An introverted friend of mine had a funny feeling that something was going to happen at work. Although he couldn’t quite pinpoint it he just knew something was up and it was time to act. It just so happened he was scheduled to attend the annual company conference so he used that time to network his way into a new position in another department. The week after the conference his existing department was disbanded….and he was one of the lucky few who transferred out in time, the rest were laid off!
This post we’re talking about the next step in maintaining your positive outlook and balance during unemployment:
2. LISTEN TO YOUR INSTINCTS
One of my introverted gal pals was focused on sending resumes only to those positions she was qualified for. She had been sticking to this process for some time without much luck so when another friend (an extrovert) convinced her that she needed to send resumes to everyone – whether she was qualified for the position or not – she reluctantly agreed. A short while later she confided to me her dissatisfaction with this approach. It went against her “instincts”.
The word seems to be getting out that we introverts are deep thinkers, that we need lots of alone time to process our thoughts and feelings and that we have a heightened and unique sense of “instincts” that are different than the instincts of extroverts. Introverts I know often talk of their instincts, (AKA: gut feelings, intuition, funny feeling that something’s going to happen, etc,) , and how they use these feelings to their advantage. But what happens when an introvert fails to listen to their gut?
Last fall a dear friend sensed there was something wrong with the relationship between him and his boss. Although there was nothing overt his gut convinced him to take action so he contacted the appropriate person in his company and expressed his desire to find a “new opportunity” at work (he said nothing about his boss). But he was advised that the company was in lock down mode – a hiring freeze and no transfers. Although his gut went into hyper drive telling him to take action he decided to wait it out. Several months later his boss put him on probabion. Only a couple years earlier this same man had won the company’s top award! He has 10 years tenure and a terrific track record – now he’s fighting for his job with the possibility of being fired.
Some months ago I found myself thoroughly frustrated with my life, the job search, etc. and nothing I did seemed to make a difference. So I gave myself a little time and space to listen to my gut but what I heard was rather strange…….. I sensed I needed to “stop thinking and start doing”. And by doing, it meant doing things that needed to be done, like having my resume professionally written, cleaning and painting around the house and fixing up the garden. I know you introverts know what I mean – when we listen we don’t always hear what we expect! But I followed my gut, developed a list of things that needed to be done and began doing them one-by-one.
Each day I focused on the task at hand and little by little I saw my to-do list shrink. Not only was I honoring my instincts but so much was getting accomplished that I felt terrific! How long did all this take? About 4 months. Literally as soon as it was all done the phone rang…….it was an HR Recruiter soliciting me for the perfect position – in Los Angeles. I live in Orange County – commuting to Los Angeles would take 2 hours minimum each way. At first I was angry – I wasn’t going to commute like that and I felt my gut had led me astray. That is until I realized with a shock that my finace and I had been wanting to move and this was the perfect opportunity! I’m still waiting to hear about the job (they promised by the end of July) but we have decided to focus my job efforts on the LA area so we can move there. By listening to my instincts I’ve gotten the house ready so when we decide to move it will be so much easier! It’s amazing what listening to your gut will do!
Thanks to everyone for your terrific and insightful comments both here and on LinkedIn! Love hearing from you so please take a moment to express your thoughts or if you have ideas about a future blog (or would like me to tell your introverted story) leave your comments here or contact me on LinkedIn.
You can read the first in this series about maintaining your positive outlook and balance by going to Being Yourself – The Job Search In part 2 we discussed Believing in Yourself . Next post we’ll discuss the final step – Gratitude.
