Real World: Job Search #20

Theory to Practice

It just occurred to me that in the next few weeks, I’m about to undergo some major transitions. Not that this is exactly a new revelation, but it just sort of started manifesting itself more in my thoughts. I’m about to move to a new state, a new city—starting a new job at a new school. With new people and places. New challenges, new triumphs. New supervisors. A lot of new things…

And then I started to think about all of the transitions I’ve already undergone in the last few months: graduating, no longer being a student, ending my assistantship, leaving my students and friends.

And before I started getting worked up about this prospect, I remembered that I was already equipped with the knowledge to combat this anxiety: Nancy Schlossberg’s theory about transitions. Personally, it’s always been one of the most relevant theories about which I learned in graduate school.

I’m going to totally oversimplify this, but in a nutshell, the theory explores a framework for coping with transitions. While all of my recent and upcoming transitions have been anticipated, some of the effects have been unanticipated. However, I have tools to help me as I undergo these major life transitions: Schlossberg’s four S’s.

· Situation – fully understanding the situation—such as the timing, what has brought abut the transition(s), whether a role change will occur, concurrent stress, etc—helps to make the transition less daunting

· Self – personal and demographic characteristics, as well as psychological resources, affect how a person views and copes with transition

· Support – comes in the form of family, friends, intimate relationships, and institutions/communities

· Strategy – the steps that dictate how a person chooses to deal with the transitions

Using this knowledge, I’ve done a sort of mental checklist of the Four S’s for my own situation. It’s been helpful in getting a handle on the changes. Maybe it will be helpful for you!

[Schlossberg, N.K., Waters, E.B., & Goodman, J. (1995). Counseling adults in transition 2^nd edition. New York: Springer]