Transition And The Dehiree

Personal Marketing Strategy Program for Transition Candidates:

"get THAT NEXT job!"© Series

"Tasks are normally dismissed, measurable accomplishments are always recognized!" E2

Transition and the Dehiree

This second in a series of enotes is a brief synopsis of one concept from our book and CD series.

During the rest of these enotes you will notice that each time we discuss termination, dislocation or "losing" a job; we will refer to that act as a dehire. Going forward, we will also refer to transition candidates as the dehiree or transitionee. I do understand that it seems as if the terms dehiree or transitionee are merely convenient euphuisms; I assure you they are not!  Your time in transition can and must be an active, positive, and personally illuminating process, or a debilitating one, YOU MAKE THE CHOICE.

The emotions you feel must be separated from the necessary tasks that you must accomplish to "get THAT NEXT job!"  Unfortunately, termination and dehire now have become the norm, not the exception. Embarrassment, guilt, and blame are a futile waste of energy. Yes! You will face emotional upheavals. The anguish you feel is "real and palpable." During your transition time, you will experience many strong emotions. Some that will even surprise you. It is normal! Your emotions may and will be raw, especially right after termination or a self-imposed transition. (It is also important to remember; that if you only feel only numb for an extended period of time, a week or more, you might consider seeking some professional counseling.) Remember, there are no right or wrong emotions!  Sometimes, many transitionees even feel Relief; the fear of dehire, the pain of uncertainty, or the anticipation of transition is finally over. Those negative emotions must be understood for what they are and be put aside during and after your transition period. No matter how hard you try, you cannot fix the past from the present. You cannot score a basket, or a touchdown in yesterday's game, today.

One way of staying positive and upbeat, not euphoric, but confident, is to  always celebrate the small victories daily and relegate the alleged defeats, small and large, to the results of the normal sales process. Regardless of your prior position, title or rank; in transition, you are now a straight commissioned sales person. But unlike, the normal professional sales person, you only need to make ONE SALE. The gTNj definition of being a dehiree assumes you are not unemployed, nor have you "lost" your job, because you know where it is, you just are no longer doing it any more. Indeed, you never owned "that job" anyway; it was just on loan to you, the "job" always belonged to someone else. I am not being comedic, just honest and realistic. The term "lost my job" is such a strange concept anyway. As we have just said above, YOU DO have a job; you now work for YOU, as the CEO, chief marketer and sales representative. Your new personal business card says so!  You are now representing YOURSELF!

As soon as transition begins you MUST, regardless of the position you held, view your new "job" differently. The old "position" is over, you need to throw yourself into your new fulltime job; representing the product you know best, YOU! Your acceptance of your new sales/marketing role is vital to your getting into the correct mindset to "get THAT NEXT job!"

After all, we are actually all "sales" people at sometime during every day of our lives. Some sales calls work, many others do not.

Each of you will more than likely have very different needs, agendas, motivators and economic realities. Most of what appears in these enotes, our book, CD's and website are based on our experiences in personal sale's roles or in conversations and discussions with candidates and hiring authorities over the past 30 years.

Transition always refers to the following:

Individuals who are currently employed and who are contemplating a change for a myriad of reasons.

Individuals who are underemployed or misemployed and who are looking to improve their economic status.

Individuals who are currently or about to be dehired, retired or leave a job that has been eliminated.

At the beginning of every transition period, it is imperative that discover who you really are, why you are an "opportunity," what you want, be realistic about today's market place and then to prepare the documents to get you NOTICED. This introspection period, prior to the preparation of your selling and advertising materials coupled with your study of your potential market place, are possibly as important or more important, than all the rest of the transition skills. You job now is to prepare materials that will get you NOTICED. (Move from the Herd to be Heard.)

I would recommend that you read a good sales primer about selling intangibles. You must understand there are at least three sales techniques that you will need in your transition period, an "either or close," the "assumptive close" and "how to ask for the order" directly. Remember, there are several basic components to any successful transition process: your presentation, your "own" business cards, your body carriage, eye contact, firm handshake, dress, proper use of language, knowing why you fit the potential hiring authority's or company's needs, and aggressive follow-up after any contact with the hiring authorities. However, the main basic necessity in any search process are the materials that you will use to get "NOTICED."

Your new "job" may be hard to find, it may/will take longer than you want and be emotionally trying, but THAT NEXT job is THERE. Some how candidates think there are three ways to "get THAT NEXT job." To "Be prepared and aggressive," to be "passive and hopeful that someone you know will save you," or that you must merely try "the old and not so true methods of securing that next job."  Only one works! Oft-times, we fall into the trap of thinking that others will save us; recruiters, the web, friends, the "ole" network or complete strangers. We are wrong. There is only one way to be successful in transition, hard work. 

The one statement in this enote that is the most valuable is:

There is always "life" after your last assignment. Go out and find it and advocate for it!

If you have found these concepts useful and want more in depth information, please check out our book, CD's and website at

www.get-THAT-NEXT-job.com. Our website contents are constantly being updated. Please check the updates via the site's search engine.

Bruce Dreyfus           Transition Compass®            ALL RIGHTS RESERVED