The Upside of Losing a Job

It has been said that no occurrence is inherently “good” or “bad” until one decides to apply one of these qualifying labels to it. Now, I know that it is awfully hard to feel good about being handed a pink slip for any reason, especially when it’s due to economic factors beyond one’s control. Yet, those who make the decision to approach the loss of a job less as a tragedy and as more of an opportunity will avoid the fear, sorrow and uncertainty typically experienced by those who automatically decide that losing their job was categorically bad news. If your job was in a sector especially hard hit by the current recession – real estate, finance, automotive – now may be the best time to strike out in a new career direction. Recent surveys indicate that the top 10 hottest careers in today’s economic environment are comprised of 50% in the healthcare industry and 50% in the computer field. A career professional whose training incorporates elements of both these industries is practically guaranteed to be in high demand for the foreseeable future. So instead of lamenting the loss of a job, divert the time and energy you might have invested in worrying and stress into working toward an online certification in a field poised for continued growth. The opportunity to begin a new career, with new skills and exciting new challenges should be an invigorating proposition. Chose to view it as such and you’re quickly on the road back to success and security!

11 Responses to “The Upside of Losing a Job”

  1. Regarding the recent wave of layoffs, I understand the US Govt is subsidizing Cobra payments. However, I would like to know the outlook for a possible government supported health insurance
    (” medicare for all”) that might give individuals easier access to an individual health insurance plan. Might they be less expensive than Cobra?

  2. Margie

    Ivan, news reports indicate that Obama administration is actively pursuing such a plan. How this would be less expensive than Cobra is anyone’s guess. It will not be very useful if the cost is as high. There is heavy debate on how this all will work but indications show that maybe there is a chance of success this time around. Time will tell. Not many options are available to those without employer-based insurance, I am afraid.

  3. Anthony

    Well, it looks like the Congress is getting set to enact legislation that doesn’t include a public-funded option; the “medicare for all” option as you put it. The insurance lobby in Washington is very powerful and the forces of the status quo are lined up against true reform. It would be a boon to medical industry professionals if a true public option were adopted for several reasons. First, there would be an immediate influc of new patients (the 75 million or so Americans currently without health coverage. Plus, the Obama administration has been promising to update the billing system away from paper based processes toward digitized processes. This too would have an enormous impact on the number of jobs in the field of billing.

  4. Job Hunting tips.

    The first impression is one of the most important. Something that has helped me and had others try is practice a 30 second commercial about you. This 30 second commercial should introduce you, have where you lasted worked or went to school, some of your achievements, training. And close with some basic interests, activities, or hobbies. You should practice this commercial over and over. You should use a family member or friend to bounce it off of. This commercial is selling you and you should be able to say it with confidence. Hope it helps and Good Luck..

    • Anthony

      Excellent advice. Rehearsal can only strengthen your job interviewing skills. I have even made a practice in the past of scheduling a few interviews for jobs I knew that I didn’t really want; just to have the opportunity to practice interviewing in advance of interviews for jobs I REALLY wanted.

  5. Karen Coy-Clay

    Hi everyone,

    Did you know that you can earn $25 an hour working as a medical billing and coding specialist? That’s right; I just heard of current job offers at that wage rate, and as a student this is really exciting!

    • Tracey Rhymes

      Karen I to have heard the same thing, but I am also thinking that the way the economy is, folks are willing to take 15.00 an hour to be a medical billing and coding specialist. I also think that students will have a harder time getting that type of money with no experience. I have been looking for a job and realized that everyone wants you to have experience to even work in a doctors office. I think that I will volunteer somewhere in order to gain the experience that I need to get my foot in the door.

  6. I am an unemployed corporate librarian. I have applied for over seventy positions since October of last year, all to no avail. In librarianship, there are specialties such as corporate, academic and public. It is very difficult to navigate between the three.
    I tried online marketing but found I was not enterprising. Having an accounting background twenty years old, I tried bookkeeping but found that, even if I passed all the certification tests from the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers, I needed three years of experience to increase my employability.
    I took three online courses through Intuit to earn the title, “Certified Quickbooks ProAdvisor.” Again, I found I did not have enough experience to market myself.
    Finally, through instruction ads on the internet and some personal exploration, I discovered medical billing and coding. This profession fits me as I am very detail-oriented and have both created and managed large networked databases; I also have an interest in medicine.
    I am hopeful at the prospect of future employment due to Allen School’s reputation and placement service.

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