Top Exec Blog (Web Log)

For those who have read this author’s blog postings over the past five years, you might notice a touch of whimsy, humor or even a sardonic , tongue-in-cheek tone from time to time in the comments made. Readers should also have noted a serious side, and taken note of the advice, suggestions or objective analysis pertaining to career search, work issues, Latin America, business issues, life, the mortgage lending industry (in its heyday) and other topics. Ideally, these comments have been useful and pertinent, if not for you, the individual reader, then for someone in particular that you know, or someone that caught a fragment of these thoughts via a friend’s “forward” or a search engine’s delivery of a particular post.

Having said all of the above, as a preamble, it is important to acknowledge an affliction that has come upon the USA in the past several years, the arrival of someone named Reese Eshon, a close cousin of Dee Pression. While Dee never quite moved in, and though Reese did, she seems to have been partially blocked by certain actions of the Federal Reserve Bank. Nonetheless, a large element of Reese’s presence is the consistently high level of unemployment in most parts of the country (approximately 12.4% in California, 11.9% in Florida and nationally stuck at about 9.8% overall, as of this writing, based on October, 2010 data).

With this unemployment figure comes numerous nagging problems that affect the economy across the board.  In a continuum effect exacerbating the difficulties that our nation has in confronting the deficit (now well above $1 trillion per year, and cumulatively over $14 trillion dollars and growing), under-employed or unemployed folks pay little or no tax revenues to the treasury. Further, they draw upon unemployment insurance or other benefits that come from the dwindling stream of income that the nation “produces” from those who are gainfully employed. If the nation has “insufficient funds” in the bank account, then additional borrowing has to take place from the “Bank of China”, the “Bank of Korea” or other sources to cover these transfers to the un(der)employed. How long do you think it takes to borrow your way to prosperity? Just ask those who over-borrowed and now have a home in foreclosure or repossessed by the “Bank of America” or other institution.

A parallel effect of all this is what one might call the Bi-Polar Express (with apologies to Chris Van Allsburg, author of the famous Christmas storybook The Polar Express©, Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 1985). With the effects of this Bi-Polar Express (BPE) people get up each day to begin their search for gainful employment, and have to face the dual impact of a) motivating him or herself to be optimistic, energetic, creative, persistent and successful  in the search for work, while b) confronting the many thankless tasks, unanswered inquiries, fruitless job applications or constant, invidious delays in hiring cycles of potential employers who have their own pressing issues affected by that same “friend” Reese Eshon. To make matters worse for these job seekers, they constantly see savings and checking accounts depleted relentlessly from the monthly cycle of bills coming due, perennially fear the possibility of a large, unexpected bill (auto repair, health care, etc.) or have a mega tax bill coming due from either a) local property taxes on a home that generates no income (sound familiar?) or b) taxes due on stocks sold, IRAs liquidated or 401(k)s raided to keep hearth and home from falling into arrears, or worse, foreclosure!

So, on the one hand, the individual gets a jump on the day, seeking new contacts, introductions, entry points or interviews to gain employment, and does so with gusto, energy and effort (AKA hard work), and on the other hand, can be knocked down, dragged around and depressed by being stuck in the no-cycle or slow-cycle spin of an economy that is generating few jobs, inadequate opportunities and has far too many applicants for each opening that comes to light. This is a fundamental cause of the high and low of career/job search. Yet, as Winston Churchill said in his famous WWII comment, “Never give in, never give in, never; never; never; never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense” Therefore, people on the Career Path Expressway™ must have the same attitude, must seize the day (Carpe diem) and “fight the power” of the BPE to bring them down.

As thankless as the task is to toil from morning till night on finding work, and as totally uncompensated as it is in the financial sense, each individual must find the inspiration, through prayer, exercise, meditation, support groups, self awareness or whatever it takes to move forward, “play big” on the field of life (including the “red zone” of career search, when you are moving towards crossing the goal line) and make it happen. If the magic of Christmas sounded on one of Santa’s reindeer bells for the child who rode The Polar Express© many years after traveling to the North Pole that enchanted night, by believing in Santa Claus, then the reality of finding a good job, with strong career potential and the right compensation can be accomplished by believing in yourself and your efforts, and by defeating the negative effects of the Bi-Polar Express.

You can do it, and in so doing, please do your part to lift someone else up with you, as you move forward on the Career Path Expressway™. It’s always more fun to car pool, especially if you’re going places.

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For more information on the children’s story book The Polar Express© please see this link http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Polar-Express/Chris-Van-Allsburg/e/9780395389492/?itm=3&USRI=the+polar+express .

For more information on the very serious emotional/medical problem of Bi-Polar Syndrome, see these information sources: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder/complete-index.shtml or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipolar_disorder .

For help in your job search, contact your local state office of employment. In Florida: www.fluidnow.com In California: http://www.edd.ca.gov/ You can also try local church or community self-help groups such as this one: www.BackonTrackNet.org  Good luck and never give in!