One thing I have noticed throughout talking with people who are unemployed is the negativity they possess. Yes it's hard without a doubt and you're reading this from a guy who went through a devastating divorce where I lost everything and then resigning from a job and while looking I've lost that much more, not that I had anything else to lose. When I tell you I lost it's not just materialistic items, it's faith, it's my kids, my friends, my family. Yes everyone tends to turn away from you when you hit with anarchy. It's not my problem. Oh they do help at the start, but eventually it gets old and they figure they have their own worries. Which in lot's of cases is true, but that's when we as a society should bond closer to help each other.
I recently was reading in a discussion of unemployment someone who wouldn't give acknowledgement to his creator. That he's not helping out. That is part of what keeps me going and has kept me going. It's OK to be mad and upset and blame, but understand nothing happens in our timing and no matter how many prayers one might say even our creator will not help unless you help yourself. When someone would ask me how am I doing, I always reply I'm doing well thank you, I woke up this morning and my feet hit the ground so I must be doing well. Besides any day on this side of the earth is got to be better than any day inside the earth, right? Well that's my spill on gospel. You have to believe in something or you'll fall for anything.
In my last post I spoke about getting out there and talking to people and letting people know you exist. I'm not one for mingling in a networking site around town. I never was one to do that, but I seem to be able to carry more of a relationship with people on the internet in discussion groups on LinkedIn and Facebook somewhat. I don't do much on Facebook by the way, really not my thing. But on LinkedIn, you need to speak with people; getting in discussions and letting people know what you offer on a discussion. I have made more contacts this way than I could ever make anywhere else. People read and many might disagree, but find some common ground and make that contact. Each contact is a potential that may get you closer to your goal.
Regarding my resume I have tinkered with it for so long I finally got it together and have had numerous recruiters as well as contacts tell me I have a very impressive resume. I did have 2 individuals in my network that offered me to look it over and give me some additional tweaks and both were resume writers in their profession. That did help. As I said I've read and continue to improve on my method. I never use an Objective statement. It is always a brief summary and several bullet points of my achievements. I've included it below.
Summary:
Passionate, proactive business leader, offering fresh ideas, building on new thoughts & theory with documented results of building on quality management, increasing revenue, reducing costs, developing people, exceeding expectations with accountability & veracity. Combined leadership, business acumen, technical expertise with strong communication & motivational skills to align business with cost-effective strategies to increase productivity & profitability. Improved ROI through process improvements.
Then followed by about 4 or 5 bullet points. I have 2 resumes. One is 2 pages, and one is 3 pages. I am not bashful about telling me my experience and I've gotten over the cliche' of age discrimination somewhat. Yes it effects me but not as bad as it use to. I'm a salesman and selling a product. It doesn't matter how old I am, I'm selling a product and my job is to make the buyer want the product. In theory if you can sell ice to an Eskimo who absolutely has no need for ice, then you should be able to sell yourself to a potential client who has a need and you have a remedy.
I said a potential client, because that is what the employers are that you are interviewing with a potential client. A future customer. Even when you got to work for an employer you are nothing more than a salesman on a daily basis providing a service for their need. You will get paid for what you deliver. Is that any different than what a salesperson does? You have to study your client and be well prepared to present your product and services and know ahead of time what is the need they are seeking out. OK so you have a job description, study it, read between the lines and understand what is it they are searching for. Forget the title, intriguing but that won't get you the job. Most employers in my experience want to know what you can do for them now not what you did in the past. Your experiences just qualifies you to be sitting in front of them. Now it's my job to convince them the product I'm discussing is what they are looking for and my product is clearly the best on the market and here's what my product will do today if you jump on board and give me the opportunity to prove to you, you have made a wise choice.
To many people I have found go into an interview not prepared, myself included over time. They assume they met all the points from the job description so they qualify. Heck look at the big 3 auto makers. They all have the same resume. So they each sit in front of you trying to get you to buy their product. They all have what you specify you want. What are they doing to win you over? What can they do for you today that the other one hasn't offered or cannot do? It's the same process.
I find people are not salesman and if they are not in sales they have no clue nor do they want to learn how to be a salesperson. I never thought I would have to change my way of thinking but I did change. I'm a salesperson and I have to market my product (ME)in the best possible light with the best possible ideas that will get this potential client to want to use my services. Will I get his business? I don't know, but I'm going to sell to him and negotiate what I can do for him/her the best way I can. Quit thinking of yourself as an interviewee who has met the bullet points of a job description. Yes you need the JD to qualify you for the position, but now it comes time to write that proposal in a clear concise format we all know as the cover letter to help get you in the door so you can concentrate on the product. Taylor your resume for each job you apply to. It's not easy, yes it gets boring and tiresome, but you are trying to win over your next big client. Think like a sales manager. Think like a marketing director.
What you're reading is part of my plan I put together over time, there's more to come, hang in there!
Friday, August 26, 2011
My Unemployed Experience - Part 1
Many people have wrote publications, books, papers etc. on how to get a job; the things that are right and wrong, how to miss opportunity, what to write on a resume and so on. I am going to attempt to write what I went through, the things I did, my attitude, my experiences, etc. in hopes that instead of this being a "what should you do", to tips that have worked for me and where I've been and where I'm headed in hoping to give someone out there some sort of idea or ideas that might help them. No doubt this will be a longer post than most.
I hope to at least just give some ideas over the norm and just maybe someone will be lucky enough where this may help them succeed through their endeavor.
First off let me begin by saying I fell into the 13 million that have been unemployed that has been thought of as the rubbish that employers will not look at because you carry the title of unemployed. I was not laid off, nor did I get fired. I was not the rubbish of the pile if that is what people are thought of. I resigned my position after 10 years with a national company only to move back to my home state to aid in helping age and ailing parents. Someone has to help, and if that's says I'm one of the types that was gotten rid of then employers are really just labeling people at their own regard without any consideration or compassion to someone who is very loyal to their employer.
If you must call it unemployed I guess it must be said I've been for 19 months. I do not like to think of it as unemployed. I would rather think of it as an interim journey in my career path.
When all this began, I had started my search somewhat early. The things I began doing was becoming a member of several job boards like Monster.com, Career builder.com and had a membership with The Ladders. It was slow going because back around 2007 things were not as bad as they are today. But, I wanted my feelers out there. I had received numerous calls from several recruiters about certain positions in different geographical locations. I was pretty green about everything including telephone interviews. I remember getting a call from Ran-staff, one from a bug place in Houston, and one interview as far as Britain. I was ecstatic. Couldn't believe I was out there. Still being green, I probably messed those up and never heard back from them.
As my search started to make more sense to me, I began trying to keep up with recruiters on The Ladders. Now understand recruiters were not very prevalent when I started looking. I saw them, red the comments about them and how they looked for you and how to leave them comments, but I never ever worked with one. I thought it's the typical gambit but was very dumb to the system. I notice many were saving my profile, why I had no idea, but was intrigued.
From there I began searching many avenues on The Ladder to land my big job. I started adding myself to other job boards. I'll add a list of all the boards I've been on, many I'm still out there.
My key points at this time was ensuring I had a top resume that would grab attention. I worked many hours drawing different ones up and fine tuning them. I even had critiques from some sites and no one is ever the same. What one says is wrong, another said that's not the problem, this is. So I never paid anyone to ever do my resume. I spent many hours using older books I had and researching on the internet all about resumes. Some helped some was a waste of time.
After tuning my resume to what I thought was a winner I started posting it to all these boards. I was always following these boards, always fine tuning something or updating my resume and experiences on these sites.
About the time I came to having to resign, things became much more serious and much more involved. I had already many contacts from AOL, I spoke with from back home and around the country. Everyone was sending me ideas and places I need to get attached to. I followed and attached to local newspapers online. I made every possible attempt to make contact with anyone and everyone.
After moving back to Louisiana I started to make me a game plan. I had resumes printed out, standard cover letters, reference list made, hard copies of all my recommendations made, a brag book assembled of all my successes throughout my career. Everything ready and waiting for that big interview.
I do remember recruiters on LinkedIn as well as many people I spoke with how they suggested not to take temporary or minimum wage jobs. They indicated that temp jobs interfere with your worth and many employers will not look at anyone who is doing temp jobs since they look like job hoppers, can't keep a job, and it dummied you down and who in their right mind would hire someone who is in a starter job or fill-in job for a higher role. As we can see those thoughts have changed throughout the industry and now you're encouraged to have something no matter what it was. I had actually turned down a couple of very low jobs that came with no benefits, no full time opportunities, minimum wage etc. Hey I didn't want to look like an underachieving professional who's luck couldn't land him anything but the bottom of a pit.
LinkedIn became home. Although I stayed active on Career builder and Monster, I continued monitoring and changing constantly many job boards I was on. I was determined to be noticed. I received over time numerous calls and invites to interviews out of town which I went to. I remember the how I was told I'm still in the running, I'm still in the cross hairs but.... Yea buts. How depressing they did become since it appeared you were right on the line of being made an offer and at the end it was nothing more but a "but".
That didn't stop me though. I actually had the attitude of "wait, I can play that game also". So I did. As I continued going to interviews and speaking to people who would call over the telephone, their promises became nothing without a guarantee. I kept them on my cross hairs but unless they came through with more I became less concerned. I did all the traditional things from dressing appropriately as a professional, going to the interviews and acting professional, answering everything they asked, asking for the job, filling out email thank you's to those that I was able to obtain a business card from and sending out handwritten thank you cards once I returned from the interview. Following this got me close but no cigar.
As I continued to post and change things on several job boards to keep me floating to the top, I received many phone calls from our friends in India type recruiters, but after listening to their pitch if it could be understood, I never much fell prey to any of it and canceled such relations before they started.
Although many avenues I utilized from continuing seeking in newspapers, newspapers in areas geographically I wanted to be in and filling out and email and even mailing, yes USPS mail sending to various companies that would ask that it be mailed in. I have spent many long days in my job efforts. Seriously, getting up in the early morning at 5:00 AM and turning in around 10 or 12:00 at night. Giving all I have. You have to become serious about your search. Sure you can follow the adage of don't take life so serious, but when you're forced to find something because you have nothing serious becomes the name of the game.
As I indicated LinkedIn became an avenue I continued to grow and still do today. I have spoken to headhunters and recruiters on their take and suggestions during many discussions. I have alienated many with my way of handling things to making many see my way as not being so daunting just a different avenue I chose to follow. A long time friend as he became on LinkedIn Rick Farquar was a headhunter from the west coast, about 62 years old I believe spent many hours speaking with me over the telephone as well as in discussions talking about different avenues. He always had a favorite saying,"if you can't change something, then change yourself". Meaning if the current plan you have is not working, seek out new avenues. I guess that's where my way of thinking came into being. To heck with tradition let's play.
I went into a deep depression for about 7 months. No I wasn't sick, I was just losing ground thinking nothing will ever come to being. Over those 7 months I continued looking but the want was dieing out. I lost focus.I didn't speak to very many people, whether around me in life or the internet. One day I woke up and realized nothing will happen unless I make it happen. It took some time but I was coming out of my pity mode and started working again. I was pressing forward, returning to links and discussions and I was getting much needed support. I didn't feel I was out there alone.
As I began to continue to grow my contacts, I was back reviewing areas on Career and Monster again sending out my coveted resumes that I spent much time tweaking and fine tuning. I was getting interviews and phone interviews on an average of 1 to 2 a month. I learned what I was sending in needed to be better researched so following advice I started following an 80/20 rule. If I had 80% of what the job description entailed, I sent it in.
I started being more active in LinkedIn's discussion threads and began delving into the question and answer forums. One thing Rick was big on and I caught on to that quickly was, never bad mouth while on a thread. Whether it's your old boss, old company or even other posters. There are many people who sit out of the treads watching and you might be the one they're watching. They may be viewing you to see how you react to certain discussions and what your contribution might be and even as much as the way you type(talk) and your English as well as your punctuation skills. How knowledgeable are you in the discussion. How knowledgeable are you in the question and answer forum. I spend a lot of time researching topics for appropriate answers in the forum where I've achieved around 32% best answers including good answers. Now of course it is all subjective based on what the author of the question thinks is best, but it shows that you are contributing, socializing, being professional and being a part of the system. You fit in with the culture.
The bottom-line to this is make contact with folks, communicate, give answers, talk it up. Let people know you're out there. Keep yourself at the forefront of discussions taking interest in different discussions so people will get to know you. Who knows, it only takes one to recognize you and put you on the road to prosperity.
In our next segment I will discuss and lay out my plan that I have used over time that I continue tweaking and always putting out there. Again you never know who's going to be the right person that seeks you out.
I hope to at least just give some ideas over the norm and just maybe someone will be lucky enough where this may help them succeed through their endeavor.
First off let me begin by saying I fell into the 13 million that have been unemployed that has been thought of as the rubbish that employers will not look at because you carry the title of unemployed. I was not laid off, nor did I get fired. I was not the rubbish of the pile if that is what people are thought of. I resigned my position after 10 years with a national company only to move back to my home state to aid in helping age and ailing parents. Someone has to help, and if that's says I'm one of the types that was gotten rid of then employers are really just labeling people at their own regard without any consideration or compassion to someone who is very loyal to their employer.
If you must call it unemployed I guess it must be said I've been for 19 months. I do not like to think of it as unemployed. I would rather think of it as an interim journey in my career path.
When all this began, I had started my search somewhat early. The things I began doing was becoming a member of several job boards like Monster.com, Career builder.com and had a membership with The Ladders. It was slow going because back around 2007 things were not as bad as they are today. But, I wanted my feelers out there. I had received numerous calls from several recruiters about certain positions in different geographical locations. I was pretty green about everything including telephone interviews. I remember getting a call from Ran-staff, one from a bug place in Houston, and one interview as far as Britain. I was ecstatic. Couldn't believe I was out there. Still being green, I probably messed those up and never heard back from them.
As my search started to make more sense to me, I began trying to keep up with recruiters on The Ladders. Now understand recruiters were not very prevalent when I started looking. I saw them, red the comments about them and how they looked for you and how to leave them comments, but I never ever worked with one. I thought it's the typical gambit but was very dumb to the system. I notice many were saving my profile, why I had no idea, but was intrigued.
From there I began searching many avenues on The Ladder to land my big job. I started adding myself to other job boards. I'll add a list of all the boards I've been on, many I'm still out there.
My key points at this time was ensuring I had a top resume that would grab attention. I worked many hours drawing different ones up and fine tuning them. I even had critiques from some sites and no one is ever the same. What one says is wrong, another said that's not the problem, this is. So I never paid anyone to ever do my resume. I spent many hours using older books I had and researching on the internet all about resumes. Some helped some was a waste of time.
After tuning my resume to what I thought was a winner I started posting it to all these boards. I was always following these boards, always fine tuning something or updating my resume and experiences on these sites.
About the time I came to having to resign, things became much more serious and much more involved. I had already many contacts from AOL, I spoke with from back home and around the country. Everyone was sending me ideas and places I need to get attached to. I followed and attached to local newspapers online. I made every possible attempt to make contact with anyone and everyone.
After moving back to Louisiana I started to make me a game plan. I had resumes printed out, standard cover letters, reference list made, hard copies of all my recommendations made, a brag book assembled of all my successes throughout my career. Everything ready and waiting for that big interview.
I do remember recruiters on LinkedIn as well as many people I spoke with how they suggested not to take temporary or minimum wage jobs. They indicated that temp jobs interfere with your worth and many employers will not look at anyone who is doing temp jobs since they look like job hoppers, can't keep a job, and it dummied you down and who in their right mind would hire someone who is in a starter job or fill-in job for a higher role. As we can see those thoughts have changed throughout the industry and now you're encouraged to have something no matter what it was. I had actually turned down a couple of very low jobs that came with no benefits, no full time opportunities, minimum wage etc. Hey I didn't want to look like an underachieving professional who's luck couldn't land him anything but the bottom of a pit.
LinkedIn became home. Although I stayed active on Career builder and Monster, I continued monitoring and changing constantly many job boards I was on. I was determined to be noticed. I received over time numerous calls and invites to interviews out of town which I went to. I remember the how I was told I'm still in the running, I'm still in the cross hairs but.... Yea buts. How depressing they did become since it appeared you were right on the line of being made an offer and at the end it was nothing more but a "but".
That didn't stop me though. I actually had the attitude of "wait, I can play that game also". So I did. As I continued going to interviews and speaking to people who would call over the telephone, their promises became nothing without a guarantee. I kept them on my cross hairs but unless they came through with more I became less concerned. I did all the traditional things from dressing appropriately as a professional, going to the interviews and acting professional, answering everything they asked, asking for the job, filling out email thank you's to those that I was able to obtain a business card from and sending out handwritten thank you cards once I returned from the interview. Following this got me close but no cigar.
As I continued to post and change things on several job boards to keep me floating to the top, I received many phone calls from our friends in India type recruiters, but after listening to their pitch if it could be understood, I never much fell prey to any of it and canceled such relations before they started.
Although many avenues I utilized from continuing seeking in newspapers, newspapers in areas geographically I wanted to be in and filling out and email and even mailing, yes USPS mail sending to various companies that would ask that it be mailed in. I have spent many long days in my job efforts. Seriously, getting up in the early morning at 5:00 AM and turning in around 10 or 12:00 at night. Giving all I have. You have to become serious about your search. Sure you can follow the adage of don't take life so serious, but when you're forced to find something because you have nothing serious becomes the name of the game.
As I indicated LinkedIn became an avenue I continued to grow and still do today. I have spoken to headhunters and recruiters on their take and suggestions during many discussions. I have alienated many with my way of handling things to making many see my way as not being so daunting just a different avenue I chose to follow. A long time friend as he became on LinkedIn Rick Farquar was a headhunter from the west coast, about 62 years old I believe spent many hours speaking with me over the telephone as well as in discussions talking about different avenues. He always had a favorite saying,"if you can't change something, then change yourself". Meaning if the current plan you have is not working, seek out new avenues. I guess that's where my way of thinking came into being. To heck with tradition let's play.
I went into a deep depression for about 7 months. No I wasn't sick, I was just losing ground thinking nothing will ever come to being. Over those 7 months I continued looking but the want was dieing out. I lost focus.I didn't speak to very many people, whether around me in life or the internet. One day I woke up and realized nothing will happen unless I make it happen. It took some time but I was coming out of my pity mode and started working again. I was pressing forward, returning to links and discussions and I was getting much needed support. I didn't feel I was out there alone.
As I began to continue to grow my contacts, I was back reviewing areas on Career and Monster again sending out my coveted resumes that I spent much time tweaking and fine tuning. I was getting interviews and phone interviews on an average of 1 to 2 a month. I learned what I was sending in needed to be better researched so following advice I started following an 80/20 rule. If I had 80% of what the job description entailed, I sent it in.
I started being more active in LinkedIn's discussion threads and began delving into the question and answer forums. One thing Rick was big on and I caught on to that quickly was, never bad mouth while on a thread. Whether it's your old boss, old company or even other posters. There are many people who sit out of the treads watching and you might be the one they're watching. They may be viewing you to see how you react to certain discussions and what your contribution might be and even as much as the way you type(talk) and your English as well as your punctuation skills. How knowledgeable are you in the discussion. How knowledgeable are you in the question and answer forum. I spend a lot of time researching topics for appropriate answers in the forum where I've achieved around 32% best answers including good answers. Now of course it is all subjective based on what the author of the question thinks is best, but it shows that you are contributing, socializing, being professional and being a part of the system. You fit in with the culture.
The bottom-line to this is make contact with folks, communicate, give answers, talk it up. Let people know you're out there. Keep yourself at the forefront of discussions taking interest in different discussions so people will get to know you. Who knows, it only takes one to recognize you and put you on the road to prosperity.
In our next segment I will discuss and lay out my plan that I have used over time that I continue tweaking and always putting out there. Again you never know who's going to be the right person that seeks you out.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Honor, Respect, Character,Integrity and Diginity
You know I see things and I always seem to attribute what I saw to something that has occurred or something that's occurring or will occur. If you've ever watched the movie "Hart's War", a 2002 film about WWII prisoners of war, where thousands of American GI troops were housed in this particular Sta-lick barracks. It starred Bruce Willis as a captured Colonial and Collin Farrell as a Lieutenant who was also captured and Terrence Howard played a framed Lincoln A. Scott to take the fall of one of the men for selling out to the Germans and killed by the Colonial(Bruce Willis). It was a depiction to show that Scott (Howard) was the ruthless murderer because the men of his barracks were raciest.
During the movie the Lieutenant found out what was going on and an escape was being planned and this is why Scott was being frame. As the Colonial indicated if one man has to be sacrificed to save 35, it's worth the sacrifice. The Lieutenant couldn't agree with him more but inserted as a Colonial it was much more that just a sacrifice of any man. If there were going to be a sacrifice then it should be him the Colonial who would sacrifice himself to save his men. It was about Honor, Respect, Character, Integrity and Dignity.
During the climax Scott was told by the Lieutenant what was fixing to go down and as much as it upset Scott,the Lieutenant wanted Scott to escape with the 35 men during the deliberation but Scott chose not to, even knowing he would be executed for a false crime. He felt that if this is what it took to save 35 of his solider friends then he'll accept the consequences. All that he asked the Lieutenant was that he take a photograph he had of his family and when he got back home to explain to his son just what Honor, Respect, Character, Integrity and Dignity was all about just as his father had explained it to him.
My whole point to this post is what our country has seem to have forgotten all about what's important. Yes we are a capitalistic society. Capitalism to the fullest extent where each of us has the ability to succeed and make something of ourselves. But as the soldiers code "we never leave a brother behind" is the empathy of every decent American; what has our society chose to do with the American unemployed workers, workers of age, youth that has no experience and can't get hired on without experience? Have we not turned our backs and walked away leaving our brothers to starve, die, and to allow their families and children to falter at our lack of honor, respect, and character?
Has capitalism become so important toward success we will walk over our very own just for us to prosper and flaunt it to everyone who cannot have what some have? Is it our government and politicians wish to leave fallen brothers and sisters behind so they might benefit because they choose not to pay their debts, they choose to vote in every aspect of wealth that will benefit them allowing the millions of Americans to struggle with no means of pulling themselves out of the mud?
This show made me do a lot of thinking regarding Honor, Respect, Character, Integrity and Dignity. I feel we all need to go back to our roots and stop and think about not just from a point of view that we have sons and daughters fighting and dieing to give many this allowance but just what America stands for. Opportunity and giving honor to all those deserving. Not handouts, but the belief that tomorrow will be a better tomorrow and we can all prosper simply by helping our fellow man and not leaving anyone behind.
During the movie the Lieutenant found out what was going on and an escape was being planned and this is why Scott was being frame. As the Colonial indicated if one man has to be sacrificed to save 35, it's worth the sacrifice. The Lieutenant couldn't agree with him more but inserted as a Colonial it was much more that just a sacrifice of any man. If there were going to be a sacrifice then it should be him the Colonial who would sacrifice himself to save his men. It was about Honor, Respect, Character, Integrity and Dignity.
During the climax Scott was told by the Lieutenant what was fixing to go down and as much as it upset Scott,the Lieutenant wanted Scott to escape with the 35 men during the deliberation but Scott chose not to, even knowing he would be executed for a false crime. He felt that if this is what it took to save 35 of his solider friends then he'll accept the consequences. All that he asked the Lieutenant was that he take a photograph he had of his family and when he got back home to explain to his son just what Honor, Respect, Character, Integrity and Dignity was all about just as his father had explained it to him.
My whole point to this post is what our country has seem to have forgotten all about what's important. Yes we are a capitalistic society. Capitalism to the fullest extent where each of us has the ability to succeed and make something of ourselves. But as the soldiers code "we never leave a brother behind" is the empathy of every decent American; what has our society chose to do with the American unemployed workers, workers of age, youth that has no experience and can't get hired on without experience? Have we not turned our backs and walked away leaving our brothers to starve, die, and to allow their families and children to falter at our lack of honor, respect, and character?
Has capitalism become so important toward success we will walk over our very own just for us to prosper and flaunt it to everyone who cannot have what some have? Is it our government and politicians wish to leave fallen brothers and sisters behind so they might benefit because they choose not to pay their debts, they choose to vote in every aspect of wealth that will benefit them allowing the millions of Americans to struggle with no means of pulling themselves out of the mud?
This show made me do a lot of thinking regarding Honor, Respect, Character, Integrity and Dignity. I feel we all need to go back to our roots and stop and think about not just from a point of view that we have sons and daughters fighting and dieing to give many this allowance but just what America stands for. Opportunity and giving honor to all those deserving. Not handouts, but the belief that tomorrow will be a better tomorrow and we can all prosper simply by helping our fellow man and not leaving anyone behind.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Reaching the Big 50 Part 2
Yep, I continue to observe and everything around me seems to be notoriety pointing to "oh you must be over 50".
I went on an interview recently and speaking with the interviewee whom I knew, he started discussing how it appears the way corporate sees things that they're trying to push out people of age only to bring in the youth. Which I understood his point, but that's not what this post is about. Although his thinking is what this is about. See everyone is under this conception that 50 marks the end of an era for life and you need to be somewhat put out to pasture to graze until you merely ready to keel over and you slip into the next world.
It was interesting to hear him talk. Yea this wasn't the traditional interview, like I said I knew the person I was interviewing with. He explains how he has to work at least another 15 years, how so and so has 30 years here how and how he suspects that person will go another 5 years and be gone. Same thing for Bubba and John. Everyone is just getting old. OK what is the definition of old I ask you?
Dictionary.com defines old as 1. far advanced in the years of one's or its life. Merriam-Webster defines old as a : advanced in years or age b : showing the characteristics of age . So does this definition type cast all people once they reach 50 as being old? To old for a healthy lifestyle?
I never gave it a second thought in my forties of what old meant or that things would slow down in that era. Not until I reached 50 did I start hearing so much rhetoric about being old. Commercials, shows, the media, insurance ads, etc. Today being at my age, I still feel no different than I did when I was 30 and in some cases probably younger.
Ever notice how sensitive women get when they are reaching the Big 50? It's like shoot me please. We have become a society of putting labels on everything. Ads trying to draw the younger crowd to buy certain things. Media as stating things like the consumer buying power is within the younger generation between this age and that age. Is it because people of that age era spend more freely so they captivate the audience by saying a certain age range?
In the case of 50 and older being old in the work force. Why is it people don't see it as and aging workforce but government does? But in the same breath they say social benefits won't be paid until 62 1/2 and continually speaking about raising it to 70 whereas people are expected to work and be vibrant through their golden years?
I never considered my parents as old when they hit 50. I just thought they were more experience at giving advice that I could utilize. From a standpoint of ladies hitting the Big 50, I see many ladies that look better now than they did in their 50's and many are healthier today. Heck back in my 20's and 30's some women looked way worse than women of the age of 50 and above. So why do we have to continually stigmatize people with a label?
Is statistics so clear that they have narrowed it down to the point where they absolutely know that you're going to start dieing when you hit the 50 number? Believe it or not, from the time we get out of our mother's womb we begin dieing. If the government was totally sold on these statistics wouldn't it make more sense to say let's give social benefits to people when they hit 50? Why prolong it if you know I'm doomed to die within that era? I know lots has to do politically by trying to make one believe they're dieing but you must work until what we feel is a good age to call it quits if you want to be eligible to collect your benefits. There's a separation in what people believe and the way statistics portray the individual growing older.
Are we living in a New World where we will create social economic issues that will push people to die by the time they reach 50? Are we so concerned that anything younger is what the world is all about?
It's just in my opinion that I think we're missing something here. That there is no balance between social economical times of being 50 and being anything else younger. What would truly happen if we quit focusing so much on certain age groups and focus more on life itself? What would happen if we balanced out the age groups and not cater to one more than the other one? Could it be if we really quit type casting and setting particular ages as being the ultimate time to deteriorate that people would do more, be more and live a much healthier lifestyle with no worries about when is it actually time to be considered a senior citizen? It just doesn't make much sense to stigmatize a group that has so much to offer who's continually learning and contributing to a betterment of life.
It's something that haunts me the way society sees things and really it all stems not from the youth, but from advertisements, government depictions, and what a select group is made as the deciding factor. Grow old with dignity not dis-spare and let's quit worrying about type casting the cast that doesn't really care what you think of them as long as they have bounce, let them continue to bounce!
I went on an interview recently and speaking with the interviewee whom I knew, he started discussing how it appears the way corporate sees things that they're trying to push out people of age only to bring in the youth. Which I understood his point, but that's not what this post is about. Although his thinking is what this is about. See everyone is under this conception that 50 marks the end of an era for life and you need to be somewhat put out to pasture to graze until you merely ready to keel over and you slip into the next world.
It was interesting to hear him talk. Yea this wasn't the traditional interview, like I said I knew the person I was interviewing with. He explains how he has to work at least another 15 years, how so and so has 30 years here how and how he suspects that person will go another 5 years and be gone. Same thing for Bubba and John. Everyone is just getting old. OK what is the definition of old I ask you?
Dictionary.com defines old as 1. far advanced in the years of one's or its life. Merriam-Webster defines old as a : advanced in years or age
I never gave it a second thought in my forties of what old meant or that things would slow down in that era. Not until I reached 50 did I start hearing so much rhetoric about being old. Commercials, shows, the media, insurance ads, etc. Today being at my age, I still feel no different than I did when I was 30 and in some cases probably younger.
Ever notice how sensitive women get when they are reaching the Big 50? It's like shoot me please. We have become a society of putting labels on everything. Ads trying to draw the younger crowd to buy certain things. Media as stating things like the consumer buying power is within the younger generation between this age and that age. Is it because people of that age era spend more freely so they captivate the audience by saying a certain age range?
In the case of 50 and older being old in the work force. Why is it people don't see it as and aging workforce but government does? But in the same breath they say social benefits won't be paid until 62 1/2 and continually speaking about raising it to 70 whereas people are expected to work and be vibrant through their golden years?
I never considered my parents as old when they hit 50. I just thought they were more experience at giving advice that I could utilize. From a standpoint of ladies hitting the Big 50, I see many ladies that look better now than they did in their 50's and many are healthier today. Heck back in my 20's and 30's some women looked way worse than women of the age of 50 and above. So why do we have to continually stigmatize people with a label?
Is statistics so clear that they have narrowed it down to the point where they absolutely know that you're going to start dieing when you hit the 50 number? Believe it or not, from the time we get out of our mother's womb we begin dieing. If the government was totally sold on these statistics wouldn't it make more sense to say let's give social benefits to people when they hit 50? Why prolong it if you know I'm doomed to die within that era? I know lots has to do politically by trying to make one believe they're dieing but you must work until what we feel is a good age to call it quits if you want to be eligible to collect your benefits. There's a separation in what people believe and the way statistics portray the individual growing older.
Are we living in a New World where we will create social economic issues that will push people to die by the time they reach 50? Are we so concerned that anything younger is what the world is all about?
It's just in my opinion that I think we're missing something here. That there is no balance between social economical times of being 50 and being anything else younger. What would truly happen if we quit focusing so much on certain age groups and focus more on life itself? What would happen if we balanced out the age groups and not cater to one more than the other one? Could it be if we really quit type casting and setting particular ages as being the ultimate time to deteriorate that people would do more, be more and live a much healthier lifestyle with no worries about when is it actually time to be considered a senior citizen? It just doesn't make much sense to stigmatize a group that has so much to offer who's continually learning and contributing to a betterment of life.
It's something that haunts me the way society sees things and really it all stems not from the youth, but from advertisements, government depictions, and what a select group is made as the deciding factor. Grow old with dignity not dis-spare and let's quit worrying about type casting the cast that doesn't really care what you think of them as long as they have bounce, let them continue to bounce!
Reaching the Big 50
Just a personal observation. I listened, conversed, and watched all around me. My sign states I'm a great observer, and I think I am. To get to my point one thing I do think plagues society as a whole is the labels we put on things/typecasting. I know we always are talking about the age crisis. But why has society become so obsessed with age. Everywhere you turn you see 50+ eligible for AARP, If you're 50 or over, 50+ senior citizen discount. Really? Although it's nice to obtain such discounts and eligibility, why do we as a society press so much on this? Why has this become such a factor in order to live a decent life and why is it so darn important to always be pointing it out?
No where do you see if you're 20+ you could do this, or have you considered this now that you're 20, so on and so on. The only other factor where a stringent age notability takes place is 18 and below. Checking ID's. But then that doesn't stop you from achieving things. Don't get me wrong being 50 shouldn't stop you either, but it's just the attitude people have and envision that if you're 50 or over life is down hill.
You know it's clearly proven in Psychology circles that if you constantly dwell on things and always referring to things eventually you'll start reacting to those kind of things. Look for years and even into days social economical circles you're told "be around positive influence because negativity will keep you down". Has Physiologists determined our make-up as human life changes when we reach 50? Do we stand out as a population for being different than anyone under 50? Have we grown tails that's become so noticeable we need to be caged only to be looked at and laughed at?
So why do we put so much emphasis on hitting the big 50? Shouldn't we be inspiring without using the age category in advertisements, things we do, things we don't do as just a regular day in life with out being stigmatized with the "ut oh.. you've reached the point in life where you being thought of as less human". It's kinda like watching a sitcom like "the Office" where as Steve Carell is this dumb person, counter intuitive boss who can't run a business to save his life. Every time you see him in another movie he just doesn't seem right because he's been typecast-ed as being a stupid person.
Sorry off on a tangent, but it really fits the role of discrimination. Why is it so important that you be within a certain age group to be considered still worthy of (shhhsss I don't want to say it to loud).... a productive life style?
No where do you see if you're 20+ you could do this, or have you considered this now that you're 20, so on and so on. The only other factor where a stringent age notability takes place is 18 and below. Checking ID's. But then that doesn't stop you from achieving things. Don't get me wrong being 50 shouldn't stop you either, but it's just the attitude people have and envision that if you're 50 or over life is down hill.
You know it's clearly proven in Psychology circles that if you constantly dwell on things and always referring to things eventually you'll start reacting to those kind of things. Look for years and even into days social economical circles you're told "be around positive influence because negativity will keep you down". Has Physiologists determined our make-up as human life changes when we reach 50? Do we stand out as a population for being different than anyone under 50? Have we grown tails that's become so noticeable we need to be caged only to be looked at and laughed at?
So why do we put so much emphasis on hitting the big 50? Shouldn't we be inspiring without using the age category in advertisements, things we do, things we don't do as just a regular day in life with out being stigmatized with the "ut oh.. you've reached the point in life where you being thought of as less human". It's kinda like watching a sitcom like "the Office" where as Steve Carell is this dumb person, counter intuitive boss who can't run a business to save his life. Every time you see him in another movie he just doesn't seem right because he's been typecast-ed as being a stupid person.
Sorry off on a tangent, but it really fits the role of discrimination. Why is it so important that you be within a certain age group to be considered still worthy of (shhhsss I don't want to say it to loud).... a productive life style?
Monday, July 25, 2011
Putting the Bull Out to Pasture Before It's Time
I was watching an old Bonanza show today and what I watched seemed to be exactly what is happening in the world around us with people of age. It's amazing that even the show of back in those days depicted the thoughts we're all under today. And yes even back in the 60's when Bonanza was being filmed it was the same ordeal.
What this story was about was an aging Sheriff in Virgina City, Roy Coffee. The title was "No Less Than A Man". He was up in age, carried no gun and believed you didn't need a fast gun to keep order. The town differed in opinion. They felt he was to old to do the job of maintaining proper order and wanted him gone. But the only way to get rid of him was the town had to vote Adam and Ben Cartwright from the city counsel since they were backing ole Roy. Once they got Adam and Ben out then they could fire Roy.
As the story goes they had a gang coming to town. The Wagner gang who was notorious about robbing the banks in the territory, molesting women and anything they felt like doing. Anyway throughout the show you saw Adam and Roy installing bars over a building's windows and nobody understood what was going on and thought Roy and Adam was crazy as in "what the hell are you doing"? The town people were worried and dazzled about "what will we do when this gang comes to town"? Roy had no worries and suggested the towns people let him do his job. But with no support they rallied against him and put together a somewhat mob to protect the inner city.
To cut to the chase, Roy had no support other than the Cartwrights. When the gang got to town they saw no one was on the streets and thought maybe it was a trap and then noticed the Sheriff (Roy) standing outside the bank. They road up to him, stepped off their horses and asked, "hey ole man you don't carry a gun anymore", and "where's all the people". Roy stated he ordered everyone off the street because he didn't want anyone getting hurt, and no as he exclaimed, "I do not carry a gun, because we don't want anyone getting hurt, so go on,get what you came after and be on your way". The gang thought that was pretty smart coming from and ole coot. So they preceded into the bank and started the search for the money.
No money could be found and started questioning the banker and forced him to open the vault. Still no money as the leader walked out and figured we'll go and kick that Sheriff's butt and he'll tell us where the money is. The banker grabbed the vault door and pulled it closed and locked himself in. Well the gang couldn't get to him, he was locked inside this steel box and no one knew the combination. As they approached the door to the outside, Sheriff Roy ran to the door, closed it and barricaded it with a bar that was installed outside locking them inside. They tried the windows only to find out the reason Adam and Roy was putting up bars were because they were putting them up on the bank. The gang couldn't get out. No door, no windows so lets just start shooting at the Sheriff who was hiding behind a wagon. Then last but not least they realized we're wasting ammunition. At that point good ole Old Roy hollered to them "you can't go nowhere, you can keep shooting until you run out, you can stay in the bank for a week, a month, but you're not going anywhere. Now throw out your guns, it's over". Yep it was over and the ole gezzard Sheriff Roy Coffee caught the entire gang without force, no guns and by himself.
Now the moral behind this show and what my comparison is, is simple. The town was Upper Management/Corporate, they wanted the underlings (the Sheriff) fired (fired/laid off)and replaced with a quicker gun(Youth) because youth was quicker on the draw. However the Cartwrights knew better about Roy. He had what most older workers have today that most youth haven't had yet; and that management and the corporate world is overlooking; experience.
In the end the town (Management/Corporate) admitted they made a mistake and didn't realize that sometimes experience speaks louder than someone with a sharp wit or in this case a quick gun.Sometimes that experience if given a chance can prove to steer a company right toward the direction they've been wanting to go. Sometimes you really have to quit thinking the worst about people growing older. Wisdom, knowledge, experience and believing in what could be may be exactly what you need. It's not always the appearance of youth that brings fresh ideas, but knowing that you have; someone dependable that cares about the job in Roy's case the town, the employees and company, as Roy stated (the family)and is willing to use that wisdom and knowledge to benefit not themselves but to continue the path of the company's (the family's)success.
What this story was about was an aging Sheriff in Virgina City, Roy Coffee. The title was "No Less Than A Man". He was up in age, carried no gun and believed you didn't need a fast gun to keep order. The town differed in opinion. They felt he was to old to do the job of maintaining proper order and wanted him gone. But the only way to get rid of him was the town had to vote Adam and Ben Cartwright from the city counsel since they were backing ole Roy. Once they got Adam and Ben out then they could fire Roy.
As the story goes they had a gang coming to town. The Wagner gang who was notorious about robbing the banks in the territory, molesting women and anything they felt like doing. Anyway throughout the show you saw Adam and Roy installing bars over a building's windows and nobody understood what was going on and thought Roy and Adam was crazy as in "what the hell are you doing"? The town people were worried and dazzled about "what will we do when this gang comes to town"? Roy had no worries and suggested the towns people let him do his job. But with no support they rallied against him and put together a somewhat mob to protect the inner city.
To cut to the chase, Roy had no support other than the Cartwrights. When the gang got to town they saw no one was on the streets and thought maybe it was a trap and then noticed the Sheriff (Roy) standing outside the bank. They road up to him, stepped off their horses and asked, "hey ole man you don't carry a gun anymore", and "where's all the people". Roy stated he ordered everyone off the street because he didn't want anyone getting hurt, and no as he exclaimed, "I do not carry a gun, because we don't want anyone getting hurt, so go on,get what you came after and be on your way". The gang thought that was pretty smart coming from and ole coot. So they preceded into the bank and started the search for the money.
No money could be found and started questioning the banker and forced him to open the vault. Still no money as the leader walked out and figured we'll go and kick that Sheriff's butt and he'll tell us where the money is. The banker grabbed the vault door and pulled it closed and locked himself in. Well the gang couldn't get to him, he was locked inside this steel box and no one knew the combination. As they approached the door to the outside, Sheriff Roy ran to the door, closed it and barricaded it with a bar that was installed outside locking them inside. They tried the windows only to find out the reason Adam and Roy was putting up bars were because they were putting them up on the bank. The gang couldn't get out. No door, no windows so lets just start shooting at the Sheriff who was hiding behind a wagon. Then last but not least they realized we're wasting ammunition. At that point good ole Old Roy hollered to them "you can't go nowhere, you can keep shooting until you run out, you can stay in the bank for a week, a month, but you're not going anywhere. Now throw out your guns, it's over". Yep it was over and the ole gezzard Sheriff Roy Coffee caught the entire gang without force, no guns and by himself.
Now the moral behind this show and what my comparison is, is simple. The town was Upper Management/Corporate, they wanted the underlings (the Sheriff) fired (fired/laid off)and replaced with a quicker gun(Youth) because youth was quicker on the draw. However the Cartwrights knew better about Roy. He had what most older workers have today that most youth haven't had yet; and that management and the corporate world is overlooking; experience.
In the end the town (Management/Corporate) admitted they made a mistake and didn't realize that sometimes experience speaks louder than someone with a sharp wit or in this case a quick gun.Sometimes that experience if given a chance can prove to steer a company right toward the direction they've been wanting to go. Sometimes you really have to quit thinking the worst about people growing older. Wisdom, knowledge, experience and believing in what could be may be exactly what you need. It's not always the appearance of youth that brings fresh ideas, but knowing that you have; someone dependable that cares about the job in Roy's case the town, the employees and company, as Roy stated (the family)and is willing to use that wisdom and knowledge to benefit not themselves but to continue the path of the company's (the family's)success.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Working for a Company with a bad reputation-part five
Finally, in my last part of “Working for a Company with a bad reputation”, one thing most people don't think about when accepting such a position; you can be given all the authority needed to make change, with expectations you will, but you have to have buy-in, from corporate figures as well as bottom feeders and subordinates. Without buy-in, your chances are futile as you can come in with the best intentions, and you can't fire everyone that won't buy-in, so you'll need to plan, present, implement and it won't happen overnight. I learned this and it doesn't matter, anyone can say they can and will make change; people that don't buy-in although can seem to be on board, but can derail the best system approach and simply make you believe they are on board. It's not to say it cannot be accomplished but your adversities will be challenging, because one thing you have to remember, whether you're the authority figure or not, you are still the new person on the block and those difficult adversities will become a struggle especially each time you run up against an obstacle and/or a brick wall.
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