Lesbian Exclusive Exchange

 It’s been rough out there, ladies! Many of us have recently lost our jobs or taken pay cuts. Some of us want to change careers and it seems impossible. How do we improve the situation? Does a cut in your hours mean cutting out daily vanilla lattes? How can we find a new job or make ends meet in such a difficult economic year? 
 Lesbian Life, Love & Career Coach Barb Elgin shares her tips for weeding through this trying financial time: 
Do You Believe? Remember you are not alone; over 10% of Americans are unemployed. Trust that you have value and others will, too.
Keep It Current: Hone your current skills to make you more valuable to employers. Take a course or acquire an advanced certificate. Read books and trade magazines monthly. Basically, become an expert at whatever you do!
Network: If you are out of work or need a better job, attend any functions available to meet people in business settings. Chamber mixers, fundraisers and private events are opportunities to meet new people and expand your scope. People want to hire people they know!
You, The Expert: With a surplus of people in every field looking for work, now may not be the best time to change careers. Consider sticking with what you are good at for now to get your resume noticed. When things improve you can make a move into something new.
Manage Your Moods: Feel defeated or depressed? Try herbal remedies and vitamins for a boost. Exercise, sleep and healthy eating are mood enhancers. Feeling really blue? It’s OK to ask for help so visit your doctor for more options.
Lose The Attitude: Don’t let yourself fall into the negative spiral that frustration can bring. Surround yourself with positive people who won’t let you have a pity party for yourself. Too much negativity can make you appear less valuable to an employer and is bad for your well-being.
It’s All About Money, Honey: Now is the time to take a hard look at your financial status and re-think frivolous spending. Make a spreadsheet of your expenses for a month. You may be surprised at what you find! Forego a magazine subscription or Starbucks habit for awhile. You may actually feel better in the long run when you have more money in your bank account.
No CNN: Don’t watch any news program for more than an hour a day. Constant stories about the bad economy can reinforce a negative outlook. To remain cheery, keep yourself informed on current events, but don’t dwell on them.
What’s The Plan? Seek help to set financial & employment goals from a fiscally responsible parent or friend, or even a life coach. Figure out where you’d like to be in six months or a year, and create an action plan to achieve these goals. 
Believe in yourself, ladies! You can control only so much in this life and the economy is not one of them. However, you can make a plan and learn to broaden your horizons by making yourself accountable and more valuable. If you believe there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that things will get better, they usually do. 
 ~Written by Nicolle DiSimone with Lesbian Life, Love & Career Coach Barb Elgin CoachSappho.com