Or can she?
By now you've heard (or seen if you are an internet voyeur, me included) that Miss USA Rachel Smith took a tumble in Mexico City and was booed. For your Average Jane, falling on your hiney doesn't seem like a career-ending event.
However, if you are a Miss Universe contestant with billions of viewers judging you on your poise, grace, and beauty, doing a fanny-plant on the runway during the evening gown competition can amount to a catastrophe. Since she is a hot commodity, Miss Smith probably has a cadre of PR professionals who will guide her through time-tested steps so that she will not be defined by this moment.
But what about the Average Janes who lack Miss USA's enviable resources? What steps should they take towards image recovery after suffering a career setback? Let's consider the options:
Vanish into the "land of the unemployed," never to be heard from again. This is an ill-advised strategy, and not a real option for most people who need to earn a living.
Spread the word about how horribly she was treated. Speaking ill of her former employer is not a strategy I recommend! All it does is position Jane as a whiner, complainer, sour-grapes person and expose her foible to an even bigger audience.
Re-craft her image and get the message of her positive contributions to as many people as possible. Ah? That sounds like a good idea? Here's how she can do that...or how you can do that if you are dealing with a fall from grace:
- Create a list of accomplishments, including only high-impact results and contributions that are clearly recognized as your own.
- Build a target contact list. Depending on the circumstances of your departure, this might push you outside your comfort zone since it is crucial to include not only avid supporters and lunch buddies, but anyone who might be able and willing to help you. (Don't push the envelope too far, though. You won't get anywhere with people who were not in your corner while you were with the company.)
- Prepare your story of why you're looking for a new job. Be truthful...but selective. You don't have to air dirty laundry (yours or the company's) in public. All you need is to give a logical, mostly positive reason for your job search.
As much as we may be entertained by public figures who stumble and then attempt to mend their image, when it happens to us it can be a very humbling experience. The most positive thing you can do is buck up and get busy creating an image that is an accurate reflection of your talents and abilities. Onward ho!
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