Michael walked in for our counseling session. He was visibly nervous. He apologized for being late (only by about two minutes); for being a mess (it was storming outside); and for not printing out his resume (which I already had in my email).
Mike described his job. His boss was demanding and C-level management was even worse. Many of his co-worker whom he had liked had been laid off or quit over the last three or four years. He was working harder than ever just to ensure that he didn’t get laid off as well.
We started discussing the psychological impact that Mike’s job had on him. “I used to be happy nearly all the time. Now I’m on edge nearly all the time”.
Often, my career counseling work overlaps with “life” counseling. This makes sense when you think about it. Work takes a lot of time out of your life. So, it makes sense that there is a fairly strong positive correlation between career and life satisfaction.
Mike and I formulated a plan that would take roughly 3-6 months to execute. But, much like a prisoner who is plotting an escape, Mike felt hopeful again. “I haven’t felt this good in years” he claimed. I replied “About work?’
“No. About life” he responded.
—-
5