Dear Friends -
Transitioning is a non profit organisation that reaches out to those who are unemployed and underemployed. We survive depending on the contributions from friends and the public who like what we do. Once again, we urge you to donate generously to our cause using our paypal button on the Donation icon on the blog or simply email me at goh_gilbert@yahoo.com or gilbert@transitioning.org for other modes of donations. We have survived four years because people like you care enough to contribute and we urge you to do so again. We are here for you.
Gilbert
Number of View: 599
Hi Gilbert,
It nice to have a support group started. I have recently being placed jobless.
This is the second time but this time it seem to be really tough.
This first was 4 year ago, and it took me 6 months to get a new job.
With the second time hitting me, its really depressing.
It hard to share the feelings with family as I would not want them to worry.
Rather then going into a state of depression I would rather get on to a support group this time.
Keep me updated …
Steven (name changed to protect identity of the reader)
P/S: Steven will be included in our support group activities next month.
Related posts:
- 7 Ways To Come out of Prolonged Unemployment
- Facing Joblessness With Confidence – Be Prepared
- How To Maintain Family Harmony During Unemployment
Post Published: 23 February 2009
Author: Gilbert Goh
Found in section:
Email A Counsellor
Tags: age, cleaner, colleague, compensation, counselling, Education, employment, executive, experience, foreigner, interview, Jobs Available, lonely, loss, resignation, resume, retrenchment, sack, salary, senior, superior, support, WDA, work, worker, workfare, workplace
Hi Steven,
Welcome to the 21st century where what you are experiencing will become the norm.
The events in the past decade, asian currency crisis in 1998, 9/11 in 2001, Sars in 2003, and now sub-prime mortgage in 2008 are all different in nature but have the effect has been the same: job losses. Frankly, I don’t know what’s going to happen in 4 – 5 years time, but I bet the result will be the same: job losses.
So I really sympathize with people who, in the last decade, had so diligently applied the same formula of retraining, find job, get fired, cry, retrain, get job, get fired, cry, retrain and so on. Unfortunately, my bet is most people will continue to apply this same formula and get the same result in 4 – 5 years time.
Sometimes I wonder if anyone has stopped to think and ask, if we didn’t directly contribute to these events, why are we suffering?
The answer is simple: It’s because we simply are too unwilling to bet on ourselves. We bet on others because we are by nature lazy, or we know we are not as smart as others. School has taught us that since we didn’t make it as the top 5 in class, then the next best thing is to bet on others. We hope others will plough the land, plant the seeds, and we get the harvest. That’s why we buy shares in listed companies, so that we can enjoy the fruits of their labour. Look, we even bet on animals at the races, they run, we hope to win. Same pattern, different plan, same hope. Gain, without actual work.
The events in the last few months have shown how the smart people can take care of themselves so well. Who suffered? The people who betted on them.
Richard Fuld of Lehman brothers, is still enjoying his millions. Merill Lynch created 696 millionaires, auto makers flew in private jets to seek for bailout funds and so on.
Somehow, you, the honest, loyal worker who work for your company for the last couple of years, you get the termination letter and a little token sum of money as compensation for the inconvenience. You are left with the big challenge of how to use that small amount of money to tide through the tough times that doesn’t seem to have an end in sight.
But, what if you can bet on yourself? What if you had an idea and was willing to work at it, 24/7? Wouldn’t it be more fruitful than sending out a thousand resumes, then wait in vain, worry and brood over that one phone call that may never come? Wouldn’t it more satisfying to try something in the meantime?
Well, stop worrying and put all your excuses on hold, if you have an idea or project you have been looking to execute, but lack the funding or the manpower expertise, we are willing to look at it. Visit us at http://www.ideaustry.sg for more information, and join us as a Pioneer.
For the less entrepreneurial in spirit, you can take a look at the website as well and join as an Active Advocate. Who knows, you may have the required skill sets we are looking for in our various projects.
I look forward people stopping and asking themselves why they have to suffer if the events of the past decade, was not caused directly by them. I look forward to these men and women signing up at ideaustry.sg and wanting to change theirs and others lives for the better.
Regards,
Roy Ong
Chief Ideaustry