Digging Out of the Rubble

My priorities the past several weeks shifted, keeping me away from my blog for an extended period of time.  First, there was a self imposed hiatus as I shut myself down a bit to fend off a round of bronchitis (successfully I might say).

Unfortunately, the same day that my doctor gave me a clean bill of health, an unwanted visitor named Sandy stopped by and was a very ungracious guest. There is no need for me to document the aftermath of a storm unlike any seen in my home state of NJ as I am pretty sure anyone reading this article, whether in NJ or across the globe, is well aware of what took place.

Crying over spilled milk is not my normal method of operation although this weather event led to gallons of spoiled milk and other perishables as well as loss of lives, homes, and businesses.  Life falls into perspective when disaster hits close to home.  Having lived near the center of tropical Storm Floyd many years ago, the impact this time was even greater.  

One thing I have noticed is a change in personality of many people I have come across, a more mellow and reflective demeanor and definitely less of a sense of entitlement and more of a spirit of camaraderie.  Time will tell but I assume this will change as recovery progresses.

This blog is supposed to be about ways to improve one's employment standing and future articles will move back in that direction though I want to share a few thoughts today.  

First, employers across the impacted areas seem to be doing their best to return to some sort of normalcy but we must realize the economic losses are massive so some patience may be needed.  Hopefully, proper aid programs will kick into gear to assist them.  Second, if you lost your job due to the storm, contact your local office of unemployment assistance as there appear to be programs to help you get through this time of need.  

Finally, there are bound to be a lot of jobs related to storm recovery available so keep your eyes and ears open. To name a few, companies who perform disaster recovery will need additional staff while the construction industry is going to be overwhelmed for at least the next 12-18 months and lumber and home improvement companies are going to next extra help too. These are just a few ideas of industries who will benefit from the disaster.

You can sit back and feel bad for yourself or find a way to literally dig out of the rubble and use this as a way to redirect your livelihood.  I am hopeful that positive results will rise out of the horrible rubble that our friend Sandy left behind.