"Take This Job and Hold It"

Most of the people I know are gainfully employed. This is true in my immediate family and with most of my close friends. Therefore I seem to have a blind eye to the rough spots in our economy these days. But it was brought home to me recently that all is not peaches and cream in the world of employment. Two of my friends' children have recently been terminated from their jobs because of cutbacks.

In both instances the employments had been long term ones and there was no indication that things were as bad as they obviously were. One day these two had jobs and the next day they didn't. It happened that fast, and with that much surprise. I was amazed because in this day and age I thought everyone got advance notice of a month or more. Neither of these people did.

Both of these persons are college educated and both had exemplary employment records. It was just a case of their companies tightening their belts and the persons with least seniority were let go first. They have both been promised glowing letters of recommendation and have been assured the termination was through no fault of their own, but it still hurts to be fired, axed, dismissed, or let go.

I have always been a person who had to have a job. I have friends who would quit one job and wait a few months before they took another one. Not me. The few times I did change jobs I always had the next one lined up before I let the old one go. And I never completely relaxed until the next paycheck had been received.

Perhaps that is why I ended up working for the government. I probably could have made more money on the outside but the regularity of the employment appealed to me. I worked from 8 till 5, five days a week. I had health insurance and retirement benefits. Plus I had job security. It was a perfect match.

Over the years I have had time to write my books, and pursue the lecture circuit. This was my avocation. Perhaps that made me less ambitious in my day job than I otherwise would have been, but I don't regret it. I had a good steady job, with a good steady paycheck; and I also got to pursue my other dreams on the side.

If I had ever been laid off or terminated form employment I would have had nightmares for years. I need security in my life. Therefore I feel deeply for my friends childrens' plight. I have tried to put a positive spin on it when I am talking with them. I tell them it is a time for new opportunities and new directions. I even add the "someday you will look back at this time and be grateful this all happened" spiel. And I hope they will.

Inside I worry about them and their future. What is that old saying - we are all about one paycheck away form being homeless. Now that's a scary thought! So if you have a job, hold on to it. And if you want to change jobs wait until you have the new one lined up before jumping ship. It's a cold world out there and sadly money talks. 

You may be in a situation where you would like to tell your employer to take your job and shove it, but the wiser course is to take your job and hold it.

 

 

 

 

 

©2004 Jackie K. Cooper

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