To paraphrase the late Rodney Dangerfield, “it’s tough out there!”
We read the day’s news headlines at our own peril (yesterday alone):
Caterpillar to cut 20,000 jobs…
Sprint/Nextel, 8,000…
The Home Depot, 7,000
Some economists are saying current economic forecasts for January 2009 – that total job losses in the U.S. will reach 500,000 – may be under-estimated. Others are referring to the new (lunar) Year of the Ox as the Year of the Ax.
As an executive recruiter, I get several calls and email messages each day from displaced talent looking to connect up with something…FAST.
With so much bad news to report, and fear in the workplace, is there any reason to sing “Don’t worry. Be Happy”?
Short term, it won’t be easy. Long term, absolutely.
Truth be told, 83 percent of U.S. hiring managers are – for the foreseeable future – either downsizing or not hiring. That’s a staggering stat.
If you remain gainfully employed, do everything you can do now to prepare for what you think is an unlikely downsizing. Cut back on your living expenses and once you’ve done that, cut back some more. Most important: DON’T BE LULLED into a false sense of security. This downturn knows no bounds, and some of the best of the best are suddenly finding themselves out of work. Use your time now to consider what you would do if suddenly you too were out-of-pocket. Would you stay in your current field or try something new (such as a green business executive career)?
If you are, or soon expect to be, out of work then FIRST AND FOREMOST take a deep breath; getting yourself into a good state of mind and body is mission-critical. Make sure to get enough sleep (7 hours a night); and most important, get some physical exercise every day. If you don’t have a gym pass then find a tall building and walk up its flight of stairs. Those are your immediate requirements, so know this: if manage your time and money resources well you’ll be more-effective in your search, present better in interviews, and increase your success rate when your mind and body states are tip-top.
Now you might ask, what’s up in the green business employment area? Actually, what I think is up is that the planets are beginning to align, favorably…
President Obama’s Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner was sworn in last night and today is fast at work on building the next stimulus package. And the financial markets likely will take comfort in that. What package ultimately gets presented to Congress will most definitely include items that lead to the creation of green jobs in energy production and technology. And since you care about the development of green jobs, make your wishes known to your representative in the House of Representatives and your U.S. Senators.
I think in the weeks to come, we’ll get a clearer picture of what is coming and the storm clouds will begin to dissipate.
But mark my words: better days are coming!
Hang tight!
[...] Cross-posted to Sturdy Roots Blog: [...]
As always an excellent post Dan. I read your previous ones earlier this month and liked them.
But with this one, you give me hope. No, not for France and how it will make something out of its Grenelle (what could bee the roots of a green New Deal here) but for America.
To what I read and wrote, it seems that your Congress allowed this week some huge money for the energy and environmental issues. It’s a good start !
On a more personal note, I am confident I will be able to work in these fields soon…
To conclude: did you get the e-mail I sent you on January 13th ? I hope so, otherwise I will have to send it with the new address.
In any case, many thanks once again for this great post and enjoy your weekend !
Thank you, Edouard. Please keep a good thought that the recovery comes soon.
Yes, I got your email…thanks for sending that through.
D
Optimistic, and rightly so. Here’s hoping … and striving …