CASE. Last In, First Out Jeff has enjoyed tinkering cars as long as he can remem

Question

CASE. Last In, First Out

Jeff has enjoyed tinkering cars as long as he can remember. He was elated when he fulfilled his goal to earn a certified Automotive Technician Degree from the local technical institute. The placement department of the institute helped hi m meet another goal. – a job with local automobile manufacturer. Jeff has been on the job for ten months. He enjoys the challenges and has established a reputation for being punctual, dependable , and capable.

Unfortunately, the economy has experienced a major downturn and Jeff ( a “new hire” from the standpoint of the company) is one of the first to be laid off. Jeff is shocked and devastated. He feels that he has failed. He tells his friend Dan, “ I guess I’m just no good at this job. I tried m best, but I couldn’t hold a job for even a year. Now what am I going to do? I need a job! Bt who is going to hire a loser?

(in personal development)

Answer the following:

1. What is Jeff’s biggest obstacle at this point in his life?

2. What does Jeff need to do to get back on track?

3. What advice might Dan give Jeff? What role could Dan play in Jeff’s future?

4. Write a new long-term goal of Jeff. Develop an appropriate action plan for the new goal.

Explanation / Answer

Ans-1:

Jeff, a fresh graduate, has recently lost his job with a local automobile manufacturer, due to a major downturn in the economy. He had not even completed one year at the job and was feeling very demotivated. So obstacle in his career (that of getting a new job) seems to be a great obstacle at this point in his life.

But more than his career obstacle, his greatest obstacle seems to be his emotions. As evident from the case, Jeff has developed some very negative emotions like shock, frustration, depression, fear (that what will happen to his life without a job) and hopelessness of not getting another job.

Ans-2:

First of all, Jeff needs to control his emotions by getting a hold of himself. He should not harbor such negative emotions. He should try to remain positive and understand that it is a passing phase. The economy at that moment was down, but it will again revive after a certain period of time and once the economy revives, he has a very good chance of getting another job, since he has already developed a reputation for being punctual, dependable and capable during his ten-month tenure in his job. Jeff should be emotionally strong, be patient and persevere and also adopt proper strategies to get another job.

Further, he may try to acquire a new skill for which there is a good demand in the industry/economy currently. He may even think of starting a small business of his own.

Ans-3:

Jeff’s friend Dan should advice him to remain strong (emotionally), be very determined to get a job, be patient and go on persisting before he lands a new job. He may even advise him to start his own business .

Dan can play the role of a mentor and guide Jeff in the right direction. He should give him necessary career advices and guidance whenever necessary. He has to be always by Jeff’s side and motivate him through some pep talks. He can also act as a facilitator and may even lend him some money to begin his own business or at least help him to get finance from other sources.

Ans-4:

Jeff can set a long-term goal of becoming a master or expert in his profession so that he is always in demand in the industry and becomes indispensable to any company (where he works). He should gain so much mastery with respect to his profession that his services will be solicited every now and then by the industry persons. Thus his fear of getting laid off will be negated to a great extent. Even if there is a recession in the economy, he will not get laid off and if lay-off becomes inevitable in a company due to certain reasons, then he should be the last person to get laid off.

In order to achieve the long-term goal of becoming a master or expert in his profession, he should put in tremendous hard work and have a strict daily routine which will enable him to reach the goal. He also has to adopt the right strategies by which he will succeed. He can write down the various steps that he will take at different points of time (in the form of milestones) to reach his goal. He may also consult some senior people of this profession who can guide him by giving some valuable inputs through their extensive knowledge and experience.

Other than the above action points, Jeff has to ensure that he has a positive mindset, devoid of any negative emotions. He should be very determined to succeed in his endeavors and should try to visualize his every step toward attainment of his goal.

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