3 Things Recessions Bring About Are Uncertainty Change and Opportunity
Recessions bring about a lot of uncertainty.
I know, I’ve been there.
Recessions also bring about a lot of change.
I know, I’ve been there too.
Recessions bring about a lot of opportunities as well.
I know, I’ve also been there.
The early 2000s recession brought about uncertainty for me when I lost my job.
I’d been working on a contractor basis in Investment Baking. The bank made the decision to let all contractors go in an attempt to secure the jobs of permanent employees.
I was offered a permanent position. I declined.
I knew I had been spinning the wheels at work. It was the push I needed.
Because while I enjoyed working in investment banking, it wasn’t for the work per se (that had long since become mundane and monotonous). But for the good people, I worked with. It was a good organisation to work for, and it afforded me a good lifestyle
But I wasn’t fulfilled in my work.
However, having worked in Investment Banking for many years, I didn’t know what else I could do.
I gave a half-hearted attempt to get another job.
But really, I knew it was time for a change.
The early 2000s recession brought about the realisation for me, that it was time for a change.
But a change to what?
That was the six-million-pound question.
While I was trying to figure out the answer, my friend Pauline asked me to deliver a workshop on the job search element of a programme she was leading to help people work within logistics. She had been let down at the last minute by the trainer due to deliver it.
I had no experience in delivering workshops on any subject matters, but Pauline persuaded me all I needed was a common sense approach.
She was right.
Not knowing what to do, I applied a common sense approach.
I was out of my comfort zone, so I over prepared.
That proved to be a good strategy. Because having over-prepared meant I could be in the moment when delivering the workshop.
And it went amazingly. I really connected with the people.
I felt really fulfilled in the work I had prepared and delivered.
The early 2000s recession had brought about opportunity for me
I instinctively knew I was at the beginning of where I needed to be in my WorkLife.
I had found the answer to my six-million-pound question, or rather it had found me.
I knew the next step I needed to take.
That was to undertake a degree in Career Coaching and Management.
Because along with a common sense approach, I needed a strong theoretical foundation from which to build my knowledge.
Learning and Building Your Knowledge Through a Strong Theoretical Foundation Is the First Strategy to Change Your WorkLife During Times of Recession – Simple – Right?
I needed that to serve people to the best of my ability.
That was going to take time.
But that was OK.
Because alongside my studies, I gained practical experience.
I applied my learning by doing approach to life by taking on work at each step of my learning journey and applying the knowledge I was gaining to do good work.
This, of course, meant I was gaining experience to support my learning.
Learning and Building Your Knowledge Through Experience Is the Second Strategy to Change Your WorkLife During Times of Recession – Simple – Right?
This, of course, also meant I was bringing in much-needed income while I was making a transition to a new WorkLife.
And this, of course, meant when my studies were complete, alongside gaining knowledge, I had also gained experience.
Which ultimately meant I was ready to hit the ground running in my new WorkLife.
The early 2000s recession had brought about uncertainty, change and opportunity for me.
A place of uncertainty led to change, which in turn led to opportunity.
Together those three components led to the beginning of a new WorkLife chapter.
New chapters opened up from there.
Each chapter came with elements of uncertainty, change and opportunity.
I pushed through those elements.
Or actually, I wrote the new chapters of my WorkLife.
My WorkLife My Way.
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Perhaps a looming recession is causing you some unease.
Take it from someone who has been there.
It will bring about a lot of uncertainty for you
It will bring about a lot of change.
And it will bring about a lot of opportunities too.
Be open to those opportunities that present themselves.
Pay attention to what fulfils you.
That’s what you need to be in a position to know what you want and need to do next.
Take a step by step approach.
That’s all you need to know what to do next.
That will inform the learning you need to undertake.
That will take you to:
Simple Strategy 1. Learning and Building Your Knowledge Through a Strong Theoretical Foundation
That will also inform the experience you need to gain.
That will take you to:
Simple Strategy 2. Learning and Building Your Knowledge Through Experience
Those are the actions that will help you write your next WorkLife chapter.
Page by page.
New chapters will open up from there.
Take it from someone who has been there.
Enjoy the journey to your new WorkLife.
And if you need a little inspiration along the way, you may enjoy my Book, Your WorkLife Your Way – It’s a collection of people’s inspiring stories of how they created new WorkLife chapters that came about because of uncertainty, change and opportunity. The book includes the exercises that helped them navigate their situations, which are set as assignments for your to work through.
Click on the book title above or tap the image below to see a preview of what’s inside.
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School of WorkLife helps you self-direct your WorkLife learning through resources that have been created to help you to take ownership of your learning in your own space and in your own time.
What is Self Directed Learning?
Self-Directed Learning is when an individual is motivated to take the initiative and responsibility on decisions related to their own learning. It is a series of independent actions and judgements free from external control and constraint.
Resources to Help You Self-Direct Your Learning
You may find the books below from The School of WorkLife Book Series helpful in meeting your learning needs as a self directed learner. Tap the book title to see a preview of what’s inside each book.
How To Self-Coach, Direct and Lead Effectively
How To Use Turning Points to Start Something Different and Better
How To Build Your WorkLife Around What Engages and Inspires You
Tap The School of WorkLife Book Series to view the complete collection of books. From here, you can tap on each individual title to see a preview of what’s inside each book.
Carmel O’ Reilly is a learning practitioner and writer. She creates resources to help people self-direct their WorkLife learning. These include a Collection of Books which originated from her first book, Your WorkLife Your Way and a Learn Through Reading Series of Case Studies. which originated from her latest book WorkLife Book Club.
That’s the power of writing (and reading, which is an integral part of the craft for writers). It helps you find, develop and tell the right story at the right time in all WorkLife situations – in day-to-day communication: WorkLife and feedback conversations, presentations, talks, and negotiations, at interviews, and when socialising and networking in building and maintaining good relationships. The practice of writing helps you to tell the stories that express who you are in an interesting and engaging way.