A few weeks ago, I discussed (is it a ‘discussion’ if I am the only one typing?) the potential for obtaining a job at a small mom-and-pop coffee shop. I want to work in a small business and see how it runs, from top to bottom, a much clearer view when the business structure is short in stature. Unfortunately, I was turned down for employment, due to an old employee coming back to fill the space. I completely understand this move as the company doesn’t have to spend time training, nor do they have to take a risk with a potentially unreliable new employee. They save time and reduce risk. An intelligent business move, but I am still unemployed.
I learned a rather important lesson though: Hedge Your Bets.
I could have applied to other companies at the time too, but I was a bit too certain that there would be an open position. Instead of waiting around for two and a half weeks, I could have been applying other places and conducting interviews. I figured that I would waste the time of other companies if I put in an application, that they would conduct an unnecessary interview. A noble enough thought, but apparently not too realistic.
I could have applied to other companies at the time too, but I was a bit too certain that there would be an open position. Instead of waiting around for two and a half weeks, I could have been applying other places and conducting interviews. I figured that I would waste the time of other companies if I put in an application, that they would conduct an unnecessary interview. A noble enough thought, but apparently not too realistic.
With little in the way of other mom-pop alternatives, I turn to corporate America. It isn’t the small-business case study I hoped for, but it has other benefits.
For starters, corporate jobs are easily transferable from one place to another. If I decided to live in another part of the country for a time, it would a matter of transferring to another branch or franchise instead of finding another small-time job.
For starters, corporate jobs are easily transferable from one place to another. If I decided to live in another part of the country for a time, it would a matter of transferring to another branch or franchise instead of finding another small-time job.
Also, once in the retail or fast-food industry, I figure that most companies are interchangeable. If you can sell a product you know little about for one company, you can learn about a new product you know nothing about for another company. If you work up to manager in a chain, you have manager experience for any other venture. Even when obtaining a master’s of business degree (MBA), it is rarely in a particular field, but rather broad principles that will add value any company.
With specialization in a certain type of job, managers, sales, cashiers, cooks, and retailers are more interchangeable. Human interchangeable parts. Knowledge of how a company actually functions remains with only a few people. Companies are less transparent to themselves, their workers, and their investors. The owners or CEO may not even know how a company quite functions. I recall some recent reality show where a CEO worked the job of an entry employee and wasn’t able to do it at all correctly. Put the CEO in the office of another company and he would fair alright.
I’m not sure if this is good or bad.
It implies that there is much horizontal mobility and opportunity to move anywhere in the country or world. Each worker too may be better at their niche, which increases the productivity of the company as a whole. People can focus on working in what they are interested, or at least where they have expertise.
It implies that there is much horizontal mobility and opportunity to move anywhere in the country or world. Each worker too may be better at their niche, which increases the productivity of the company as a whole. People can focus on working in what they are interested, or at least where they have expertise.
But it comes at the cost of small business knowledge and vertical mobility in a company. People may be less and less interested opening their own business if they only know how to run a small portion of a venture. And workers may never find the job for which they are best suited or which they will most enjoy.
At this point in my life, I see what career(s) I end up selecting as quite important. I will be doing it 5-6 days a week for most of my life. If a job is just a means to fund the rest of existence then it doesn’t matter much. But laboring 8+ hours a day is working for more than a third of your life. That’s a rather large chunk of life not to enjoy. However, I suppose if you can find happiness and fun for whatever job you have, life will be good regardless.
Be Good,
Enjoy Life,
Yaffe
No comments:
Post a Comment