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Who knew that we are where we are in today’s economic catastrophe.

Let’s begin with the Corporate Financial firms making millions & billions while also getting “stimulus packages” to help those corporations from avoiding filing Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. Where did all the stimulus money go? Executive corruption? Trading fraud? Huge excessive executive bonuses and payouts? Money laundering? Who knows where all the money went and if it will ever be paid back?? Did the President not state prior to giving out the stimulus packages that every penny would be accounted for?  There is a site kind of stating where the money went at http://www.recovery.gov/Pages/default.aspx but No Break Down do I see which business companies got how much and how it was used. Should I really be surprised? Nope. Who suffers the most? Tax Payers.

Then we have the housing collapse. Value of homes that were overvalued. Mortgages given to those spending well beyond their income and not insuring that the loans would be paid back? So in turn, homes for sale or being foreclosed are at an alarming rate. Home building put on hold and even stopped due to lack of home buyers.Who knew how much of a negative impact would be put on the housing situation due to the negative economic fallout.

Mom and Pop shops, as we know them, and other small businesses in serious trouble. With the economy spending less and watching every penny, these shops as well as others are closing like there is no tomorrow. Every one of us has seen or knows someone who had a business who had to close their doors due to the economy and people just not spending. It is a sad thing to witness driving around and seeing For Sale, Rent or Lease signs on store fronts. Even seeing “Going Out Of Business, Everything Must Go”. Who knows if and when these stores will ever re-open?  I’m wondering how the owners of such stores and buildings can survive without having income come in to pay for the real estate taxes and other bills.

The economy today leaves most of us today in awe, job insecurity and wondering if and when things will change for the better. At this point, I don’t think it would matter who will be President as these issue’s will do not have an easy fix. It will take years or maybe even decades to try and get back to some type of normalcy. This is not just for a state or our country alone. This is affecting the Whole World! Some worse of then others. Who knows how things will pane out over the next year or decade or ever!

But we all hope for the best for our retirement, children and our future! May God Help Us All.

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WHOKNEW? Why me? Why you? Why any decent working professional. Well, I think the title of this article says it all. Unemployment, what a very, very harsh and scary word. But yet living up to its name through these trying times we face.

I’m sure we all know of at least one person who is currently unemployed. We all know of at least one person who has been out of work for at least 6 months, a year or longer. Who knew that it would get so bad? Losing your work for whatever reason; position eliminated, lack of work, downsizing or just plain fired.

Some of us, including myself being unemployed going on 2 years were at least fortunate enough to get a little severance package from work during our departure. Most of us probably just got a “Can you come into my office please” and being told of cutbacks and layoffs and leaving empty handed. Either way, there is never a good way to leave a job, but is much worse leaving empty handed. You have a mortgage or paying rent, you have to provide for your family or self, you have bills and other possible unforeseen expenses; you have to worry about Medical Insurance. Who knew how much of a negative impact, burden and stress losing a job could have on a person and family? If you are fortunate not to know, just ask the person you know unemployed.

On top of this, there are not many jobs out there aside of working maybe at a pizzeria, fast food restaurant, or some other odd job you normally would not do. By this, I do not mean that these jobs are worthless, not at all. But to those coming from the corporate world with specializations and a skill set for other types of work, this is not the answer for most. For the short term to bring some kind of income in, it will have to do. But for the long run, you most likely want to get something you have been learning and doing most of your career. Yes, some may change their career due to the current economic and unemployment situation, but most may not want to start a new career, especially when they have been doing the same type of work for over 20 or 30 years. Who knows.

Some major problems to unemployment is Job Security, Outsourcing and Off Shoring jobs. To me, job security means there is no turn around in the work force. Turn around is when people usually will leave their current jobs to go work for another company for either a better position, salary or challenge. In today’s world, people are struggling just to keep their current job, no matter how much they may hate their existing job. Outsourcing or Off Shoring is a way for a company to think they will save money and thinking that they will get back more, financially. With this being said, I’m sure you have noticed when you call a support or help line number, you get someone halfway around the world? Not understanding what they may say or having to repeat yourself numerous times? Who knew this would happen? Well, you can thank those company executives who think they were doing us all a favor. I only wished those Executives would call them on a daily basis to see how ridiculous this makes their company look.

 I remember a few years back recruiters used to knock at my door; I could walk out of my office, go the next floor or building and get a job with almost no problem. Today? Well, it’s unfortunately a new world out there and I really mean a new World out there. This is not just affecting us here in the US, but all across the world, impact is being felt both economically and unemployment wise. Who knew that we would have been in this situation just a few years back?

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To have a successful technology customer service group providing superior quality of service to their customers and users, there has to be a mutual joint respectfulness between Management and there sub ordinates.  Really, who knew? IT does give you an idea of what to think about at your work place and see if the Corporate Culture is true to their employees.

In this day and age, in some cases, this may be somewhat scarce as it seems that all anyone does is what is best for themselves, not the group or company. Unfortunately, this in turn would provide average to below average service, no respect amongst colleagues and would really damper the culture and atmosphere of any work place.  Workers will complain more, management and upper management in most cases are never satisfied and in turn, everyone is out against everyone and who knows what outcome may lie ahead?

What is even worse? Company mergers. It’s like a Star Wars movie when everything turns to the Dark Side. When new Management (Darth Vader) comes in from the company that was acquired and in turn, do whatever they want, right or wrong, just to show they have control. No matter how long the original employee(s) has been there, years of sweat, burning the midnight oil, caring for the company, staff and work, building a solid reputation, it all goes out the window in a blink of an eye. When new management feels threaten of these types of employees, they try to get rid of them, without question even from Human Resource and bring in their own people, without regard.

Who knew on how savage the Corporate environment could be. What does this say about management-employee relation? I bring this up because it is related to Management relations that for me turned out to be the worst case scenario. With the new management in place, when you have meetings to discuss major projects and they decide to take the wrong path to accomplish them successfully and you give your opinion to do the right thing; you get “Why are you always fighting us?” Excuse me? Is this not a meeting of open discussion to express our views? Fine, let’s do it wrong so you can learn a lesson. Then, before you know it, at the end, their wrong decision making is pinned on you, the scapegoat and only then do you realize what they really wanted to accomplish. 

But I will say this. When at the end after you are let go and then find out sometime after that the company realized what type of person, or in this case, looser(s) they brought in, not doing their job(s) and even doing something that would get them fired at the end, does bring a little satisfaction. Who knew this would happen? I knew by their work ethic. This also confirms a saying I pretty much live by: “What goes around, comes around”. Another good saying is if you “talk the talk, walk the walk”. I am one that has always done this. I Lead by Example.

It is really a shame with today’s economic issues, unemployment rising with no end in sight; lose of security in the job market and no turn over making getting another job more difficult. Who knew that we would get to this point today, not just in the U.S., but all over the world? But, I still value good relations & Networking. We are all part of a Team! One fails, we all fail. Management has to look beyond themselves and need to realize what is best not just for themselves, but for their employees and the company by taking on the Ownership and Responsibility!