The term "security" began to lose it's meaning in reference to jobs
years ago. It was a slow slide for a while, if it ever was a
solid term. It was meaningful possibly in certain environments, but as a
general term I'm not so sure. I have been in the workforce for over 30
years and have very little recollection of ever feeling
secure.
Whether or not I was insecure by nature and have a
personality that tends to want to be in control - I'm not clear. That may just be me.
Part of my job description in
my first business was as a recruiter. I
could write an entire book on the interesting and psychotic people I met.
Through the 90's I heard many many
people say "Why would I look for other work? I'm an engineer!" Then
some of those same people 10 years later answered the same question with
"Yes I am open to looking! I'm an engineer!!!" Their demeanor (btw it wasn't just engineers) took a swing from confident and even cocky to down right desperate. So maybe I was
strange for my seemingly inherent belief that I was never safe and
secure, so be it. I looked pretty smart later!
People
were caught off guard. They were flat footed; asleep at the wheel. Life was great at the time and it was never going to change. And while so many
people were coasting along, I was working my butt off to secure
a
future- one where I hoped I had at least a little control over. I
can't control mother nature, the economy, and numerous other
variables....but I was determined to control as much as I could.
Most people are
dealing with what they can find, pay cuts, little or no benefits, no retirement plans and are either hoping or resigned about the future. My friends and family think I had really lost it when I left my "good" job, and struck off on a course that wasn't even related to my field. I was young, had two degrees, and the economy was rocking. I get it, it seemed odd to them.
Today, people are being forced to consider other options when they are fully rooted in a past that they don't want to give up. The Millenials know they need a different route, but are lacking the guidance.
The
point to this post is this. Are you still looking for work, asking for something that just doesn't exist anymore? Let me loosely quote what I
have heard thousands of times, " I'm looking for a secure job, long term, with
full benefits, a pension, flexibility and vacation pay". Stop regurgitating something your parents told you, when the economic climate is demanding you think for yourself.
Could there possibly be enough "secure" jobs out there that you should hold out for one? Are there
enough that someone should never consider other alternatives? Most don't.
We're in a new era.
We're in a new era. Making money may never look the same again. It's time to dump the past and move on to a better alternative.
Self employment is our heritage. My mom grew up on a farm (self-employed parents), my dad had one of those good jobs, and my husband and I have owned two businesses for 20 years. That is (1) generation of employment, and if I have anything to do with it, my kids will never depend on a job......only themselves. I am clear I might be a little in front of the curve, leaving my career in a decade (90's) that most could do anything, and do it really badly -still making a lot of money.
Corporate America has only been fully around for two generations. It was new to our country during my parent's lifetime, and it is now sinking fast. In the entire history of the US covering hundreds of years, this is a very short period of time. Unfortunately anyone who was born into it now has a set viewpoint that is the best option. No- its not. It didn't work. It didn't sustain itself very long at all.
With that said, just because self employment is our heritage does not mean it shouldn't change or be tweaked. Self employment can be exhausting. I hated self employment, not for the work I was doing, but the never-ending-hamster-on-a-wheel-existence I led. 70-80 hrs a week doesn't kill you for a few years, but a life time of it might.
I chose to be in a self employed status working around the clock for a finite amount of time to accomplish something very specific. I would do it all over again. In fact, I am at the start of doing exactly that again. What I was after with those long hours and intense short term effort was the passive income I enjoy today. Doing all that and ending up with very little is insanity. You can see the post titled Passive Income for more on that.
How do we educated the public on maneuvering this
(new) era?
StayStarted was created exactly for that. We all need a mentor, a leader, a team. We'll fill that gap while you are starting out. StayStarted.com that will lead you step by step in the field of your choice, and our book launch is close. In the mean time keep reading, learning, checking out our other posts by subscribing to email updates.
Just remember it's a marathon, not a sprint. Keep moving forward.
