Hello the Layoff generation term came to me like the many other random ideas I get throughout the week. Many people I know including myself have been laid off at least once in their lives and I’m beginning to question are we the new layoff generation. The generation where a pink slip is always on the back of people’s minds and can come at a moments notice. Where is the loyalty company’s had back in the 80’s for its employees, or the security company’s provided employees in the 60’s? Back then it was the norm to work at a single employer for decades. Now we average about 10-12 jobs in our lifetimes. Leaving all of us to wonder what can we expect for our kids and grandkids careers? Will they be laid off twice as much as us or maybe three times the average.
I think work is becoming very much a make me a lot of money and I will not release you to acquire a cheaper faster younger version of you. This is just downright sad to slap millions with unemployment, during the worst recession in U.S. history, after giving all those years of hard work and effort. That will just make this generation feel abandoned, scolded, and guarded in the next job we get. “Corporate America is evolving and if you are not in line with our profits then move and get out-of-the-way they say.” Even the government has adopted the same policy and will cut people’s pay while adding a furlough period on top of it to save money. How about cutting all the bloat funds going to the military, before cutting federal employees’ salaries I say. I think common sense has taken a back seat to company’s bottom line. Loyalty was stuffed in time capsule back in the late 80’s never to be found. Enough is enough.
What can you do to avoid being victimized by the layoff experience? Take a proactive approach and learn as much as possible. Make your skills speak for themselves and make them want you by entertaining various offers every year from other companies. Go to college and get a profession that will give you a career you can control. Not even CEO’s who originally founded their companies are safe now days. Just ask the Groupon CEO, who recently got the boot with no severance. Imagine you build a great website with a million readers, make the company public, thus needing a board to police the CEO and the company, then getting fired from the company you started. That is just wrong, and should never be considered unless the CEO was abusing the company’s value and possibly hurting the bottom line.
Professional Careers that will help you beat the layoff pink slip:
Doctor – (Degrees and Certifications in the medical field)
Lawyer and Judges
Dentist
IT Professionals – (Learn all programming skills)
App Development – (Learn coding for application creation)
Registered Nurse
Police Officers with 5 years or more already served
Certified Financial Professional (Auditor, Treasury, Payroll, Tax, Comptroller)
Engineers with high credentials
High level School Administrator – (Principles, Superintendents)
These are just a few of the positions that will help you avoid the possibilities of being laid off. In addition to this you will have the skills necessary to be in demand anywhere in the US and possibly internationally. I hope you can see the difference between having a regular job and having a career like the ones I mentioned above. It will take hard work to achieve a career in these fields, but anything is possible. As long as you begin your journey in the right way and if you know early on in college what is it that you want to do will help a lot? Consistently building skills will eventually get you to achieve more and possibly save you from a future lay off.
Feedback from the Readers:
Comment if you feel we are the layoff generation?
Comment if you already are in one of these positions? How difficult was it to accomplish? Have you avoided being laid off?
Rich Uncle EL
Yes and no. I feel that some industries are more vulnerable than others. I work in the funeral industry and we are growing faster than ever so I don't feel like it's affecting me personally.
Wow that is great that you have not ever been affected by a lay off. I'm sure you have heard of somebody who has though in the last few years. The message I wanted to share is that, I hope people can find great careers where they are not susceptible to being let go. Thanks for the comment.