Leaving your comfort zone to find a job

The economy is in shambles and you are unemployed and over fifty. Maybe you just want to get any job that you can and not take any chances. Of course right now there doesn’t seem to be “any job” for the taking. Are you feeling desperate and without hope, that’s understandable. Are you ready to leave your comfort zone to find a job?


The first thing that you should do is completely change the way that you are feeling about being unemployed and what jobs are suitable for you. If you have worked in a field for a long time you may think that is the only occupation that you will even be considered for employment. You may find that previous employment field is dried up and with out any future opportunities.

What do you do?

As I have said before, make a plan, brainstorm, and write down anything that comes to mind. At this stage don’t edit yourself, there will time for that later. After you have a sizable list, thoughtfully go through that list and see what might be interesting to follow up on. Don’t be too dismissive at this stage, keep an open mind.

When you have made picked out the ones on the list that look promising, make another list of how you would be able to find out information about these employment opportunities. What companies are matches to your employment aspirations? A simple search on the internet can help you out here. Probably the best place to start is the Occupational Handbook which breaks down thousands of jobs. Not only will it tell you what education you need to be in that field it will also tell you whether it is a good field to be in the future.

Here is where you might have to leave your comfort zone. After you have found the companies that have jobs that you want, contact them. Call them up and ask for any information about the company and also ask about having an informational interview. This might be uncomfortable but after awhile you will get used to it.

Don’t sit at home and just send out resumes and think that you find a job that way. You wouldn’t. leave your comfort zone and get to work.

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