Inevitably there will be times when you have setbacks or things don t go your way. Maybe you didn't get a job you thought you were sure to get. Maybe you lost a job unexpectedly, didn't win a contract, or lost a major client. Your car always seems to break down right after you've had some other unexpected expense. These kinds of situations immediately place us in crisis. They don t feel good, but sometimes they re what we need in order to grow. The beautiful thing about crises is that they force us to take a step back and reevaluate what s going on in our lives and rediscover what we truly want and need. When we get over that initial shock and feeling of disappointment, we might realize that maybe that job wasn't really the best for us anyway. Maybe, just maybe, that wasn't what you really wanted to spend your life doing. Maybe that friend was holding you back instead of pushing you forward. The way I deal with crises of these sorts is simple: If something doesn't go my way professionally, I try to create a situation that would be more rewarding than the situation originally planned. A while ago, I was offered a job that looked very promising. After I accepted the offer, they pushed the start date back three times, later informing me (via e-mail) that they wanted to bring me on in the near future but I should feel free to explore other options. I was extremely disappointed. I felt disrespected and angry, but decided to make the best of the situation and follow my dream of working internationally. I then flew to Santiago, Chile and had great professional and personal experiences I wouldn't have had otherwise. Later, reflecting back on the original opportunity, I realized that working for a company that avoids a start date three times and then can t pick up the phone to explain the situation is probably not where I need to spend my time. Use setbacks as an opportunity to put your goals in order and act on them. In the moment, it s difficult to look at a setback as temporary, but they are. They happen to everybody. It s how you respond to them that will determine how they affect you.
I get annoyed with the use of quotation marks where they don’t belong. Apparently so does Bethany over at UnnecessaryQuotes.com, a blog that showcases some of the best misuses of quotation marks. If you want a funny break or have a submission you’d like to make, head on over to her blog and check it out.
On July 1 at 11:20 p.m. from this earth departed one of the most genuine people I knew.
Richard Bedford, to wish you were still here with us would be selfish, for I know you are now in a much better place, continuing the job you started here and did so well. It has been an honor and a pleasure to know somebody of your integrity and demeanor. Your life was one of servitude, positively impacting all of those who came within your presence. You always found the time to provide guidance, wisdom, and encouragement, selflessly leading us to brighter and better paths. Although your time on this earth has ended and this chapter has closed, your legacy will continue to live. Thank you for being you. You may be gone. But you’ll never be forgotten.
Sometimes somebody can say what you want to say better than you can. That is the case with today’s post. Today, I’d like to introduce friend and colleague Jake Negovan, his thoughts on free agency in the workplace, and how it can benefit both workers and employers. Jake is a columnist for the San Antonio Current and regular contributor to Red, Brown and Blue. I’m honored that he took the time to write a piece for this blog. For more articles by Jake, visit his blog here.
Sounds like every job hunt, right?
Ok, maybe. But there’s an important difference, and it’s not the amount of money. It’s the terms. The NBA free-agents are going to choose an employer and they’re going to choose the duration of employment. You, too, can make the same choice as a free-agent employee (sometimes called a consultant or freelancer). This is a choice that few of us make when seeking work, usually because we don’t realize that it’s an option. Most employers don’t realize that it’s an option either. As the free-agent, though, you have the power to make it so.
When you take employment for a pre-specified duration, you’re doing a service to both parties. You establish yourself as a specialist, chosen because you have the expert knowledge and talent to accomplish a particular task. You’ll do the job you were hired for and then leverage that successful experience to land a more lucrative assignment, either with your current patron or another company. As you move from one assignment to the next, your professional profile increases and your network grows as you find yourself in new environments and circumstances. Employers also benefit from utilizing free-agent employees. Not only are they generally free from the overhead associated with benefits for a full-time permanent hire, they have less reason to fear attrition of focus and work-ethic from someone who knows exactly when their job ends. A free-lancer doesn’t have the luxury of coasting for a paycheck.
Educating your current or potential future employers on the benefits of free-agent employment is a powerful bargaining strategy that can net you more money, experience, opportunity, and freedom. The only thing they could lose is you.