Danger & Opportunity: Reframing Professional Crisis

The last few weeks have continued a trend of growing uncertainty that has impacted many professional spaces. Federal, state, and local employees have felt the pinch of funding cuts. Tariffs have led to stock market tumult, and businesses are bracing for the impacts of a trade war. This has led to professionals of all levels wondering if they are on the “chopping block” in their organization.

When faced with crises that impact our careers, we can choose to despair, or we can choose to prepare. There is a commonly held belief that the Chinese symbol for “crisis” is a combination of the symbols for “danger” and “opportunity.” If you conduct a quick internet search, you can see that there are lots of articles that both support and refute this claim. This post is not meant to debate the veracity of oft quoted claim. Instead let's discuss the point of the message, which is reframing a crisis into an opportunity.

Let’s create a hypothetical and say you have found yourself on the proverbial chopping block. You have some seniority in your position and generally like your job. You have had no interest in transitioning your career and learning that you are on the chopping block has put you in a tailspin of despair. There’s no doubt that most people would be shaken by this situation, that would be normal. After the initial shock wears off, I recommend easing your apprehension by getting prepared.

Here are some actions you can take to prepare for career turbulence, reframing your professional crisis by taking positive actions. You can take these actions in any order that makes sense to you, but I’m ordering them in a way that I think makes chronological sense.

Consider a variety of outcomes

There’s a chance you will be laid off. You might be offered a severance, you might not. You might be asked to demote to a lower role or take a pay cut. Your company or organization may find a way to push through hard times and your position could remain intact. My point is, part of what makes these situations scary is that there is so much that is unknown. Acknowledging that, even writing or journaling about the various outcomes, puts you in a place to accept that uncertainty. Acceptance will allow you to rank the likelihood of outcomes and put appropriate planning in place.

Reflect on what the best possible outcome is and why

If you conclude that the best possible outcome is being able to stay put in your current job, why is that? If you start thinking that there might be better opportunities elsewhere, why is that? This crisis is presenting the opportunity to evaluate multiple paths in front of you. Yes, there is risk associated with change. There is also risk in standing pat. The task now is to align your goals and values to the best of your abilities to the paths in front of you. Making these connections will allow you to make better choice on how to move forward, and when choices are made the preparations needed to move forward become more clear.

Reflect on what you like and dislike about your current position

You likely already have some idea of what you like and dislike about your job, but now is a great time to write it out. What are the parts that you like enough to need in your next job? What makes you the most effective? Where are you misaligned with your work? If you can’t think of any misalignment, that should tell you something positive about your current role. Doing reflection work now, while you are still employed, positions you to move more quickly and meaningfully if you do enter the job market.

Polish up your resume

If you’ve been in the same job for a while, your resume likely needs an update. Even if you hope that will be able to stay in your current job, getting your resume updated benefits you in a couple ways. First, you will be prepared to move quickly if you become unemployed. If you see a job posting that interests you, your to-do list to apply will be much shorter. Second, spending time reflecting on your strengths, achievements, and career can boost your self-esteem and confidence. Your job uncertainty is not a reflection on you as much as it is a product of our current environment. Remember what you bring professionally and be proud of the work, growth, and development.

Talk with others

There are others that are dealing with the same uncertainty as you are. Reach out to trusted friends and colleagues and talk about what you are experiencing. Ask them how they are feeling about their job. Social support is a terrific way to bolster your resilience. You will also get a better feel for how other organizations are navigating uncertainty and you may learn of opportunities that you might not have known of otherwise.

Want to be even more prepared?

• Update and optimize your LinkedIn profile.

• Browse job postings and sign up for alerts from major job search websites.

• Evaluate your financial situation and understand what your earning and benefit requirements are. Are you able to absorb a pay cut? If so, how much of a pay cut is tolerable in your situation? Knowing this information can be helpful in decision making if your employer offers a demotion/pay cut in lieu of a layoff.

• Research stable and growing industries and evaluate if there are opportunities that meet your career goals and values. Even if you have to acquire some new skills, this could be a great long-term solution.

• Consider consulting a mental health professional if you are finding your emotions (anxiety and/or depression) difficult to manage.

• Consider consulting a career coach if you want assistance talking through your situation, organizing your thoughts, and strategizing a way forward.

Remember, crisis equals danger and opportunity. The professional crisis you may find yourself in is your opportunity to reevaluate your career, develop or recalibrate goals, weigh your own mission and values, and reflect on your achievements. Yes, every path forward carries some risk, but your preparation will allow you to proceed with confidence, knowing that you will be able to adapt and respond to challenges along the way.