How Can International Professionals Create a Breakthrough During a Difficult Time

In this day and age when local economies in different parts of the globe are in limbo, many workers lose their jobs out of the blue. Companies either shut down or retrench their employees, which include international professionals. As a result, such professionals felt defeated, depressed and at a loss.

However, it is important to note that amidst all the confusion and chaos in such a difficult time, there is always a way out. By creating a breakthrough, you are on your way to finding a solution and making your situation better.

Here’s a good case in point…

One student in my coaching program was excited to share her good news with me yesterday. She got a job offer at one of the most prestigious e-commerce companies. However, at the beginning of June, she was laid off by her company and felt really down in the dumps. Fortunately, after 29 days, she already received the confirmation of a new offer with some interesting duties.

The entire process just took a bit less than a month, but the journey to creating a breakthrough was not easy. To overcome obstacles during a difficult time requires more confidence, more energy and a more decisive action.

Below are 4 things you can do to have that breakthrough:

1. Notice new opportunities by changing the question you ask to yourself

The moment when my student got laid off by her company, she felt enormous pressure and cried all day long.

She’s a brilliant student and a great contributor to her company, so it did not even cross her mind that one day her company would let her go. If she couldn’t find a job here in 30 days, she would need to return to her hometown in Vietnam. Studying abroad and having a great international career made her feel proud of herself, but the idea of returning home after losing her job made her feel like an absolute loser.

However, the truth is her company had to let go nearly half of its employees, including its senior executives, and the decision was not even related to her performance or contribution. Besides, going home to find a job seems totally legitimate and shouldn’t erase her efforts in overcoming language and culture barriers as a winner.

This mindset shift totally changed her direction.

The original question was: how can I find a job to be able to stay in Singapore?

Now, the question becomes: what are the options to get a job that is more aligned with my career goals?

Oftentimes, we have negative thoughts that limit ourselves or disrupt our abilities. People miss opportunities because they are too focused on looking for something else. In order to find a solution, we have to challenge our thinking by asking better questions. If we change the way we think, it changes our emotional state, which then influences our decision making.

2. Make decisions by listening to your intuition

Finding a job in 30 days is challenging, especially during a difficult time.

We have to get clear on our values and priorities first. We need to take some time to ask ourselves and ponder upon the following:

What’s the desired outcome?

What’s more important? What’s the most important?

Is it staying here and getting a crappy job more important or getting a really good job in other locations more important?

My student was very career focused and thinks long term. Whatever the circumstance is, she couldn’t just accept whatever is available to survive only to change it later. Finding a good job in her area of expertise is her top priority.

After clearing her mind, she made a plan to focus on applying for positions outside Singapore, especially in Vietnam. This decision immediately relieved a lot of pressure. In fact, she started spotting new doors opening.

When you listen to your heart and make decisions based on what you truly want, you feel peace inside and know you’re on the right track.

3. Create self-fulfilling prophesies via positive expectations

Our thoughts, feelings and attitudes can affect our biological functioning. On the other hand, what we do with our physical body can impact our mental state. In other words, in the same way that the body affects the mind, the mind also has immense effects on the body.

When things are not going your way, you feel anxious and down. You couldn’t sleep, you are stuck in front of your computer for hours and your energy is at an unprecedented low level.

Anxiety is not a big problem, waiting to stop feeling anxious is.

In order to work on the most important goal and keep things going, we need to boost our energy and improve our focus.

My student realized that feeling helpless did not lead anywhere, so she started a new routine to practice yoga twice a day. Getting the body to move definitely helped her increase the energy and get into a flow state.

Physical exercise brings positive vibes. Positive vibes then set positive expectations which reinforce our beliefs and capabilities.

4. Adopt a resilient attitude that transforms bad luck into good

Losing a job seems like a failure, but what’s more frustrating is the long wait time along with multiple rejections.

When you make a lot of efforts looking for a job, you get no response after one day, then two days, then one week, and so on. Your countdown timer starts notifying you that there’s not much time left, and you need to find a solution quickly. One day, you receive your first rejection, then the next, and who knows for how long? You become more and more anxious, but things do not seem to be getting better.

The only thing you can do is to see the positive side of your ill fortune. There’s still time left, and something good is yet to come. Use all your connections and channels to meet your goal.

Bad things happen to everyone. We all know that there are even more constraints for international professionals. But the question is not about knowing the constraints; it’s about creating a breakthrough to remove the constraints.

Are you going to ask yourself a better question?

Are you going to be open and honest with yourself about what you truly want?

Are you going to stay positive and maintain a high energy level?

Are you going to adopt a resilient attitude and do whatever it takes?

I hope you do and remember that “everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”

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