Welcome to “Sunday Inspiration,” a bi-weekly devotional for those seeking spiritual encouragement in the pursuit of their passions. Each post comes from an outside resource (as referenced). I hope these posts will inspire and motivate you in your life and career in addition to our weekly original blog posts. Enjoy!

“You will hear a voice behind you saying, ‘This is the…way.’” Isa 30:21 NCV

A counselor who was once an addict writes:

I was in treatment for chemical dependency and needed a job to get out. I looked for months, but nobody wanted to hire me.

One day I was waiting for a bus when a little voice urged: “Look behind you.” I was standing next to an attorney’s office. “Go talk to the head of the firm and tell him you need a job,” were the words I heard.

That’s crazy, I thought…but that “still, small voice” urged me on, so I obeyed.

When I talked to the attorney and told him what was happening in my life, he understood because someone in his family was also recovering from addiction.

Then he looked at me and said, “It’s funny you came in today. I was thinking about creating a position for a legal secretary and hadn’t gotten around to advertising.”

Two weeks later I got the job, and it was better than any position I’d applied for. It paid more and made the best possible use of my skills.

Recognizing God’s voice

The problem isn’t that God no longer speaks to us; it’s that we don’t recognize His voice.

Don’t be so quick to dismiss the random thoughts that cross your mind (See 1Co 2:16).

Generally speaking, God won’t send a thunderbolt from heaven to get your attention. More often He speaks through your thoughts, a family member, a friend, a teacher, a pastor, a change in your circumstances, the sudden discovery of the “perfect” Scripture, the writing of a gifted author, or in the quietness when He fills your heart with perfect peace.

So learn to listen to God’s voice.

Source: https://jentezenfranklin.org/daily-devotions/listening-for-gods-voice

Part 3 of 3

Getting laid off is difficult and scary. It’s happening to so many people right now due to the economic impact of the coronavirus. It can make you feel like your career and your life is out of control.

On some occasions you can convince your boss or company that you’re worth keeping around. Such as when you’re able to show your past contributions to the company and the savings of letting you work remotely using hard data. Hard data gets people’s attention.

But if your data doesn’t outweigh the data that supports letting you go, there’s still something you can negotiate.

Outplacement counseling

You can always ask your company to provide or include outplacement counseling in your severance package. It’s one thing you still have some control over.

Outplacement counseling is simply another term for career coaching or job search assistance. It’s set up to help you find your next job more quickly, and to make a smoother transition to it.

Many companies already offer it in their severance packages. I know this because I’m often one of the people they pay to provide such a service for their employees.

Take advantage of outplacement

If your company already offers outplacement counseling, take advantage of it! I’m always surprised at how some people just toss this benefit aside. Their company has already paid for the service, yet some employees think they don’t need it.

Even if you don’t think you need outplacement counseling, use it! If you already have another job lined up, use it to help you prepare for your first year in your new job.

Career coaching isn’t just for helping you find a job. It’s also for helping you succeed in your next job and building your career. And everything discussed in your coaching sessions remains confidential. It will never be shared with your past employer.

Ask for outplacement

If you’re getting laid off due to the coronavirus, and your company doesn’t offer outplacement counseling, ask for it! What do you have to lose at this point?

If your company needs convincing, help them understand how it not only benefits you, but also their business. It protects the company’s brand and reputation. It mitigates the risk of litigation. And, it provides them the opportunity to do the right thing for their employees.

If your company agrees to pay for the service but doesn’t have anyone to provide it, tell them you know someone! Feel free to have them email me, Lori Bumgarner, at lorib@yourpassioninlife.com. I’ve provided outplacement counseling to hundreds of companies’ employees over several years.

Additional help when getting laid off

If your company says no to offering outplacement counseling, there are still some free and affordable resources here at paNASH, starting with paNASH’s on-demand programs and free career success videos. Click here to receive free access to the following videos:

• 5 Ways to Pursue Your Passions in Life and Work: How to Overcome Obstacles and Achieve Job Search Success
• What NOT to Share On Your Resume: 13 Things You Should Delete Immediately From Your Resume
• The Most Common Job Interview Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

I look forward to helping you navigate these uncertain times in your career!

Related posts

• How to Improve Your Work Life With Corona Virus Prevention
• Why You Need to Think Like an Entrepreneur (Even When You’re Not One)
• How to Gain Control Over Your Career Amidst Layoffs
• Are You Prepared to Be a Freelancer If Forced To?

Part 2 of 3 posts

Even if you’re still able to work during the coronavirus quarantine, whether from your office or from home, let me ask you something:

Are you prepared to be a freelancer if forced to?

Think about it. If you lost your job tomorrow and couldn’t find another one right away, would you be able to pick up and start making some extra money?

Do you already have some other streams of revenue in place, like freelance work or a side hustle?

I’ve previously written about the importance of having multiple streams of revenue. You can’t rely on only one stream of revenue because it could evaporate tomorrow.

I’m not saying this to cause you to panic. Instead I say it to help you feel more productive and a little more in control of your current situation.

How to create multiple streams of revenue

Here’s what you have some control over. Sit down and make a list of skills you have that others would pay you to perform because they lack those skills. Also add to your list anything you own that others might want to rent on a short-term basis.

Decide which items on your list will take the least amount of time to start earning the most money.

Then, start getting the word out. Use your current social media profiles to do this. And join platforms you’re not already using. Start with the ones that make the most sense for your product or service.

You may be surprised what kind of response you get.

Forced to be a freelancer

Recently, my hairstylist’s husband was in between digital marketing jobs. Although he received several interviews and offers, the offers weren’t financially feasible based on his experience and the potentially long commutes.

While holding out for something more financially feasible, he took some home improvement jobs as a side hustle since he’s good at this sort of thing.

When one side hustle opportunity was completed, another one came along. Then it got to the point where he had so many side jobs to choose from it made more financial sense to make this his full-time gig!

He’s now making more money doing home improvement than he would’ve if he’d stayed in digital marketing.

Need help becoming a freelancer?

If you need help with the steps of starting a side hustle or work opportunity for yourself, let me know. I’ve successfully transitioned to working for myself and have helped several clients do the same.

Stay tuned for the final way to maintain control in part three. Submit your name in the right hand column to receive alerts for new posts.

Related posts:

• How to Gain Control Over Your Career Amidst Layoffs
• Getting Laid Off? The #1 Thing to Ask for When You Leave
• Why You Need to Think Like an Entrepreneur (Even When You’re Not One)
• How to Improve Your Work Life With Coronavirus Prevention
• 10 Lessons I’ve Learned From 10 Years of Freelancing
• 3 Free Career Success Videos

Part 1 of 3 posts

Maybe you’ve been fortunate enough to continue working from home during this coronavirus quarantine. But perhaps you haven’t been so lucky.

Some folks have been told not to report to work. And since their job doesn’t lend well to remote work, they’re having to use precious vacation or sick days. Or worse, they’re being laid off.

If this is you, or could possibly be you in the near future, you probably feel like you have no control over your current career or job situation.

But, there are some things you can do to help you feel a little more in control, and can help you be better prepared in the event of a job loss.

This is part one of three recommended strategies.

Stay in control by updating your resume the right way

If it’s been a while since you last updated your resume, now is a good time to do so. It’s definitely more productive than spending your time watching Netflix while quarantined!

I’m sure there are several things you need to add to your resume since you last updated it. Which means you need to make room for those new things.

So how do you know what to get rid of to make way for the new info? I have several free videos, including one entitled:

What NOT to Share On Your Resume: 13 Things You Should Delete Immediately From Your Resume

You may not realize it, but there are probably some things on your resume that are hurting your chances of landing a job interview. They need to go! Find out what they are before you send your next résumé out by watching the video.

It’s available here along with two other free videos:

• 5 Ways to Pursue Your Passions in Life and Work: How to Overcome Obstacles and Achieve Job Search Success
• The Most Common Job Interview Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Once you’ve updated your resume, you have a chance of getting a free resume critique from paNASH. Details are available in the video.

Keep your resume updated

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, it’s always a good idea to update your resume every six months. There are two reasons why:

1. It’s a lot easier to remember what you’ve done over the past six months than the past six years.

2. You never know when you may need it in a situation like we’re currently facing.

Updating your resume and keeping it updated are just a couple things you have control over in uncertain times.

Control what you can

Knowing what you can’t and can control means the difference between feeling panicked and empowered.

Stay tuned for additional ways to maintain control in part two and part three. Submit your name in the right hand column to receive alerts for new posts.

Related post:

• Are You Prepared to Be a Freelancer If Forced To? (Part 2)
• Getting Laid Off? The #1 Thing to Ask For When You Leave (Part 3)
• How to Improve Your Work Life With Coronavirus Prevention

paNASH was recently voted as one of the top coaches in Nashville by Expertise.com for the fourth year in a row!

Welcome to “Sunday Inspiration,” a bi-weekly devotional for those seeking spiritual encouragement in the pursuit of their passions. Each post comes from an outside resource (as referenced). I hope these posts will inspire and motivate you in your life and career in addition to our weekly original blog posts. Enjoy!

A lot of my clients have a lot of fear. Mostly fear of the unknown, such as not knowing what will happen if they pursue their dream to start their own business or to change careers. But below is some wonderful insight on how to overcome such fear. If you’re struggling with fear, especially fear of your future, I encourage you to meditate on the following.

“Faith comes by hearing…the word of God.” Romans 10:17 NKJV

Every day fear and faith will arise inside you, and you get to decide which one will prevail. Fear and faith will always be present in your life, and the one you feed will come out on top.

You can’t expect fear to simply disappear. If you focus on your fears, entertain them, and give in to them, they’ll increase.

The way to overcome them is to starve them. Don’t give them your time or energy. Don’t feed them with gossip, negative news reports, or frightening thoughts.

Focus on your faith, and feed it each day through God’s Word (See Ro 10:17). The more energy and time you devote to your faith, the stronger it will become.

Anytime you feel afraid of something but do it anyway, you reprogram your attitude. In other words, when you feel afraid, it means “go” instead of “stop”; it means “fight harder” instead of “give up.”

The most important step you can take to overcome fear is trusting God to do the thing you think you can’t do.

No matter how strong a hold fear may have on you, it can be overcome. That’s because fear is in your mind, and your mind can be renewed by the Word of God.

Here’s the key: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2 NKJV). 

Source: https://jentezenfranklin.org/daily-devotions/how-to-overcome-fear-5