by Angela Copeland | Feb 14, 2023 | Career Corner Column, Career Fulfillment, Happiness, Job Search Fear, Newsletter
Have you asked friends how they’re doing at work lately? Many people are feeling scared. The national news is filled with headlines about layoffs and an unstable economy. Unlike before, the layoffs no longer feel small and isolated. Big companies that we all know are laying off hundreds, if not thousands, of workers. Many are being laid off with little or no notice. The unemployment rate remains low, and there continue to be job postings. But, the state of the economy feels very uncertain. After three years of instability, people feel fear. It’s just that plain and simple.
This time of year, I often discuss the importance of having a job you love. You spend so much time at work that it is important to do work that is meaningful to you. It’s important to do work you can feel good about. This is all true. That said, there are also times you’re happy just to have a job. For many people, this is that point in time. If you’re feeling this way, what can you do?
Very often, how we feel at work isn’t really about the work we’re doing. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that people don’t quit companies. They quit managers. And, that’s the truth. Sometimes, workers will leave for a better salary. But, they wouldn’t have been looking if they hadn’t been unhappy.
If you are in a situation that feels tough, look around you. One way to combat unhappiness at work is to find a work friend. It sounds silly at first, but it works. Having someone to talk to about what’s going on in the office can create a support structure that is otherwise lacking. It can give you a sounding board on hard days. It can give you another reason to come to work and put your best foot forward when you’re not feeling it. It can give you one person you can trust and count on.
In most situations, finding a work friend is easier than finding a new job. And, if switching jobs during an uncertain economic period is more of a risk than you’d like to take, it’s time to build up the support system at your existing job.
If you’re lucky enough to have a work friend or two, don’t discount how important they are in your life. They are your buffer that will help you make it through tough times. They’ll help you to love days that might otherwise be unbearable. They’ll have your back, and shelter you from the storm happening in other areas of the company. Cherish those people. They’re special. They’re the ones you may even work with again in the future – at another company.
As always, if you have a new opportunity on the horizon, go for it. But, if you need to keep things steady, focus on friendships. Focus on the people who help you to love your job a little bit more.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on
Apple Podcasts or
Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in
iTunes or
Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Feb 1, 2022 | Career Corner Column, Happiness, Job Search, Newsletter
I’ve long believed that our interest in finding a new job is related to the pain we’re experiencing at our existing job. After all, starting a new job is a little like switching to a new high school half way through. Even though it may be a good idea, it’s still painful. You don’t know the social norms. You don’t have friends. And, you haven’t yet learned your way around.
Job searching is also quite a painful process. I often compare it to dating, but sometimes, it feels similar to what I’d imagine a beauty pageant feels like. There are many people around who are judging you on various criteria. Not only do you need to fit the qualifications, but you need to be likable and look the part. Employers want to know that you’ll fit in well with the team.
For most people, the pain at their current job has to outweigh the cost of switching. You have to be willing to put in the energy with a job search, and you have to be willing to start all over again at a new company – to make new friends, and prove your reputation at work, again.
So, the question is this. What is your pain threshold? What are your deal breakers at work?
There’s a strange old saying about boiling a frog. It’s basically that if you put a frog straight into boiling water, it will jump right out. If you put it in colder water and slowly turn up the heat, the frog will stay until it eventually dies. I really dislike this analogy, but it describes what many people experience at work.
I can’t tell you the countless stories I’ve heard about someone being yelled at during work by their boss. It doesn’t just happen once; it happens often. And, it brings the person to tears. Now, do you think if the boss had yelled like this during the interview that the employee would have signed up for this kind of abuse? No way. But, over time, it can start to feel normal. And, when it does, it will erode at the self-esteem of the employee
Don’t let yourself be the frog. If you haven’t, take some time to assess where your boundaries are. Where are your limits? If a friend told you about their day (and it sounded like yours), what would you say? If the friend was in the middle of an abusive work situation, you’d likely advise them to start looking. But when we’re the ones on the receiving end, it can feel less important. It feels tolerable.
Make a list the way you would in any situation. Determine where your boundaries are. Evaluate what you can influence, and what you cannot. If you find that there are deal breakers that you cannot accept, it’s time to look for another option. It’s time to polish up your resume.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on
Apple Podcasts or
Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in
iTunes or
Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Aug 13, 2019 | Happiness, Podcast
Episode 197 is live! This week, we talk with Amanda Nachman in San Diego, California. Amanda is the host of Find Your Passion Career podcast and CEO of College Magazine, a publication with over 900K monthly readers.
On today’s episode, Amanda shares:
- How do you identify a career that makes you happy?
- How long does it take to make the transition to a new career?
- What kind of support system should we build up?
Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
To learn more about Amanda’s work, check out her website at findyourpassioncareer.com, where you can access her podcast, blog, and her career quiz.
Thank YOU for listening! If you’ve enjoyed the show today, don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts! When you subscribe, it helps to make the show easier for other job seekers to find the show!
by Angela Copeland | Nov 27, 2018 | Happiness, Job Search, LinkedIn, Podcast
Episode 183 is live! This week, we talk with Dan Shapero in Anaheim, California.
Dan is the Vice President of Talent Solutions, Careers & Learning at LinkedIn.
On today’s episode, Dan shares:
- Exciting news about LinkedIn’s acquisition of employee engagement platform Glint and what it could mean for your workplace
- Tips on using LinkedIn when you’re a job seeker
- An answer to the important question: Should you accept connection requests from people you don’t know on LinkedIn
Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
To learn more about LinkedIn and Dan’s work, check out the LinkedIn website: https://www.linkedin.com.
Thank YOU for listening! If you’ve enjoyed the show today, don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts! When you subscribe, it helps to make the show easier for other job seekers to find the show!
by Angela Copeland | Jul 17, 2018 | Happiness, Podcast
Episode 177 is live! This week, we talk with Dr. Srikumar Rao in New York, NY.
Srikumar has been called The Business Buddha, and The Happiness Guru. He helps intelligent, driven, ambitious people to find deep meaning in their careers. He is also the author of multiple books, including Happiness At Work: Be Resilient, Motivated, and Successful – No Matter What.
On today’s episode, Srikumar shares:
- Why happiness is your birthright
- How to stop chasing an unrealistic view of happiness
- How our resilience impacts our happiness
- How to improve your happiness when you have been fired, or are stuck in a dead-end job
Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
To learn more about Srikumar’s work, visit his website at https://theraoinstitute.com/. You can also follow him on Twitter at @srikumarsrao.
Thank YOU for listening! If you’ve enjoyed the show today, don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts! When you subscribe, it helps to make the show easier for other listeners to find — and to get great free job search advice!
by Angela Copeland | Jul 16, 2018 | Career Corner Column, Happiness, Media, Newsletter
Do you ever feel like you’re struggling to take your career to the next level? If so, you’re not alone. Many of the job seekers I speak to each day are struggling with similar feelings. They have not received the achievements they expected to get by now. Perhaps they’re coming up on an important birthday, such as thirty or forty or fifty. They haven’t received the awards they would have hoped, or the plum promotion they were counting on. They’re making less money than they had planned for.
Often, they see peers and friends who are making more, and are going up the corporate ladder faster. It can be upsetting, especially if the job seeker was a top performer in school, is a hard worker, and is intelligent.
I recently had the opportunity to speak to Dr. Prasad Kaipa from San Francisco, California. Prasad is the author of the book From Smart To Wise. He focuses on helping professionals to “ignite the genius within” and to connect with their noble purpose.
This is quite a lot to digest. So, let’s focus on one piece of the discussion. One of the things that resonated with me was this idea. “What got us here won’t get us there.” Dr. Kaipa shared the concept that your situation changes over time. He tied this back to the idea of a core competence. Very often, we are promoted through our careers because we have a core strength or set of core strengths that we rely on. But, as we go up the ladder, a different skillset is needed for each role.
Dr. Kaipa explained, “In time, we need to develop a second capability. We need to be able to develop a second core strength. Now that we are in the current position, even though the current set of skills helped us to get here, now that you are a Vice President, you need to learn how to become a President.”
Dr. Kaipa continued, “The unfortunate part is, whenever we feel we are not reaching our potential, we use the same set of skills that got us here, harder and more often. We don’t really reexamine whether the strength that we have that has become our signature strength has become the nail in our foot. I think that kind of a pausing, reexamining, and getting reflection both internally and from other people is what gets us to where we want to go.”
This makes a lot of sense. When we feel like we are failing at something, it’s possible that we’ve outgrown our old toolkit. It’s possible that new strengths are needed. And, sometimes we don’t even know yet what those strengths may be.
If you are struggling to reach your full potential and would like to hear the full interview with Dr. Kaipa, you can find it on the Copeland Coaching Podcast, and download it for free on Apple Podcasts.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on
Apple Podcasts or
Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in
iTunes or
Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
Have you asked friends how they’re doing at work lately? Many people are feeling scared. The national news is filled with headlines about layoffs and an unstable economy. Unlike before, the layoffs no longer feel small and isolated. Big companies that we all know are laying off hundreds, if not thousands, of workers. Many are being laid off with little or no notice. The unemployment rate remains low, and there continue to be job postings. But, the state of the economy feels very uncertain. After three years of instability, people feel fear. It’s just that plain and simple.
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