If your finances dictate a need to go back to work after a time away, the window of time you have before relaunch makes a difference in the quality of your preparation and how you’ll spend that time.  In a challenging economy where several others are seeking the same job you need to be better prepared.  Here’s a couple of ways to do that with different scenarios:

You don’t know what kind of work you want to do, but have time to figure it out pull out the old classics: What Color Is Your Parachute? (go through it’s wealth of useful info and exercises, esp. the “Flower” exercise in the back of the book and consider getting the accompanying workbook) and 
I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was. Even work through Career Match: Connecting Who You Are With What You’ll Love To Do by Zichy and Bidou.  These are available at individual sites online as well as Amazon.  I usually pick them at my local library and any edition works well, then xerox the exercises I need to fill out.

Also take the assessment from the book, Now Discover Your Strengths, to learn more about your important leading edges and consider the Elevations Online Career Assessment  by Helen Scully (which I’ve been trained in to use with clients too).  There are many free, low-cost and useful online career assessments.  “Know thyself first.”

If you don’t know what kind of work you want to do and have little time  Hire a career coach to help you quickly clarify your direction and streamline your search.  You may still have to do some of the work above, but she/he can help you sort through it and only work on the information that’s needed to move quickly ahead.  See 48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller, president of the Business Source.  This book helps you make successful job and career decisions.  If you go on the About.com website, you can compare pricing on this and other books from many store and online locations.

If you know what you want to do and are just trying to find the work  Get either of Alison Doyle’s books. She’s a job search expert who specializes in online searches.  Also, The Job Search Solution:  The Ultimate System for Finding a Great Job Now! by Tony Beshara, a top recruiter who has been on the Dr. Phil Show, has a step-by-step system to finding a job. 

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Much as we all yearn for weekends, vacations and sometimes an extra hour in our day to do nothing, there are those among us who find it difficult taking 5 minutes away from their work to use the bathroom or get a fresh breath of air.  Some folks continue to keep their nose to the grind, even when it’s completely under their control to take those pause moments. 

You know what I mean – it’s 2:00 p.m. and the lunch hour seems to have somehow slipped away.  Now you’re wondering if you should stop for lunch at all or wait till dinner OR maybe you’re really intending to take that break, but you just keep finishing one more thing first. 

The difference is if you feel yourself stuck in doing this more often than not.  Maybe you are someone who finds yourself listening longingly to someone else’s daily schedule and you wonder how they manage to fit it all in and have downtime too.  Others you notice take their three daily meal breaks and even a midafternoon break, but you feel you have too much to do. 

I’ve gotten alot more effective at taking my downtimes.  Nothing changed, but my own willingness to make myself more of a priority.  I rarely miss daily exercise or meals and even get a few personal errands done daily, vs. overload my weekend times.  Yet some of my clients (who will remain unnamed, but you know who you are),  fall into the pattern of missing out on their downtimes.  As a result, they have a blameworthy desire for the schedule of those unlike themselves.   Sound like you?

Know the difference between workaholism and working hard and if you find yourself in the first category, then seek some reputable support to help you overcome this behavior.  If you’re a hard worker but could use a more balanced approach to managing your day, consider hiring a coach to help you integrate more effective work habits and strategies to allow you that coveted downtime.

Like O.J. Simpson at his trial, sometimes no matter how persistent you are to make the glove fit, your work just doesn’t fit you.

In a tough economic environment, it’s scary thinking of making major industry changes, (i.e. from a preschool teacher to a nurse), let alone changing jobs in your same field (i.e. from a piano teacher for kids to a piano teacher for adults). If you’re not in pain right now over your job and don’t have financial resources to be out of work for at least six months, I recommend you hold tight where you are until your finances will be supportive for a period of transition, you do know what you want, have the skills and talents to bring to the work, and have developed sufficient contacts to help get you the work.

But in the meantime, it’s time to find out why your job isn’t a fit for you and see if you can’t infuse it with new energy and interest to stay or begin the research process for a job change. Some key questions so you can make a list of your responses and begin to formulate a clear plan for your future action steps:

1. Was your job ever a fit for you? What are the best, the worst and the so-so parts for you?
2. Have you ever had some of the same positives (from #1) in other work you’ve done?
3. What specifically has changed and what can you be responsible for to improve your situation?

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I’ve felt anxiety when I’ve seen a deadline looming, as my clients have and most of us have, at one time or another.  We typically panic unnecessarily because we either impose our own curfews on projects, or our deadline has suddenly arrived and we lost track of time because we didn’t put in the upfront planning. 

Here are a few tips to help you overcome the panic of deadlines and deal with them step-by-step:

1.  Decide if you’re really the one to do the task in the first place.  Is this a volunteer option or not?  Is there someone else more qualified to handle it than you?  You don’t have to always be the ring leader gathering the wagon trains into the circle.  If you’re not the  best equipped for the job, don’t have the know-how for it, or you’re able to pass on it and would like to—share the wealth and give someone else their turn.

2.  Find out the expected date and if there is any leeway with that date and time or not.  In either case, make a list of exactly what’s expected by the final date in order to stretch out your efforts in a systematic approach.  Be sure to consult your existing schedule and your availability to handle this.  Let your new list guide you rather than carrying around details in your head and causing you to unnecessarily worry it will get done.  Don’t let procrastination govern your planning and writing phase, for without it, you’ll be at the deadline sooner than you expected.

3.  Ask what’s really necessary to pull it off.  Are you being too detailed?  Maybe you’re missing the more important pieces?  Get clear on what’s needed and cut out what’s unnecessary.   If you’ve done #2 correctly, here you’ll fill in the time line for each important action.  A recent party for my Mom’s birthday had ten people emailing ideas back and forth (which was great for the initial brainstorming period).  But when there was any consensus, I pointed to it and built on it right away.  Others rallied and we could go forward.  Don’t get too stuck in planning, move into clear action.

4.  You won’t always feel like doing what’s in front of you.  There could be a myriad of reasons, including feeling tired.  Be sure to factor in extra time to allow these breaks and not have to go into pain and suffering to finish something.  If your situation requires a burst of energy output, breathe through it and be sure to give yourself recovery time after.

5.  Remember the old adage, “haste makes waste” and “the hurrier you go the behinder you get?”  Words couldn’t be more true.  When you rush, too many mistakes get made and important things are overlooked or too hastily finalized.  Find an effective rhythm, understanding and making room for the pace of others you’ll be working with.

6.  Play to your strengths.  Spend your time on what you’re best at and if there are others who you can consult with to short-circuit your efforts, no need to prove to anyone that you don’t need their help.  It’s all in how you position it.  If you want to show your competency and yet seek the agreement of someone familiar with your project, tell them you’ve got a few ideas on it already, but given their history with it, you’d like to hear their view to factor in with your own.  Whenever possible, recruit support.

We’ve all heard the negative connotations of a brownnoser [this term comes from the notion that a subservient person kisses the backside of the person with whom he is seeking favor].  But aside from fully ingratiating yourself to another, there are times that warrant sticking out and making your presence known to your boss or your top client, going above and beyond the norm.  Here are some of those times for both corporate employees and entrepreneurs…

1.  You’ve been invisible.  It doesn’t take overly compliant behavior towards your boss or client to get visible, or certainly humiliating yourself, but it means you have to stretch some to  be noticeable.  Be friendly, interested, enthusiastic and available.  At all times be authentic, but you may feel inauthentic because you’re outside your comfort zone.  Be the first at a meeting and stay behind to offer final comments if it appears they’re warranted. Volunteer for only what you can handle, but don’t wait for others to grab the best opportunities, seek them out and try to position yourself for them before they’re dolled out.  Demonstrate willingness without being a nuisance.

Meet clients for lunch or coffee and have beneficial information for them at the ready to not only entice them to come, but so they leave satisfied.  In referring to how you could help them, try, “May I propose a few suggestions I’ve thought you might find helpful?”  Asking is always better than assuming you have permission to tell and now they’re primed better to listen too.  I don’t recommend to my clients that they try to buy their way in, but a birthday and holiday remembered by a card are one simple way to consistently stay noticed and it’s more personal than just your blog or information newsletter.

2.  You are ready to take on more challenges and responsiblity.  If you don’t make this known, it could be assumed you’re too busy or that the certain project isn’t up your alley.  Set a periodic meeting with your boss to discuss your progress on projects and share your new ideas, or see if your boss is willing to talk about what’s coming down the pike and listen to your input.  Be clear what your objective is…a raise, title change, or just new challenging work.  Make sure he/she knows you are at the ready to take on more and be sure you are too, by knowing just what it’ll take. 

Entrepreneurs, contact former clients to see what they’re working on and if there’s any way your services can assist them.  Don’t be a pest by leaving more than one voice message, especially ones asking for return calls.  Be persistent to reach your client yourself and have some consistency in how and when you stay in touch.

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