I was honored to be invited to write the Focus article on emotional intelligence for the National Career Development Association Quarterly, Summer 2024 issue. Although the audience is career professionals, the material and exercises are relevant to anyone. With addressing career-decision-making, job search, and career management, the information is applicable for a lifetime. The article is four pages, so I highly recommend clicking the PDF folder below, to make it an enjoyable read because of the amazing graphics. In case you can’t access it, the text version is below too.

The article, Three Career Lenses: Applying Emotional Intelligence Throughout Career Planning, by Karen Litzinger, originally appeared in NCDA’s magazine, Career Developments, at www.ncda.org. Copyright August 2024. Reprinted with permission.

Three Career Lenses: Applying Emotional Intelligence Throughout Career Planning

By Karen Litzinger

We all likely know someone intellectually bright who struggles with career success and satisfaction. Others may not have the same grades or credentials yet seem to flourish. The secret sauce in a happy recipe for life and work may be high emotional intelligence.

Daniel Goleman’s ground-breaking work in his book, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ remains a cornerstone in the field. Often referred to as EI or EQ, emotional intelligence is both understanding and managing one’s own emotions as well as recognizing and understanding others’ emotions. Goleman posits that EI may be even more important than cognitive intelligence (IQ) in predicting positive life outcomes.

The Five Key Components of Emotional Intelligence (Goleman, 1995):

  1. Self-Awareness – Recognizing and understanding one’s own emotions, including the impact on thoughts and behaviors.
  2. Self-Regulation – Managing and controlling one’s emotions, impulses, and behavior in different situations.
  3. Motivation – Focusing/directing emotions to achieve goals, persisting when encountering challenges, and maintaining a positive outlook.
  4. Empathy – Understanding the feelings and perspectives of others to enhance interpersonal relationships.
  5. Social Skills – Managing relationships effectively, including clear communication, effective teamwork, and conflict resolution.

We often think of EQ as related to dealing with “office politics” or career management. Yet EQ plays a role in how a student makes and pursues education and career choices. How a job seeker deals with the emotions of job loss or application rejection could determine self-sabotage or success.

This article looks at Goleman’s (1996) five components of emotional intelligence through three lenses: Career Decision-Making, Job Searching, and Career Management. Action strategies to enhance our efforts as counselors and coaches are offered for each of the five components. The framework can be used to identify possibilities for a holistic approach.

Career Decision-Making

  • Self-awareness: Help constituents explore interests, skills, values, and personality in career choice and understand decision-making styles. Explore the impact of career beliefs, family and societal pressures, and emotional and physical challenges. Ask about body sensations which can lead to identifying emotions and preferences.
  • Self-regulation: Encourage well-informed decisions rather than impulsive choices that might be rooted in the emotional urgency to decide or based on narrow perspectives, such as the latest “hot” careers. Engage in career conversations with loved ones that are calm and rooted in information rather than excessive emotion or argumentation.
  • Motivation: Listen to what is presented and offer tailored help to give hope. Present concepts and activities in manageable chunks so as not to overwhelm. Share that many career and educational paths are good choices, and there is no one “right” decision. Give positive feedback when career exercises are completed. Review progress and where the process is heading to show the big picture. 
  • Empathy: Guide constituents to see that their loved ones’ ideas or pressures may be rooted in concern about well-being or financial security.  Recognizing that we all have different values at different stages can help a person see things from others’ perspectives. When not hearing back from a contact for an informational interview, provide a reminder about how much email everyone receives.
  • Social Skills: Role-play how to communicate about career decision-making with loved ones in ways that enlist support rather than conflict. Educate about informational interviews, including introducing oneself, identifying questions to ask, and having a thank you protocol.  Encourage patience in hearing back from requests in this age of quick turnaround expectations.

Job Searching

  • Self-awareness: Normalize negative emotions regarding loss or rejection and help clients understand the importance of processing. Share that the emotional roller coaster of emotions, including shaken confidence, is common. Take time at the beginning of meetings to ask how the person is doing rather than rushing to job search advising, as unexpressed emotions may block progress.
  • Self-regulation: Discuss how frustration may come across in networking or job interviews in terms of words, tone, and nonverbal behavior. Coach and role play about how to avoid talking negatively about a past employer or situation or doing so in a brief, positive, and productive manner. Provide resources for stress management, counseling, or therapist referrals based on scope of practice.
  • Motivation: Provide stories of hope to counter pessimism and inaction.  Encourage looking at others’ success as potential for their own rather than through a lens of envy. Remind clients that it only takes one offer to reach success. Share stories of famous people who were rejected many times before success, such as Walt Disney, Stephen Spielberg, and J.K Rowling.
  • Empathy: When not hearing back from networking contacts or recruiters, remind your clients that it could be because they are busy or experiencing their own challenges. If a job seeker is envious of another’s success, ask if they really know what efforts or challenges that person went through in obtaining it.
  • Social skills: Teach and role-play interviewing and networking skills. Communicate that small talk is part of relationship building at the beginning of interviews and in networking settings. Review job search correspondence, including thank you messages. Frame negotiations as requests rather than demands. Remind clients that hiring decisions are about how a candidate fits into a team as much as about job-related skills.

Career Management

  • Self-awareness: Help clients direct their career path based on self-awareness and preferences rather than being pulled into roles by employer needs. This may include being aware of strengths that are not interests.  Explore assessments and 360 feedback to learn of strengths and areas for growth.
  • Self-regulation: Share tips like pausing before speaking, waiting 30 minutes before sending a sensitive email, and asking a trusted individual to review emails. Encourage finding a therapist or counselor, or trusted friend to discuss work issues with rather than colleagues.
  • Motivation: If disengaged, raise questions about whether the field, industry, or employer is a good fit and whether exploration of options may be helpful. If one’s career is not progressing, encourage trying new angles rather than focusing energy on what didn’t work in the past. Remind the person to do one’s best despite burnout or while job searching so as to leave on good terms with positive references.
  • Empathy: Help clients understand that colleagues may not be supporting their ideas or speaking up on bullying actions due to their own fears. Raise awareness that a supervisor may be experiencing conflicts between supporting staff and meeting the demands of superiors. Model fostering respect for others’ points of view and ideas.
  • Social skills: Educate about the importance of relationship building along with completing work tasks and demonstrating competence. Offer to review emails and role-play difficult conversations. Encourage participation in social events of the organization and profession.

Name, Tame, and Reframe

Understanding the relationship between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors can be a tool for emotional intelligence in career planning, especially related to the components of self-awareness, self-regulation, and motivation. Cognitive psychology is rooted in how distorted thoughts can lead to distressing emotions and maladaptive behavior (Beck, 1961) and was the precursor to Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). The process of reframing negative thinking can be used by career practitioners at all levels.

Cognitive behavior model illustration – An activity to encourage client emotional intelligence:

Thoughts → Emotions → Behaviors

Name – Ask what barriers, concerns, or negative thoughts are at hand. Share any that have been observed or discussed. Encourage writing down the negative self-talk sentence. Inquire about what feelings result from saying that statement and what behavior might result from that feeling. If the individual is drawing a blank, share a few ideas and ask if these fit or if other ideas come to mind. Inviting the person to write down and/or sketch out the resulting feeling and behavior with connecting arrows further illustrates the concept.

Tame – The precursor to the Cognitive Behavior Therapy model, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, suggested disputing irrational beliefs to replace them with more adaptive beliefs (Ellis, 1962). This questioning and providing alternative evidence can diffuse or “tame” negative emotions that result from the original unhelpful belief.

Reframe – Ask what would be a more helpful sentence or belief to say to oneself rather than the original statement – not a Pollyanna affirmation like, “I trust the right path will come to me,” but something that is believable and makes them feel a bit better. Give examples if needed. Invite writing down the new reframed statement. Ask about resulting feelings and likely behaviors, inviting recording the new results.

Alternatively Lead with Emotions: Another angle for reframing could be first identifying the distressing feelings and then the possible unhelpful thoughts that preceded or followed the emotions. With that information, reframing thoughts can lead to more helpful emotions and behavior outcomes.  

Career Decision-Making Example

Name: My parents (or partner) will never let me do this career. → fear → not exploring it/arguing.

Tame: How will you know unless you ask? What if I helped you find a way to explain how thought out your choice is and how to remain calm?

Reframe: Maybe I could explain it with a new angle and your help. → hope, willingness → strategizing, asking.

Job Searching Example

Name: No one is going to hire me because of my age (or my degree or my lack of experience, etc.). → depressed, anxious → procrastinating, giving up.

Tame: How will you know unless you try? Remember, it only takes one offer.  Maybe someone will see your age as an asset because of wisdom or dependability. What if you take a course that shows your willingness and ability to learn new things?

Reframe: Even though there may be age discrimination, I can emphasize the positive aspects of my wisdom, reliability and recent learning, and then remind myself that I just need one offer. → more hopeful → willing to take action of applying or taking relevant workshops.

Career Management Example:

Name: I’m never going to get a promotion even though I’m such a hard worker. → frustration, anger → complaining, outbursts.

Tame: Hard work doesn’t automatically translate to a promotion. Have you asked for advice or feedback from others at your organization?  Are there courses for hard or soft skills that might be helpful?  A job change to another employer might be the necessary path.

Reframe: I’ll seek more advice and try one or two new angles and then probably look for a job at another company. → calmer, accepting → planning and productive action.

Stress Management: Coping, Band-aid, or More?

The EQ component of self-regulation naturally ties to techniques for stress management. It is better to punch a pillow than yell at an employer, right? These techniques may just be helpful coping band-aids to career challenges if not accompanied by self-awareness, empathy, and social skills. Beyond coping, these strategies may positively impact emotions and behavior. 

Certain behaviors are known to release endorphins, often referred to as a “feel good hormone” and can come from these activities (Harvard Health Publishing, 2021):

  • Exercise: Walking fast or other aerobic activities are most helpful for endorphin release, but any level of movement may help with stress management.
  • Meditation: This technique of deep breathing and focusing one’s mind is the most researched, yet other breathing or mindfulness techniques can help with stress management.
  • Music: All forms are helpful, including listening, singing, dancing, or playing an instrument.
  • Laughter: A good belly laugh can reduce stress and could come from watching a comedy movie or viewing humorous video clips.
  • Ultraviolet light: A walk on a sunny day releases endorphins and doing so in nature may increase the enjoyment.

Individuals in all stages of career development can benefit from stress management help for emotional regulation. A career professional can take an active role in helping clients by sharing a resource link, suggesting a technique, conducting a workshop, providing counseling, or referring to a therapist based on your scope of practice.

Moving Forward

Building emotional intelligence doesn’t have to feel like an extra task, rather it can be integrated into existing career planning activities. High EQ helps create success in both career and life. Many career practitioners likely already use EQ strategies and don’t realize it. Now appreciate the impact and importance!

Author:

Karen Litzinger ([email protected]) is the author of the award-winning book, Help Wanted: An A to Z Guide to Coping with the Ups and Downs of the Job Search. Karen spent over a decade in college career services and the last twenty years in private practice through Litzinger Career Consulting based in Pittsburgh, PA. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Board Certified Counselor, and Certified Career Counselor. Karen achieved professional-level status through the National Speakers Association and presents programs nationally and through video. For additional information about Karen and her book: KarensCareerCoaching.com.    

                                                    

My Linden tree did not turn out as I hoped. Perhaps that’s what you may be feeling about your career or your life. At times I lament making the “wrong choice.” Then I’m reminded that I’m always sharing with clients there is no one “right choice”. My Linden tree also gave me some happy surprises, like my somewhat annual Linden Tree Party.

Before I share the life lessons, first a bit of back story. Through the entire summer of 1981 I was intoxicated by the sweet fragrance of trees in the West Quad courtyard at the University of Michigan where I did an internship. The fragrance would haunt me on the streets of Pittsburgh. I wanted one of those trees!  Although I bought my house in 1992, it wasn’t until 2003 that I got serious about identifying the mystery tree. In the gift buying process, my sweetheart said the nursery needed to know if I wanted the more fragrant variety or the hardy.  Since I felt a decade late in planting, I chose hardy. It turns out this variety has amazingly fragrant blooms…but just 7-10 days a summer. It  usually blooms the week of my almost annual arts conference vacation away!

Lesson # 1 – Acceptance: I’ve learned (mostly) to accept my tree for what she is as well as accept my own decision.  I try not to judge myself for making a so-called “wrong” choice and for not doing even more research. Sometimes we don’t know what we don’t know.  Maybe you have experienced negative surprises in a job or career, even after much research and networking.

Lesson #2 – Appreciation: Since my tree just blooms 7-10 days, I’m in heightened gratitude when I’m around.  I spend every minute I can outside under the canopy.  I fill vases as big as my dining room table. When I’m traveling out of town, I take branches of fragrant blooms in the car with me.  I remind myself of the positive aspects to counter other things (including, by the way, that it is a messy, branch and bug-dropping tree). There are naturally plusses and minuses of jobs, careers, relationships. What can you remind yourself to appreciate right now?

Lesson #3 – Creativity: At some point I was inspired to celebrate my Linden’s burst of blooms by inviting my church friend group over. The now beloved Linden Tree Party includes poems, singing, drumming and hands on blessing of the tree, and sometimes an occasional tree hug.  Turning lemons into lemonade!

Lesson #4: Support and Perspective: My friends so love my tree that they help me appreciate it as I still occasionally recount the story as a mistake.  I expect they might not like the “lemons” reference! One friend created a Meaning of Trees booklet in honor of my Linden for a birthday gift. I learned symbolic and cultural insights about my tree including: it represents healing and peace; it was the location of village local courts of law; and it was the hub of festivities with dance platforms constructed inside of massive Lindens in Germany. As a Libra who loves harmony and has a dance room, I learned more reasons to appreciate that this is quite the perfect tree for me.  Who in your life might help you see situations in a different way, teach you new things, or help you understand or cope with a current circumstance?

May you find appreciation for whatever is in your life at the moment.  May you make the changes needed for greater happiness, whether a change of perspective or actual situation. And, of course, if you or someone you know is considering a career or job change, I’d be happy to help.

I cried when he died. And I love when I hear his words and have the opportunity to keep them alive.  This morning my national Transcendental Meditation teacher ended his morning meditation with words from Fred Rogers’ 2002 graduation speech at Dartmouth college where he was an alum.

His words are about life for us all to be inspired by, not just college students in this graduation season.  When I looked up the full text, I found not only the transcript and video from Dartmouth, but also a beautiful article about it on Payscale.com entitled Mister Rogers Speech is All the Career Advice You Need. Both articles were revisiting the memorable speech on the 50th anniversary of the Mister Rogers Neighborhood premiere. Links are at the end of the article.

And, of course, I’m proud that such a fine person is from my city of Pittsburgh.

Graduation speech excerpt from my meditation:

“When I say it’s you I like, I’m talking about the part of you that knows that life is far more than anything you can ever see, or hear, or touch. That deep part of you that allows you to stand for those things without which humankind cannot survive. Love that conquers hate. Peace that rises triumphant over war. And justice that proves more powerful than greed. So, in all that you do in all of your life, I wish you the strength and the grace to make those choices which will allow you and your neighbor to become the best of whoever you are.”

~ Excerpted from Fred Roger’s Commencement address to Dartmouth College in 2002

Whether you are a recent graduate or simply trying to find your way to career happiness and success, I also would be honored to help you on your path.

Links to more of his speech:

https://home.dartmouth.edu/news/2018/03/revisiting-fred-rogers-2002-commencement-address

https://www.payscale.com/career-advice/mister-rogers-speech-is-all-the-career-advice-you-need

How did an Italian guitarist from Genoa come to be invited to play bluegrass at a Czechoslovakian folk festival?  I wondered this as I enjoyed the diverse and captivating music of Beppe Gambetta at a house concert recently. As his music and story unfolded, I understood: Passion and Perseverance. 

He read a story from his pandemic memoir that he kept trying to break in by calling the United States from pay phones constantly, as he said, like a religious group is known to keep knocking on doors. He was spending $10.00 a minute until a US medical student gave him a tip to hack the pay phones.  When I bought his book, he shared that his passion for acoustic flat-picking was sparked when he was 17 and heard eventual multi-Grammy winner Doc Watson on the radio. I read later that after many gigs, it was in his late twenties that he set his goal of becoming a professional musician.

What might you have a passion to do that you have been putting off from fear or lack of discipline.  Or perhaps you’ve not committed yet wholeheartedly. Or are you getting discouraged from lack of success or others lack of support?

Below is some inspiration about perseverance from an excerpt of the dedication of Beppe’s book, Declarations of Love; Unexpected encounters, passions, music and recipes to reunite us:

“This book is dedicated to those who have supported me over the years and, paradoxically, also to those who did not believe in me and thus gave me the stubbornness and dedication which has led me on a journey searching for and discovering new outlets for my art.”

Beppe Gambetta

It’s ok to not have a passion and maybe just admire and support folks who do, whether they are artists, entrepreneurs or adventurers….or all three.  I did by purchasing Beppe’s book.

For more information on this international acoustic guitarist who blends Italian folk music, bluegrass, and jazz: https://beppegambetta.com/

When I came back from the beach after doing my early morning Qigong and dance-like stretches, Cornelius asked what I was doing. He is an employee of the vacation complex I was staying in, and I had just observed him sweeping the beach walk with care. We became morning buddies.

As a career counselor, I admired the pride he took in his work and his authentic warmth toward guests.  As a person, I was enriched by his character and curiosity.  Somehow, we quickly got on big topics of life, psychology, and spirituality.

What particularly struck me is the little red notebook he kept in his pocket.  That first day he wrote down a favorite saying of mine: It’s better to be at peace than right. On the second day he shared some inspirational notes from it with me.

My interaction with Cornelius reminds me that it is who we are and what we bring to our jobs that may be more important than the job itself. Cornelius did actually like his part-time retirement job since he genuinely likes people so much. His authentic character showed through again as he told me about long-time residents of the complex that he connects with and even helps.

Regardless of our job or circumstance, we always have some choice.  Do we bring our best selves? Do we explore other job options? Do we do internal work to manage the situation or our own patterns?

The morning after our second meeting, my daily meditation seemed to give a related message:

“No matter what I am doing, I do so with intention and purpose…..Knowing that everything I do has value, I go about it with humility and gratitude for the opportunity to serve.”

Unity Daily Word, August 31, 2023

With warmth and wisdom, Cornelius contributes more service than he likely realizes.

As summer sets, I’ve been reflecting on seasons. Just yesterday, my daily meditation teacher shared the reflection below by Wu Men Hui K’ai related to seasons.

What season is your life in? Your career? Your learning? Your family life?  Your volunteering? Your retirement? Are you in the new beginnings of spring whether actually in early stages of choosing or doing something or maybe planting seeds for the future?  Perhaps you may be in the bloom of summer experiencing the fullness of something whether good or bad, soaking in what is like we soak up the sunshine.  An autumn stage may symbolize harvest for your efforts, a sense of reward and completion after which may follow some letting go.  Perhaps you are in a winter stage of dormancy, reflection, maybe darkness, wondering what might bloom again. These are natural seasons of life, of careers, of individual experiences.

This year I’ve been in mostly an autumn season of letting go, most recently passing on the torch of my neighborhood blockwatch that I created and facilitated for twenty years. Recently I received an insight message that I’m beginning a new chapter. Related to that I’m also in that winter phase of reflection.  Retirement is also a bit on my mind, though I think it will be a gradual process that will include new springtime beginnings.

The end of summer also reminds me of the school season of new beginnings.  After enjoying the summer, September is often the time to gear up and start new endeavors.  September also hosts Labor Day, a symbolic end of summer and reminder of work.  If you or someone you know has been thinking about new beginnings in education or work, I would be happy to help them explore a new season.

Sassy sax? Deliberate drum? Happy Harp? When I asked Spirit for my affirmation of the day at a group retreat vacation recently, I heard a lovely, lilting bird chirp.  Next was a staccato bird call…that one sounds more like me, I thought.  The affirmation that came to me was “I enjoy life’s symphony.”

We all have our unique gifts, personalities and quirks. Understanding ourselves helps us make better career decisions, negotiate life, and get along with each other. The symphony vision continued to unfold.  If I’m the staccato sounding bird, then maybe I’m the drum in the symphony.  Then my self-awareness kicked in, and I knew that was too much of a background role for me. The drum should be my patient, big-hearted friend, mirroring a steady heartbeat connecting the group. Though I sometimes have a love-hate relationship with leading, I next saw myself as the lead, playing the sax, in a bit of limelight.  The instrument vision for each dear friend popped into my mind, and I had a good time sharing the scene. The six of us made quite a unique symphony.

What personality traits are natural to you?  Are you honoring them in your job, retirement, or other activities?  Are you aware of the shadow side of your gifts? I think I love career counseling so much since I get to help people understand themselves better, as well as make education and career choices that they are happier with. Personality and strengths/gifts are two of the core areas of self-awareness in career counseling along with interests and values.  I’d be happy to help you or someone you care about find their seat in life’s career symphony.

Sidebar: I figured there must be a quiz and indeed there are many if you search on “What musical instrument personality are you?”  Some are about actually choosing an instrument and some more psychological in nature. Unfortunately, the first one I tried made me take two advertising surveys, and I never could finish it. Let me know if you find one you like!

If you missed the May Monastery blog about DREAMS, click HERE.

I recently made an interesting connection between my clients putting off getting professional assistance and my own recognizing that it could be helpful.

In my last blog newsletter, I shared that I am a prolific nighttime dreamer.  The first night at my Erie hermitage retreat, I recorded five of them and a record 17 pages in my dollar store fat book. The first four were unsettling, so I requested a positive, meaningful one. Dream #5: When I couldn’t get to the library from where I was despite seeing the escalator to it, someone gave me confusing directions, then walked me there; we went to another building, diagonally across sand to a hidden stairway below-ground entrance. 

I woke up with the thought ‘I would have never found that on my own!”

So, I decided I would inquire about the spiritual direction resource available through the monastery. How odd I’ve not done that before.

My career counseling clients often come in with stacks of questionable quizzes, lists of books they read, and stories of the Internet rabbit hole. Their minds are still swirling, and no decisions made. 

I often say we’re not born knowing how to make good career decisions, just like we’re not born knowing how to make good financial decisions. We can educate ourselves, but sometimes an outside professional perspective can help.

So this career counselor will take her own advice and that of her dream messages.  In terms of career direction, THAT I can help with. I could do it in my sleep…but won’t.

After settling in at my hermitage retreat in Erie this weekend, I picked a book out of my pile that filled half of my suitcase. I decided to begin with The Art of Life since it was written by Joan Chittister, a Benedictine nun from this monastery.

When I opened it to the May chapter, my heart quickened when I saw the theme of the chapter: DREAMS. First, I thought, “What a great topic for a career blog.” Then I asked, “Do I dream?”

I regularly ask my clients “What’s your dream job?”  If that’s too hard, then “How would you like to spend your time if you won the lottery?” I go on to say that if you don’t allow yourself to think about the ideal, give it space, then it’s not likely to happen.  Perhaps it can give a clue to a job direction or retirement idea.  Or maybe it reminds about taking time for something enjoyable, including renewing an interest from the past.

Here are a few excerpts from the book:

“Dreams are the lifeblood of becoming.”
“Dreams are destinations toward which we bend out lives, not possibilities unfulfilled.”
“The difficulty of dreams is if we suppress them, we may live to regret the present.”
“The truth is it is the goals we nurture within us that determine the eventual quality of our lives.”
“Dream big, but realize that every great hope is achieved one small step at a time along the way.”

The Art of Life, Joan Chittister

Back to my question: Do I dream? I asked it because I think I don’t as a left-brain, busy type.  I not only don’t take the time, but my mind doesn’t operate that way. For Myer-Briggs aficionado’s, despite being a counselor, I score higher on Sensing (concrete) not Intuition (more imagination).

I actually have a prolific nighttime dream life, sometimes with guidance and premonitions. Because I am so left-brain, insight best comes through the sleeping subconscious. When I have taken time to daytime dream, I’ve made audio recordings of visualizations, and found years later I was living my dreams.

Knowing my nature, I need to remove myself from daily life to give space for the unfolding of intuition, messages and dreams.  So here I am at my favorite retreat site signing off from this handwritten blog, to perhaps dream. 

I invite you to take some time to dream too.

(Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Article/Litzinger Interview, September 25, 2022, by Hannah Qu)

It’s one of those times when you feel like your work is going nowhere, your boss is harsh and unapproachable, and your colleagues are aloof. You are thinking about quitting your job as many people have in the past year.

But wait. Are you and your job really a bad fit, or are you just having a bad day?

A McKinsey report in fall 2021 showed that 40% of people at the workplace were at least somewhat likely to quit their jobs in the next three to six months, with 18% of those respondents likely to almost certain to make the move. The findings were consistent across five countries surveyed — Australia, Canada, Singapore, the U.K. and the U.S.

The top 10 reasons for leaving were:

  • lack of career development and advancement;
  • inadequate total compensation;
  • uncaring and uninspiring leaders;
  • lack of meaningful work;
  • unsustainable expectations;
  • unreliable and unsupportive people at work;
  • lack of flexibility;
  • lack of support for health and well-being;
  • non-inclusive environment;
  • geographic ties and travel demands;
  • unsafe workplace environments; and
  • inadequate resource availability.

And with the pandemic giving many people a new lens with which to view their lives, many have been reconsidering what they want.

“The Great Resignation or the group shuffling has been all about people reevaluating their lives,” said Karen Litzinger, a Pittsburgh-based certified career counselor and author of “Help Wanted: An A to Z Guide to Cope with the Ups and Downs of the Job Search.” 

“I’m seeing a lot of people who said they thought about a career change, or they were unhappy for five to 10 years, and then the pandemic is really causing them to want to take some action.”

Lately, that action for many has been to tell the boss goodbye. Data released by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed 4.3 million Americans quitting their jobs in May.

But is that the right move for everyone?

Ms. Litzinger said she encourages people to consider how big of a change to make when they are unhappy with their current job: Is it the career field, the specific employer, the industry, or something in themselves that is making them unhappy? She also suggests looking into whether their interests, their skills, their personality and their values fit their job.

“I try to help them evaluate why they are unhappy. Whether it’s this specific employer, and maybe it is the supervisor — they are being rigid and won’t allow remote working, or the hours aren’t good — that might mean a job change,” Ms. Litzinger said.

“Sometimes it’s an industry change: They really don’t care about the industry, and they could apply their skills in something that they cared more about.”

For those who decide to change their career, she said the first thing is to be as sure as possible about the change before they make it.

“Ways to reduce the risk would be related to looking at themselves … and then also to look to see what’s out there,” Ms. Litzinger said. “It might be reading about careers from a real career information site or LinkedIn with your job vacancies, narrowing it down to two or three top careers and talk to two or three people in these careers.”

She emphasized that networking is important. It not only increases the chance of getting the job, but also those people in an applicant’s network could also potentially know more about the employer and help workers avoid once again landing on a job that they don’t like.

As for people who decide to stay with their current job, she advised implementing more self-care and coping strategies and considering looking for internal transfer or a promotion.

“What can I do differently if I’m choosing to be here? And what can I do differently in terms of my response to the situation?”

When I spoke at the Maryland Career Development Association annual conference last month, I enjoyed a keynote address from the president of the National Career Development Association, Sharon Givens. Among other fascinating trends and facts, she shared these about automation:

  • 47% of US employment is at high risk of automation in the next decade or two (Oxford Martin School)
  • Roughly 50% of work activities are automatable using current technology (McKinsey Global Institute)
  • In 2022 AI will eliminate 75 million jobs (World Economic Forum)
  • Over the next few decades approximately 25% of US employment will have experienced high exposure to automation (Brookings Institute)

Then the coolest thing was her introducing a website where you could look up your job to see the chances of a robot taking your job!

To see the future of your job click below to go to:

Will Robots Take My Job?

You can also see lists of jobs at high risk, low risk and a “hot jobs” list of low risk, high growth, high wage jobs.

Here is a diverse sample of jobs at low risk from the top 50:

  • Occupational Therapists
  • Neuropsychologists
  • Special Education Teachers
  • Photographers
  • Supervisors of Firefighters
  • Fitness and Wellness
  • Lodging Managers
  • Security Managers
  • Conservation Scientists
  • Clergy

(Plus many health care and teaching jobs.)

Here is a diverse sample of jobs at high risk from the top 50:

  • Food Science Technicians
  • Tax Preparers
  • Manicurists
  • Real Estate Brokers
  • Legal Secretaries
  • Insurance Claims Clerks
  • Umpires and Referees
  • Credit Analysts
  • Cytotechnologists
  • Models

Check out this Forbes Article for tips from embracing AI to becoming highly emotionally intelligent:

WORRIED ABOUT AI TAKING OVER? HERE ARE 13 WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR JOB

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I was thrilled to be the sole expert interviewed for an article by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for their March 20, 2022 Spring Education Guide. Reporter Vanessa Orr wrote the extensive piece, Career Counseling Can Help Students Make Grounded Choices. I hope you can share the article (below and linked) with parents of any high school students. I offer a short four-session High School Advising Package to help with choices for education paths at all levels, including apprenticeships as well as the gap year choice. Sophomore year is the ideal time.

March 20, 2022

Imagine spending thousands of dollars on a college education and then realizing that the career field you majored in wasn’t really what you wanted to do. It happens all the time, and not only is it a waste of money to pursue the wrong degree, but if you have to go back to school, it can cost you a lot more time in the long run.

Finding out a student’s interests, as well as what they’re good at, is one of the goals of career coaching.

“Students and parents are often so focused on choosing a college and picking a major that they’re not always looking at the big picture,” explains Karen Litzinger, MA, LPC, of Litzinger Career Consulting. “Are they making a grounded choice, and what careers connect to it?

“Rarely do high school students undergo a comprehensive personalized career assessment, which involves first looking at yourself in terms of four things—interests, skills, values and personality,” she continues. “The other half is exploring what’s out there in terms of majors and careers.”

Considering that the U.S. Department of Education reports that roughly one-third of students in bachelor’s degree programs and 28 percent of those in associate’s degree programs change majors within three years of enrolling, it’s important that students have a good handle on what they want out of an education. About 1 in 10 students change majors more than once.

“This is an indication that students are not making the best or most grounded decisions,” says Litzinger. “Ideally, they should network with people in a few fields of interest or job shadow or volunteer to test out a career before making that decision.

This is especially important when considering how much it costs to go to college.

“People graduate with tens of thousands of dollars in debt—it’s a national crisis and it definitely limits what one can do in terms of career choices,” says Litzinger. “This type of debt also impacts things like the ability to buy a house or to get married.”

Litzinger advises the students that she coaches to be open to a wide range of options.

“For decades, people viewed college as the only ticket to success, but now society is starting to realize that there are high-paying, highly skilled jobs that can be very rewarding in the trades,” she says. “I always bring that up as part of the landscape because a bachelor’s degree isn’t for everybody.”

While some parents may feel the need to pressure students to make a decision, this may not be the right approach.  

“Parents are just trying to help their sons or daughters as much as possible, and they are naturally concerned about their child’s future security,” says Litzinger. “But what works best is when a parent tries to really facilitate the process by recognizing the individuality of that child rather than their own views or experiences.

“Even well-meaning parents may find that they can run into emotional conflicts during this time, which is why they will often call a college or career counselor,” she adds.

While counseling is available in most schools, the reality is that the student-to-counselor ratio is very high, making it almost impossible for students to receive individualized help.

“With so many other things to do, including discipline and scheduling, school counselor may focus more on students just getting into college rather than clarifying goals, or asking how and why a student chose something,” said Litzinger.

“The goal is to not have them narrow their choices to one; whether looking at colleges or trade schools, they should always have at least two education angles in mind,” said Litzinger.

She emphasized the importance of working with students to determine their interests, skills, values and personality, and having them take part in career-researching assignments.

“This is a bigger decision than most people realize,” she added, noting that 63 percent of students seeking a bachelor’s degree now graduate within six years instead of four. “It’s important to invest in what needs to be done to make a grounded decision.”

Gone are the office parties and social festive gatherings of yesteryear, at least for this season!  Maybe you’ve already cringed at seeing the word networking in the title? Whether you are in a career transition or not, remember it is always good to stay in touch with friends, family and past colleagues. You may one day want to ask a question like “Do you know anyone in the ___________ field/industry?”

The pandemic is a perfect opportunity to get back in touch with people from the past.  Many people were reaching out in the spring with a “Thinking of you. How are you?” message.  So many of my clients regularly share how they have lost touch with people from long ago and feel awkward about reaching out.  Now is a good time for a holiday greeting of caring and connection.  If you are exploring a career shift or in the midst of the job search, keep it light and relationship-oriented. You can always follow-up in January.

It doesn’t matter that much whether it’s via Facebook, LinkedIn, email, phone call, text or a nice old-fashioned holiday card.

You might share something like:

“I know I’ve not been in touch for quite a while, but the pandemic got me thinking that I wanted to reach out and share a holiday hello.  I hope you and your loved ones are managing well enough during these trying times. (Can share a bit about yourself.) I look forward to hearing how you’re doing and maybe catching up a bit. Best wishes for a safe, healthy and meaningful holiday season.”

Don’t miss this unique time to reach out and touch someone!  Figuratively, of course!

Perhaps you are needing to reinvent yourself because the pandemic crashed your industry. Or you may be employed, but the pandemic has caused you to think about life, time, and greater happiness. Or you may be insecure in your job and want to have some back-up plans in place if needed.

Whatever the reason, it is important to think through a next step for greater happiness and success in a thoughtful way.  Even if you are unemployed and thinking “I’m open to anything” because you just want food on your table, it is still important to have grounded job targets; employers want candidates who are motivated to work for them. Being clear on goals and job targets will also make you more successful in your search since people can’t help you well with networking unless you are clear about what you want.  Networking is always the best job search method rather than simply getting sucked into the black hole of the Internet. Lastly, the clearer you are, the more likely you will land somewhere that is a good match and you won’t need to go through this all again too soon.

THE JOB MARKET

Before getting into a framework on how to best choose goals and have a successful job search, here’s a bit of information on the everchanging pandemic job market to help motivate you.  We all know the first wave most hit the hospitality, food, retail, and entertainment industries the hardest. There was also some hit to eds and meds, which are expected to continue or increase in the second wave, yes, even hospitals.  Government jobs are expected to be hit badly in the next waves of furloughs and layoffs.  Of the early layoffs, Bloomberg cited that 30% of lost jobs will never come back and University of Chicago predicted 42% not returning.

On the positive side, a June article from Marketplace.org noted the survivors from LinkedIn data which could be helpful in looking toward the future. During the April crash hardware and networking jobs increased by 2.3%, including semiconductor makers, internet service providers, wireless firms, and makers of networking gear. I like to remind people that these industries employ all types of people, including administrative, not just tech folks. Small business hiring went up a bit bringing back workers, while larger companies shed 10,000 workers, paring back by 39.6%. The Pittsburgh Business Times reported gains in Science R&D of 700 jobs in April. Financial services had a 1,000 job growth in April prompting an effort for recruitment with the PA Bankers Association, called BankWorks.

A University of Connecticut report noted current positive trends in jobs related to on-line shopping and mobile marketing.  Among the report’s post-COVID positive trends are Digital, Renewable Energy and Construction.  The Marketplace.org article noted positive longer-term trends for logistics and supply-chain management; automation, including robotics and coding related; and eldercare and home healthcare due to the graying of America.

“Your power to choose the direction in your life allows you to reinvent yourself,

to change your future, and to powerfully influence the rest of creation.”

Stephen Covey

CAREER PLANNING FRAMEWORK

Briefly here are elements to be thinking about when exploring and planning your next steps. Career counseling can help you walk through it with tools, counseling insights, and even career assessments/testing:

Know Yourself

  • Interests – or at least liking tasks so you aren’t miserable when waking up in the morning
  • Skills/Strength – What comes naturally to you, or on the practical end, what can you leverage but not be unhappy? What transferrable skills do you have?
  • Personality – Who are you naturally and how does that fit or not fit a career field, industry or even specific employer culture
  • Values – What is important to you in a job and in life

Explore and Research What’s Out There:

  • Written resources – After connecting self to potential fields of interest, use neutral resources through the Department of Labor like the O*Net to learn and narrow down
  • Networking – Ideally talk to 2-3 people in 2-4 fields to get real world information and advice and check out feasibility in the job market
  • Professional Associations – This can be a source of written information and networking leads
  • Shadowing – Not so possible in pandemic times, but something to keep in mind for the future
  • Volunteering – This could be an opportunity to explore a career, gain experience for your resume and make contacts, even remotely
  • Internship – Similar to volunteering, you may be able to create a more meaningful, structured experience, even if not a current student
  • Coursework – Take a course or two (or training experience) to decide between two fields, test it out before enrolling in a program, or two increase a specific skill for marketability

Make a Decision:

  • Career Field – What job title(s) or job functions
  • Sector – Business, Government, or Nonprofit
  • Industry – What product, service, issue or population
  • Education – Degree, training, or simply professional development course
  • Re-evaluate – If you are unhappy or unsuccessful in the search or job, review above steps

Job Search – Presenting Yourself:

  • Resume – This is a marketing document, not just a factual document. For those re-inventing, a skills-based or functional resume may work better than a chronological
  • Cover Letters – Yes, I still say to use them as a way to stand out even if only looked at during phone and video interview stages. It is your chance to tell you career shift story.
  • Interview – Even if you have good interpersonal skills, this is about strategy. This includes the case for your career shift and countering barriers like age or lack of experience proactively.

Job Search – Strategies:

  • Networking, networking, networking – With a 50-80% success rate, this is still the top technique, yes, even remotely. Spend at least 50% of your job search time networking.
  • LinkedIn – This is just one resource for networking, but important. Plus job listings.
  • Job Listings – Of course, you want to continue to do apply here, but don’t get lost in it with all your time. Plus try to infuse networking into this beside pure non-vacancy networking.
  • Employment Agencies/Headhunters – This works more for people who are job searching in their existing field than career changers. In bad economic times, employment often comes back here first in terms of temp or contract work
  • Job Fairs – Even though it is less personal with virtual fairs and employers may primarily direct you to on-line applications, still go so you can get a name for correspondence to stand out.
  • Spotting Opportunities – Keep abreast of news in terms of companies that are growing or nonprofits that are received grants, then follow them and/or network.

I would be honored to help you in your career decision-making and/or job search

to help save you time and heartache!

Coming in Part Two of Reinventing Yourself: Skills-based Resume and Transferrable Skills Assessments

Hopefully you’ve started adjusting to our new normal of isolation. Although parts of the job market are at a standstill, there are things you can do both for job searching and for thinking about a future career shift or further education.  Additionally, some industries are in big hiring modes, if you are in need of immediate cash flow; think warehouse, transportation, logistics, healthcare, food, pharmacy, and technology.  Now may be a good time to dust off or refine your resume, reflect on what you want out of your life and career, and consider adding to your skill set. Keep reading for my 7 career tips in uncertain coronavirus times.

Think: Be prepared, be ready!

I first started thinking about what makes sense to do during this time when a client emailed me even before the stay-at-home advisories asking “should we even meet about the job search since no one will be networking?”  At some level it reminded me of what clients say in December: “Should I even job search since no one will be hiring during the holidays?”  Even if not much hiring is happening, it good to keep things going since an according to the Department of Labor in 2019 an average job search took approximately five months. More time is needed if you are considering a career change. Some people may even have more time available for a networking conversation. In today’s new world of social distancing, people may actually welcome a remote opportunity to connect or may be in a more altruistic mood. 

1. Reach out for relationships and networking –Consider simply reaching out to someone you haven’t connected with to stay in touch and ask “how are you?”  Don’t forget to reply back.  My clients sometimes say they don’t feel like they can reach out to ask a networking question since they haven’t been in touch for a quite a while.  This is your opportunity to reconnect with people from long ago, and it won’t seem odd. When you do purposefully reach out for networking, remember that this is about seeking information and advice, not asking about job openings (they will tell you!). Offer support and assistance to others as well.

2. Reflect and reassess your goals – The upheaval may cause you to think about exploring a career shift for greater satisfaction.  Alternatively, you may have lost a job in an industry that is hard hit, and you need to explore a shift out of necessity. Typical steps of career exploration involve self-assessment, including interests, skills, personality traits and values/what you want from a job. Then explore and research career and education options, including the job market.

3. Build your skills – Through career research you may find a need to gain some skills for a career shift or to increase marketability.  Now may be a good time to catch up on the professional development reading you’ve set aside. New and free webinars are being offered to develop personal and professional skills.  Many free on-line education platforms exist, although some have a mix of free and fee-based offerings. Click here for a top 10 from Forbes and click here for a top 25 from LifeHack.

4. Upgrade your technology  – As part of developing your skills, give some special attention to technology since this is a necessary and marketable skill.  Learn tips on how to use and present your best self on video platforms like Zoom. Free conference call tools are another resource to learn about and use, even if just for family calls. This may also include upgrading your physical technology with better audio equipment. Employers are always looking for people comfortable with technology. Sharing that you’ve recently learned new tech skills will be a plus for your job search, especially if you are a mature job seeker.

5. Polish your presence – Revise your resume, making sure it is current and targeted to your goals. Enhance your LinkedIn profile by completing sections, inviting links with personal messages, giving and requesting recommendations, and participating in interest groups related to your career. If applicable, update or add to your professional website or portfolio.

6. Take action – Keep applying if you are in search mode even if you think people aren’t hiring or won’t respond. Don’t just bury your head in the sand. Recognize that the hiring process may take longer. Follow-up periodically to stay in the game and show interest.  Get creative. I recently advised a client applying for English instructor positions to send the department heads a few relevant, inspirational passages from literature as a follow-up.

7. Take care of yourself and others – Stay connected with people, get adequate rest, eat healthily, exercise, get out in nature, enjoy a favorite hobby, read inspirational material, meditate or pray. Take care of others too, such as calling relative, friend, or neighbor, sending someone an uplifting message, or volunteering safely if you can.

We’re all in this together and hopefully we will come out stronger, wiser, and more compassionate.

I am happy to help you whether for career and education goals or the job search, whether an immediate need or planning for the future. To keep us all safe, I am working remotely via video or phone. Call me at 412-977-4029 to explore or schedule. Gift certificates are available.

Don’t quarantine your career! 

Think: Be prepared, be ready!