Options
Happily, we live in an
interesting time. Sadly, we live in an interesting time. I once had
a conversation with a pretty good Martial Artist. He told me that
“for the victor, there are many options. The strategic goal of a
conflict is to remove options from your opponent.”
Job searches can be a
fight. Clients often tell me “I have applied EVERYWHERE! All I
have to show for it is 363 rejections and 1 restraining order.”
Admittedly, I made that part up. I haven't OFTEN had clients with
restraining orders. The desperation is all too often real.
Please consider
the following options.
First of all, if you are unemployed, consider a temp agency. Perform
your due diligence, get references, talk to active clients, and make
sure that you are with a reputable firm. If so, try a prospective
job for a little while. You get to try the work for a while and see
if it really is a good choice for you. You might work your way into
a new career. In addition, you get paid to make this decision.
Another alternative might be contract or project work. In every
economy, even a down one, someone is making money. As companies have
downsized, they have also discovered that the work needs to get done.
Many places have turned to Independent Contractors to perform their
work. For the company, there is no payroll tax, benefits and other
costs associated with that “employee”. For the worker, there is
no employer contribution to taxes and no benefits.
Provisional (or conditional) status is another, although trickier
option. Personally, I don't care for this approach in many
circumstances, but it is a tool that is appropriate in some limited
situations. Provisional status is often related to contract or
commission work and functions this way: “Employer, you have a need.
I believe I can fill that need. Hire me now and I will accomplish
X. We will review my performance at the end of Y days and if I have
met my goal, you will know I can do what I promise. If I have failed
to meet my goal of X (goal) by Y (date), then we will part ways, no
obligation, no problems or expectations and no questions asked. This
rare approach is normally used in a commission or sales field by an
experienced person who brings a 'book' of existing business with
them.
'Jigsaw jobs' is another way to succeed, particularly when times are
tight for employers. In some economic situations, employers will
often have work that needs to be done, but they are risk-averse. So,
instead of hiring a typical full time worker, they bring on one or
two part time employees. This can be you, but if you need or want
full-time work, you may need to piece together 2 or 3, often
unrelated, jobs in order to get the income that you need. This can
be a balancing act, but does offer the advantage of giving you
experience in a particular field, building contacts, or just keeping
you in the game, so to speak.
Starting your own company is an option that many people investigate
after a career crisis. Entrepreneurship is a topic all to itself and
beyond the scope of this work. However, there is some advice we give
to folks on this topic. First of all, if your idea is to start a
business in an area that is new to you, get a related job first. I am
saying proceed logically. Let someone else train and pay you to
learn the business. You can also develop a network of contacts and
have time to develop a business plan. Also, there is a distinct set
of skills related to starting and running a successful business and
frankly, not everyone possesses those skills. Finally, before you
jump into something with the sole purpose of “not having a boss”
please consider that everyone answers to someone else in some way.
It may be a supplier or a key customer, but everyone has a “boss”.
To conclude, a job search is like a fight. It is difficult, and
some days it seems as though there are forces which are deliberately
trying to beat you down. Keep a good attitude, and find your
options.
Good Luck and Best Wishes,
Chris
Links to my
work, “Beyond a Career Crisis”:
Kindle Edition
Paperback Edition
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