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.
Like many of you, I have received notifications that my credit limits have been cut on my credit cards. While this may seem to have little to no impact on me financially, I have learned there is an inherent credit score impact with these credit card company credit cuts.
Let’s take a look at how this is effecting small businesses negatively and how it hurts the consumer. I also have some ideas on how to deal with this by pushing business to smaller, more local institutions that may alleviate your pain and also the pain that these banks created and continue to create in our economy.
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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.
Believe it or not, being unemployed for an extended period of time may make you less employable. I recently was speaking with a colleague of mine about a hiring manager who was less likely to consider a candidate for a position if he/she had been unemployed for an extended period of time. Both my colleague and I thought this state if mind was short sided and actually flat out wrong. Why would a hiring manager eliminate a candidate from the interview pool because he/she was unemployed for an extended period? Is this simply recession think?
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This job market is brutal. If you were a casualty of the recession and was laid off from an executive position–it is even tougher to find work at the same level. There are a lot of us out there in the market. I know, I am one of you. Of course, like me, you might see this as your break from the corporate ladder and move back into a more functional role. You might like the idea of taking a less political job where you can enjoy your work again. But guess what… you are deemed over qualified. The door hits you in the face because you have too many skills and too much experience.
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