Uncertainty is the watchword of our times. As we navigate the post-COVID landscape, many organizations make hard decisions about where they are going next and how many employees they will need for their new future. For some companies and their employees, layoffs are looming or have already occurred. Senior leaders’ strategic decisions impact the lives of millions. What will I do next? becomes the question of the day.
Mary Olson-Menzel knows the feeling. She began her career as a TV news reporter and then moved into executive recruiting, a natural fit for her interviewing skills. After running a search firm, she leaped into executive coaching, working with senior executives of leading companies. Now, Olson-Menzel has distilled her insights into a new book, What Lights You Up? Illuminate Your Path and Take the Next Big Step in Your Career.
Dealing with layoffs
“The whole idea about a layoff — or a looming layoff — is to be prepared for that layoff well before it happens,” Olson-Menzel told me in a recent interview. Preparation involves maintaining a solid network. “Talk to different people about what’s happening out there in the industry. Even when you’re happy in a job, you want to be prepared for the unexpected.”
Olson-Menzel says, “Anyone who’s been hit by a layoff — expected or unexpected — it’s a grieving process. There’s the shock factor that happens. I mean, we’re all human, right? And it’s a blow to our ego. It’s a blow to our bank account.”
Do not brush these feelings aside, says Olson-Menzel. “If you can allow yourself to feel the feelings, have the grace for yourself, the grace that you would give to other people.” You need this strength to move forward.
The key to getting back on your feet is to project a sense of confidence. As Olson-Menzel says, you do not have to do it alone. “When you’re going through the roadblocks and the ups and downs in life, you need to be okay asking for help. Really, be okay leaning into that support system. Because nine times out of ten people want to help you.”
Tell your story
One way to demonstrate who you are and what you can do is by learning to tell your story. “Story is the key to human connection. Storytelling has been around since the Stone Ages, and if you can tell an authentic story about your life and your career trajectory and how you got to where you are today, you, nine times out of ten going to be able to connect on a much deeper level with the person that’s interviewing you.”
Olson-Menzel says part of your story may involve accounting for gaps in your resume, such as when you may have been out of work. She encourages individuals to be honest about such gaps but also includes a bit of creativity. For example, one of her clients who took time off for her children referred to her job as chief of operations, itemizing all she was doing for her family. Tell your story in ways that “will make somebody smile or make somebody laugh.”
Three factors
When considering a job — or career — change, there are three factors to consider: prospects, pivots and passions. Prospects are organizations that may hire you. Pivots are new possibilities where you might be hired if you can adapt your existing skill set to a new operating environment. Passion “is where you can take what you love to do and what truly lights you up and apply it into a structure where you can earn money and do it as a living.”
Regarding pivot, Menzel-Olson says, “I tell my clients, say yes to every conversation, even if it doesn’t feel like it might be a fit, you have no idea where it will lead to. But there are beautiful pivots that can happen very organically if you’re open to conversations and open to the idea that you might not be able to check all the boxes of that position description. But if you have the right energy, the right attitude, there are many hiring managers who will take a chance on you and teach you the skills.”
In your new job
Once you land the job, you need to find ways to acclimate. “Now you become a student of the company. You soak up everything.” This kind of effort will enable the new employee to not only understand the organization but also the people in it.
Meet with your peers, your bosses and whoever else you can. “Learning what it is that drives them, and what you can do to help them do their jobs better.” Once you know how you can fit it, you can collaborate. And those who collaborate well earn trust and, in time, build influence.
Influence is fundamental to leadership. And, says Olson-Menzel, leadership does not always involve having direct reports. “Even if you’re not leading people, you can become a leader in the organization. You have to get rid of that mindset that you have to be leading people in order to be a leader.” Olson-Menzel tells the story of a client who landed a significant leadership role that involves “leading the charge” on a transformational effort related to its brand.
Regain your confidence
Changing jobs is never easy, but so often, what looks hard initially morphs into something that challenges us and can enable us to fulfill what we genuinely wish to do.
Listen to Baldoni’s LinkedIn Live interview with Mary Olson-Menzel.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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