What to do if your career was soaring and then you hit turbulence

The challenge: Your career was soaring and then you hit turbulence

You didn't think it could happen to you. Your career was soaring. Rapid promotions, more leadership opportunities, bigger projects, and then boom! You hit turbulence. Your job was eliminated, or your company was acquired.

You can't believe it. This happens to other people but not to you. Except it did happen to you and you don't know what to do next.

Even though you are struggling, you are not alone.

My husband hit turbulence 3 year before I met him.

Bill had a motorcycle accident in 1976. He was paralyzed from the neck down, in a coma for 6 weeks, and not expected to live, and if he did, they thought it would be in long-term care.

I met Bill in June 1979. Despite the traumatic brain injury (TBI), he was running when I met him. He talked and told stories. It took me awhile to figure out that he was telling the same stories about his life and even the accident. When I met him he was the Exploring Scout Executive. He lost that job in November 1979 and we were already engaged.

My husband didn't wallow, but it took 6 months to find his next job.

Bill got a new job as a Management Trainee with Kresge's (part of Kmart) in April. He worked in downtown Wausau until we were married in August. In October, he was transferred to northern Minnesota to a Kmart up there.

I left my job in a Savings and Loan in Wausau. Two months after we were married we moved to Grand Rapids, MN so he could take the Assistant Manager job up there.

But it was a rocky start. His manager didn't like him and finally, his job ended in April. I was working as a New Accounts Manager for a Minnesota Savings and Loan. Bill tried several jobs in Minnesota. They didn't last long. We started looking for jobs back in Wausau.

We were hired as Property Managers

We landed a new job as Property Managers for a brand-new Section 8 HUD project back home in Wausau. We shared the job. Bill did most of the maintenance while I managed the HUD and WHEDA rental process. I helped with landscaping and interior painting as well as overall community management.

We held that job and some added responsibilities with other properties for 5 years and then took a transfer to Illinois to open a luxury housing project under construction.

By then our first son, Tim, was born in Wausau. I was pregnant with our second son, Dan. We moved in November and Dan was born in April. As community managers for a 400-unit luxury complex on 31 acres, this was a whole new ballgame. Dan had colic and I probably had post-partum depression. It wasn't a good start and led to my first job loss.

How this all lead to creating Design Resumes

Our parents (both mine and Bill's) died before I transitioned Design Resumes into the company it is today from a more localized resume company. I didn't expand into writing LinkedIn profiles until at least 2010.

My mother was my greatest cheerleader, but she died in 2011 when I was only beginning to work with clients throughout the United States. She never saw any of the websites that now have evolved into the current one that Raul Colon and the amazing web development team at Limonade Inc. created in the summer of 2022.

I shared some of my experiences with you so you know that I understand turbulence. I didn't always make the right moves and I wish I had someone like me to turn to when I was navigating the rocky patches in my life. I do believe that all of these challenges honed me into the best partner you can have when you need someone at your side to help you through turbulence.

Everyone hits turbulence at some point in their life.

It is how you recover and the strategies you use to recover that will make the difference.

Some people wallow for a long time.
Some people are overconfident and feel like they will have a new job in a week.
Some people fritter away the time for too long after they lose their job.

How do you recover after you hit turbulence?

You can take a little breather after you lose a job but don't make it too long.

The key to a restart is taking the next step in your career journey. This is why I created Design Resumes and my interactive resume writing coaching style. While there are many resume writers throughout the world, there are few that spend hours with you helping you to put your best foot forward.

In my process I write with you. I write the resume while you watch the resume develop in front of your screen. You give me feedback throughout the process. I will help you articulate your accomplishments and vocalize the contributions you have made throughout your career.

How I can help you

When you feel beaten down, I help you find your value that you have long forgotten.

I understand turbulence. I lived it. We survived. I can help you through it.

Together we craft your resume. In the process, we identify opportunities for you to market your skills to new targets. We translate your resume to LinkedIn content. I teach you effective strategies to use LinkedIn and be a part of the conversation.

We give you multiple tools to be better prepared in your job search.

At Design Resumes, I have helped 1000s of people reframe their stories and find their next role. I help them see a future when it feels like there won't be one.

My coaching team, Alex Freund, Interview Coach and Susan Barker, Leadership and Executive Coach, help you conquer your fears and learn new strategies to be more effective.

When you hit turbulence, take a moment to recover and then reach out to Design Resumes to get yourself going again. We are here to be your guides in your career journey. Learn more.

What to do if your career was soaring and then you hit turbulence

Posted in Attitude & Mental Health, Executive Resume Writing and tagged hit turbulence, job was eliminated