Hong Kong is shocked by the news of Cathay Pacific’s restructuring plans, which led to the biggest redundancy in Hong Kong’s history. While this incident alone led to over 5,000 people in search for a new job, pessimistic views regard this as just the beginning, with more companies following the same path in the near future.
If you unfortunately are forced into career transition involuntarily, we would recommend asking yourself 3 questions before you jump into job hunting. It would be best to find a career coach for this, but a little bit of self-coaching would also be useful.
Before you start, take a break.
Employment termination is never an easy process, and it is much harder if not voluntary. It makes sense if you feel overwhelmed and is experiencing negative emotions.
It’s okay to feel bad. It’s even wise to take some time to acknowledge your emotions, let them sink in. Psychology researches evidenced that when influenced by negative emotions, our perspectives change and limit the options we could choose from. This may lead to premature decisions which is something you don’t want when exploring the next step in your career.
In fact, rarely do you have a chance in your career to have the time and space to pause and re-prioritise your career. Give yourself a few days, maybe even a few weeks if possible, to pause and refresh.
What did I enjoy and dislike about my job?
If you chose to work and stay in your job function or industry, there must be something that you liked apart from your salary. This tells you a lot about yourself - maybe the motivation or even values that drives your career, or the behaviors you enjoy at work, or the types of working environment you prefer. These could all be something worth looking for when you plan your next move.
We recommend making a list, writing down every idea that came into your mind when thinking through this question. When done, put it aside for a while and come back to it again. You may experience surprises or interesting insights about yourself.
What am I good at?
From the above list, generalise a bit and think about your skill sets. What you are good at in your job may also be applicable in other jobs. Take flight attendants as an example. One may be good at improving customer experience and building relationships with customer, which is valuable in other industries that requires client relationship management like private banking. One may have good insights about improving the complicated protocols in the cabin, which may be useful in operational excellence or quality assurance.
Generalizing what you are good at into skill sets lead to many open doors. This is actually what many recruiters are looking for.
So, what could I do about it?
With thoughts on your preferences and skill sets, it’s time to put them into career exploration actions.
First and foremost, establish a routine and goal in career exploration activities. Plan ahead what kinds of activities you would do every day, and if you feel like you’re ready to apply for jobs, set yourself a goal on number of applications sent. Job hunting is never a smooth process, this routine would come in handy when you face setbacks in the process.
Be as open-minded as you could when looking for job opportunities. Apart from what you are experienced in, there might be opportunities in other functions or industries that require your skill sets. Many job search platforms support keyword searches, which would give you great insights into job opportunities you never imagined you would be relevant to. Take a look at what’s out there in the market where you may find something interesting.
Do you know anyone working in a different industry or function that you may find interesting? Go talk to them and learn about what they do. This gives you great ideas about what might suit you apart from your old job.
When one door closes, another opens. We understand that the process of career transition is not easy, yet it is also a chance to find something even better than what you already have. Make it count!
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