Despite a glimmer of hope that the recession may be over, there are obvious signs that many people have become just burned out. Whether it’s job seekers whose searches have exceeded their savings or workers who have carried the load of others for just too long. The statistic from the Bureau of Labor citing that work related suicides were up over 25% in 2009 is sobering. Matt Krumrie, workplace columnist for the Star Tribune, was also seeing an increase in readers saying they are exhausted, the search is too long, no one is hiring, there aren’t any jobs, etc., etc. He felt compelled to ask the question, “are people doing everything they can to improve their situation?” This is not to say that people haven’t been trying. It does suggest however that many have given up.
I tell clients that in terms of the recession we are not out of the woods yet, and it will take time, maybe up to a year for the employment picture to look better? So this is not the time to throw in the towel, it is a time to reach out and get help to improve your search, and reassess options. Every day every person can choose whether to be a victim of their situation or a survivor. My hope is that people choose the later and ask themselves, “am I doing everythng I can?” and reach out for help. Cultivating Careers helps professionals make career decisions while in a job or in between jobs.
