Career Crisis Determining Your Future

Many people have been in your shoes - you sit on the edge of your sofa or in your car, head in your hands, and wonder, "what am I going to do?" When a career crisis hits, it is rarely at a good time; otherwise, it would not be a crisis. Three weeks before Christmas, you get laid off; or right after a big purchase, you find out the office is having financial problems; the IRS comes in and shuts your workplace down without warning. When catastrophe comes, how do you decide what to do next? How do you keep from simply being immobilized with shock and fear?

The first step in determining your future is to work past the initial shock of the situation. This is not as easy as it may sound. Especially if you have not considered changing jobs in the past, this will hit you like a ton of bricks. Stop yourself from panicking and try to grasp the reality of the situation. Where do you stand financially? How much time do you have before the walls come in? Ideally, you will have set up an emergency fund for just such an occurrence, but, then again, this probably would not be an emergency in that case. Get a pad of paper and evaluate where you stand and how much time you have to either obtain other employment or take advantage of some other grand plan. You may not want to look, but you have to perform this step to avoid a real disaster down the road.

Okay, now you know where you stand. What are your options? Can you get another job in the same field, and if so, how quickly? The amount of time you have will most likely dictate how quickly you must act to take your next step. On the other hand, you may wish to consider this event to be an opportunity to change fields or start your own business. This may also depend on where you stand financially. It is also a good idea to write down what options you may have available to track your thoughts. You will need to think through your next steps, so organization is helpful in this process.

Be careful not to panic or act rashly out of fear. This is not the end of the world, simply a fork in the road. You have to consider what you want to do with your future. Jumping into something hastily will more than likely prove to be a mistake.

Now that you have your options and know where you stand, it is time to really think about what you want to do, not only in your career, but life in general. Research how plausible some of your options may be and carefully consider what your next step will be. If your time is limited, you will have to act quickly, but do so with intention and deliberateness. Do not half-heartedly proceed with your future without diligently considering the consequences of your decisions. This is a period that mistakes could be easily made; do not be impulsive and regret what you have jumped into because of fear.

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