Alert! Alert!

When you hear or see the word, “alert,” what comes to mind?  For me, my mind flashes over to the red, orange, yellow airline threat level alerts that I’m made aware of when I travel. I also think of an “Amber alert” when a child has been abducted and the government is seeking to raise people’s awareness to be on the lookout for that child. Next was becoming alerted to a potential impending weather situation of some kind, perhaps a tornado or snowstorm, for which the public needed to be on watch. I’m sure you’ve thought of others as well.

What “Alert” Really Means for Your Career

When I looked up the definition of “alert” in the dictionary, the word is described as a(n):

• adjective – quick to notice any unusual and potentially dangerous or difficult circumstances; vigilant
• noun – the state of being watchful for possible danger.
• verb – warn (someone) of a danger, threat, or problem, typically with the intention of having it avoided or dealt with.

Hopefully your mind is already sliding into why “Alert! Alert!” is the subject for today’s blog. Over the decades I’ve been involved in Crossroads Career, I’ve seen far too many people not “alert” others to their employment status, whether unemployed or unfulfilled. Instead, most people tend to play down their status, wanting to keep this event or feeling subordinated to whatever else is being discussed or in public view. Definitely NOT the way to do a job search or develop a clear understanding of what is driving your feeling of being unfulfilled.

Unemployed? Why You Must Let Others Know

First, let’s tackle the situation of being unemployed.

As an illustration, in one of my 8-week small groups that I facilitated years ago, as we introduced ourselves at the first session, one of the participants shared that he had been unemployed for six weeks, and he had not yet told his wife or family of his being let go from his job! The rest of us were mildly shocked at this news, to say the least. I quickly adjusted some of my comments that night to gently encourage the participants to ensure everyone in their network knew that they were unemployed, and by the next week, this gentleman let us know he had his family in the loop on his situation. Whew!

5 Common Excuses That Keep Job Seekers Quiet

Now, if you’re unemployed, you may find yourself saying, “Well, I would never do that.” Probably not. BUT, have you really put out the “Alert!  Alert!” notice that you’re in the hunt for a new job? Literally, does EVERYONE you know, and including some people who don’t know you yet, KNOW that you’re in job transition? Because in addition to the extreme example I shared above, I’ve run into numerous unemployed people who have fallen into this trap through some of these flawed excuses, along with their many variations:

1. I don’t want to be a bother or burden to someone
2. I am not sure what to say
3. I want to get fully prepared first
4. I am not comfortable talking about it
5. I actually have a hard time dealing with the fact that I’m unemployed!!

A Personal Struggle With Being Unemployed

The last two bullets above remind me of an episode from the old TV sitcom, “Happy Days,” where the star character, the Fonz, was supposed to apologize to someone for something he had done wrong. Every time he tried to say, “I was wrong,” the words just wouldn’t come out of his mouth. He literally couldn’t say the words!

That’s the way I felt when I became unemployed for the first time in my life after the Arthur Andersen implosion. My paradigm of people who were unemployed was not a positive one, and for a while, I just couldn’t seem to get my head around the fact that I was unemployed. Intellectually, I knew I needed to tell people and give them the “Alert! Alert!” message, but emotionally, it took me a while to get there.

Networking Success Story: How One Conversation Led to a Job

Here’s another illustration of just how far-reaching “Alert! Alert!” can go with a story from one of my small group participants, let’s call her Sally. Sally was a dental hygienist and had been laid off. With more flexible time, she started to exercise more regularly at a local gym. As Sally checked in one day, the receptionist engaged in a conversation with her and asked her what prompted her to get more regular with her workouts.  

Sally: I’ve been laid off from my job, so I now have more time and flexibility with my workouts 

Receptionist: Oh, I’m sorry to hear about you losing your job. What do you do for a living?

Sally: I’m a dental hygienist

Receptionist: Really! That’s cool!  Do you know Dr. Jones? He’s a dentist who works out here. In fact, he’s here right now. Would you like me to introduce you to him?

Sally said, “You bet!” And the rest is history! She got a job with Dr. Jones! 🙂 That’s why I mentioned earlier that you need to let EVERYONE know you are unemployed, because you never know who they know and where life events can take you.

Unfulfilled at Work? Here’s How To Share Carefully

Ok, so I’m hoping you are with me on the need for an “Alert! Alert!” message to get the word out to everyone you possibly can when you’re unemployed. But what if you’re unfulfilled? Probably not a great idea to shout that news from the mountain tops. So what kind of message should you have?

Overt vs Covert Job Search

I suggest we contrast an unemployed person’s search as an overt search, while an unfulfilled person’s is a covert search. The messages are pretty much the same for both, but the audience for a covert search is specifically limited to trusted advisors who can keep your confidence and offer wise counsel. After all, you don’t want word to get back to your current employer that you’re unfulfilled. Depending on your situation, you may want to give your current employer a chance to make some changes to help you find fulfillment in the job you have, but you’ll want to control the timing and content of that message.

4 Practical Steps for Alerting Others in Your Job Search

Let’s wrap up with some practical steps to take for both an overt or covert search:

1) Stay Grounded in Faith

Be grounded in your faith – Isaiah 40:28-29 tells us, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength.” Tap into this and many of God’s other promises to us to fortify yourself for your transition.

2) Make a List of Who to Tell

Create a list – Like any other meaningful goal, make a list of who you can tell about your job transition and what you plan to tell them. For an overt search, a long list. For a covert one, a short list.

3) Create Talking Points

Create some talking points – If you are like me and not quite sure what to say or how to say it, sketch out your thoughts and practice them with someone you trust will give you candid feedback.  

4) Set Deadlines to Stay on Track

Set some deadlines – Anything worth doing is worth doing by a set time. Don’t allow yourself to just work through things. Something will always come up that will delay you getting the word out.

Help Others Help You

A scene from the movie, “Jerry Maguire,” sums this topic up well. Jerry is a sports agent trying to help his only client, a wide receiver named Rod, get a large NFL contract. Yet Rod is seen as an arrogant loudmouth whose results don’t back up his contract demands. Finally Jerry, in frustration, pleads with Rod, “Help me, help you!”  

The same goes for you. People can’t help you if they don’t know you need help. They cannot read your mind.

Help them, help you!

Crossroads Guides Can Support You

And a great place to start is to have a conversation with one of our Crossroads Guides.  They are seasoned career professionals who can confidentially listen to your story and share some practical advice through a Biblical worldview lens. You can set up a FREE 45 minute consultation with one of our Guides HERE.

Remember, there’s no time like the present to send out the “Alert!  Alert!” message! 

Blessings!

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Dave Sparkman currently serves as the volunteer Crossroads Career board chair and local ministry leader. He is also the founder and managing director of Spark Your Culture, a corporate culture consulting firm. Prior to that he worked at UnitedHealth Group, a Fortune #5 public company, serving in the role of Chief Culture Officer. His unemployment experience came from the implosion of Arthur Andersen, where he served as the West Region Managing Partner, People.