Derailed Career - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Derailed Career - Introvert Whisperer Derailed Career? When you get derailed it can mean all sorts of things like a job reassignment or even a demotion.   In other words your career heads in a direction you didn’t plan for or ever think would happen. As you go through your life, your life and career will more or less go in a zigzag pattern.   It never goes in a straight, direct, flawlessly executed manner and setbacks are part of the landscape.   That means that you need to develop the ability to be resilient.   You need to be able to recover from these setbacks so they don’t define you. Understand that resiliency is more than mental toughness â€" although you do need to develop a level of mental toughness â€" you need a recovery plan. Here are my suggestions for a recovery plan: Know it’s going to hurt. A setback will definitely put a dent in your ego.   You may be embarrassed, your feelings hurt and even angry.   That’s ok.   Give yourself a break and feel the disappointment but don’t let it rule your judgment and decision-making.   Avoid reinforcing your hurt by complaining to your co-workers endlessly.   Limit how much you talk about what happened, as it will only make you feel worse. Don’t give up on your goals. Don’t use this situation as a sign that you aren’t up for the task of getting to your goal. Your discouragement at the moment won’t last. Hold off on big decisions. The worst decision you can make is in the aftermath of a setback.   You’re emotional which is fine but you’re probably not in the best shape to make big decisions about your career.   Wait a month or two. Don’t blame. Even if _______ had it out for you, don’t blame what happened on someone else, even if it might be true.   Blaming makes you powerless and you emerge out of your situation feeling unable to guide your career in the direction of your choosing. Don’t be a victim. Regroup and make two goals. You are now in a position not of your choosing. Rather than blow it on this job because you’re acting like a big baby, vow to do so well that they question making the change in the first place.   At the same time, keep your previous career goal. Learn from the experience. Usually, there are good reasons for a move you even if you disagree.   Nevertheless, you need to think about things you could have done better and different so you can use this time to improve your skills.   You need to take another run at the job you had and now that you are wiser due to this experience, you will be better prepared the next time. Rebuild your personal brand. You have work to do to restore the right personal brand.   Don’t just go do this new job.   Think about what traits and impressions you want the management and your peers to have of you.   Be specific without making a laundry list.   Then reinforce these traits each and every day.   Consistency is the key to rebuilding your personal brand.   People will soon forget any gap you may have had. Setbacks happen and they sting.   Don’t let a career derailment define your future. get to you and take the attitude that you will prevail because you can. Go to top Do you know what your next career step is?   Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable. Get your copy now and start your action plan today! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer