"I am used to the computer industry; how will I ever replace my income now that my job has been out sourced to India?" As a career coach I found that question difficult to answer. Not that I didn't know the answer. I knew the answer alright; but I was always afraid of the reaction I would get from an out-sourced computer expert (CE)who was use to making 60, 70, or 80 thousand dollars a year. The simple truth is a hard bullet to bite, but one that many have had to do over the years in other industries. The answer is it is time to expand your horizons and look for jobs out of your field. I have seen CE's freeze right there and tell me ?This is simply not an option. You need to find me something else.? I have seen these CE's wait for over a year to get another job in their field while I watched them lose their savings, their homes, and their spouses.



But there is no need to follow that course. There are good paying jobs out there in other fields. You have to be willing to re-educate yourself and be willing to shoot high for a job you never had before. One of my favorite quotes is from Robert Browning who said: ?A man's reach should exceed his grasp. Or what's a heaven for?? Simply put if our reach is low or too close, we won't do the stretching or the [work] that is needed to accomplish the given challenge. Robert Browning is inspiring us to reach higher than we are accustomed to. So you have never been a supervisor before? Reach for the job anyway. The problem is most of us feel we can't possibly do something we never did before. You certainly posses some of the skills required or you wouldn't have desired the job in the first place. Don't short-change your self. We need to take risks if we are to ever succeed. When we were young we didn't have a care in the world. It didn't matter whether we ever swam before. We just jumped in. It didn't matter that we couldn't ride a bike; we just got on it and started gliding till we fell. We got up again and fell again. We did that a number of times until we mastered that thing called "riding a bike". We reached for the moon. Sometimes we didn't hit our mark. That's OK. Try again. If you fall try again. A man's reach should always exceed his grasp.

There are plenty of employers looking for people with your skills. Stop limiting yourself to jobs you have had. Think about the skills you posses that can be transferred to the new high paying job. Everyone has their own special set of skills they have acquired over the years. A system analyst may possess skills that are needed to solve big problems. Look for a job that requires that set of skills. Learn how to speak the language of the new job you are seeking. Use jargon familiar to that industry. Turn your skills into benefit statements that fit that industry. You will be surprised how many great and wonderful careers are out there waiting for someone with your talent to help them with their problems. Don't short-stop the effort or sabotage yourself by repeating mantras like: ?Oh they are not looking for a network specialist.? You are defeating yourself before you start. Employers have job openings because they are in need of someone to solve a problem. They may have never made the connection that your set of skills can accomplish that for them. It is your job to make them understand that you can.

Tomorrow make the commitment to start with a new attitude. Reach for the stars. Be empowered by knowing that someone out there needs your set of skills. Now go find them.