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1 2 O C M E T R O . C O M It’s been a scary year. It’s like we’ve been stuck in a constant downpour – but it’s not rain we’ve been pelted with, it’s meteors. Falling home prices. Budget cuts. Layoffs. After every blow, I’ve tried to reassure my- self: “Maybe this is the last of the storm. I mean, how much worse can it get?” And then comes another stream of meteors. Foreclosures. Bankruptcies. More layoffs. A close member of my family was laid off in May. At first, she took it in stride. She never had trouble finding work before. Not once in her 20-something years of adulthood had she been unemployed. She had been laid off a few years ago, and by the end of the day, she had another position lined up. Why would it be any different now? She’s respected in her industry, and she’s made a lot of connec- tions over the years. She didn’t waste any time. She started making phone calls the moment she walked out of the office. Her leads dried up after a few weeks. So she gave herself five months. Surely, she’d be able to land a position in her field of work by then. Five months came and went , and her savings account was shrinking fast . She had enough money in the bank to cover one more month’s rent, and that was it. Scary. She’d been working a few freelance jobs, and the money from those projects helped make ends meet. But it wasn’t enough to cover even her basic living expenses. So she opened herself up to other oppor- tunities – even jobs that some might con- sider entry-level. She interviewed for a receptionist position. Overqualified. She registered with a temp agency and was called to answer phones at a car dealership. She was excited – actually excited. Then she got a call saying the dealership didn’t need her services after all. She was offered a job working, essentially, in telephone sales. She took it. Then, just days before she was scheduled to start work, she got a break. A company that enjoys a solid reputation around the world had downsized, and they needed someone with her same skill set to work as a freelancer. There were several projects that had to be completed, which meant she’d be busy for a good stretch of time, and the company would pay her handsomely. She wouldn’t have to report to the office more than two days a week, and the hours on those two days were flexible. Best of all, the position could become permanent. She jumped at the opportunity. Her plan: Work hard, demonstrate her talent and convince the company that if they hired her on permanently, she could save the firm money and maintain – even exceed – the existing level of quality. That was a month ago. She loves the gig. Sure, she’s had to sacrifice the benefits of permanent, full-time employment – health insurance, vacation pay, etc. But she’s able to work independently, and she has a steady paycheck coming in. So what’s the lesson? Maybe it’s that with the end of the reces- sion comes a dawn of opportunities. But we’ll need to adopt a new way of thinking in order to see them. Maybe we’ll need to sac- rifice some things, but they’ll be replaced by something else. And maybe, just maybe, that something else is even better. Now that’s not scary at all. ocm Is the meteor shower over yet? It’s been a year of heavy downpour. But, hopefully, with the end of the storm will come a dawn of opportunity. Tina Borgatta Falling home prices. Budget cuts. Layoffs. After every blow, I’ve tried to reassure myself: “Maybe this is the last of the storm. I mean, how much worse can it get?” Editor’s note
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