They say you have to put your heart in everything that you do. Your job is no exception to this. But no matter how passionate you are with your job, there are times you would feel like you need something more. These are signs you need to give some time to think over. Your automatic reaction would be to resign and shift another career. That is not always the case. Even when things go out of control, resigning from the company should be the worst and your last choice.

The following are the signs you might consider before deciding to resign:

1. Bored all day. Being bored is normal. But being bored the entire 8 hours every day is not normal. It is a serious matter. You find yourself glancing at the clock every minute. Even at the first hour of your duty, you would always wish for the break time. It could be a sign that you are no longer enjoying your job. It could be a sign that you need career shift. However ask yourself first. Is there no other way to make you less bored with your job? What about shifting your perspective?

2. No fulfilment. This covers wide aspect. It refers to fulfilment in terms of pay, position or even responsibilities. If you don’t have any of these aspects, you might think that you deserve more. Quitting your job is not the best solution to this. Do self-check. In terms of pay, evaluate how you spend your money. Have you not just over spent? In terms of position, evaluate your recent situation. Do you really deserve to be promoted or transferred? One way to know this is to ask your boss.

3.  Ashamed of your job. If you love what you do in your job, you will be proud of it. Otherwise, you will be ashamed of it. Ask yourself why. Is it illegal or something? If so, then better leave right away.

4. Less inspired. When you are inspired on the job, you will be motivated to do your deliverables with pace. You do it on time and with proper care. But if you feel nothing but exhausted and pissed off every time you go to work, you will be unproductive in your job. If this happens, you are also compromising the company.

5. Security issues. Do you feel like you will get laid off? This happens when you see the company is shaky and unstable. After seeing some of your co-employees leaving, normally you would also think you are in trouble. This is a valid reason to resign. Again, the best way to know this is to talk to your direct boss. If he says you will not get laid off then don’t resign.

6. Safety issues. You see unsafe conditions everyday as you go to work. Or there are health hazards in your company that you are aware of. If you get bothered by these things every even the moment you wake up, that’s the time you consider finding other options you feel safe and secure.

Do’s

• Contact your company’s HR department to find out about your health insurance benefits continuation under COBRA. This year, the federal government is providing subsidies for continuation coverage under COBRA.
• Study the severance agreement if your employer has provided one to you, and see if the terms are satisfactory to you
• Apply for unemployment benefits, which can run for up to one year in some states, depending on your circumstances. The payments will not equal your salary, but they will be something to help you pay your rent or mortgage and keep the lights on.
• Connect with your network to let them know you were laid off and are looking for a position, even one that is part time
• Check the online job boards daily to apply for jobs. There are many job boards that list new jobs daily.
• Have hope, and find something to do every day that gives you hope: go to networking group, volunteer at a worthwhile organization. See my article “The Importance and Magic of Hope at The Importance and Magic of Hope.

Don’ts

• Lose hope. This is the main rule. Don’t ever forget this rule. It is easy to ask oneself “what was it all for, all those years of dedicated, hard work, studies, saving, being a good citizen, etc.” Just accept that there is an important reality to be dealt with immediately, and that is maintaining a healthy attitude about life, and finding a new job.
• Immediately sign the severance agreement offered by your employer. Review it. You can even ask if they could do a bit better, but be careful not to reject the offer. A counteroffer is a rejection so do not make a counter offer. You could ask if it might be possible to get a little more in the offer, or to keep your laptop, or to get a little more vesting of your stock, etc.
• Wait too long in accepting the severance agreement. If you wait too long, your employer may revoke the offer, or might change the terms, or might run out of money.
• Overlook any pay you are due for unused vacation time
• Sleep in in the morning. Consider your job every day is to get a job. Get up, go the library to use the computer if you do not have one at home.
• Let your skills deteriorate: if you are a marketing person, volunteer to market some events for the YMCA, your church, synagogue, mosque, or temple, a new company just starting up, etc. If you do sales, maybe you can arrange a commission arrangement even in a new specialty so you can devote part of your days at the library researching your industry and selling for a few hours per day.
• Let inactivity set in. Do not stop exercising. Being healthy and fit allows you to tackle your challenges with vigor.

Good luck to you. I’m rooting for you!

The world is full of examples of those who had hope or were given hope, and from great depths of despair or difficulties emerged and succeeded. There are famous examples, and there are likely to be millions of other unsung stories of hope triumphant. A destitute down-on-his-luck actor living at the YMCA in New York in 1912 could have given up hope and the world would never had known Dale Carnegie (then Dale Carnegay), author of How to Win Friends and Influence People. When Saul Bellow’s life was turned upside down by his wife divorcing him (which he wrote about in his famous Herzog), he could have resigned from his life of writing, never fought back and never have claimed his Nobel Prize in literature. And what of the Holocaust survivors who marched out of Europe not knowing a word of English or Hebrew and made a successful life in America or Israel – all because they had hope.

So, in this era of a deep economic recession when colleagues, relatives, and friends are being laid off, do not avoid them. Reach out to them with a word of encouragement. Let them know their skills are excellent; that they were laid off for economic reasons, and that if they soldier on and not retreat they will find a new job. I gave such a word of encouragement to a colleague who was laid off recently, and he told me that my simple gesture brought him out of a spell of depression about his job loss, gave him hope that he could find new employment, and he actually found a new job from Craigslist within one month of being laid off. He called me from his new job and thanked me – and all I did was offer hope; it cost me no more than a five minute talk with my friend, but it changed his life for the better.

Do you know someone going through difficult times: a divorce, job loss, a parent with Alzheimer’s? Reach out to him or her and offer them a word of encouragement. Remind them of their strengths and find words of hope for them. Your gesture will be warmly welcomed and richly rewarded – you may better that person’s life by giving them hope. You may later see them happy and successful because you turned their life around with a few simple words of hope. Those words can work miracles – that is the importance of hope. Give it freely, and the more of it you will have.

1. Get hold of your emotions. Normally, when faced with stressful, life-changing situation, a person goes through 5 emotional states: denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. We all react differently to stimulus. With the sudden loss of employment, you may find yourself in a prolonged state of denial and disbelief or you may bounce back quickly depending on your physical makeup.  Remember that it’s okay to cry, get angry, be confused but don’t let your emotions stall you from seeing a seeing a clear picture of the situation.  Pull yourself together. The sooner you do this, the more you will be surprised to discover that you are made of a tougher stuff than you think.

2. Assess the situation and plan your next move.  As soon as emotions are kept at bay, you become more objective and better able to assess what needs to be done. Carefully examine the resources you have at hand. Do you have enough to tide you over the next few months to a year before finding another job? Or, do you want to seek other opportunities as soon as possible? Taking into account your responsibilities with spouse or family, do your finances allow you to take a breather and relax for a while?  Whatever it is that you decide, it must be borne out of deliberation and planning.

3. Nurture your other passions. With time on your side, engage in activities that nurture your soul and boost your self-esteem.  If you were disgruntled with your previous job and felt like you were stuck in a rut, maybe getting laid-off was a blessing in disguise. It maybe a wakeup call for you to pursue something that you really wanted to do in the first place. A friend I knew who wanted to set up his own business was only able to do so after the company he was working for folded up.

4. Upgrade your skills. It always pays to keep yourself updated on the latest tools and practices in the industry where you are working. If you are eager to venture into a field other than the one you are experienced with, training is a good option. It prepares you for the challenges that lie ahead.

5. Surround yourself with positive influences. Seek the company of family members and friends who thoroughly understand your situation to lift your sagging spirit. If you have friends who have a similar experience and who have bounced back positively, take time to hear their stories. Realize that a global financial crisis exists and with billions of people around the world, you are not alone in your fate. A lot out there share the same story, some even worse.

6. Believe that life will be better. No matter how difficult or unpleasant the situation may be, it will change. Do not worry too much about what lies ahead. As certain as night turns into day, resolutions will come. Your faith in a Higher, Omnipotent being will buoy you up in this difficult time. Draw strength from the wellspring of faith.

Years later, you can always look back at the experience and realize how it has made you stronger as a person. What was once a difficult phase will be viewed in a positive light, replete with wisdom from lessons learned. And you’d be glad you have stood proud and firm to weather the storm.

The initial reaction you will encounter would be shock and anger. You are shocked that the firm is willing to lay off a good employee. But you need to understand that this is not personal, it’s business. After that, you might feel depressed that your firm did not value you as much as you though they did. You may even feel a depreciating sense of self-worth. But there is one thing you need to do – you need to get back on your feet. Share your feelings with your loved ones, your spouse and family. Do not carry the burden alone. Your family will be there to support you and help you work things out during these difficult times. Once you have accepted the reality of your retrenchment, you need to find out what to do next. How are you going to cope with it?

2) Assess Your Finances

While sharing the bad news to your family, you may also need to tell them that there is a need to adjust your current lifestyle to survive financially. You may get a nice severance package when you were laid off, but refrain from spending it on luxury items that depreciates in value such as a new car or a long vacation. Instead, you need to spend on things that will help you make more money. For instance, you may want to invest the money to make it grow or set up a business to make more money. As a family, look into how your family can save money by cutting down on daily expenses or switching brands.

You may think that you have enough to cover for the next 6 months, but the reality may be different. The amount you have may not even last that long. Besides looking at your cash flow, also assess your debts, savings and assets.

It is also important that you get enough medical or hospitalization coverage for you and your family. Since you have stopped working for your firm, you may find that no one will cover your medical expenses. Get one as soon as possible. The last thing you would want to do is to have to fork out lots of money on medical expenses during these times.

3) Skills Training

Assess your current skills to see if they are still relevant in the modern job market. If they are not, you may wish to upgrade your skills with extra training so that you can land yourself another job easily. In addition to technical expertise and knowledge upgrade, you also need to learn to refresh your resume writing and interview skills to help you clinch the next job.

4) Positive Attitude

It is important to have the right attitude from the beginning in order to cope with the situation. You may be retrenched but it does not mean the end of the world. Continue to network with friends and ex-colleagues to be in the loop about what is going on in your industry. You may wish to ask them to look our for a job opportunity for you and get their recommendation. At the same time, you may want to seek help at employment agencies to get another job. They may offer you a temp-to-perm job. Start off with the temporary position and if you do a good job, you will be employed full-time. Be open to various opportunities available. Don’t waste time feeling sorry for yourself; you’ve got a life ahead of you.

5) Be flexible

You may find that there are limited job opportunities in the industry you worked in previously. If that is the case, you may have to find work in a different industry. Be flexible. You may have to undergo more training, experience a drastic pay cut, or irregular working hours. In order to get the next job, show your employer that you are willing to be flexible about these things. It is important to take whatever job you can get at this moment and continue to look for other opportunities as you go along.

Coping with retrenchment is never going to be easy. But if we take certain issues into perspective, it might be easier to cope. Having the right mindset is the most important tip I have here. From there, you need to formulate a plan to streamline your finances and look for another job. All the best!

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The economy is finally getting its grubby hands on me.

I’ve been laid off effective Sept. 1. Now, I will get the chilly pleasure of seeing and feeling what many others across the nation are seeing and feeling these days.

One day I was rocking along taking my dear spouse to her cancer chemotherapy treatment and helping her open a soda can.

And the next day my saintly boss tells me that my contract will not be renewed due to budget cuts.

Sorry, they all say. One boss cries after closing the door.

I should be shocked, but I’m not because I know the world has been spinning that way.

I’m not even a fall chicken, and retirement through Social Security is four or five years away. (Will Social Security even be there if I make it that far?)

Unbelievably, I start thinking about how I’m going to keep our new home near White Rock Lake out of the banker’s hands and worry about the medical insurance that makes it possible to stay alive with all those meds we’re taking.

Gosh, I’m going to have to say goodbye to my allergist, internist, gastroenterologist, urologist, and ophthalmologist. I do hope they understand.

And does Parkland Hospital take credit cards?

When I wake up each day, I think it’s all a dream. I must have eaten less than an hour before going to bed.

All I need is a cup of coffee and reality sets in. The good news for me is that I won’t be spending $3 on Starbucks coffee anymore.

As you can see, there is silver lining in everything.

All I need to do is look hard enough. Without a job, I should have enough time to do that.

When something bad happens, being the verbal processor that I am, I appreciate all my family and friends surrounding me and helping me walk through the grieving process. At the same time, there comes a point where it has all been hashed-and then rehashed-so many times that there is nothing left to say that hasn’t been said.

I’m at a point of wanting to move on, focus on only positive things, and look at the future. I want to snowboard, kickbox, lift weights, ballroom dance, and stay as physical as possible. I want to somehow remember what it’s like to dream big and not let those dreams or visions scare me.

Though I’ve been pushed back even farther, I want to remember that it’s not about the limitations around me, but my perspective through them. Perhaps I am being sent back to the trenches to learn something I missed the first time. Perhaps there is reason for this humiliation.

Or maybe it is truly just one of those bad things that randomly happen to good people. Maybe there is no divine purpose, but in order to keep sanity I have to believe that there is.

I remind myself, I’ve been fired before. I survived then, it may have taken me a few months to find another job, but I still survived. Within a year I promoted up even farther up than the job I’d been released from. I did it then, I can do it again.

When I was in cross-country, I learned that running is 90% mental. Running the long distances can be brutal, especially when you experience muscle fatigue or “hit the wall.” I learned that if I could stay in there, that after hitting that “wall,” I would get a second wind that would carry me through.

I am not excited about reverting back to a position I held two jobs ago, but I am thankful I still have a job. I am aware at how difficult it will be for everyone-including the team I am going into as I will likely be bumping out one of their own.

I was left with no choice as that is what is written into my union contract. My boss lied to me about several things, including his support. The entire time he criticized those who brought up allegations against me, he would make statements about how he knew they held no merit and had no evidence to back up their claims. I provided him with evidence from them praising my work. Yet, in the end, because of a lot of politics and other things I don’t have the energy to write about (my filing a whistleblower complaint at his urging), he turned on me. He quoted their words verbatim, even though all written documentation pointed otherwise.

I was set up for failure from the beginning. I had the chance to leave and he sabotaged my reference check.

I could and probably will write a book about my experience of taking the brunt of politics, but for now I want to re-focus my mind on things that are hopeful, fruitful, positive and uplifting.

When I go into my reverted position, I want to go in tight-lipped, lay low and just get my work done. I doubt I will ever show the fun and “cool” side of me at work ever again-or at least for a very, very long time.

Outside of work, however, I am going to continue to be me and pursue life-pursue living and enjoying this beautiful creation God has given us before it all goes to pot. I am going to stop thinking about me, and all my pidly problems, and start giving back to the community. I’m going to get involved in church again, and do my part to help the environment. I’m going to vote for Obama and I’m going to continue to petition embassies around the world to stop violating UN agreements (to stop torturing and murdering innocent people just because they aren’t Communist or Muslim). I’m going to keep snowboarding, kickboxing and dancing upon injustice. I’m going to continue to pursue my dreams and passions-like writing and passing the baton to this next generation.

I don’t have the time or energy to spend dwelling on what happened. Instead, I have to focus on what will happen; that is, what is within my power to make happen.

To all my friends and family, I am very appreciative of all the love and support I’ve received. It has been very overwhelming in a good way; it has been extremely comforting. I need to move on now. I need to hear about your lives, what you are going through, and what you are looking forward to. Let me be a shoulder for you to lean on and not just me being so “egocentrical” and self-centered all the time.

Cheers: To Life!