When your journey changes suddenly

Life goes along, not always smoothly, but predictably and then something happens.

Your journey changes suddenly

The last article I wrote talked about turbulence. Little did I know that there would be new turbulence in our lives only 5 days after I published that article on March 24. My husband, Bill, had an endoscopy procedure scheduled for March 29. He had trouble swallowing and had multiple choking episodes. He had two other similar procedures earlier in life, but he is now 76 so I was concerned enough to ask our church for prayers.

When the surgeon came back to the room, he seemed more reserved. I waited for news.

He told us that it looked like Bill has esophageal cancer.

This started a flurry of tests and appointments that took up most of April. We were presented with a treatment plan consisting of radiation, chemo, and surgery. After visiting with the surgeon, the surgery was so invasive that Bill opted out. He was going forward with chemo until he determined he didn’t want to do it.

We determined the treatment plan would be radiation only. This started on May 8 and continued with 28 treatments ending on June 15.

He has another endoscopic procedure on July 18 as well as a second Pet Scan on July 21. This will reveal what has happened since the treatment was completed. This wasn’t Bill’s first battle.

My husband hit turbulence 3 years 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.

However, he was articulate and ran mini-marathons when I met him and since I was 23, I really didn’t understand the impact of traumatic brain injury (TBI) on our lives. He was 29 at the time of the accident, we have been married for 43 years in August. He’s had 47 years more of life than the doctors thought he would have at the time.

Our journey changes

I’ve learned to roll with the punches. Life has never been easy. We weathered job loss and economic turmoil along with the rest of the nation. We will weather this cancer threat too.

When your career journey changes

People hire me to help them with their career journey. There are many ways a career journey can change:

Your job can end
The industry can pivot and your skills become irrelevant
The company closes
You don’t feel fulfilled in your current role
You are moving to a new industry

Not only do I write resumes and LinkedIn profiles, but clients and I discuss all the ramifications of their career journey as well as the most effective strategies to move to the next role.

The hardest concept for someone who wants a new job is that they must work just as hard to get the job as they do in the job. If they are convinced that applying for jobs online will get them a new role, they are often in for a long wait.

Every field and industry are different. The commonality is that those people who network (meaning they talk to people who can help them connect with people who can help them find hiring managers) are more likely to be successful.

The challenge when your career journey changes

Sometimes people have their eye on a singular target or company. If it is a popular target, they may have to work very hard to get in the door. By diversifying your targets, evaluating what options are in your space, and identifying paths to success, you can land a job that gives you joy. If you are seeking help in traveling your career journey, I would be happy to be your guide. Learn more about how to start here.