| The days of 40-hour work weeks with benefit | | | | and...." |
| packages and retirement shares are quickly going the | | | | Unlikely? Hardly! It happens every Friday in every city |
| way of dinosaurs, phonograph records and VCR's... | | | | and town in America. The truest truism I've ever read |
| and remember 8-track tapes? You see it at Home | | | | says that your biggest risk is to stay in your safe, |
| Depot, libraries, and grocery stores - self checkout | | | | dependable corporate job. Yet, most of your friends |
| lanes, and no help to be found in the aisles when | | | | and family are going to counsel you to do just that if |
| you're looking for a particular size dress, or for the guy | | | | you begin talking about leaving or going into business |
| to cut your PVC plumbing pipe. | | | | for yourself. |
| Corporate America is changing, and the savvy are | | | | These play-it-safe voices are raised for your own |
| getting ready now to find their own way, whether on | | | | good, or so they'll tell you and so you'll believe. But the |
| the books with their own business, or with one of the | | | | risk in at least not having a plan is great in this day and |
| more off-the-book individual entrepreneurial responses | | | | age. The shakiest ground is at the level of the |
| to an over-taxed, under-personalized culture. | | | | corporate environment. The scariest but least risky |
| The resume mindset always asks what you can do, | | | | ground is going it on your own or with a partner or |
| how much, how many, how long, and what titles you | | | | two. |
| had while you were doing these things. Corporations | | | | The scariest thing here is the thought that you have to |
| are seldom interested in the individual, giving only lip | | | | do it on your own... alone. Nope! You do have to do it |
| service in the tiny box provided at the end for "hobbies | | | | on your own, but never, never, ever alone. There may |
| and interests." Truthfully, you know that corporations | | | | be people who will give or lend you money; offer |
| are not looking for creative individuals, but only for | | | | certain abilities you don't have; introduce you to |
| those who can do more, faster to make the company | | | | mentors or experts; teach you certain skills or |
| money. It's time to TOSS the Resume'. | | | | information; allow you to use their space for free; lend |
| Your first step in preparing for the corporate | | | | you equipment; etc. But if you're not clear who you are |
| downsizing movement is to know who you are. | | | | (step one, prepare your curriculum vitae), and if you're |
| Rewrite your resume' as if it were a "curriculum vitae" | | | | not clear where you want to go, then it will be difficult |
| (the course of one's life). Write it for yourself. | | | | to assess who and what you need. |
| What are you really "good" at? Do you like to talk with | | | | The second step in preparing for corporate downsizing |
| people for extended periods of time? Do you spend a | | | | is to prepare a plan. Your plan should be beyond |
| lot of time rearranging the furniture in your house, | | | | checking the classifieds for a similar situation to that |
| painting the walls, or cleaning everything in spotless | | | | which you've just left. This might work as a temporary |
| detail? Do you love to spend hours weeding your | | | | transition to moving into your own life to your own |
| garden, going through gardening catalogues choosing | | | | music. You could include it as one element to your plan, |
| ancient seeds from seed banks? Do you really | | | | but only as a temporary measure. It can buy you time; |
| secretly love taking your kids to Disney Land, and | | | | help you develop some savings or pay off current |
| planning great kid vacations? Do you spend endless | | | | debts; or help you learn some needed skill. |
| days at the mall just shopping or window shopping? | | | | Knowing who you are and knowing where you want |
| Do you collect anything? What do friends and family | | | | to go will get you nowhere until you actually (Gulp!) |
| members joke and criticize you about? This is what | | | | take some action on your plan. If you manage to get |
| should go on your curriculum vitae. Who are you, | | | | yourself this far, this might actually be the final and |
| really? | | | | highest hurdle. You could scare yourself out of it, |
| Rethinking the corporate day, consider your typical | | | | knowing internally that this one step will change your |
| routine. You get up to an alarm, get your shower; | | | | life forever (actually, it was step number one, preparing |
| choose the corporate outfit; get the kids up, dressed | | | | the curriculum vitae); or by listening to the play-it-safe |
| and fed; drop them at school or the sitters; stop at the | | | | voices of friends and family that have now taken up |
| drive-up Starbucks window for your morning latte and | | | | residence in your mind; or by looking at the final |
| muffin; call on your cell phone to see if the dry cleaner | | | | destination goal and seeing it as overwhelming to the |
| is open yet; think over your day ahead; and you're not | | | | extent of being impossible. Here's where you need |
| even through the doors yet. | | | | only remember, you're simply preparing for an |
| You sit at your desk; check your email while you eat | | | | eventuality that you may never have or want to act |
| your breakfast (the muffin and latte); rush off to the | | | | upon. And in this thought, you can easily take that first |
| meeting; then back to your desk to work on the five | | | | step. |
| new assignments taken out of the meeting; quickly | | | | Make it simple. Make it easy. Don't scare yourself with |
| dart into the restroom and grab a candy bar and | | | | something huge on the first day of action - well, unless |
| coffee from the vending machine (or a donut that | | | | you really believe in yourself that much! Take some |
| Jane has sitting in the box on her desk) on the way | | | | books out of the library. Sign up for a local community |
| back; work through most of lunch except for 15 | | | | college class for some particular skill or license you |
| minutes to rush out to the dry cleaners which is now | | | | think you'll need. Do some internet research. The next |
| open; return to your desk where you realize you've | | | | step will come as you gather information. |
| been here half the day and have only done 45 | | | | Remember, you are always in charge. You can slow it |
| minutes of real productive work, and that was during | | | | down or change your mind at any moment. But you'll |
| the lunch hour; and you get the picture here. | | | | always have the knowledge of who you are and a |
| Then comes Friday afternoon, and the boss wants to | | | | possible plan for a day when you'll quite possibly need |
| see you in the office. "I hate to be the one to have to | | | | to have it. That is miles ahead of what most people |
| tell you this, but the company has decided to downsize, | | | | have. |