I've been on both sides, an employee working for piddly,
harrassed by a boss, and an employer responsible for
payrolls. I've seen downsizing and now, upsizing.Our economy is on a real roll right now. This is
an ideal time for unskilled employees to go back and
improve their education--get a marketable skill,
whatever. Education, while not a panacea, is still
the best method to get power in the job market. If
you have a marketable skill, you have less chance
of being squashed by those with more power than
yourself.
Case in point. My daughter and son-in-law are both
engineers. They don't care if their employer gives
them a bad time, because they have head hunters
calling them up begging them to change jobs. Each
could have a new job on Monday morning simply by
picking up the phone--or saying yes the next time
a head-hunter calls them.
It's amazing what "personal power" can do for
your mood and well being. Actually neither of
their employers gives them a bad time now...
they don't dare.
I know our economy is cyclical, and not
everyone can get through engineering school.
But I recently hired a plumber/electrician
(a refugee from Romania) and will pay him
over 1,000 dollars for work I need done. He's
worked for us for years and is always busy.
He's dependable, honest and does good work.
He has a large family and can still afford
to go back to Europe every other year, taking
his whole brood with him.
Workers, quit complaining, get a skill and
learn to do it well, and you will get some
of your OWN personal power. I admit there
will always be times of some dislocation and
difficulty in a labile economy, but Ivan
has NEVER had any problems in any economy.
If you need a plumber--well you just need
him, bad economy or not.
Michael M. Rosenblatt
