Editor’s Note: While it was not unemployment that pushed Vinod Balan to change careers, I felt the key ideas of how and why he changed careers could help anyone looking for a job. Here is his story. The Misconception I had worked in software development for about five years. The first few years were good. But, after a certain point in time, I realized that this is not what I want to do in my life. I was always passionate…
God, I don’t have a job.
Help me to have faith for a good future and
To be patient with myself as I grieve losing the future, I thought I was going to have.
Remind me that you have all kinds of work in this world and my gifts are needed.
Help me to see that all life’s experiences have lessons they can teach.
When I am discouraged, lift me up.
I was vying for a position as an Executive Assistant when I noticed someone had posted a Mitch Albom quote about miracles in my Facebook feed. “Miracles happen quietly every day – in an operating room, on a stormy sea, in the sudden appearance of a roadside stranger. They are rarely tallied. No one keeps score…” I spent my whole life trying to find miracles and it often backfired. I asked my boyfriend at the time, why I never seemed…
I lost my job with IBM in September 2013. It was not personal. IBM needed to “realign their resources (people) to be more effective.” That’s corporate-speak for pushing people out the door because the company doesn’t want them or can’t afford them any more. How did I feel when I heard that I was losing my job? Shocked. I didn’t see that one coming. Several years of layoffs had taught me that IBM might layoff anyone, regardless of their abilities,…
Depression can literally be a life-threatening risk when you’re unemployed. It can sap your ability to get out of bed and move, let alone look for a job. According to Gallup, you are 2 to 3 times more likely to suffer from depression if you are out-of-work than if working full-time. In a crisis? Contact the Crisis Text Line Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor Free 24/7 support at your fingertips US and Canada: text 741741…
Do’s and Don’ts of What to Say if Your Friend Has Lost Their Job Do It’s always good to start with a simple statement of sympathy “So sorry to hear” “I’m sorry” “Sorry you have to deal with this now” followed by a question (or two), such as How are you doing? Did you have any idea this could happen? Is there anything I can do to help? or “What can I do to help?” Listen to your friend. If they…