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?
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.
I have these uninhibited moments of inspiration from time to time that I call “Jerry Maguire Moments.” They are highly idealistic thoughts that are stripped of social repression and doubt because they come to me when I am completely alone, in the midst of a sleepless night, listening to music in the car or on my motorcycle. I know that many of us have these, but we typically repress them because out social environment indirectly regulates what ideas are acceptable. Great ideas disappear with what we think are constraints to possibilities. In large corporate environments–innovation is often decapitated because of existing power structures, role identity, idea ownership and arbitrary conventions.
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