I am Not Part of the 99%

Like every stereotype out there, I feel like I’m am being smashed in with a vast generalization that just because I don’t make millions of dollars, I am part of the disgruntled 99% crowd.

I am not part of the 99%. And I really don’t like these people speaking on behalf of me.

I guess it’s time then I speak for myself so that I can be my own .0001%.

While the American Dream did not work out for me without any bumps, I do not blame anyone for those bumps. Those were mine, and I am thankful for them. I am thankful that when the economy really started tanking and I was facing pay cuts and furloughs, that I still had access to clean water, hospitals, and food. I am happy that we are not facing a Dust Bowl-era, and even in times of great need, people are helping each other. This summer being in Missouri, I saw hardworking people who may have already been struggling drop everything to help out Joplin. And the people in Joplin were ready to work hard, too.

Even while I am job searching now, I know companies are hiring. I see it everyday. Recruiters have been responsive to the fact that I consider my future in my control, not handing off my life to be run by someone else. I do not expect a company or anyone else to take care of me. Why should I bother to live if I hand over the reigns?

Rock Center aired a story about North Dakota, an area that has thousands of jobs available. I have to be willing to change my perspective of viable jobs, and yes, be more willing to take on drastic changes like dealing with a North Dakota winter.

If people don’t want to get their hands dirty or they want the perfect job for a particular skill set, that’s an option, too. But I know it is all about the legwork. I know that I want to do certain things in my career, and I really don’t want to move backward when I’m essentially training to move forward. So that just means I need to apply more often, meet people  more often, get out there and improve the product (me) that a company would want to hire. If I want to be picky in my career search, there’s a cost.

I also do not believe people who do work hard and earn results are evil. The receptionist or janitor who works at JPMorgan Chase or Goldman Sachs should not be lumped into the 1% and be considered evil by association. They go in, get the job done, and move the world forward.

That’s what we need right now. People willing to move the world forward instead of stall out. People who take ownership in that. People who want to be their own .0001%.

What would happen then?

Tagged as: careers, job search, professional development, work, working hard