Career changes? Shifting into our greater roles...

Many years ago I exited corporate employment and started my own business.  My first clients were  executives leaving (some by choice, most not) corporate positions and requiring new resumes. All of these execs had been employed for twenty-five plus years by the same organization. Most were not quite age ready or willing to retire and had no idea what they were capable or qualified to do outside of their current industries. Although I had left a year prior, we had stayed in touch with the intention to keep a broad network for whatever lay ahead.

It was during an era of corporate downsizing, restructuring and giving the bottom line profits a boost for stockholder dividends not only for this specific industry, but for many others. Although these execs had weathered previous cycles of downsizing, they were not so sure they would make it though the cuts this time; few did.

One-by-one, they contacted me to build their resume for a later life job search. I had a reputation as the communicator, coupled with the ability to identify transferable industry competencies. It wasn't a conscious plan to become a resume writer or a career consultant. It was part of The Available Life.

You see, I had been certified as a coach long before it became popular. My previous employer had sent me to a professional executive coaching institute in the 1980's as part of my role of recruiting, hiring, developing, and, at times, firing. These execs knew of my training and asked if I would help.

As senior executives, they were directed to an executive placement organization paid for as part of their severance packages. Over a five month period, only one had been placed into a new position; fear, frustration and borderline or full blown depression had crept into their lives. It was a tough place to be when their entire career faith had been bolstered with big promotions and even bigger paychecks. As breadwinners and "family head of house", they had expected to live out their career in the company. It just didn't happen that way.

Trusting in the greater good and with my counsel, a new life direction began for them.  A co-created story of their career unfolded, worded from a different perspective; all the training, accomplishments, certifications, awards, rewards, successes and relationships - with others, and as importantly, with themselves. What passion lived behind this masked life of over twenty-five years? What did they really want to be doing now and for the rest of their life?! Most had no idea, did not understand the full extent of their achievements or what highly desirable expert skills they had to offer in the corporate or not-for-profit world.

Armed with resumes reflective of their true self, each of my clients had a new knowing of who they were and felt prepared for their next steps.  They began to breathe easier, sleep sounder and go after opportunities with a renewed confidence they would soon be employed. More then feeling confident, they learned to be Available. Instead of fear, they lived feeling safe and trusting in the moment, listening to their desires and manifesting a career that fulfilled their dreams.

What was the message to me? Be Available and flexible, open and willing to risk, to learn, to grow, and to explore. By Living the Available Life our futures were created, far more global and extraordinary than we might have planned or imagined. Had we built our responses to life on past experiences, we would have limited the expectations and the outcomes. Being Available, we released the control and allowed our hearts and spirits to discover our deeper selves, and our truest roles…Living the Available Life.