A while back I was out to lunch with a couple of work colleagues and a candidate for a position at our work we were looking to fill. At one point the candidate indicated that she was interested in working for us only on contract and not as an employee as she felt we were too small of a company and she preferred the job security she currently held.
After the meeting I remarked to my friend that I thought the issue of job security was a lame farce and a pretended illusion that people pull over their eyes.
I get a bit upset at our society because we all seem to be in fear of loss. Too many see the a world of not enough. Retail has done everything it can to feed into this fear with all of the “for a limited time only” and “we will beat any price” and all the other tactics used to entice the fearful public to spend and believe in some price guarantee, 100% customer satisfaction junk.
In the case of employment it is foolishness to believe that you have a right to retain a position with anyone. Simply look to the source of all doom and gloom (the media) and you see companies that stood like rocks for years, here today and gone tomorrow. Small companies, private companies, large well established corporations, do you think anyone at Ford is worried about there job?
The government can pretend to be the savior of necessary industries and failing companies but that was never the intent of our founding fathers nor is it within the proper role of government. O.K. so im getting off on a tangent a bit.
Last week my company laid about half of us off including myself. I walked away a much richer and wiser man because I still retained all that could not be taken away from me. That is to say my skills, my knowledge, talents, abilities, and most important the relationships forged during my 2 1/2 years there. Those are the only true things which can be considered job security. It is your very ability to reason and utilize your body, mind and the tools at your disposal that allow you to work, to produce and retain a profit from your labors. It is socialism to try and insure employment and I hope that we as a people can see that truth and not demand that big brother watch out for us.
Here is a good article to back me up: Why You Should Never Get a Job by By Shaun Connell
2 Comments
Glenerd – profound blog post, and I simply have to say Amen to that! It is complacency and laziness that gets into a rut where we stop striving to improve ourselves and build our talents and abilities – I know I have been in such ruts before. You make a great point in your last sentence – I too hope for the same!
Gunnel,
You have gained wisdom in the years since we last worked together. Now that you have proven that you are a guru I must offer you help with your quest for another job. If you would consider to live and work in fiery Phoenix, send me a word. IF not, then consider also that Phoenix only has a bad reputation because of … the media. I like it here a lot.