WBTV 3 News, Weather, Sports, and Traffic for Charlotte, NC-Hope in a hurting economy

Hope in a hurting economy

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) -  WBTV is debuting a new series.  We're calling it "Hope in a Hurting Economy".

We're sure you're probably tired of the negative stories about what's happening.

We're not burying our heads in the sand here, but we are going to spend time for the rest of this week talking to experts finding strategies that will really help you make some of the tough decisions we'll all be faced with.

"Hope means showing up in your life," says Whitehead Associate's Tom Lane, a career reinvention specialist. "Showing up in your career with optimism. Even if you don't feel like you've got optimism all the time, if you act optimistically, I promise you, you'll get better results."

Tom Lane wasn't always so wise. For twenty years, he felt like a corporate puppet.

"I'd done all the things they taught me to do. But I realized I wasn't happy at all. So I got really clear on who I am and what I'm all about. And once you're clear on who you are and what you're all about, it becomes easier to decide what you want to do.

Lane had the luxury of choosing to reinvent his career. In 2009, thousands, however, will have to.

"There is hope out there," Lane says. "There is actually a way to reinvent yourself."

"The first thing you've got to get really clear on is what are you good at naturally. Second thing you've got to do is find out what you really love doing. And then the third step is to say what do I care about passionately? Those three steps, what you love, what you're naturally good at, what you care about passionately, we call it the sweet spot.

Find it, and Lane swears you can transform.

"And I promise ya," he says, "when you go out to network, when you go out to interview, if you are enthusiastic and optimistic and excited and not faking it but actually that way, then you're going to stand out from others. People will want to help you. If they can't give you a job, they can help you meet someone who can."

Click here if you would like to contact a career reinvention specialist at Whitehead Associates.