| CAREERS NOW 02-22-09 |
| Satisfaction Or Paycheck? |
DEAR JOYCE: My roommate has been unemployed since the end of the year. I tell
her she's too picky, but she says a job has to offer more than a way to avoid unemployment. Tell her she's wrong
and to get on with her life! - J.F.
Remember the Voltaire quote: "The perfect is the enemy of the good."
So, should jobless you rush to grab a decent position to pay the bills, or hold out for a job with your name on
it? That dilemma's an old one, but it's never been more pressing than during The Big Slump of today's job market,
especially if a United Nations forecast comes true that predicts worldwide instability in 2010 - an instability
that would be caused by a global loss of 50 million jobs.
If making the satisfaction-or-paycheck decision grinds your gears, consider two major schools of thought.
VIEWPOINT ONE. The ideal-job school is presented by Peter Weddle in his forthcoming book, 'Work Strong:
Your Personal Career Fitness System." Weddle has already launched an interesting blog companion to the book
that you'll want to visit: WorkStrong (weddles.com/workstrong).
To explain the Work Strong theme, Weddle, a well-known Internet job search expert, publisher and veteran of the
recruiting industry, describes today's job market as a bully that's kicking sand in the faces of executives, mid-career
professionals and recent graduates alike:
"If you can't find a decent job or, in many cases, any job at all, remember the hard lesson everyone learns
in the schoolyard. You can't ignore bullies or run away from them. You have to stand up for yourself."
Weddle says that when you're unemployed or think you will be soon, there's a hard truth you should come to terms
with:
"Don't count on things in your work hours getting better when the recession is over. Too many of today's employers
are organizational bullies, and that won't change just because the economy does. If you act like a career wimp
today-if you take any job you can get just to hang on-you're going to be bullied all over again when the economy
recovers. Fight back now! Find the job you deserve -one that will increase your satisfaction as well as the paycheck
you bring home from work. You want work that makes you glad you're alive, work that you look forward to each day.
That's what the WorkStrong blog and book are all about."
VIEWPOINT TWO. The lifeboat-job school of thought is presented by Neil McNulty in a forthcoming book,
"The Quick 30/30 Job Search Solution." McNulty (mcnultymanagement.com),
a very successful 25-year career management firm executive, defines lifeboat jobs as those that people should accept
when they need to stop trying to find what they want to do and focus on what they need to do.
McNulty conducted interviews with hundreds of job seekers over the last few months: "Most say they've had
interviews (proving the existence of jobs), but are having a hard time finding something that fits- 'I'm a CPA
and they wanted a glorified book keeper,' I'm a degreed engineer and they want a maintenance supervisor,' 'I'm
a sales manager and they are looking for a sales representative.'
" These people are so programmed to traditional job search strategies that emphasize 'fit' and 'career path'
and 'not taking pay cuts,' that they are allowing what they really need to slip through their hands. In this economy,
I strongly urge job seekers to pursue and accept any position that meets the following criteria: (1) It is within
thirty miles of your present residence, (2) it pays at least 70 percent of past earnings, (3) it pays your mortgage,
and (4) it meets your most basic needs."
McNulty adds that not all lifeboat jobs are bad fits: "Many people have accepted lifeboat jobs only to realize
later that the job fits them far better than they ever thought it would."
Email Joyce
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