How to keep your job.

How do you keep your job or better yet – get a promotion?

 

Traditionally – the answers are simple:

• Show up for work.
• Do a good job.

 

And yet many times the good, hard-working people are the ones who lose jobs.

 

There was an (2017, Sept 6) article posted at CNN money that pointed out “Lego slashed 1,400 jobs as sales slump.” Last month (2017, Aug 10), USA Today reported that “As many as 160 Applebee’s and IHOP locations to close.” Last year (2016, Sept 5), The Daily Caller, reported that 83,000 coal jobs were lost and 400 mines shuttered. My brother-in-law and many other family members (here in West Virginia lost their coal mining jobs that supported their families). Many companies closed during the financial crisis (2008 to 2009) like Circuit City. Borders Bookstore closed in 2011.

 

I feel certain that there were many people, employees at Lego, Applebees, IHOP, Coalminers, Circuit City, Borders bookstore, and many other places who showed up, did their job, and still lost their job.

It isn’t fair, but it happens.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches a skill called, “Radical Acceptance,” to help ease the suffering. You don’t have to like what happened, but you accept the situation for what it is to avoid prolonged suffering and dwelling about something that can’t be changed.

 

The good news is that that The Economist rated recreational therapy as the least likely profession to be replaced by technological advancement and automation within the next two decade.

 

But is that is the report at The Economist enough to give you a feeling of career safety?

 

I often think of  the (1998) movie, Primary Colors when I read or hear about companies closing.  John Travolta plays a Governor from a southern state who is running for President of the United States. In one scene the Governor is speaking to a group of people (mostly men) who had lost their jobs at a factory. Governor (played by Travolta) told them: “No politician can re-open this factory or bring back the shipyard jobs.” He goes on to tell how many of those jobs went to other countries that have cheaper labor. The Governor gives people advice.

He said: “We need to get smarter and learn new skills.”

 

My brother-in-law, who I spoke about earlier in this blog post (above) had lost his job as a coal-miner. Those jobs aren’t coming back, at least no time soon. He is going back to school to become a nurse. That is a job that is definitely going to be around. He is working at getting smarter and learning new skills.  

My question for you: What are you doing to get smarter and learn new skills?

Here are some ideas for recreation therapists like you:

• Read the Therapeutic Recreation Journal
• Read the American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA) newsletter
• Attend an ATRA conference (unfortunately the one next week in Orlando, Florida has been postponed due to Hurricane Irma to keep people safe.
• Attend a conference in a related field: Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Mental Health Counseling, Play Therapy, or others.
• Read a newly revised textbook in recreation therapy or an allied profession.
• Take a self-study CEU course at my site: http://www.DannyPettry.com 
• Take an advanced self-study professional certificate at: http://www.NorthAdvanced.com
• Take a graduate level college course. One college course counts for about 45 out of the 50 clock hours of continuing education required for the five-year CTRS recertification cycle. Of course, as a disclaimer, contact NCTRC for official information about that.