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Career Horizons was founded to provide affordable, personalized expertise to Northwest individuals and organizations dealing with the unique challenges of job hunting and employment transition.
If you've found yourself faced with the prospect of looking for a new job, or making a significant career transition, I'm willing to bet you can relate extremely well to two simple words: excited and scared.
Over the years, I've asked hundreds of outplacement and career coaching clients to honestly describe how they were feeling about their employment situation, and almost without exception each person admitted to feeling somewhat "schizophrenic" about their future. On one hand, they would wake up some days filled with enthusiasm about the exciting possibilities ahead, while on other days they'd roll out of bed full of anxiety over their job prospects and whether they'd ever be able to get their career back on a positive track.
While these mixed feelings are a completely natural reaction to this type of transition, they seem highly unfamiliar and uncomfortable to people who aren't used to being out of work on a regular basis.
Why is this the case? In part, because our careers mean far more to us than we realize. Beyond their obvious role as a source of financial security, they occupy over half of our waking lives and enrich us in a multitude of important, yet often unappreciated ways. Looking past the obvious benefits of the paycheck for a second, our employment rewards us through the on-the-job friendships we build, the daily work rituals we create, the sense of self-worth and identity our work provides, and the outlet our career gives us for creative expression and personal growth.
Who wouldn’t be a bit on edge, therefore, when these important aspects of our lives disappear temporarily due to a layoff or a voluntary job transition? Who can blame us if our natural reaction in such circumstances is to wonder “what in the world is going to happen to me?” and “how long will it take to find a new opportunity and will it be better or worse than the one I’m walking away from now?”
Unfortunately, the career transition challenge has become increasingly difficult to navigate for a large number of mid-career adults, especially successful working professionals who haven't had to look for a job in many years...or possibly ever.
In addition to the emotional roller coaster discussed above, the mechanics of the job market have become much more complex, unpredictable, and inhospitable to those who aren’t exposed to the employment market on an everyday basis. Blink once, and the technology has changed. Blink twice, and the job title you once held has now evolved into a new role requiring a complete overhaul in your skills and education. How can a working professional possibly keep up? And where do you turn for help when you decide you need some expert assistance in jumping the curve?
Enter Career Horizons. After a decade of providing job search training to thousands of job seekers fortunate enough to receive corporate-paid outplacement services, I decided to go into private practice to provide an equivalent outlet for the thousands of individuals who were out on their own and in need of private assistance. Consequently, my mission has become to help people from all walks of life grasp the emerging dynamics of the modern job market and master the critical skills required for success.
Unlike many coaching services, which are more therapeutic in nature, my methodology is extremely practical, action-oriented, and built around an expert working knowledge of the job search marketing principles and leading-edge employment resources that are proven to generate successful results.
In conclusion, I stand ready to help, and would welcome your call to discuss whatever career issue or job search challenges have led you to this site. Whether you're looking for realistic guidance about your career options, need some help with a résumé tune-up, or are seeking to mount an immediate campaign to generate viable job leads, give me a call -- we'll make it happen!
Matt Youngquist
President & Founder, Career Horizons |
Mission Statement 