A friend of mine asked me yesterday. How, from a coach's perspective, is helping someone find a job for survival different from finding a job that serves one's purpose in life? My response was something like this—it likely makes a difference in what the client wants to be coached about. How to quickly network one's way into a job of some/any sort differs from making a career transition in lots of ways. If I were in a conversation with a client, I probably would have responded with a question. How is it different for the client?
To me, someone already employed, but itching for a change to a job that is—choose one—allows the client to do more of what she enjoys, is more satisfying, fits a higher purpose, allows the person to give back in some way, affords some generativity; has the opportunity to look at her life and search out those things that fit the particular need or desire that is at the root of the urge to make a change, i.e., where is this energy coming from? The authors of Don't Retire—Rewire depict in their "rewiring" process, a great step-by-step path to follow. That client can look at his life and see what drives him now, look at how he spends his time now. She can look back at her accomplishments and identify her strengths, and she can identify the possibilities and set about making it happen on her own timetable. The process can be full of endings and beginnings as he explores the possibilities. Finding one's passion isn't easy or even possible for some. There isn't time to find the perfect one thing, which takes us back to the first of the two types of job search my friend asked about—finding a job for survival.
In the survival mode, time is a major factor—the rent comes due every month, food is one of life's necessities, the bills have to be paid. Michael Gates Gill tells a great story in his book, How Starbucks Saved My Life, about the dignity of work, and the value of respect and service. He was one of those Madison Avenue 'Mad Men' who suddenly lost his job, and had his life unravel. Soon he found himself at the end of his rope. By chance, he was offered a job by a young African-American store manager at Starbucks. His book tells the story of his own transformation in the humbler life of a barista in a coffee house.
We live in a resort community and so have had, in the past; flocks of young people appear to take seasonal jobs in the tourism industry. They have usually been a mixed bag, some with lots of enthusiasm, but not a lot of skills yet. I am sure they grew from the experience and developed the skills because of that enthusiasm. They framed their work as an adventure and were having fun doing it. Others were bored, simply putting up with the people they served and they probably got little more than a paycheck from the experience. The way they framed their work was putting up with the customers so they could have the funds to have some real fun
By contrast, in today's economy, my wife observes the newcomers that have arrived for the relatively fewer, but still available, seasonal jobs, are without exception enthusiastic and eager to serve. It makes the experience of being a customer a good deal different, obviously much better. I suspect it is much the same for these jobholders, too. The value they place on having and keeping this job they are grateful to have shows up not only in how they serve their customers, but it seeps into everything about the job, including the satisfaction they get from it. The relative scarcity of these jobs reveals something that was hidden before. Customer service can be a satisfying occupation for anyone, depending upon how it is framed
Back to the person looking urgently for some type of work, overlooking the service jobs because we live in a judgmental society and no one wants to be looked down upon, as another underemployed friend puts it, is a mistake. There is dignity in work, value in service and respect. Another friend is working in a supermarket and says it's not fun. Knowing her, she will come around and begin to develop the attitude that will allow her, when she sees a friend come to her checkout line, tell her about the best new thing she's tried from the store or the great deal she saw in produce. When she translates that into how she deals with all her customers, she will turn the corner (at least that's my hope for her). So, if you need a job sooner than you can identify your purpose in life, find a store you like and apply for a service job, then make a virtue out of necessity—become an enthusiastic provider of excellent customer service. People will notice, and you'll have more fun.
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