| “Lay-offs are great,” says Gene Hodge a | | | | up best. He said, “This workshop helped me realize |
| training consultant that provides career transition | | | | skills and abilities I never thought I had but, more |
| workshops and seminars. Layoffs force you to get | | | | importantly, jobs in the future that I have not yet |
| out of your comfort zone and do something else. | | | | identified. For that alone, the workshop was |
| They present opportunities for unemployed individuals | | | | awesome”. |
| and those in career transition to assess their age, skills, | | | | Here are some tips to finding enjoyable employment. |
| abilities, interests and experiences; and give you the | | | | Don’t just say job titles when you are describing |
| time to think about what you would like to do. It also | | | | your background. Job titles do not describe what you |
| presents an opportunity for you to find not just a job, | | | | know how to do. When describing the jobs you’ve |
| but enjoyable employment. | | | | had, always speak about the responsibilities you had in |
| Most workers fear a layoff or wish they were not | | | | the various jobs. |
| layed-off. They tend not to understand the benefits of | | | | Don’t use words like: qualified, qualifications, skills, |
| a being laid off. Most likely, if you survived a layoff, | | | | talented, intelligent, etc. because they are subjective to |
| then you must perform your job and someone | | | | the other guy’s opinion. Plus, none of these words |
| else’s job too. The company doesn’t give you | | | | describe what you know how to do. |
| double pay. Instead, they rename the job title | | | | Don’t bring up your credentials unless you are a |
| because you have more job responsibilities. The fear | | | | recent graduate high school or college or skill-based |
| of being laid off makes workers perform more work | | | | training program. People as well as employers really |
| and thus produce more. In most cases, companies that | | | | want to know what you want to do (goals) and what |
| downsize and remain open tend to make more money | | | | you know how to do (background). You credentials |
| with fewer people during the same time period. In | | | | only describe the training you received and not what |
| reality, each of us has the ability within us to be more | | | | you know how to do. |
| productive or produce more when forced too. | | | | Do focus on what you are good at doing and what |
| We all really already know what we are good at doing | | | | you know how to do. Never bring-up what you |
| and what we enjoy doing. We just do not know what | | | | don’t want to do or didn’t like doing. |
| job title to put on it. To gain awareness of what you | | | | Do focus on what you enjoy doing. What you enjoy |
| enjoy doing, think of it this way. Let’s say you work | | | | doing tells a lot about the type of person you are. |
| an 8-hour job. It’s takes you an hour to get to work | | | | Do remember people are looking at you, watching |
| and an hour to get back home. So 10 hours of your | | | | your body language, listening to how you describe you |
| day is spent working for someone else. That leaves 14 | | | | and making judgments based on what coming out of |
| hours left in our twenty-four hour day. I say that | | | | your mouth. |
| outside of the time you spend sleeping, you do exactly | | | | Remember, employers are always looking for ways to |
| what you enjoy doing. Nobody forces you to do what | | | | improve productivity. What you enjoy doing naturally |
| you enjoy. | | | | makes you productive and it requires the use of |
| Larry Labelle, a workshop participant probably sums it | | | | multiple skills and abilities. |