Jan 21 2008
Job Insecurity
“Software consultant?” echoed the workshop leader.
He stopped moving and clasped his hands together. I’m not sure but I think everyone looked in my direction.
As far as I could tell, no one in the room had extensive computer skills. A few people looked very nervous even thinking about computers.
I guess I was in a jobless class by myself. Then again, the current influx of jobless folks is from the Sub-Prime Meltdown. People in banking, lending, and real estate are the ones filing for unemployment. A few years ago, during the Dot-Bomb Era, software engineers and other techies were the ones collecting the unemployment checks.
Luckily for me, there are jobs I can apply for. A few years ago there were very slim pickings.
“With your profession, you should probably sign up for the Job Club,” said the workshop leader.
In order to continue to get unemployment, we all had to sign up for some other workshop. One workshop was on resumes and cover letters. Another was on interviewing.
The Job Club was a professional network you joined with the idea that, “Individuals with training and backgrounds in a wide range of fields come together to sharpen and update their job search skills by sharing their expertise and experience.”
At one hour, it was the shortest workshop. I signed up for it.
The administrative assistant next to me looked at the list of workshops. She was tidily dressed and spoke with a soft Spanish accent. Her face was pinched as she looked at the list and then at the form we all had to fill. She had told us that she had worked at the Bank Of America for 29 years. No wonder she looked worried.
She said to me, “I don’t know what workshop to take. I’m going to classes right now and I had to get special permission to attend this workshop! I can’t see how I can attend another one!”
I said, “Maybe you can get someone at the class to give you their notes?”
She said, “I’m trying to improve my computer skills and I’ll miss too much if I skip a class.”
She looked back at the list of workshops we had to choose from.
I asked her what class she was taking.
“I’m learning Word 2007. I only know Word 97, ” she replied.
I asked if they were that different.
She replied, “There are a lot of new buttons.”
I had no idea that knowing Microsoft Word was such a valuable skill - knowing it is practically a given in my line of work.
It’s interesting the value we put on a skill.
There’s a saying: “It’s a dirty job but someone’s got to do it.” I don’t do dirty work. The tools of my trade are my mind, a computer and coffee.
I wonder at why actual dirty jobs (janitorial, dishwashers, hotel housekeeping…) don’t pay more. I’ve always thought that people who clean restrooms should be paid a lot! I mean that’s some seriously hard work. You couldn’t pay me to do it! It’s enough for me to clean my own toilet.
I hear that public school teachers aren’t paid well. What’s up with that? I have a feeling that the people we want teaching our children - those who have a passion and drive for it, can’t afford to teach. So they don’t. Or they quit.
Education helps but there really isn’t a correlation between years in college and the size of your bank account.
People think that working for someone else, having a job and receiving a paycheck is more secure than having a business.
A job is a “regular paycheck.”
A paycheck gives the illusion of security. You think that each paycheck will be followed by another. The reality is that you are not in control. When you work for someone else, you don’t have all the information and you can’t make the big decisions.
Businesses are about profit. They may provide jobs but their true goal is to create profit. Workers are an expense.
Some people talk about the “good ole days” when people could work for the same place for decades and know that they were taken care of financially. People talk about how “businesses don’t care about people” any longer.
The same people might complain about how a stock they own has dropped in value. One way that companies raise the price of their stock is to cut expenses. Workers and the benefits they receive - those are expenses. You can’t always have it both ways.
The times they are always a-changing and the successful people know how to adapt. Before industrialization, it was we who had to be industrious. It was we who had to be entrepreneurs. Now we look for jobs.
I may be unemployed but I’m very fortunate to have the skills that are currently in demand. I’m also fortunate in my awareness that a job is a paycheck.
A paycheck is NOT security.
“Most people want security in this world, not liberty.” -H.L. Mencken
The woman who sat next to me had worked 29 years for the same company.
She told me that they kept on another woman who had only worked 2 years in the same job. From her point of view she had experience and loyalty on her side.
From the company’s point of view she was probably a costlier expense.
Successful people know how to adapt.
Right now having computer skills is a hot commodity.
Things can and do change.
Being laid off is nothing personal. It’s about being profitable.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Most janitorial/custodial jobs pay above minimum wage. Part time ‘cleaners’ are not paid as well. I am paid well considering others in my line of work are paid less for part time, and because the hours I work are quite undesirable. The company I clean for recognized this and set the hourly rate higher to keep the cleaners around. It worked. My first cleaning job also paid above minimum wage, but not by much. In case you wonder, I make 10.50/hour. In this community, that is above the average hourly rate. I make more per hour than my husband does at a ’skilled’ job. (he’s a service technician for cars)
The teachers I know make as much and more per year than my husband and I combined. Bonus, they get every weekend off and summer vacation, as well as benefits. If I weren’t so impatient with my own children, I might consider this profession. Those who complain have never had to live under my means. Perhaps they should and then tell me if they can’t ’survive’ on their salaries. When you’ve lived below ‘poverty level’ for most of your adult life, and can show people that, although you’ve struggled, it CAN be done and still live ‘well’ (hey, I went to Australia, I drink good wine and I eat well), it becomes a large source of confusion for those in higher pay brackets to complain about not getting ‘enough.
I wonder what ‘enough’ means for them. Their pay would be much appreciated in this house.
Sorry for the rant.
Sue: Thanks for such a great comment and for being so open about your financial situation. You should cut and paste this into YOUR blog
I have a friend with health problems and she can’t work much. I knew that money MUST be tight but she never speaks about it. I finally asked how she was doing and she said that yes, she does manage to live on money that is below the poverty level. She shares an apartment, she shops at 2nd hand clothing stores, she manages.
People tend to live up to their means, a bit like how when you have a big purse, you tend to find things to put in it. I bought a car after I could afford one. I started to drink more expensive coffee.
There is nothing wrong with having lots of money and being able to spend it. The key of course is being grateful! I wasn’t raised with lots of money but I never felt poor. I wore shoes from the supermarket and really didn’t think all that much about it. Back in “My day” there wasn’t a market for $100+ sneakers.
I have heard about people who are never satisfied. Luckily for me, I don’t meet them! I know someone who survives on very little money without complaint. I know people who I suspect have great heaping gobs of money based on their belongings but they just seem to be enjoying life - they have the money so why not buy nicer things.
I do think that some employers can take advantage of a situation (like being the only major employer in a small town) and pay lower than average wages. It’s supply and demand. That’s when people have a choice - they can accept the wages or they have to figure a way to earn more (move, learn a new skill, open up their own business…)
Great rant!
Quality is as important to me as price, because the cheaper items are sometimes ‘cheaper’ in quality and not a wise investment of resources. I can find designer label clothing used for low prices on Ebay or through the paper. Sometimes people just rid their closets. I prefer certain brands because they ’stand up’ longer. Or, I shop outlet and overstocked and clearance racks. I’m not a fashion maven, but I can look up-to-date and classy if I want to. There are TONS of ways to live and eat well on a tiny budget!!
The only thing I did not like is financing a car. Definitely not doing that again. I have more patience now to save and buy used.
Your comment on my ‘in forty years’ post cracked me up! hahahah
The teacher salary issue is always framed as a yearly salary. What other job can you get where you have summers off, never work weekends and get about 30 paid holidays a year? When talking about teacher salaries you need to base it off the number of days a year they work compared to other jobs.
Before a teacher chimes in on having to bring work home for grading… Teachers get a bunch of free periods in the day to do that work and many of us working stiffs also bring work home. If you manage your time effectively you do not bring work home.
I get scared when I see people signing up for classes to learn Word. What’s next, people signing up for classes on how to breath or talk?
Like you I work with computers and software and the idea that someone can not type their way through any word proccesor software is downright scary!!!
“Education helps but there really isn’t a correlation between years in college and the size of your bank account.”
So true. They pound the idea into many a college students head that as soon as they get out they are entitled to a six figure salary. Well, sorry kids, you are NOT entitled to it.
I didn’t finish college but I make more than some people I know with Masters degrees. And I ain’t making much!
” “I’m learning Word 2007. I only know Word 97, †she replied.
I asked if they were that different.
She replied, “There are a lot of new buttons.â€
I had no idea that knowing Microsoft Word was such a valuable skill - knowing it is practically a given in my line of work. ”
Microsoft changed the UI in Office 2007. The first time I saw it, I was at a client site trying to show the administrative assistant something. I had to spend a minute to figure out the menu system which made me look like I didn’t know what I was doing…. Never a good thing…
Here is a screenshot of the new UI if you haven’t seen it yet.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/08/Microsoft_Office.png
Sue: I’m with you on quality - I would rather pay more and have it last than be a cheap throwaway. Of course it depends on what I am using it for. I like LL Bean. I am a big Bean fan. Bean stuff lasts! Some Pima cotton tee shirts I purchased 10 years ago have finally bit it. They were more expensive but dang, I got my money’s worth. I also tend to buy “classic” stuff - I’m not particularly fashionable! I finally broke down a couple of years ago and updated my wardrobe a bit.
I am known to be frugal. I don’t think of myself in this way as I don’t feel like I’m denying myself anything. I am willing to wait for the right thing, especially on pricier items like a living room table or a dresser. I need both. I haven’t found any I’ve really liked. I am not an instant gratification person. Usually I wait and the desire passes. If I still want something, then I know I really want it.
I bought my car new. I didn’t want to figure out how to buy a used car (finding a mechanic, etc.). I also didn’t want to finance it but I did anyway. I did it to build credit. I knew I needed to take out a loan so I’d have the history when I went to purchase a home. At the time I got an online loan approved with a great rate. Then I went to look for a car with a loan approved. The dealer offered to beat the loan. They usually try to do this. If you do plan to purchase a home some day you may try to set up the groundwork for it now. Just a thought. One loan officer told me that people who pay cash for everything (many Chinese do this) can’t get loans due to the lack of credit history.
Steve D: Someone told me that teachers collect unemployment during the summer. Maybe some school systems don’t pay a continuous salary? I dunno enough about teachers and their salaries - I just hear that they aren’t paid all that much.
Regarding learning Word - when you’re in a tech field, it’s hard to think of not knowing it. No one taught me Word. I started using Ami Pro. Someone showed me the basics of that and..that was it. Word was just another word processing program and I picked that up. New buttons show up and I figure things out. I dunno. I don’t consider myself an expert at it but I’ve absorbed a few tricks over time. People have asked me, “How did you format that?” Huh. There are probably more people who don’t know Word than do. You and I just hang out with those who do!
Ricardo: I know a lot of smart people and not all of them have advanced degrees. I have observed that the truly smart ones don’t mention their education or their accomplishments. I get suspicious when I hear someone who mentioned their X years doing such-and-such to prove their expertise. The experts don’t tell, they do!
I’ve also seen how there is Theory and there is Real Life. When I went to school, I learned about the Software Development Cycle. Hahahaha! That was theory. I then worked for a software company and learned that they sometimes sold first and built later. Or sell something so-so to see if there was a market, then sell upgrades. That’s why engineers can’t run businesses (generally). If you’ve ever taken a physics course, all the laws and formulas are based on things working without friction or in a vacuum. Engineers work in a frictionless vacuum. The world ain’t like that!
College doesn’t teach much about life. There are some highly educated people who have no clue.
Sewell: Thanks for the screenshot of the Word 2007. I hadn’t seen it. It does look different. I asked one friend (she’s also in tech) if she would ever take a course to learn the new features of Word or even Office. She looked at me like I was crazy. I struggled a bit with navigating my mom’s Vista machine. I’m getting the hang of it. I’m not too worried about learning a new version of Word on my own.
Steve’s quote:
I get scared when I see people signing up for classes to learn Word. What’s next, people signing up for classes on how to breath or talk?
Cracked me up!
I hadn’t factored in the credit thing.. ahoy, it’s a good thing I’ve financed then, it’s my only revolving credit right now. Thanks for bringing me a positive!
Yowzer that screenshot scares me! hehehe
Sue (parts 1 and 2 - hehehe!): I had to laugh at Steve’s comment as well! I was a bit shocked when the woman told me about the class, especially since she was an administrative assistant. She was also fairly young - late 40s or early 50s. I would think she’d have had more computer experience.
It made me realize how much I DO know. In my field I don’t meet many people who aren’t computer literate. I have mentored and trained people on software though and I’m aware of the differences in knowledge. I try not to make people feel stupid! Some people are very intimidated by computers. It doesn’t help when someone tells them, “Oh, it’s just this…”
Yeah, the screenshot is a bit intimidating! Overload!
Glad knowing about the credit history helped you feel better about the car loan! I don’t like debt but…sometimes you gotta play the game.
The self-flaggelation thing was just my panic. I don’t normally feel that way about my blog or myself, but I’m a teensy worried about the review. I didn’t ask my readers because… I didnt’ think of it. I shall do that!
You could also look at their hushed silence as an indicator that one of the gods (computer tech people in CA) has falen from the sky into their midst! I have a lot of people who ask me for computer tech support, some pay some don’t.
I used to always attribute the lack of basic computer knowledge to laziness until I realized something. Many people did not grow up with a computer in the house, my first computer in the house was purchased in 1982 or so. Before that we had the Atari and the Pong system (yes, it just played pong).
I know some families that did not get their first computer until the late 1990’s! There is a bit of a computer generation gap out there that will fade in time.
Oh yes, I also have to laugh when I hear kids complain about how their home computer is a few years old and only has 512MB of RAM or runs just over a Ghz.
My first “real” PC was an IBM XT running at 4.77Mhz with 512KB of RAM and a 10MB hard drive. That I paid for myself and built from parts that I purchased from a “guy” one of my co-workers knew.
Even with your knowledge of computers you would be considered over-qualified for most of those menial jobs. Which brings up something else…
You know what? This comment is turning into a blog post and I think I will stop here and write it up as one tonight.
I never bring up my education and people actually assume that I do have degrees. There are people that pressure me to go back but why? I have no desire to run back into that and sink myself into debt. If I want to learn about something at this point, I’ll read a book on the topic on my own terms.
The real world does work very differently than the college days.
And I can’t tell you how many smart people I’ve encountered with no common sense. It’s almost like they are mentally disabled.
You do software? Apply for a job at Palm and help them bring their OS to at least 2004 as opposed to 1997 which is where it is now.
This is the one thing that irks me about this Palm phone I have. I traded in the blackberry because I got a sweet deal from sprint. My uncle works for them.
I think now-a-days it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. I’ve been working for the same company for the last 17 years and that’s what I’ve seen through out the company.
It’s even worse in the State jobs.
Luck has something to do with it too, being in the right place at the right time, regardless of your education or bank account. If it’s meant to be, then it’s meant to be.
But if I needed to get a job to support my family, then I’d work at any place that would accept me. Right now, we’re a single income family as it is, with my wife and our two pups.
God bless us all and I hope you find something soon MsQ.
State jobs are the worst!!!
Manager 1: I was thinking of hiring Ronnie’s son for that job.
Manager 2: What are his qualifications?
Manager 1: You deaf? I said he was Ronnie’s son!!!
Ricardo: I would have assumed you had a degree as well. Your intelligence shines from your writing. When it comes to an education, if you’re working for someone else, having a degree helps, especially when everyone else has one. If you’re working for yourself, well..your work speaks for itself. I think some type of broad education is good. I can see the value of having to take courses in other disciplines (like art if you’re into science and vice-versa).
I think one component of intelligence is curiousity and drive. There are many different types of intelligences as well as people are discovering. I think curious and questioning people end up getting a broad education even if they don’t go to school - they just keep asking and finding and branching off and asking more questions.
I’ve had to teach people to use software and what I found out is if they had a logical mind geared toward problem-solving, I could usually teach them how to use the software even if they had no computer or programming experience. I have had to teach people who told me they had a computer science degree and I wasn’t sure how they got through school. This is why I don’t put too much weight on a person’s degrees.
Hhahahaha about Palm OS! I use a Palm PDA. I wanted to support a non-Microsoft product. I just use the basic features though.
I don’t program software though. I just use it!
Rolando: You are so right in it’s who you know! Most people I know seem to have gotten their jobs via reference. My friends and contacts immediately started sending leads my way. I learned that my former company laid off someone I knew, a project manager, and I immediately began asking around my contacts to see if they had a lead for him.
This is one of the times when leading a life of integrity proves its worth! I never try to network just to network. I don’t want to use anyone nor do I want to feel used. I believe in “Good Karma!” I’ve had lots of support and it shows how true it is that you should be nice to people - you never know if they might be able to help you in the future!
Luck and “what is meant to be” is also part of my belief system. I’ve been very fortunate and I have come to believe that it IS the way I view life - I believe that all will be well and so it is. I ended up going back to school during a recession. I graduated during the dot-boom and found a job (via friends!) easily. A friend went to school during the boom and graduated during the bust. It took him about a year and a half to find a job and it wasn’t even in his career choice. I managed to survive the downturn and probably a dozen rounds of layoffs. I was let go but right now - there are jobs! Not bad timing at all.
Yes, when you have a family you do have to do whatever you have to to support them!
Thanks for your well wishes!
HMTKSteve: Yeah, I agree with you about State jobs and being qualified! I once interned at a city agency. It was great pay for an intern at the time. My manager had come from the private sector and there was a lot of eyeball rolling on his part on having to deal with things the “government way” which was really, “the ineffective way.” We got along great. What I saw was that if you did your job well then all the work ended up coming to you. So there would be a few people who did most of the work or were selected if it “needed to be done right.”
There was no financial reward for a job well done, just more work! I vowed never to work for the government! It wasn’t just the lower pay and wacky “reward” system but the attitude of the workers - almost a slacker mentality. Blech. I know someone who works for the state. It’s a grind and he wants to find another job.
I don’t support microsoft either and will not use windows mobile. for computing I use a mac and will not use anything else. the Palm os is stable but they really need to make an OS that is cable of multitasking. I had that on my blackberry. This should be standard. There are other issues as well and I can go on and on but the bottom line…1998 called and they want their desktop icons back.
Haha Ricardo. The mac is cool, but there is no right click, lol. I love my Windows Mobile
Rolando, with the new super mouse that Apple came out with, there is! That was the one thing that annoyed me too.
Hey Ricardo I didn’t know that. But at this point you can’t teach this old dog new tricks, lol