Help Wanted? Wetre here to help.

I voNc rHE Mosr UPSETTING CALLS I receive are those from people who have been let go lf'from their jobs in the industry. In many cases, they have-become good friends, and I know they were dedicated to their jobs and the companies they served. of cou.se, I always try to steer them to companies I know might be hiring-but, of late, that's been an increasingly short list.

If you have been let go from your job, in most cases it is not easy to deal with-for you or your family. with our industry in depression and a no-hiring mode in place, the wait to get a new job can be excruciatingly long and painful. And when that happens, it can go from bad to worse with not being able to meet debts, going into defauli with mortgale lenders, etc.

Over a long career it is inevitable you will lose your job at some time. But unlike a few years back when you could changejobs like you changed socks, today few find themselves in a new job thefollowing week. It used to be said thaf you needed one month ofjob search for gvery $10,000 you earned. The official average wait for a new job is nowill days. And when you get to that sixth or seventh month, you really start to doubt yourself and may be tempted to just give up.

If you are looking for a new job, your first task should be to take stock of what you have done in your career and determine what your skills are. Understand your talents, strengths and weaknesses to help you determine and re-evaluate what you realiv want to do next. It is an ideal time to decide if you would like to try your hand at something completely new, such as creating or buying a business and running it yourself.

That's what I did l0 years ago. I decided I no longer wanted to be working for someone 9lse, so I quit my high-paying job. At first, I thought I would be happier swimming on Siesta Key in Florida, then realized that I needed to be doing ro-.1hing different to recharge my worn-down batteries. The decision I made then was the best I have ever made-and one of the riskiest, so be forewarned. It's not for everyone. But now is a great time to re-assess what you want to do or what would make you happy. Rarely in life are we allowed to do what we do best, but having no paycheck may give us the courage ro starr afresh. Make a list of all the things you enjoy doing, and ask yourself if there are other options. You do not have to stay in one industry all your life, but you need to be honest about what you are good at. Receiving feedback from those around might be more telling of your strengths and weaknesses, provided you can handle the truth.

My searches were lonely times. Friends I thought I could count on often disappeared. So find one or two people in the same situation as you, someone who knows exactly what you are going through, someone you can bounce ideas off of. someone who in their own search might see some opportunities for you, but who also can feel the ioys and sorrows of an often difficult and demoralizing process.

Lastly, create new network opportunities. In looking back, most of my c.e.o. jobs resulted from people who worked with or competed with me. But while good networks can open up new opportunities, they can grow stale after a few months of unemplovment. so take the- opportunity to not only reach out to people you have met in the puri, uut go the extra mileto meet new people, whether it be joining an association, attending seminais, joining a health club, etc. I find myself talking to lots of people when I am ouiand about, and vou never know when such acquaintances might become useful. I wish those without a job much success in their search, and I urge anyone in ajob to give help and advice wherever possible. You never know when you may need that same help, and usually what goes around, comes around.

I wouW like to make an offer to the thousands of companics who read our publications. We h'ant to help, If your compan! has jobs available, we will give you up to a $50 credit for a Help Wanted od in next monthis April issue, which is one of our most-read issues of the lear. Ads up to 40 words are absolutely free. Send us your text for The Merchant by March 25. Fax 949-852-0231 or email dkoenig@building-products.com. There are a lot of good peopk looking for a new opportunity. Together, let's try to get them back to work as soon as possible.

Alan Oakes. Publisher ajoakes@aol.com

www. building-products.com

A publication of Cutler Publishing 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, CA 92660

Publisher Alan 0akes ajoakes@aol.com

Publisher Emeritus David Cutler

Editor David Koenig dkoenig@building-products.com

Associate Editor Karen Debats kdebats@building-products.com

Conhibuting Editors Dwight Cunan, Carla Waldemar, James Olsen, Jay Tompt

Advertising Sales Manager Chuck Casey ccasey@building-products.com

Administration Director/Secretary Marie 0akes mfpoakes@aol.com

Girculation Manager Heather Kelly hkelly@building-products.com

How to Advertise

WEST, MIDWEST, SOUTHEAST Chuck Casey

Phone (949) 852-1 990 Fax 949-852-0231 ccasey@building-products.com

NORTHEAST Paul Mummolo 404 Princeton Ave., Brick, N.J, 08724 Phone (732) 899-8102 Fax 732-899-2758 mummolop@comcast.net

ONLINE Alan Oakes www.building-products.com

Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 ajoakes@aol.com

CLASSIFIED David Koenig

Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-023'1 dkoenig@building-products.com

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