Jobs @ Career Consulting Limited

Return to career-consulting-limited.com
Managing
People
Managing Your Career
CV Examples
Coaching
Cover Letter Examples
Pre-Employment Tests


Losing A Career Can Feel Like Getting A Divorce


Most of us are aware that we need to grieve the death of a close friend, relative or favorite pet. We are beginning to learn that other events -- relocation, divorce, illness -- can also be experienced as loss.

Losing a career or business can also be a source of grief, anger and frustration. Starting a new business is an end as well as a beginnig. You may feel as though you are getting a divorce after a twenty-year marriage. Here's why.

1. Sometimes the career leaves you. The field wants "younger people." Or you have to change in ways that violate your sense of self.

2. Sometimes you leave a career that seems perfectly wonderful and fulfilling to those on the outside. "The money's so good," your mother says, "and it's not as if you're scrubbing floors all day. Can't you just hang in there and pretend you like it?"

3. You feel disloyal. After all, you've gained a lot from this career. For the rest of your life, you will view the world through the lens created by your training and experience. You will question assumptions, criticize, challenge, argue, prepare, organize, or negotiate.

4. Friends take sides. After you leave, some former colleagues no longer return your calls. Others try to engage you in a rousing session of "Aren't they horrible," which you don't want either.

5. Those left behind begin to feel abandoned. Are you leaving for a new love, an opportunity that will be livelier, more exciting, and yes, even sexier? Worst case: you're leaving for a new career that your former associates find entirely unsuitable.

6. You have started projects that you will be unable to finish because your new life has no room for them. Anyway, without your former big-name affiliation, you have no credibility to raise them to a level you can present or sell.

7. Your new identity gains you access to new and exciting places, but people treat you differently. You feel naked without the old title on your business card.

8. The rules of the game have changed since the last time you were unattached. And this time around, you're less interested in those "how to get lucky" sessions.

9. You spend more time in the gym. You spend hours walking the dog. You try new hair styles, dare to enter an art gallery, read your first self-help book and consider talking to a professional who bears little resemblance to Jennifer Melfi.

10. You're starting to think, "Being on my own for the rest of my life may not be such a bad thing."

I offer one-to-one consultations on career strategy.

About The Author

Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals take their First step to a Second Career. http://www.cathygoodwin.com.

"Ten secrets of mastering a major life change" mailto:subscribe@cathygoodwin.com

Contact: cathy@cathygoodwin.com 505-534-4294


MORE RESOURCES:




Corporate  Lowe's


Careers  City of Phoenix (.gov)




Working for ICE  ice.gov

Careers  University of Northern Colorado


Careers  City of Ontario, California (.gov)

Careers at FEMA  FEMA.gov



Careers | Home  USDA (.gov)

Jobs  Multnomah County

Supply Chain  Lowe's

Careers and Jobs at CRS  Catholic Relief Services

Careers - MDOT  Maryland.gov

Work at Fairfield  Fairfield University

Careers  Baxter





Employment Opportunities | Game Commission  Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (.gov)

Careers at USCIS  USCIS (.gov)


Careers at TWU  Texas Woman's University



Work at Butler  Butler University


Water Services Careers  City of Phoenix (.gov)

Job Search Results  UnitedHealth Group Careers

Jobs  City of Rochester, New York (.gov)

Employment | Department of Corrections  Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (.gov)

Work With Us  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (.gov)


Careers  Johnson & Johnson

Career Opportunities  Gilead Sciences

Welcome to People Operations  Taylor University


Careers at Willamette  Willamette University


IOM career gateways  International Organization for Migration


Careers  Washington State University

Careers  BASF

Jobs at Liberty University  Liberty University




Student internships at J&J  Johnson & Johnson Careers



Work for the City of St. Louis  City of St. Louis, MO (.gov)



Careers  WVDE



Careers  The Ocean Cleanup

UF Health Careers  UF Health Careers

Job Seekers  Illinois Human Resources

Careers  CrowdStrike.com



Careers at Union  Union College

KPMG Careers  KPMG

March 2025 Preview: What to Expect in the Jobs Report  Center for Economic and Policy Research










Human Resources Department  City of Phoenix (.gov)

Provincial Government Job Opportunities  Government of Prince Edward Island


Current opportunities  Turner & Townsend

15 Low-Stress Jobs for 2025  Money/ US News



Careers  Euromonitor

Careers  Aston Martin

Job Opportunities  Bellevue School District

The Job Market Is Frozen  The Atlantic







Need More Information?
Site Home | Site Map | Links | Contact Us | Privacy Policy
© Career Consulting Limited.com 2011

tumblr visit counter