Career counselor Sherry Sims says investing in your growth and development is key to weathering today’s economic storms and preparing for a brighter tomorrow.
Courtesy photo
By Janice Hayes Kyser
Contributing Writer
The exodus of some 300,000 Black women from the workforce is a harsh reality reverberating throughout the Black community, but leaders say victims can fight back.
Professional job coach Sherry Sims has three words for those impacted as well as the Black community as a whole: pivot, prepare and persevere.
“Pivot is the new normal,” says Sims, president and founder of the Cincinnati-based Black Career Women’s Network. “It’s all about rebranding. This is the time to dust off your resume, assess your skills and gain new ones and reconnect with your network.”
Sims says pivoting and preparing may include going back to school, learning a new skill or trade, or starting a home based or other business.
“Whatever you decide to do, it’s important to have a plan of action; to keep moving forward against the headwinds,” she says.
Whatever path people choose, Sims says they should remember they don’t have to do it by themselves and that perseverance is in their DNA.
“There’s no doubt that as Black women we are resilient, we have been blessed with fortitude, but even so we cannot and do not have to go it alone,” says Sims, adding now is the time to lean on family, friends, job coaches, sorority members and other trusted advisors.
Tyra Dent, president of the African American Federal Executive Association, agrees. Dent says her organization is preparing members to change with the times.
“We’re encouraging our members to take time for deep reflection and contemplation as they decide what’s next for them and their families,” said Dent, whose nonprofit supports Black people seeking to rise to senior ranks in government. “We’re helping them ask the tough questions and provide the resources to answer them.”
Frederick Gooding Jr., associate professor of humanities at Texas Christian University, says now is the time for Black people to look both inward and outward.
“We have to stay aware and absorb, educate and inform ourselves,” he says. “We have to play this capitalism game better and leverage our capital, which is us. We have to create our own institutions. No one is going to save us but us.”
Experts say there are six things unemployed people can do to weather the economic storms and prepare themselves for a brighter horizon:
Pivot: Look for ways to rebrand yourself to meet the needs of today’s work world. Consider going back to school, taking courses, obtaining additional certifications and getting up to speed on technology, AI and other trends that are shaping the work world.
Reconnect: Tap into your network or tune into new networks that can help you discover your path forward.
Stay woke: Do not get consumed by it, but keep abreast of the news and contact elected officials to share your thoughts and concerns. Exercise your right to vote. Get involved in local, state or national politics. Be a champion for the change you want to see.
Protect your health: When you feel like you are under attack, it’s easy to get depressed. Exercise your mind and body. Take walks, workout and meditate. Consider professional counseling or tap into your network of friends, family, church members, and others for encouragement and perspective.
Do your own thing: Consider starting your own business or consulting to showcase your talents and experience on your own terms.
Support your community: Take every opportunity to patronize, support and nurture Black businesses and mentor and encourage others.
Janice Hayes Kyser is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers.
