- Take this job and shove it
- Breaking up is hard to do
- First Step: Gaining Clarity
TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT
In 2010 JetBlue flight attendant, Steven Slater, cracked open a beer, rolled out the emergency escape chute and slid down to make a dramatic exit from a job that just wasn’t working for him anymore. His actions made him quite the folk hero. Ten years later, fueled by a landscape change brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, millions more have made their exits from intolerable jobs – usually not with the flair that Steven embodied, but each in their own way. Some are intent on dropping out of the workforce altogether; some do it with another job in hand; and some just don’t know where the chute will take them, but they must jump.
BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO
For some like Steven, they have to make an abrupt break or they may never have the nerve to do it. One client in a medical business had continually told her boss that she was going to resign over a two-week period, but was repeatedly convinced to stay via a combination of guilt and small incentives. His excuse for not “letting her go” was that he could not find someone to replace the income she generated. Finally, when she realized that she wasn’t going to be able to do it the nice way, she “up and left” in the middle of a work day “a la Steven Slater”. If that’s what it takes to get out of a toxic situation, I say, “DO IT!” Generally, however, a plan is a good thing to have when leaving a job. This is where I come in.
FIRST STEP: GAINING CLARITY
Mid-career changes are on the one hand a wonderful blank canvas on which you can paint your new path and the other – a daunting and dizzying array of decisions that can be paralyzing. My career coaching work always starts with identifying a clear direction. The two main ingredients that go into establishing a good direction for you are 1) what can you enjoy doing? and; 2) what is achievable? This is the work I love doing – seeing clients move into work that feels right and rewarding.
I invite you to begin exploring this possibility in a free 30-minute, working session.
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