I wanted to share this feedback from a job seeker who went through his season out of the workplace God’s way. Thought you might like to hear his impressions first hand. Barb
INTERVIEW WITH A FORMER JOB SEEKER
Was there any evidence that God was preparing you for an employment transition before it happened?
Yes, approximately nine months before my employment transition, I had the desire to better understand my core principles (which are faith based), develop a plan to make positive changes in my life (heath, relationships, work/life balance), and plan for my future. Through a friend, I was referred to a faith based life coach who made a profound impact on my life by helping me think about what was important to me and why, and most importantly, start to take action to make positive changes. I believe this all was driven by the Lord to prepare me for an unplanned and unknown transition.
Did He address a fear of leaving, increase your boldness to speak your truth where you were, reveal that it was time to leave, or remove your desire to stay?
The Lord removed the desire to stay where I was. I knew that I should be pursuing other career/life choices but did not have the personal courage to be proactive. When the Lord forced the issue, it was a HUGE relief and it helped me get focused on the future and positively impacting my life, personal health, relationship with God, relationship with family and friends. (BTW, so far, I have lost over 35 pounds, run my first 5K race in 20 years, build a better faith based relationship with friends and family and ENJOY my new job)
During your season out of the workplace did you receive any of the promised blessings:
Closer, more personal relationship with God
Absolutely – I now do daily scripture reading
Better understanding and appreciation of your own gifts and design/ your destiny and purpose
Yes – focused on what I do well, focused on the legacy I want to leave, much more open to helping others in job search.
Closer, more loving relationships with others-family, church, community?
Yes – my wife has provided me very positive feedback on how I have handled the employment transition and my interaction with family and friends.
Freedom from fear and anxiety
I pray daily for freedom from fear of failing. I still am a little nervous, as an employment transition, especially unplanned and sudden, is a tremendous blow to one’s confidence (ability to perform the job with excellence). The key is to find positive people to interact with who can provide positive feedback on one’s capabilities.
Were your financial needs met during this time?
Yes, I didn’t miss a single paycheck. It was amazing!
What assignments did God give you while you were unemployed? Did you accomplish anything that you could not have done while working?
I organized and conducted a very successful fund raiser for one of the charities for which I am a board member. Our objective was a “stretch” of $25K and we achieved over $33K. I could not have done as much work on creating a successful event without a bit of relief from my “daily work.” I was able to help my daughter save some money and paint her new condo. I also took my personal health seriously. I had my first full physical in over 20 years. I took action to lower my blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, etc. I also had out-patient surgery on my nose that had been broken 40 years ago which didn’t allow me to breathe through the left side. I also am now exercising regularly and run/walk more than 10 miles per week. The good Lord needed me to get my house in order…and I heard the message!
If you read the book Employed for Life-what key takeaways did you get from the book?
CAR messages for interviews. Leverage your network. Have your personal messaging ready.
If you completed the 30 Day Launch process- what did you take away and how did it impact your behavior?
The daily tips/scriptures kept me going every day until I got my energy going. It was an extremely positive component of helping me get through the initial shock of the employment transition. It helped me build the habit of reading a daily devotional.
Any advice you want to offer to other job seekers?
Stay POSITIVE, trust in the Lord, turn your job search over to Him, He will provide. TRUST!