Going through any transition in life can be tough. Up comes all those emotions that get in the way of thinking and behaving clearly and concisely. Career transition generally evokes a range of emotions, from feelings of loss and abandonment to feelings of relief and renewal. From a negative perspective, it may be a loss of a role, relationships, identity or financial security, but equally it can result in a loss of confidence and self-esteem, generating a whole lot of negative emotions and thoughts. On the other hand, I may feel positive about the situation, having received a significant financial package, or see it as a relief or a new adventure. We all show up differently depending on familiarity with change, uncertainty, stage of life, temperament or the number of transitions we are experiencing simultaneously.
At Yellow Box Careers, we work with you in a neutral context, making no assumptions about the presenting issues, nor deciding or concluding what you may be feeling. Our role is not to judge any emotions as either appropriate or inappropriate, but rather to accept the emotional state as being reflective of the personal journey that you are going on. We do know however, that for many people going through career transition, the process can have a deeply negative impact on the way they view themselves.
When we experience career transition, it is unlikely to alter my self-image, (there isn’t much I can do for a thinning hairline) but it can significantly alter my self-esteem. I may no longer view myself as talented, worthy, intelligent, capable, confident or powerful. This may result in a feeling of helplessness, experiencing a loss of control over my career, believing that we are no longer the person we thought we were. Equally, I might now wish that I was smarter, savvier, more competent or more valuable, a wish list of new gifts. If left unchecked, the individual will allow their new self-concepts to influence their confidence, ultimately leading to a lack of belief in themselves and their capability. This can be very debilitating when conducting a job search, a process that requires clarity, energy, positivity and confidence.
At Yellow Box, we know that assisting someone through the career transition processes is about helping them see the real self and creating stronger and more aligned self-concepts. The real self is the person that needs to be recognised as being the new prospective employee, with a career journey that has value to an employer. This person has talents, gifts, personality, contribution and style, but may not be recognising them, due to circumstances. The career transition process helps to highlight these attributes, helping a person articulate in written and verbal form what they bring to the table and the remarkable impact that an aligned, confident and persuasive new employee can bring to a business.
Layne – Career Workshop Facilitator
(image: Justin Luebke)
