13: If you are given lemons, make limoncello

If you are in a job facing change, at any given time, you are in one of four situations: the first is that someone reaches out to you, unprompted, offering you a new role. You are not looking, someone finds you. Second, you want to change, and you start searching and creating options areas you would like to work on or with skills you would like to develop. You are not in a hurry, you like what you do, just want to improve your position. Third, you are sick and tired of what you do and just want to do something different, anything. Finally, your job gets ‘reorganised’, you might face a redundancy and change.

Whilst your bargaining power decreases with the options listed, the first option is not necessarily the best, because if someone wants you, whilst it is flattering, it might not be the best option for you. You are reacting to an option rather than working on the best option. The second option is probably the best. You are planning it, considering what is best for you, creating may be more than one option to assess: you are in control.

When you are sick and tired … should you change? Anything else should be better but is that true? Whilst there are greener pastures for sure, there can also be worse options, unfortunately. Overall, if you know what you are getting into fits your minimum criteria then the best option is to resign, thank everyone and go for your next adventure.

And if you are in the last bucket, and I have been through at least five reorganisations during my career, or initiated a few, when you are given lemons, make lemonade.

That is basically two things: first focus on what you can control, use this time as an opportunity to grow and learn, maybe try something you did not try before? If you want to impress a potential employer, internally or externally, what you have delivered recently, and how, matters.

But if at the end of the process you are not successful, there is a choice: frame it as an opportunity, use your new freedom as a blessing to regroup and think again what you really want to do: that career change you wanted to do but were afraid to take, that charity you wanted to help, the support in your family that was missing.

Beyond the daily job there are plenty of options and plenty of, maybe even more interesting things to pursue, so if you are given lemons, make lemonade, or even better limoncello.