My wife recently posted a tweet that got me thinking: “I keep waiting for life to get back to normal. Today I realized “normal” is stuck at 5 years ago.” I have been feeling the same thing and longing to get back to a sense of things I had 5 years ago.
What was it about 5 years ago that made that seem normal? And what is it about the last 5 years that has caused us to long for the sense of where we were back then? These questions actually kept me up all night. I came up with my theses, but I had to actually face the actual truth to get to the bottom of how I was feeling.
5 years ago, we lived with a sense of promise, a sense of optimism that we are struggling to rediscover now. A large part of it was both personal and financial growth we were experiencing. My employer was an integrated part of our lives; I was moving up the ladder and had a great boss. We had a predictable pattern to our day, the week. We had a sense that we could plan and forecast our lives to look out two or more years. We developed a sense that we were on a path to both success and enjoying the stability we felt in things.
The last year has been a bumpy road for me. In an effort to makes sense of all the things that have happened, I have tried to map lessons I learned from getting through the rough spots. Specifically, my career life has been very rocky. Both the economy and the psychology of my last company has delivered as many lessons as it did hard times.
But in the end, I am stronger for it and also a better professional. The question I have is should I be open about lessons learned? Should I blog about the experiences I had with my last employer? Sharing my experiences is personally cathartic, but it would also help others who might be in similar situations. Sharing personal experiences can be a dangerous thing, but is a greater good served to the community by sharing the good, bad and really bad?
Let me know your thoughts.
~DK
I recently joined The Ladders to increase my exposure to the job market, but I am having second thoughts about its value. Its central purpose is to expose you to exclusive opportunities and recruiters for executive level jobs, but it seems to be a business seeking to monetize its users at every step by offering hard-sell services such as resume writing and other services beyond the monthly subscription. Moreover, the aggregated exposure you gain from paying for The Ladders service is far less robust than LinkedIn’s free account.
The bottom line is you need a strong active network of people to find work. Relationships are how you gain access to unadvertised opportunities. When it comes to posted jobs, sites like LinkedIn, Indeed and the various free job boards offer nearly all the information you pay for in The Ladders.
Expect the Best
I have had a charmed career since it began. I came into the workforce amidst a strong economy and that prevailed for over a decade. The last three years, however, have not been good for me. After a long and very enjoyable career at Move.com, I decided to take on the start-up world. As many of you know, start-ups are volatile and I was in the midst of a tanking economy when I made the switch.
I took much for granted when I made the change. I assumed my luck and past experiences would prevail and everything would be just fine. But, that has not been the case. Now, I am faced with job changes and being laid off. Re-entering the job market when jobs are scarce and being told I am over qualified for many of the jobs I am interested in is a humbling experience I never planned for. Getting my foot in the door takes longer and the number of opportunities are much more limited. So, what do I do?
I recieved lots of advise on this front. I have been told to “dumb down” my resume and lower my expectations. But this is counter to how I am wired. I worked hard getting my skills up to were they are. Having high expectations has always delivered high results in the past. So why should I lower the bar for myself?
Free=Freedom?
I recently embarked on an unexpected adventure that has resulted in a substantial perspective change for me. After losing my job to a downsizing, I took no time to get busy doing something to keep me sharp and maintain a productive existence. A friend of mine recently started an amazing company, but he is in bootstrap, start-up mode; he needs to be lean and focus resources on his product. So a typical job was not in the cards at this time. Speaking over dinner, we both decided that I might be able to help him dial some things in for his company.
I didn’t expect to fall in love with the job, the product and the people there, but I have. The vibe, the freedom and the belief that the company is on to something amazing are the perfect combination for a life changing experience. The only downside is that income is a delayed thing–and I have immediate needs.
Resume Anxiety
Everyone has an opinion about what a great resume looks like, but no one seems to agree on a single definition of great. As many job seekers, I have solicited feedback from many people on how I should word, organize and format my resume. And like others, I find myself working with conflicting advise and opinions. Even when I have complete trust in the advise of all the people from whom I have gotten feedback, I still am left with substantial–material differences of opinion.
Here are some examples: I have a robust and diverse background. I have been a project manager, a product manager, an executive and a consultant. In recent years with the volatility on the economy, I have had to be flexible in the types of roles I take. I am capable of many things, so how do I convey what I am really good at. As an example, I have a Masters degree, I am a veteran and have a current PMP certification. How should I highlight those things? I have had VP level jobs and been a general manager, so how do I tie that into my more functional abilities? Do I put my education first or my work experience? Do I use bullet points or should I use a more narrative format? Do I even mention I have a PMP when applying for non project management jobs? Should I de-emphasise my executive experience or my functional experience?
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2009 and 2010 have been rough years for me. Employment has been extremely tough as options are slim and employer behavior has been caught up in recession/recovery mode. But, job hunters have also been caught up in recession/recovery mode. We job hunters have been compelled to make some serious compromises and taking whatever comes along. A tight labor market seemed to create an opportunity to get talent for less money and fitting them into roles below their skill sets. This ultimately leads to tension, especially when things pick up.
Because of the scarcity of opportunities and badly needing employment, I have made some unwise compromises in my choices for employers. Ultimately, the “fit” was not great and I was just hunkering down to see if I can make it work. It ultimately did not and being in the wrong place is not good for either you or your employer.
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How often do you feel your talent is wasted where you are? Or how do you know someone who flourished upon a job change?
Recently, I visited a few colleagues of mine at their new place of employment. We all worked together in the past and I was struck by what I noticed and what I observed in my meeting with them. I have a deep admiration for all three folks to whom I am referring. They are rock stars at what they do. They are highly engaged, proactive professionals who amaze me constantly and they are simply great and kind people. But, when we all worked together in the past, it seemed that something was holding them back. They did their jobs well, had great attitudes…great employees. The difference became clear to me when I saw them together in this new place…a new job.
Being unemployed is depressing. For many of us, work is part of our identity. I frequently am asked by others I meet about what I do. But what is the answer when you have become part of the latest unemployment wave that is plaguing our economy and society? A loss of a job is a loss of a part of your life and with that, it is normal to go through the emotions of dealing with a loss of almost any kind. Recently, I was reading some posts online where people actually became suicidal because of their lack of success finding work. When life and death issues are at stake, we have to take notice and that is why I am writing about this topic. All things in life are temporary, but depression clouds that understanding and can lead to terrible decisions if it gets out of control.
Were you laid off months ago and still cannot find a job? You are not alone and your efforts to figure our how to succeed might not be what is needed to re-enter the employment market. Things are different, but we are not sure exactly what changed, so adjusting is more a guessing game of trial and error until you get a result of some kind.
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