A former colleague of mine called me in a panic, “Please help me find a job!” She was practically in tears. I was stunned; Mary was always so confident, strong and successful. What happened?

She started to tell me the unfortunate story… “‘Leadership’ is changing; they’re changing the growth strategy, compensation plans and the culture is in total shock. It’s awful.” She saw the writing on the wall and wanted to be proactive. But, she was terrified.

This is a familiar situation many of my clients experience. Just like Mary, they’d been extremely successful in their role; supporting and furthering the company’s success. Yet now, in what seems like an instant, they have to change their role, their mindset, and their focus entirely. They’re no longer on the ‘employer’ side; they’re now a job seeker. They know the condition of the job market. They know having a family member update their resume isn’t going to cut it these days. They’re very comfortable interviewing when they’re the interviewer, not the interviewee!

So, what happens next? Typically and initially, anxiety creeps in which replaces strong self-confidence. This is the debilitating factor. Then comes the internal overwhelm of questions. What am I going to do? Should I contact a headhunter? Who should I call? But, I’m going to have to update my resume. Will it be more than two pages now? Oh, and should I update my LinkedIn profile? How should I reach out to my network without looking desperate? Maybe I should do something totally different, but what? Should I go back to school? Am I too old? Is this a sign that I should finally follow my passion and start my own business? But where do I begin?

One of the best things in this situation is the opportunity to begin something new. Although I completely understand that for some people, one of the hardest things to do is to change and start something new. The good news is, there is a solution. Whether you hate change or thrive on it, you can do what Mary did and contact a Career Coach who has the expertise and training to help and guide you through this transition. For some, the toughest part is simply asking for help. But let’s face it, between the current job market to all of the different changes of how employers recruit and hire today and so many options… There is no way you should tackle this next phase of your life without professional help. It would be like having someone rip off your band-aid quickly to see the healing versus you do it yourself; hesitantly peeling it off slowly and painfully. That’s the same difference working with a Professional Certified Coach. Working with a coach accelerates the successful transition. Plus you get renewed positive energy and increased self-confidence while taking deliberate action toward your new goals. Now that is liberating and exciting!