I recently went to an event (which I will leave unnamed) that made me very angry. I like going to events that have a presentation on interesting topics (in this case, a panel on private equity) and networking afterwards because I get to learn something new and meet people, killing two birds with one shot. The vast majority of these events are very good and the networking is superb. But, from time to time I come across an event that has way too many unemployed people. That is when the ugly side of things comes out, because there aren’t enough entrepreneurs and others to “dissolve” the desperation, depression, and lack of confidence in the room. I don’t want to turn this article into recollection of all those bad practices, but I have a message for those who CHOOSE to KEEP themselves negative.
Folks, every time I see one of you, I want to shake the hell out of you to snap you out of it! GET OVER YOURSELF! There IS a light at the end of the tunnel. Things ARE NOT as bad as you are painting them!
Companies are still hiring and there are plenty of consulting gigs available. Get off of your couch, stop feeling entitled to things, and stop moping! Start educating yourself – grab a book or two from the library and check out the plethora of helpful blogs and sites on the Internet. And, if you are really good at what you do, why the hell are you not out there sharing it with the world and educating others?!?
Great attitude example #1: I had a 70-year old friend back in Chicago. He was a single man who never had a fantastic job and who made the stupid mistake of not saving up for retirement. When the bad times hit he lost his job, his health insurance (try that at 70), and his apartment. He could have complained, moaned, and drunk himself to sleep. But instead he swallowed his pride, marched down to the YMCA, and got a temporary place. Then he boogied to Starbucks and got a part time job. He worked his butt off! He was the first person in and the last to leave the store. He was promoted to store manager in several months and got health insurance. We helped him find a studio apartment, gave him some furniture, and helped him paint his apartment… several weeks later he started dating someone. Yes, at 70!
Great attitude example #2: Recently I met a very interesting gentleman, Dave Atkins, who is the kind of person that would make a great technology “right-hand man” on a business operations team. When I met him, he already had a lay-off notice, which is never something you want to hear, but especially not when you’re a husband and a great father to three kids.
The current market conditions in the technology field are not great. So what is he doing these days? He is networking like a champ (with a real smile from ear to ear), writing and sharing his knowledge via blogs and guest-posts, and contributing to his community. Guess what his attitude has landed him? No, he has not found a full time job yet, but he has already landed several consulting gigs and a few opportunities to share his thoughts and know-how on a TV news show and in newspapers. You want to bet he is going to land something soon?
Great attitude example #3: I recently left a principal position in a venture to pursue better opportunities. Times are not exactly great for such a search, but I remember very well what I had to go through earlier in my career, which makes things not look too bad. The first entrepreneurial venture I joined right out of school landed me in a great deal of debt after the company closed due to an unethical partner. After things blew up, I had nothing to my name but -$500 balance in my checking account, a beat up Chevy, some clothes, and a computer. Living in a “postage stamp size” studio that had a tiny window did not help. To make things worse, I got into an accident while on the way to an interview and was behind on my car payments. So, I got a job as a bouncer, got a pizza driving gig (mind you, with a car in which the driver side door would not open), and after some time I did land a full-time job with a company I ended up working for 4 years. I was easily working 20-hours per day 7 days per week for some time, but I wasn’t about to saddle others with my debt. I never felt sorry for myself even though it was tough, really tough.
And guess what, after the big storm blew over, things got a lot better. I paid off my debts, rocked at my company, and I met the woman of my dreams, who is now my wife. There is ALWAYS light at the end of the tunnel. Do not choose to blow out the light yourself!
The economy is NOT that horrible. We are not living through the absolute disaster that the people in Iceland are dealing with and we are not dealing with a 20%+ unemployment rate like some of the smaller countries in Europe. It could be worse and it may get a bit worse. But, if we stop feeling sorry for ourselves, stop blaming others for our own greed and mistakes, we DO stand a chance to come out victorious!
As a final thought, please watch the following video. Maybe this will help you kick yourself in the behind and get back up on your feet. At least you have them.
Apolinaras is a business operations leader with 12-year track record of building scalable and capital-efficient operations for technology and professional services companies.