachhuber, Ed.D.
President of the Board and Executive Director for The Center for Life Transitions. Tom is responsible for overall Center leadership and strategy. His individual coaching/counseling as well as workshops and retreats emphasize work transitions. Read more.

“When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand
where winds of forgiveness can erase it away.
But when someone does something good for us,
we must engrave it in stone
where no wind can ever erase it.”

- Author Unknown

News images from around the world can be disturbing, frightening, and painful, taking people out of their comfort zone and overwhelming them with images of the “hateful things” humans are capable of doing to one another.

But humans are also capable of wonderful, loving things. Many times, the choice is presented, with a friend or stranger, in an office or on the freeway. We are asked over and over again whether we will choose the loving or the hateful response. We hope that any harsh, mean thing which we might have chosen will disappear like sand blowing in the wind, whereas the kind, loving things will be remembered as if written in stone. If we wish this for ourselves, it might be wise to offer it to others.

Dr. Connie Popp is a board member for The Center for Life Transitions as well as an active facilitator for the Center’s Life-SHIFT and Job Search Courage programs. She is also the Director of Campus Ministry at Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Read more.

JOB SEARCH COURAGE is,
Mind and spirit overcoming fear,
Leading to productive activity,
Moving closer to meaningful work.

…helping me bring the potential of my life into reality…

What does Career Development look like to you? A higher spot on the org. chart? Extra zeros in your paycheck? More letters after your name? Does your career look more like clock watching than work which adds meaning to your life?

Ask yourself, are you asleep, waking or awakened in your present job?

Asleep
It was compensation for my shallow friendships
It was a salve for my decomposing marriage
It was a reason to get up each morning
It was a drink to unwind every night
It was my whole life

Waking
It was a burden on my spirit without satisfaction
It was relentless stress weighing down each day
It was a symbol of what I was trying to escape
It was questions digging at my soul
It was only the money

Awakened
It is helping bring the potential of my life into reality
It is balance with my artistic and spiritual pursuits
It is vested interest in sharing financial rewards
It is an element in my mission to serve
It is part of my whole life

-Mark L. Tompki

TODAY…

Identify if you are asleep, waking or awakened. What is standing between you and being awakened? Time? Circumstances? Fear? Insufficient support? Lack of a plan?

Think, reflect, pray, speak, listen, act.

Thomas Bachhuber, Ed.D.
President of the Board and Executive Director for The Center for Life Transitions. Tom is responsible for overall Center leadership and strategy. His individual coaching/counseling as well as workshops and retreats emphasize work transitions. Read more.

JOB SEARCH COURAGE is,
Mind and spirit overcoming fear,
Leading to productive activity,
Moving closer to meaningful work.

…name your fears…

Fear is no stranger when we are in transition. We know what fear feels like–it’s those discomforting waves of rejection and loneliness in our throat or stomach; life is unfair and we can’t take another step.

Time to name those fears before they define us. Maybe they are obvious like fear of not finding a meaningful job, fear of not being able to provide for your family, fear of telling people that you are unemployed or fear of losing your reputation at work.

When sorrowful or fearful, we need to go deep. Engage it, face it. Don’t skirt the issues. Stop and take time to go into the situation through mind and heart. Turn everything over; look under everything. The source will reveal itself. And usually it’s not what you think–it’s often manageable and fixable.

Eckhart Tolle in The Power of Now writes, “Accept what is. When we turn from the negativity which is in the mind and embrace our true Being, we find peace, new energy and even joy.”

TODAY…

Write down some of your fears. Dig deep. Once we honestly identify our fears, we can make conscious moves to conquer them. Accepting where we are is the first step.

Thomas Bachhuber, Ed.D.
President of the Board and Executive Director for The Center for Life Transitions. Tom is responsible for overall Center leadership and strategy. His individual coaching/counseling as well as workshops and retreats emphasize work transitions. Read more.

“Hope is the feeling we have
that the feeling we have is not permanent.”

- Mignon McLaughlin

It’s tempting to succumb to hopelessness when feeling the burdens of time, the overload of work and the weariness that goes along with both, yet hope itself is the antidote most needed. Old clichés possess wisdom – “one day at a time” may be the most one can commit to in the moment, but that commitment paves the way for greater achievements.

Sincere efforts are worthwhile, dedication does bring results, and keeping one’s eyes on the prize is purposeful and even necessary for lighting the way to a brighter tomorrow. The path can get bumpy, confusing, entangled and long but experiencing a feeling of accomplishment is priceless, which may simply be the accomplishment of keeping our spirit positive for just one more day.

Dr. Connie Popp is a board member for The Center for Life Transitions as well as an active facilitator for the Center’s Life-SHIFT and Job Search Courage programs. She is also the Director of Campus Ministry at Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Read more.

JOB SEARCH COURAGE is –
Mind and spirit overcoming fear,
Leading to productive activity,
Moving closer to meaningful work.

…job hunting is the hardest…

If you’re job hunting, or recently lost your job, I want you to know that I’ve been in your shoes. I’ve felt that awful gut sensation when a manager says that it’s not working out, that they like me but can’t keep me, thanks, but it’s time to go. That feeling like you’re in a movie. Like you, I’ve had great meetings and interviews which went nowhere. I’ve been in many situations where I needed HELP and HOPE.

The only thing constant in our lives is change. We are always moving from things we know, and feel comfortable with, to things or places which are new and uncertain. We all need help in these times. We need a plan; we need guidance and we need support from those who care about us. We also need something more… courage.

It seems reasonable that if we take action to improve ourselves e.g. increase our knowledge and skills in job seeking or develop needed expertise in our field, we’ll be in a better position to find new resources to help us…or have them find us.

TODAY…

identify your personal assets (friends, family, co-workers). Identify your biggest cheerleader, most important confidant or partner in the following areas–
work, play, spirituality, family, and friends. When we identify our ‘go to’ people, we have taken the first step in finding new HELP and HOPE. Maybe we’ve gained some new courage too.

Sometimes, we have to lighten up….and get silly.
Listen to the beloved Cowardly Lion’s speech, portrayed by actor, Bert Lahr.

Thomas Bachhuber, Ed.D.
President of the Board and Executive Director for The Center for Life Transitions. Tom is responsible for overall Center leadership and strategy. His individual coaching/counseling as well as workshops and retreats emphasize work transitions. Read more.

…honesty and learning from others…

It sounds a bit dramatic but engaging with other professionals in productive rich discussions about the joys, sorrows and the challenges of work can open windows to yourself, (i.e. better understanding your assets and liabilities as well as doors to potential matches with other organizations.)

You lead with questions and issues of importance to the person who agreed to meet with you. You’re the guest, remember. They will know you’re sincere and aren’t just there for a “job grab.”

As the relationship develops, there will be opportunities for you to talk about your accomplishments and goals. Don’t overdo this. This is a professional discussion—not a sales pitch. Be humble, honest and real.

“You know, in hindsight, our team should have focused more on the
customer’s primary need, improved HR accountability–the reason we
were awarded the contract. We allowed personnel issues to
bog us down–they were annoying but not outcome threatening to our results.”

Discerning the future is complex, mushy work, Herminia Ibarra, author of, Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career. I’m struck by a poignant quote, encouraging us to “get out there” as there’s much to gain.

“We learn who we have been and who we might become, in practice, not in theory,
by testing fantasy and reality, through exploration, experimentation & examination.”

It begins with a simple conversation—and asking a great question.

TODAY…

Ponder how you can make testing fantasy and reality through exploration can become your goal. Who do you want to meet with?

Thomas Bachhuber, Ed.D.
President of the Board and Executive Director for The Center for Life Transitions. Tom is responsible for overall Center leadership and strategy. His individual coaching/counseling as well as workshops and retreats emphasize work transitions. Read more.

“Just as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go faster and farther
when the wheels are in perfect alignment,
you perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions,
goals, and values are in balance.”

- Brian Tracy

How does one achieve a balanced lifestyle in the midst of work obligations and relationship responsibilities? Is it possible for anyone’s wheels to be properly aligned in this staggeringly busy world we live in? Has anyone – even you – requested recently that you relax more and do less?

And yet, if we do not take time for ourselves and engage in enjoyable activities – walking in nature, taking a nap, loving a pet, connecting with a friend or doing absolutely nothing at all – we are allowing an imbalance to take place in our lives. So often, it is in stopping and stalling that one actually discovers the energy to go faster and farther than if one pushes on full speed ahead.

Dr. Connie Popp is a board member for The Center for Life Transitions as well as an active facilitator for the Center’s Life-SHIFT and Job Search Courage programs. She is also the Director of Campus Ministry at Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Read more.

…NetWorking vs. NOT working…

“There is only one letter difference between “networking” and “not working.”
Joe Sweeney, Networking is a Contact Sport.

That’s how important networking is. Research showing the abysmally low percentage of job seekers who are successful through job boards backs this up.

Joe writes that networking is about giving and not getting. This may seem hard to grasp as someone with little experience or who is entering a new field or industry. Human nature tells us however, that people like attention. Receiving thoughtful, researched questions about career, job, field and accomplishments can be at the center of this attention.

The key to successful networking then is determining what will prove interesting and impressive to the individual with whom you’re networking. Conducting research on topics and forming good questions is the foundation for a successful interaction.

Sample Questions

• “Can you tell me about the challenges your organization faces in your industry?”…even better if you build off something you know about their organization or field…
• “I understand that it’s difficult to recruit top engineering graduates with both communication and critical thinking skills—how does your company address that in your university relations and training programs?”

The more specific the better…

• “When planning the agenda for that MCA Water Resources Conference last May, how did you determine the key topics for speakers? What were the challenges in getting both the scientific and community issues addressed?”

TODAY…

Identify an organization you’d like to work for–and formulate 3 questions which show someone in that organization that you both know something about their field and are interested in learning more.

Thomas Bachhuber, Ed.D.
President of the Board and Executive Director for The Center for Life Transitions. Tom is responsible for overall Center leadership and strategy. His individual coaching/counseling as well as workshops and retreats emphasize work transitions. Read more.

Since 2002, The Center for Life Transitions (CLT) has helped individuals clarify skills, develop confidence, address fears, and overcome obstacles in making successful career transitions.

Fourteen (14) adults in work related transition participated in a one day retreat/workshop at Alverno College, led by Dr. Tom Bachhuber and Dr. Connie Popp. Tom is President of the Board for the Center (CLT) and Connie, a Board Member, is Director of Campus Ministries at Alverno College.

The program provided insights, ideas and information on career planning, vocational call and spiritual formation. “Transitions become difficult when not seen in their entirety. Taking time to analyze, reflect and ponder the situation from a variety of positions – practical, emotional, spiritual – produces invaluable benefits,” commented Connie after the event.

Participants were involved in presentations, discussions, journaling, and quiet time for reflection. They also took the Strong Interest Inventory before the program. Perhaps the most helpful activity was the completing of their Life RoadMap where they recalled and wrote about life lessons, successes, faith and key relationships in various stages of their lives. Tom stated, “The program is unique in combining elements of a retreat for reflection and a workshop where tasks are accomplished and an action plan developed.”

Some comments from the participants:

“Thank you so much for the wonderful day! I felt energized all weekend.”

“The Life RoadMap activity was particularly useful as I had never viewed my life that way. The process and discussion were invaluable in seeing how my past successes can help me now.”

“I appreciated the knowledge and commitment of the presenters—their expertise was great. And more importantly, I felt they really cared about the work and about me.”

“Being out of work is hard. I felt the program’s emphasis on career, vocation and spiritual ideas gave me encouragement and a better direction.”