This year has kicked far too many people in the pants.
Whether it’s unemployment or a fear of medical bankruptcy, my inbox is full of email messages asking for help, guidance, and a little kindness.
Looking back on 2009, the most unfortunate trend in the job market seems to be the growing fear of doing it wrong.
- Fear of never recovering from a job loss.
- Fear of taking a job for less money and impacting future earnings.
- Fear of accepting a role that leads them down the wrong career path.
I know this feels like a risky time for job seekers, but there is no template for the kind of economic upheaval we are facing in this country. My wish for 2010 is that job seekers would pause, take a breath, and realize that the only thing they can do wrong is to take this recession lying down.
Companies don’t think twice about shutting down inefficient product lines, sloughing off unproductive workers, and filing bankruptcy to start fresh. If 2009 has taught us anything, it’s that an employer brand is deeply tied to the consumer brand. Laid off from a company that makes stupid financial decisions? Use Twitter to warn other job seekers about the organization. Unemployed and admire a leader in your industry? Find that leader on LinkedIn and show her why she should hire you. Face tough financial choices? Make those decisions like Gordon Gekko. Be tough, be bold, and don’t apologize.
There is no right way or wrong way to navigate through this recession, and the only thing you can do wrong in this economy is to be a victim, wait for fate to intervene, and rely solely upon an internet job board to improve your life. Change your expectations and change your life. Get out from behind the computer, earn some money without apology, and stop asking for permission to make mistakes.
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Great work on this blog. 2009 taught many of us a learning lesson and now it’s up to us to decide how we take those lessons and improve, adapt, and succeed. We are in control of our futures, we can never forget that fact. Things will go wrong from time to time, it’s how we deal with that adversity that seperates those able to move forward from those that sulk and blame everything and everyone around them.
Amen, sista.
This year has taught me to take hold of my future. To do something different in the sense that being the same will not differentiate you from anyone else. To take risks because without failing you cannot succeed. I have heard people stress these points before, but until I was forced to adapt to a lagging job market I had not acted. And yes to leverage the social networks we have available to make things happen. Good work!
I wouldn’t disagree from the point of a professional/semi-professional workers and the middle classes – but in honesty if they can’t work this out themselves then they should be unemployed. I’m not entirely sure that the working classes (and yes they do exist) are worried about
- Fear of never recovering from a job loss.
- Fear of taking a job for less money and impacting future earnings.
- Fear of accepting a role that leads them down the wrong career path.
Furthermore, I don’t think they are often connecting on LinkedIn or on twitter.
All the points you raise are hugely valid, but what about those demographics, those sectors who are more worried about putting food in their stomachs on a day to day basis and where they will sleep?
“The only thing you can do wrong in this economy is to be a victim, wait for fate to intervene, and rely solely upon an internet job board to improve your life.”
Preach it, sister!
It may be a Stuart Smalley cliche but I’ve been loving this one lately: “Failure is a signpost to turn you in another direction.” You know I’m not much for psychobabble, but it does make a HUGE difference whether you see that new direction as a chore or an adventure.
And when you’re unemployed, there is no wrong career path to a new job. No job = no steering power in your career. Job = money (which may not be all there is, but which always empowers us) and a much better position to steer the future.
Try navigating these trying times with the IRS crawling up your ass!!! Get’s you pissed off enough that NOTHING is too difficult of a challenge—-
…a job? pffft— puh-lease.
That number?? What number?? What form?? Where does that go again?? Even you, the IRS, can’t explain this to me???
So, Laurie, on a lighter note and with Thanksgiving in mind, this year has also been a year of incredible learning:
+ learning how to maneuver in an economy that’s fallling apart
+ learning that one person can make a difference
+ learning the power of a community
+ learning (again) the power of hard work and optimism
+ and, learning about social media
I’m particularly grateful for the last point and for you, Laurie, for showing so many of us how to do it, how to do it right, and how to support a community. As you know, I got involved in social media this year only because you wouldn’t let me not get involved. And it’s one of things at the top of my “grateful” list this Thanksgiving. Because I listened to you, took your coaching and plunged in to a new world, I am so much the richer. Thanks, friend, for being a role model and champion. Thanks for being so smart and giving. I hope you and your family (how’s your mom doing, btw?) have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
2009 is the year of learning lessons in life and work. I’ve learned to curb my excesses such as eatting lunch out practically every day (I’ve lost 10 pounds with home made lunches!), search for ways to cut down on my home bills (do I really need 4 cable boxes?), change my shopping patterns (I don’t need another black shirt). I’ve also learned that I have to keep up with my knowledge and skills in order to stand out from the large crowds of jobless applicants. I know that a job is never a gaurantee of permanent employment, no matter how long you have worked at a company and those that learn to keep up with the times, skills, job market, networking etc. etc. are the ones that have an “easier” time when and if they lose thier jobs….like I have twice in the past 5 years…..
I wish that there was a template from the 1930s that workers could use as they respond to this calamity.
But since we don’t have one, we’ll just have to make it up as we go along.
I think that this year the good companies survived and the not-so-good companies did not. It is unfortunate that good workers were employed by the not-so-good companies, but those workers will find jobs. It will be stressful. It will not be easy. None of this has been easy for anyone. And hopefully we as a country will not repeat the same mistakes—not even in 80 years.
Your advice is spot-on, so I’m going to take the frivolous approach.
I’m going to be Fatty McButterpants for the next month in order to cope with 2009. I can go back to hitting life like a pit bull in January. I plan on eating my face off on cheese puffs and bourbon balls for the next month while watching equally cheeseball holiday programs BECAUSE I CAN. This year has sucked rocks, I’m completely burned out on fighting the good fight for the past 11 months, and I need some indulgent, gluttonous therapy for the remainder of the year.
It’s hard. The fear is primal and about survival. Good to be reminded there’s no right or wrong way to do it. Jack Welch was wise when he said “Change before you need to.” Adaptation is the word, right?
Talk to your grandparents about what they/their parents did during the Great Depression (1929-1939); you’ll hear a lot more about the sacrifices people were willing to make in order to keep their families fed, in order to stay busy, and in order to stand up for themselves. Pride had very little to do with it after a while and I get the sense that whining had very little to do with it period. I’m afraid that this generation of unemployed is too proud to “take one for the team” and get back to work even if it isn’t their ideal job. Time to stop thinking you can have it all…because right now you can’t. (And this is very easy, and maybe even unfair, for me to say because I’ve been lucky enough to remain employed during this time…so what the hell do I know?)
Want to know what I learned in ’09? How really smart business people handle this kind of recession.
My boss was amazing this last year. He made necessary cuts and spent $ where necessary. We’re ending the year on budget. No surplus, but no loss, either.
Wow!…”greed is good”….as long as your on the receiving end…but really do we need 4 plasma tv’s, or the designer handbag….excess and the need to one up your neighbor has taken the work and home a little too far…maybe 2010 will be the year of sensibility…maybe big business and small business will become rational…
maybe hell will freeze over…
gotta go – that 42 inch plasma is on sale thursday night…gotta go waite on line…
gotta get my tongue unstuck from my cheek…
Happy thanksgiving…
M
I would, I would – if only I could get an interview! Michigan is not a good place to be these days. But I keep trying. Thank you for the very direct and sane advice.
Yes!! The only wrong direction is no direction. That’s true even if you’re not stuck in a recession.
@David Thank you. I think some people and institutions deserve blame, but blame doesn’t really fix anything. It just helps us (hopefully) remember not to make the same mistakes in the future ((cough cough financial derivatives)).
@HRU You deserve a good 2010. I’m with you.
@Neil Thanks! Good comment!
@TheHRD Whoa, dude, you are cynical. I’m still trying to figure out how to advise working class readers. I think those that leverage social media give themselves an edge — even in the hourly marketplace. Gotta think more about this. Thanks.
@Patrick Dude, I’m pro-Stuart Smalley. I think he’s brilliant. As are you!
@MattyMat Do you read tax girl? You might like her blog. http://www.taxgirl.com/
@China The feeling is mutual.
@LatinaHR I’ve also learned that I have to keep up with my knowledge and skills in order to stand out from the large crowds of jobless applicants. I wish we could free up enough $$ so you could start your own business. You sound like you’ve learned good lessons.
@Sterling I think they just hustled. Is there a hustle template?
@InkedHR Thanks. Ya know, when the not-so-good Bath & Body Works goes out of business, I’ll know the market is working.
@H.Aria Oh snap, my post sucks. I like your version better.
@Marsha Oh don’t get me started about Jack Welch. Good quote but he can ‘change’ because he has the luxury of seeing things that others don’t see — and he has the wealth to influence and create change that benefits him. That being said, you are right. Adaption is hard but only the strong survive.
@Charlie I’m thankful we’ve found one another in this crazy world. PS — My grandparents sounded like whiners. I love them, but really, it’s all been boiled down to ‘back in the day’ memories that don’t sound very real. I know things were tough, but I suspect that the human condition precludes us to whining about everything. My gramma says, “We were lucky to get half a pig for the winter and ate everything including the oink.” Really? Did you eat the oink? I’m gonna guess you didn’t. You probably also hated your neighbors who got the better half. That’s humanity.
@GenX Hell yeah and holla for good bosses. Thank you for that.
@Mark No, no, no. I want to resist sensibility. I want a birkin bag. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birkin_bag
@Ian True dat. Thank you.
@Pop/Ice You can contact Marsha Keefer at http://mintresumes.wordpress.com/ who is willing to do some pro-bono work with job seekers. HEY EVERYONE — THAT’S AN OPEN INVITATION FOR YOU, TOO.
The strong survive so be strong. The fat is being cut now and that is a good thing. The remaining companies and industiries will be changed forever for the better. Keep looking at the big picture and dont worry about the small stuff.
Working class and/or hourly people can best be reached by talking straight and not pulling the punches. There is not the fear of failure, nor is there fear of future monetary changes, you do whatever it is to keep your belly somewhat full and your eyes and ears open.
Many of them do not know (or care) about all the technological changes that could make their lives easier. For some, the computer is that thing that the kids play with, for some others, social media is unknown; much of the software and hardware that you use without even thinking about it, is from another planet.
Flexibility is the main asset that one can have during these uncertain times. If you pigeonhole yourself into thinking that you can only do one type of job, you will be among those of the lost.