This being the week of Thanksgiving, I thought I'd offer up a few thoughts on what the unemployed, underemployed, and employed (happily or not) can do to dig deep down and be thankful. As you read on, remember that my apporach is always rooted in holistic and practical approach. My outlook on everything (no matter how corney it may sound), is that the energy you put out in the world is the same type of energy you attract, and even during these turbulent times if you move through life with anger, fear and resentment as your driving force those same things will find their way back to you!
CONNECT, INFLUENCE, CREATE AND ACHIEVE
EVERY EXPERIENCE IS RELEVENT
Yes, that's right! Even when you think your job is mundane, your boss is a jerk and you've spent your day engaging in meaningless conversations, put in the right context any and every experience can build character. So as diffcult as it may be to make the connection here, be mindful that even our most unpleaseant experiences teach us lessons that we can thankful for in the future.
That mundane job where you sit endlessly for hours doing the same thing can teach you how to be focused, and patient. But here's a thought...if you have a private life that is always on overdrive, always a demand or an obligation to be met, then be thankful for those demand-free 8 hours. If you're really bothered by the repetitiveness of your current job start exploring opportunties to do something different. Help out in another department, initiate a discussion with your immediate supervisor about making some changes or improvements in a process. Remember whatever you propose has to influence the boss that it's good for your company, not just a source to relieve your boredom. If this is not an option for you, then be thankful you have had an experience which will hopefully lead you to start making a change of environment.
That jerky boss is teaching you how to deal with difficult situations, confrontation, conflict, oversights, rude and inconsiderate behavior. He or she is teaching you some real world coping skills and is a live example of the supervisor, manager or director you don't want to be when your time comes to be the leader. This is not to deminish the impact of poor leadership on the morale of staff, or to condone that kind of behavior as a teaching modality. It is however, a way to build your own character and communication style. A way to stay grounded and rise above the nonsense that can plague any work environment. It is an chance to be thankful for the opportunity to practice your coping and communication skills to get better at the interpersonal skills that will come in handy throughout your career.
And, along those lines, those meaningless conversations you engage in with co-workers, customers and clients are also a way to hone those interpersonal skills and create an environment in which no one is left out or invisible. It is a way to create connections which can have meaning that you may not even realize. That office odd ball ,who never quite fits in gets a "good morning: or a "how was your weekend?" from you, and that may have impact far beyond its trival facade.
Someone who is particularly proud of a child's accomplishments or troubled by their teen's sudden mood swings, might appreciate a casual "how's the kids?" inquiry. Yes, I probably understand more than most that a casual inquiry may yield more than you bargained for, but the next time you're at a networking event and have to engage in the perennial speed chat with other guests, you'll be thankful that you've had practice during your everyday interactions and will feel less uncomfortable about having to participate in the social graces of both formal and informal gatherings.
So, the next time you're on a job interview and you're asked one of those situational questions about how you've handled conflict, or a difficult coworker, a challenging work environment, or a job you didn't like, think about the lessons you may have learned from those experiences draw upon them and be thankful that you've had the opportunity to draw from authentic real life experiences on your road to achieve success.
JOB READY, JOB SAVVY
EVERY REJECTION IS AN OPPORTUNITY
I'm sure that sounds ridiculous to some but if you do not know the feeling of being turned down for a job you really wanted, or a promotion you think you deserved, then you have very little reason to make self improvements. There are always valuable lessons in our failures. Yes of course, you can blame someone else for not seeing your true worth and resign yourself to the idea that it's their loss for not choosing you. And while that may be true, it may also be an opportunity for you to do some soul searching and take a real introspective look at yourself and what you can do to improve your station in life. Yet another reason to be thankful for the seemingly bad experiences.
If you keeping hearing the same reason why you were passed over...no degree or not enough experience, then get some additional education under your belt. Some college is better than no college, some training is better than no training. There are many opportunties out there for the non-traditional student (those who have been in the workforce for years without a formal education) look to programs at your local community colleges. If you have the aptitude, look for on-line courses. Even a workshop or seminar that is designed to help you build a workplace skill or impart some new information is an opporunity to learn something new and stay relevent. These workshops and seminars can often be found through local businesses, community groups and churches for free or low cost.
As for experience, I go back to the spirit of giving as a way of giving thanks. Many of those who are displaced from employment are seeking ways to stay active, viable and relevent. Well, at my recent Job Ready-Job Savvy Meet-Up we talked about skilled volunteerism. This is a way for those who have specialized skills to offer their services to a non-profit group. Perhaps an out of work social worker or guidance counselor can offer their services to a youth services organization. A professional researcher or copy editor can offer their expertise to help an orgnazation put out their montly newsletter or quarterly reports. A web developer or other tech savvy professional can offer their services to help build a website or update the technical infrastructure of a service based organization. You get the idea, I'm sure.Volunteering is not always about collecting cans, coats or working the soup kitchen. Yes, those are all worthy and needed forms of giving but there are so many ways to give back that are rarely explored. You'll be thankful for the opportunity to continue using your skills and those in need will be thankful for your services.
Join the conversation...what workplace or life experiences have tought you valuable lessions of gratitude?
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