When you go through any extended period of seeking new employment in your career, as I have done recently, you run across whiners and complainers, along with others who see opportunities everywhere and maintain a positive attitude for the most part. It’s a strange mix.
A huge percentage of people over the age of 50 today have been dumped from full-time employment. I would imagine a significant number of people in their 40’s have felt that sting of seeing the Human Resources person walk down the hall, nod at you, indicate you are wanted in a closed office, and then get the word that you are out the door, your services no longer needed.
It’s not about you. Most of the time, it’s the system that grinds you up and spits you out on the pavement.
People react differently to this. A good friend of mine described a recent incident where he attended the retirement party of a work colleague. Granted, this was not a “job loss” celebration, though retirement would technically put him out of work. But the sentiments expressed by this guy captured a side of employment that perhaps we forget too often – there is never a guarantee of a job and we all must find ways to provide value in an environment where it is sometimes hard to prove that to a prospective employer.
In his farewell address, he acknowledged that based on his education and skill level, he was very fortunate to land in the soft underbelly of the mother ship. Those probably weren’t his exact words, but the sentiment nicely expressed a thankfulness that many of us never consider today.
There are certainly many bad jobs out there and bad bosses and bad companies, along with tough business environments that make it difficult to keep a positive attitude. It makes it easier to look at the negatives.
This guy though not only understood his fortune, but also fully recognized he got handsomely rewarded over the years, allowing him and his family to enjoy a standard of living he never dreamed possible. How many of us look at things this way?
It is easier and far more frequent that we don’t appreciate what we have. After being tossed to the side of the road is when we look back at the vehicle driving off and appreciate the fine interior, the comfort of the seats and the joy of its sound system. If you’d never driven a nice car, would you miss it? If sweat shops still abounded (and, of course, they do in many parts of the world), how much more appreciative would we be of the many benefits provided by the places we’re employed in first world economies?
If you looked at the overall compensation the retiring guy received over the course of his career relative to the market, he was incredibly lucky to have the job he did. Appreciate it.
We are not owed anything. There has never been a contract that stated companies have to hire individuals and keep them on until retirement age (whatever that might be). Each of us, in our own unique way, needs to demonstrate how we provide value to an entity so that it generates income.
The complexity in today’s world is the problem. Most of us sell a skill set. Someone must put a value on that, and determine, based on weird factors like where you went to college of if someone else likes you, what to pay you. Or whether you should be employed at all.
You can be positive or negative about the complexity of the job market, but that doesn’t make it any less confusing or frustrating.
A huge percentage of people over the age of 50 today have been dumped from full-time employment. I would imagine a significant number of people in their 40’s have felt that sting of seeing the Human Resources person walk down the hall, nod at you, indicate you are wanted in a closed office, and then get the word that you are out the door, your services no longer needed.
It’s not about you. Most of the time, it’s the system that grinds you up and spits you out on the pavement.
People react differently to this. A good friend of mine described a recent incident where he attended the retirement party of a work colleague. Granted, this was not a “job loss” celebration, though retirement would technically put him out of work. But the sentiments expressed by this guy captured a side of employment that perhaps we forget too often – there is never a guarantee of a job and we all must find ways to provide value in an environment where it is sometimes hard to prove that to a prospective employer.
In his farewell address, he acknowledged that based on his education and skill level, he was very fortunate to land in the soft underbelly of the mother ship. Those probably weren’t his exact words, but the sentiment nicely expressed a thankfulness that many of us never consider today.
There are certainly many bad jobs out there and bad bosses and bad companies, along with tough business environments that make it difficult to keep a positive attitude. It makes it easier to look at the negatives.
This guy though not only understood his fortune, but also fully recognized he got handsomely rewarded over the years, allowing him and his family to enjoy a standard of living he never dreamed possible. How many of us look at things this way?
It is easier and far more frequent that we don’t appreciate what we have. After being tossed to the side of the road is when we look back at the vehicle driving off and appreciate the fine interior, the comfort of the seats and the joy of its sound system. If you’d never driven a nice car, would you miss it? If sweat shops still abounded (and, of course, they do in many parts of the world), how much more appreciative would we be of the many benefits provided by the places we’re employed in first world economies?
If you looked at the overall compensation the retiring guy received over the course of his career relative to the market, he was incredibly lucky to have the job he did. Appreciate it.
We are not owed anything. There has never been a contract that stated companies have to hire individuals and keep them on until retirement age (whatever that might be). Each of us, in our own unique way, needs to demonstrate how we provide value to an entity so that it generates income.
The complexity in today’s world is the problem. Most of us sell a skill set. Someone must put a value on that, and determine, based on weird factors like where you went to college of if someone else likes you, what to pay you. Or whether you should be employed at all.
You can be positive or negative about the complexity of the job market, but that doesn’t make it any less confusing or frustrating.
