"Nine months ago Mark Cooper lost his job as the security manager for the western United States for a Fortune 500 company, overseeing a budget of $1.2 million and earning about $70,000 a year. Now he is grateful for the $12 an hour he earns as a janitor."
Tsk, tsk, tsk, this is one really disheartening write-up, which I read while doing one of my freelance part-time jobs. I said to myself, I'm thankful I still have my part-time jobs, and I'm still able to have clients for the various services I offer...but I wonder how long this situation will last (or even, how low this situation will get worsened?)? Some people I met here have lost their jobs 6 months ago, and they have not got any good offer up to now after months of job search. And I wonder why I hear some feedback from some friends and acquaintances who are based in Asia that show that their economies are not as badly affected by this economic downturn the US is experiencing in its worst form since Depression years.
I could not forget the write-up that I decided I should "dugg" it, and I proceeded to blog on it now. If you're up to it and have the time, please find time to read as well the comments made by NYT readers on the day it was on the headlines, & you'll get a fair idea of how people think nowadays of the worsening job situation.
Current economic situation reminds me somewhat of what I experienced back in the Philippines. I've been telling some of my friends who were born and raised here in the US. They seemed not to be getting it, like comparing the US to a country that's generally regarded as a "third world country" (but actually nowadays, among the world's "newly emerging economies."). I just continued reminding myself that I can very well be served by the lessons I've learned from working in the environment found in the Philippines. There's not much to be compared, but there are interesting similarities. My exposure mainly about the US economy's mainly here in NYC, which is far from what is generally seen all over the US. I'm just comforted about the fact that I can use much of my learnings accumulated from being employed and an entrepreneur back in the Philippines.
I myself has got to adjust so much, in many fronts. I'm now looking at the advantages of having started facing changes ever since I came here in the US in 2006. I'm just grateful I have shifted to doing freelance work, where I can offer what I am able to do, I've become self-employed; I still don't have much of the benefits most of those employed have or even take for granted. I'm grateful I'm able to pay myself for doing what I want to be doing; I'm able to do some of my work even in my pyjamas; I'm even able to refuse to deal with other ignominies of my current situation. What's is there really to think fabulous or marvelous of doing a managerial job? Honestly, you got to like being a manager, before you can even be happy about it; part of your compensation actually comes from being regarded as a manager. But on the overall, it's the same situation even if you do a lowly-ranked position---everyone works for the good of the organization. If you fail the organization, it simply spits you out in (due) time.
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