Career Stalled? Change What’s Not Working

Have you ever planned for something, only to discover things didn’t work out?

How we respond to changes in our plans speaks volumes about our ability to move forward.

Our response can determine our future success.

Even how we respond to simple changes can help us when a real challenge presents itself.

Take Halloween. After years of apartment living, Hubby and I were super excited about Halloween the first year we moved into our house.

We decorated the front of the house. We purchased tons of candy. The house was so well-lit you could see it from space.

We waited for the doorbell to ring.

And waited, and waited, and waited.

I went outside to look for Trick or Treaters.

Our street was silent. Like a ghost town.

Despite the fact that our neighborhood was teaming with children.

We brought lawn chairs and candy out front in an attempt to appear more friendly to anyone who might pass by.

Nothing.

We looked pathetic, sitting alone in the front yard. We had planned this night for months and had been looking forward to seeing all the little ghosts and goblins from our neighborhood.

Who lights up their home, full of decorations, with bags of candy, yet no Trick or Treaters?

We started laughing, the situation was so absurd.

Desperate to succeed at Halloween, we quickly ditched our current plan and developed Plan B.

If Halloween wouldn’t come to us, we would go to Halloween.

Pouring the candy into a tote bag, we grabbed a flashlight and started walking. Didn’t take long to find Halloween. The next block was alive with Trick or Treaters!

We immersed ourselves into the action, meeting our neighbors and passing out candy. We learned from our new friends our street is considered too busy for children, which explained the lack of candy traffic.

Ultimately, we had a successful Halloween for three reasons:

• We accepted the fact our current strategy and plans were getting us nowhere
• We quickly developed new plans and executed the tactics to achieve our goal
• We refused to wallow in self-pity or accept “no” for an answer

Is your career stalled? Is your job search providing the results you need and expect? Or are you still at “Square One”?

Maybe it’s not your job search so much as it’s your resume that’s holding you back.  Are you sure it clearly states who you are to hiring managers and explains how you can solve their problems?

Or maybe it’s in the presentation. Are you confident in your ability to answer the toughest interview questions? Or perhaps a few practice sessions would be of benefit?

Sometimes we all need to take a step back and re-group.

To accept that our current plan, or even some of our tactics, may not be working.

And when it comes to careers, sometimes even the best of us don’t even know what we want to be when we grow up. We feel that lost.

Remember, it’s okay to press “pause” on your plan, take a moment and regroup. Develop a new plan that will lead you to success or ask for help, if that’s what it takes.

But don’t stick with a plan that’s not providing the results you need to meet your goals.

*If you need assistance with your career – anything from refreshing your resume, to interview preparation, to career changes – contact me. I’m happy to help.