It's Not You, It's Me!

I debated for weeks whether or not to write this article, as I have experienced a myriad of thoughts and emotions about how it would be perceived, I addition to how it might make me feel. In the end, I decided to follow my gut instinct (and the advice that I have so often given to others who have confided in me during times of depression, job loss, helplessness, and worse), which was to be brave and allow myself to be vulnerable. TLDR: To jobseekers and the gainfully employed alike: Be kind, be grateful, and help whenever you can, it could change someone’s life forever.

It’s not you, it’s me…

In relation to today’s job market, truer words could not be spoken to the unemployed. This is what job seekers need to hear right now as they navigate a period of what overwhelmingly feels like endless unemployment compounded by dwindling opportunities. One of the biggest challenges candidates are grappling with at the moment is the fact that they feel unseen, if not completely invisible. Given the current state of hiring, with open roles regularly exceeding 1,000 applicants, their feelings are often supported by the reality that they are, in fact, not being seen.

To be clear, my intent in writing this article is to both support and advocate for my fellow job seekers by offering some perspective and perhaps a bit of hope, and also to encourage those who are fortunate enough to be gainfully employed to reach out to those who are not and offer whatever you can, including something as simple as a phone call to lend an ear, and then…just listen. You might be surprised by how much a simple gesture can change someone’s day, and maybe their life. You will also likely find that helping those in need will change your life too, if you choose to reflect on, not only the gifts which you are so fortunate to have, but also the power that you and all of us possess, and that is to improve someone else’s life, anyone’s life!

Recently, my wife became ill with a potentially life-threatening blood infection, which was the catalyst of me changing my perspective on life, as illness often does, and that in turn ultimately led to me authoring this post. Although she was indeed extremely sick, because of the mindfulness we practice and the gratitude we have for the wonderful things in our lives, I was fortunate enough to have the presence of mind to take stock of the situation, in the moment, and reflect on our lives. We are both currently unemployed, and though that is a struggle, it also meant that we both had all the time we needed to focus on her recovery and nothing else. And because of the amazing Cobra coverage she had from her last job, coupled with additional benefits offered through our state, we did not have to stress over the looming hospital bill. And lastly, I often thought about how this situation could have been, say for instance if I was working and had to juggle 1 or 2 jobs and maybe a couple of young kids at home who depend on me, which is a reality for many people. It is so simple, albeit not always easy, to reframe almost any situation if you just start from a place of gratitude and empathy, it is extremely powerful.

So again, to the unemployed and employed, to the healthy and the sick, and to anyone else experiencing the human condition, I suggest this. Be grateful…honestly and profoundly grateful, and with gratitude you will find that kindness, generosity, empathy, and joy will surely follow.

I recently wrote the "last" article in this series, but occasionally I may pop back in with a new edition, especially when I run up against the LinkedIn character limit for a post, as I did with this article! Either way, in the end, it's all kinda related and speaks to the tenets of this newsletter, although maybe not exactly "process" focused. After all, what good is a great process without amazing people to execute it? Until next time...

- Marc Jobin