The 405 Club

(Editor’s note:  I would like to thank those who volunteered their experiences for this week’s writing.  In return for their stories, I have changed their names to insure anonymity).

One of the most critical times during job search occurs when you receive an employment offer.  If you have done your homework and impressed your future employers, the offer should represent fair and equitable compensation for your abilities.  If however, you feel that the offer has come too quickly, or you notice a problem with the employment offer, it is best to ask questions before you accept the offer.  If you are one of the few fortunate individuals who jumped directly from your previous position to new one, the degree of caution you need to exercise must be even greater.  You will discover the dangers of accepting an offer too quickly from today’s lessons.  

Lesson Number 1 (Major Misrepresentation):   Charles thought he was making a good career move…

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(Writer’s note:  I would like to thank those who volunteered their experiences for this week’s and next week’s writing.  In return for their stories, I have changed their names to insure anonymity).

My job search consisted of over six months worth of networking, cold calling, lengthy interviews and follow ups.  For me, the end result was a combination of timing, skill, and yes, some good luck. 

For those of us who are fortunate enough to be in the final phases of job search, it is imperative that you are just as careful in considering offers of employment as you were in the earlier phases of your search.  In order to prove this point, some of my friends and associates shared their personal experiences which I, in turn, would like to share with our readers.  The point which needs to be emphasized is that good judgment and caution are required during all phases of job search. 

With this in mind, my writings for the next two weeks have to do with Employment Offer Horror Stories, and the lessons that can be learned.

Lesson Number 1 (The offer that went away): 

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We all daydream once in awhile.  As I was navigating my way through traffic today, I was thinking about a time in the not so distant past.  I was remembering a late Friday afternoon.   I had just received my performance review, and although the company had a 5% limit on annual raises, I was told that I would get a 10% raise because a project I initiated resulted in a double digit increase in company sales.  

   On the drive home that day I was listening to the radio.  It was time for the daily stock watch.  I smiled as I heard that the company stock I invested in had another significant increase.  It was a period of prosperity;   it seemed like prosperity bubble kept going up and the ceiling was yet to be found.

   That weekend, my wife and I took our daughter to the mall and treated her to some stuffed animals at Build-a Bear…

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This week I spent some time reorganizing my desk at home. I was about to call it a night when I noticed some data CD’s in back of my monitor.  I decided to take a look at them and found they contained several projects I was working on during my job search. 

One of those CD’s contained a first draft for a book I was planning to write.  The book dealt with people who had a profound impact on my life.  As I reviewed the disc, I found a file called “Bob’s story.”  I felt his story had to be told, as it portrayed how hopeless job search can become. 

I would like to offer this to our readers as it conveys a very important message to those who lose their sense of self worth: although job search is important; it is not the most important thing in life.  Health, hope and life itself are far more important…

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As I am writing this, I am getting ready for a few days of rest and relaxation.  Although my family is anxiously waiting for me to finish packing, I felt I had to get at least one more thought in print.

On weekends I generally start the day by reading the local paper.  This week, the news was particularly depressing.  Aside from a tragic motor vehicle accident, the BP oil spill cleanup, and of course, the high unemployment rate, the one issue which continues to get under my skin has to do with the Senators and Congressmen who talk of those who are out of work as “lazy” and “unmotivated.”

In fact, nothing can be further from the truth.  Since my previous employer closed shop in New York last year, the most motivated individuals that I have ever met are my 149 former co-workers who lost their jobs last year.  As of this writing, many of them are still unemployed.  In addition, my daughter has also been looking for work since her semester ended in early June… 

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