Recession Strategy Part One: Avoid Fear

in Adverse Events Careers economy entertainment by cc — April 13, 2009 at 2:52 pm | 1 comment

The recession is in full swing. Right before their very eyes, people are seeing their career options shrink. They may be seeing their shelter, food, clothing, and health at risk if they are really suffering. Not finding what they are looking for, they begin to lower their criteria. The thought begins to enter their heads: “I will take anything I can get to keep my head above water…”

STOP!!!! Hit the brakes, people. I want to take this opportunity to illuminate our fear-stricken minds. And for that illumination, I turn to one of the world’s philosophical minds.

“Fear is the path to the dark side.”

These words come to us from the mouth of tiny, green, pointy-eared, but formidable, Jedi master Yoda (yes, Yoda… you got a problem with that?).  Never were truer words spoken. Of all the emotions that humans experience, few can be as destructive as fear. Fear makes people do dumb things and make poor decisions, usually based on the heat of the moment. Fear can easily lead you to do things that you regret later. At its very worst, fear has been responsible for genocide, murder, and war (the dark side, for sure). At the least, fear is responsible for most of the little ways we hold ourselves back and choose the easy path instead of the one less travelled.

Let’s apply this to the recession. People see their career disappear into thin air. Visions of homelessness, poverty, and utter despair flood their minds. Unless a conscious decision is made, fear takes the driver seat and pulls over at the first hint of survival. The person takes anything they can get, which is usually a pretty crappy choice. Chances are, it is not in the long-term interest of the job-seeker. It does not develop their skills, but, for the next few years, that crappy choice will drain the life out of that person, making them resentful, bringing down their job performance and overall self-worth. Fear has gotten the best of them and rewarded them nothing.

I can hear someone shouting back at me, “Well, what would you do? I got mouths to feed. I’ve got to do something. I can’t afford to be picky.” I know exactly what that feels like because I’ve been there.

Don’t take this the wrong way, but that’s fear talking. That response is not based on reason. It is based on fear that nothing better will come along. It’s based on fear that you aren’t good enough to get something better. It’s based on fear that you, with all of your talents and hard work and mental faculties can’t think of a better way. These fears are false.

So, although it is natural to feel fear initially when things fall apart, you can choose whether that fear stays in control of your decisions or not. Fear will not reward you; likely it will leave you with a choice you regret. Reason, optimism, and resourcefulness, however, will create abundant opportunity. Keep in mind, I am not saying you should not be somewhat flexible. I am saying don’t be so quick to take a job that you know isn’t you just because you’re feeling desperate.

So, as you head to the career fair to join the lemming stampede, or submit your resume to hundreds of job postings, don’t sell out to fear. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt and take a deep breath. You will be glad years from now, when you can say with relief you did not succumb to the dark side.
 

Tags: career search economic crisis financial meltdown job fair job search recession unemployment yoda