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Career Potholes

We have arrived in January 2018. If you live in much of the country, not only are you trying to keep you resolutions, but you are also dealing with winter. I am a resident of the Northeast where winter will keep you on your toes. It can be bitter cold one day, a blizzard the next, icy conditions effecting everyday life.  One of those realities of winter are potholes. Anyone who drives a car in a state where nature takes winter seriously knows all those fun snow storms and bitter cold days cause potholes.
 
Potholes are not fun. They can cause serious damage. When your car ends up in a pothole, you can end up with a flat tire or worse a broken axel. These unexpected car repairs slow down your plans for travel, your time, and your money. As a driver, your defense to potholes is either avoidance or careful driving.  They are a part of life and workforce development.
 
People have potholes in their careers. Welcome to workforce development, a land for people stuck in potholes. Many people are just going along in their day to day business of life and career and suddenly a job loss. Others people may feel they are stuck in a pothole and despite hard work, they can’t get into something better. The same logic is true for workforce professionals. Like the job seekers in the system, workforce professionals face the same kinds of issues in their own careers.
 
Employers get stuck in potholes also causing loss or stagnate growth. When I watch shows such as Sharktank or The Profit, what I see are companies stuck in a pothole. Something is preventing the growth, expansion, or the company from meeting profits.
 
 
Potholes sound depressing. These potholes are just the bumps and holes of life. If you make one resolution for 2018, it should be to not get stuck in a pothole. They are temporary. As a workforce professional, your professional resolution should be to keep this in mind when working with your job seeker and employer customers.  Keep the perspective and make 2018 a great year!
 
~Karen Cirincione
Email: kcirincione@gmail.com
Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/karenjcirincione
Twitter:@kcirincione

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