God has to be the ultimate lemonade maker for he has told us “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 – NIV). To me, this verse isn’t assuring me that my life will be easy but that when I am facing difficult situations that God is there to help me. In essence, when we only see the lemons life has handed us, God can see the whole picture and is in the background ready to help us turn those lemons into lemonade.

Losing a job or making a career change usually isn’t easy. I can speak from experience here because I have experienced job loss (in early 1990 and again in 1996).  One was by lay-off and the other by choice, but neither was easy. All I could see was the lemons and I didn’t realize that God was standing ready in the background to turn my lemons into a refreshing glass of lemonade.

I really wasn’t prepared for either type of job loss or career transition scenarios. After the layoff, I did not have an updated resume or a plan of action. In essence, I was caught on an emotional roller coaster and did not know what to do next.

Yes, things worked out for good but with a tad bit of preparation I believe things would have gone a whole lot more smoothly. How?

* Updated Resume – With an updated document, I would have been prepared to hit the ground running and seek out new opportunities. Even without job loss, we never know what opportunity (or refreshing glass of lemonade) God may have for us around the next corner. Always, always, always have an updated resume ready.

* Networking – Broaden your network by meeting and connecting with new people. It is through relationships that unexpected doors may open. Join groups or use social media applications such as LinkedIn or Facebook to expand your network.

* Focus on the Process – Respond to people’s inquiries and don’t take rejection personally. If you are not the right fit for their needs,
that is ok. Continue to seek God’s will and, if you are out of work, volunteer.

Losing a job is stressful but by doing some planning before you are faced with a layoff or career transition, the impact can be minimized and the length of time shortened.