How to Prepare for Career Uncertainty or Possible Job Loss
In the current socioeconomic climate, many people are experiencing uncertainty and anxiety about their job security and career path. How can you prepare for the unknown? How can you weather the storm and set yourself up for success? As a licensed psychologist who has worked with many people going through career transitions, here are my top four suggestions for preparing yourself for uncertainty in the job market and the economy.
When you are faced with overwhelming and uncontrollable challenges, it is natural to feel helpless. Seeing the uncertainty in the ups and downs in the sociopolitical climate and the uncertainty in the job market, it can feel like nothing you do will matter to prevent something bad from happening to you. Feelings of helplessness and powerlessness, if left unaddressed, can easily lead to symptoms of anxiety and depression.
In 1967, psychologists and neuroscience researchers Drs. Steven Maier and Martin Seligman introduced the concept of "learned helplessness," initially believing that humans faced with inescapable pain or loss learned to give up. However, 50 years after their initial research, they revised their theory. Their research over half a decade showed that helplessness is not something we learn. It is a default response to overwhelming challenges. What we can learn are the skills of resilience, empowerment, self-control, and agency. Here are four practices to develop these skills to set you up to weather the storm and to position yourself for success.
1. Frame Setbacks With a Resilient Mindset
When you interpret setbacks as permanent, pervasive, and personal, you can feel trapped and helpless. In contrast, if you can see that setbacks are temporary, limited in scope, and not a reflection of your personal character or failure, you can regain a sense of agency. If you have just experienced a major setback, such as getting laid off, remind yourself that this is a temporary problem that many people experience. You are not alone in facing this kind of challenge, and you have successfully overcome many challenges in the past. The challenge is not a reflection of your competence, hard work, worthiness, or goodness.
2. Maximize the Unexpected
The unexpected, whether good or bad, will happen no matter how much we prepare. The goal, then, is not to prevent bad things from happening but to learn how to be adaptable when they do and to maximize the situation. In career theory, John Krumboltz introduced the concept of "planned happenstance." He proposed that the unpredictable chance events and circumstances are an important part of our career paths. That person you happened to meet at your best friend's wedding led you to your dream job. Taking the chance to study abroad in Peru helped you discover your passion for sustainable architecture. Jim Collins, in the book "Great by Choice," also proposed a similar idea that he called "return on luck." He found that great companies had the same number of lucky and unlucky events that impacted them compared to their peers. However, what distinguishes great companies and their leadership is how they maximize their good luck or bad luck. In a similar way, you can maximize the unexpected by seeing it as an important part of your career path. Be open to being surprised by what life can bring. Expect that serendipitous events and encounters can be opportunities for your future. Go to networking events, say "yes" to the invitation for coffee, and say "hello" to the person next to you on the metro who is reading an interesting book. You never know where these chance encounters will lead.
3. Practice Curiosity and Beginner’s Mind
When you are in fight, flight, or freeze mode of fear and stress, your vision narrows and with it, your mental flexibility. In this state, your brain focuses in on perceived danger and threats; you can only see limited options, and everything feels more black-and-white and high stakes. To break away from this negative spiral, practice more mental flexibility by staying curious and open-minded. Shunryu Suzuki, Zen monk and teacher, observed, "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few."
Ask yourself
"What is the worst that can happen? And if it does, how will I address it?"
"Are the stakes as high as I am making them out to be?"
"Are there more solutions than what I have thought of so far?"
"If time and resources were not barriers, what would I do to solve the problem?"
Overwhelming challenges can be your invitation to meet the moment with creativity and innovation.
4. Connect With Your Support Network
In both good times and bad, the quality of our relationships determines our level of happiness and resilience. Research showed that people who report feeling connected, accepted, and valued by others are 20 times more likely to have high resilience. In a study that demonstrated how our support network changes our perception of challenges, researchers Simone Schnall and colleagues found that when a person stood with a friend facing a hill, compared to when they stood alone, they saw the hill as less steep. In times of uncertainty, lean on your support network for reassurance, connection, motivation, and purpose. Your community can help boost your sense of confidence, self-esteem, control, and mastery.
Find Career Support with a Seattle Therapist
A job loss or career shift isn’t just a change in tilt; it can stir up questions about who you are and what really matters. In times of uncertainty and overwhelming challenge, you don’t have to go it alone. If you are struggling with anxiety or stress about your career path and uncertainty about your job security, find support from an expert who specializes in career development and life transitions. Book a call with us today to see if one of our Seattle therapists is the right fit for you.
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Feb 20, 2023
