Silver Linings

For the past few weeks, life got in the way of my regular blogging routine.  While keeping busy on many fronts, I chatted with a lot of people from different walks of life and one constant theme kept popping up.  The economy and the job market, to be specific, has everyone on edge.  Most folks I spoke with have been impacted on a very personal level over the past few years and are extremely uneasy right now.

Stories ranged from households where both wage earners were out of work simultaneously to having adult children with advanced degrees who can not find any type of work in their chosen fields to relatives moving in together in cramped quarters to make ends meet.  This is starting to sound too much like the 1930's and I am feeling very uneasy about this.

My advice is simple and should not be misconstrued as anything more than one person's opinion.  Now is not the time to be selective or proud.  If you need income, find a job, any job, and give it your best effort.  Sometimes, the job that looks to be insignificant can open doors.  I have heard stories of folks taking jobs in mall security who have grown into mall director roles for example.  A few years back, a computer analyst who was out of work took a job as a night supervisor for the local franchise company of a fast food chain. He got to know his district manager and eventually was transferred into their home office as a systems manager.  

Sometimes, silver linings appear in strange places.  Right now, I suggest doing whatever is needed to pay your bills and approach any job you obtain with an exceptionally open mind.  The eventual rewards might be very surprising!