By Jay Block I was fired by one of my best friends in 1992. More on this later. But first I want you to know this webinar was prepared for you and I want you to think of me as your personal coach; one who truly cares about you and your future…because I do! I have worked with thousands of people from around the world to help them identify, pursue and secure good-paying jobs and rewarding opportunities in tough economies. Though you and I, most likely, have not met formally, I fully understand and empathize with what you are currently experiencing; and the emotional roller coaster you are riding.
This program is different from most other job search programs because I reject the idea job search is an effective activity or, that it works at all. As you will see during our time together, career and job transition is a process not a search. Whether you are a graduating student or seasoned professional, career and job transition can be compared to planning and orchestrating a political campaign. Politicians who seek to get ‘hired’ for elected office do not conduct a political search; they conduct a strategic campaign. So must you. And once you embrace this new way of thinking, you will 1) have much more control over your future, 2) secure rewarding opportunities quickly at the pay you deserve and 3) genuinely enjoy the process!
I have worked with people who have been unexpectedly terminated, downsized, rightsized and capsized. I have worked with those who have bosses from you-know-where, who are stressed out from working in toxic environments and who are toiling every day at jobs that are downright uninspiring. Many clients and audiences I have addressed over the past 20-plus years are still in “what do I want to be when I grow up?” mode. And yet others are hampered by golden handcuffs; cuffed to an unexciting and taxing job. They are unable to seek out new opportunities because they can’t relinquish their current job because of economic and financial considerations and are so exhausted and stressed out at the end of the day, they haven’t the energy to pursue a better position. Finally, I have worked with employees wanting to start their own enterprises as well as entrepreneurs wanting to convert to employees.
I know you and the challenges you face. When I graduated from the University of New Hampshire in the mid 1970’s, the unemployment rate was near 8%. It took me months to find a management trainee job that paid just ten cents over minimum wage! However, I accepted the job and worked my way up to an operations manager in just 6 months. Then, at age 26, I quit my job and started my own company and sold it for a handsome profit at age 30. I subsequently went into business in partnership with a French company and proceeded to lose just about everything by the time I was 31 years old. I came close to bankruptcy. I continued to struggle finding my place in the labor market over the next seven years. Then, in 1991, one of my best friends hired me as his marketing director. A year later he fired me. Well, actually, he was conveniently out of town, so he had my secretary inform me I was fired when I returned from my vacation. How many people are fired by their secretaries on orders from one of their best friends?
So there I was, 39 years old, broke and broken. I was broke financially. I was broken physically; 15 pounds out of shape. And most critically, I was broken emotionally. I had lost my confidence, my dignity and any hope for the future. I was forced to reinvent myself but had idea how to do it. So I sought out and worked with some of the world’s most reputable coaches, poured through more than 1,000 books and audiotapes and, by the age of 45, found my passions, became an industry leader and well-respected author and national trainer. The point I am making is I have experienced much of what you are currently experiencing. I’ve been there, done that and worn that tee-shirt. But I succeeded as will you.
Since 1993, I have interviewed thousands of hiring managers, HR professionals and executive recruiters to determine what they look for and what they want when they are hiring. Armed with this information, I discovered most of what you’ve been taught about the job search makes no sense, is contrary to effective and accepted methods of marketing and is an exercise filled with fear and anxiety; not excitement and anticipation. So I set out to identify a common sense and motivational process that would successfully work for anyone…and found it! Since then, I have assisted tens of thousands of people to clearly identify, pursue and achieve meaningful jobs and career objectives.
So I invite you to spend some time with me in this webinar so you too can achieve all you deserve. In fact, I invite you to treat our time together as an enjoyable journey that will do for you what it did for me…give you confidence, self-respect and genuine enthusiasm for creating a better future.
