By Thelma Zirkelbach
Coping with transition isn’t for sissies. Changing jobs can be tough, and I believe you should think hard before you make a move. Every workplace has its problems. Will you simply be exchanging one set of problems for another? Will a new position make financial sense, emotional sense, career sense? What will you give up and will that balance what you get? Does the new position represent a challenge that you’re ready to tackle?
Of course, sometimes you have no choice. You’re laid off, or your company goes out of business. Making a lateral move to a position that requires the skill set you already have might be a possibility. When my business partner and I closed our speech pathology practice, our office manager, who’d been with us for 19 years, took a similar position in a new practice opened by some speech pathologists she’d met through our office. She’s a people person who is great at her job and is probably one of the most knowledgeable people in the city about what’s going on in the profession.
Are you considering a career change as opposed to a job change? Maybe you’ve reached » Read more: Career Transition: Changing Jobs
The bottom line is that there is nothing fun about losing your job, but it doesn’t have to derail your life. With the current state of the economy in the past several years, job loss has become more common than ever, so it may be comforting to know that you are not alone.
When I represent terminated employees, many of them have been presented with severance agreements that they ask me to review for them. Many more have not been offered severance, but may be able to receive it if they know how to ask. What should you do if you’ve been fired, laid off, or made redundant, before you sign a severance agreement? And what should you do if severance is not offered? Here are some things to consider.
