Looking for a job, 3 reasons to stay zen?

 Well, here I am at 45, freshly unemployed. Although I’m still in my prime and have an enviable amount of professional experience to my credit, when I tell people about my new status their eyes cloud with compassion and concern, as if I had just announced a cancer diagnosis. I can hear what they’re thinking: “OK, this guy has a great CV but he’s become too expensive, and, at his age, his best years are behind him.” Socially, in France, getting fired is taboo and certainly not something you admit to openly. 

A little over a year ago, I was recruited to a top management position -- which came with a seat on the board -- at the public institution that manages all of France’s audiovisual archives. Unfortunately the person who hired me made some poor choices, and shortly after I arrived was fired after a major scandal that was covered in all the papers. As is often the case in these situations, her successor and I did not see eye-to-eye on strategic issues and, along with several other top managers, I found myself collateral damage of circumstances I had no part in creating. And like many of my contemporaries who have lost their jobs, I have children to take care of, a mortgage to pay on a new apartment bought last year, and fewer savings than I would like. Yet I'm feeling zen…more relaxed than I have been in months. 

No, I'm not the victim of a manic episode or the kind of Pollyanna crisis that foreshadows the arrival of a severe nervous breakdown. Nor am I writing this out of exhibitionism -- that I reserve for my novels. Rather, I know that there are many people of my generation out there in exactly my situation, who have suffered the same setbacks and feel the same frustration I do after being promised a bright future in the 90’s and, twenty years later, are realizing that those promises may never be fulfilled. 

So ... back to the topic of this article after this long introduction. Why is it a waste of time and energy to stress out when you’re a 40-something job seeker, even if you are “overqualified” and “expensive”? 

1- Companies are changing, and will have to keep changing 

I am convinced from experience that the old model of the bombastic, distant white collar manager we were taught to emulate is history. Getting fired adds an important element to one’s personal toolkit: humanity. People have weaknesses and can make mistakes, why should a manager be any different? The setbacks that I have experienced in my career have given me a more nuanced view of what constitutes "success" and, as a manager, have helped me understand that the real assets of a business are the men and women who work for it. The 80s-style "winner" portrayed in so many books and films is actually a threat to today’s company. To retain employees, companies must make them feel that their hierarchy is listening. The same goes for creating a company culture that acknowledges, and even celebrates, setbacks. In the US, if an entrepreneur wants to raise funds and he or she has never experienced failure, you can be sure that lenders will find that a sign of a lack of ambition. Companies, especially European companies, need to reason in the same way. 

I believe and am convinced that things are changing in France, albeit gradually – because of the crisis, but certainly not only because of that. Of course, it’s motivating to make money. But we’re no longer in the 80’s and 90’s, where anything was acceptable in the name of financial results. Today the public has had enough of financial scandals and, although they blame employees for bad decisions, they are also increasingly holding companies accountable (a recent example in France being Jérome Kerviel and Société Générale). Tomorrow, businesses will have no choice but to align their values with those of their employees if they want to retain them. 

Being able, as a manager, to transmit positive values that are in line with your own personal ethics is empowering and a source of real pleasure. I truly believe that my failures have shaped me into a better leader and one who knows that managing from a values-based approach can bring the best from his teams. And I am willing to bet that, in today’s changing business environment where a new type of manager is needed, recruiters will agree with me. 

2- Having time to think about what you really want is a gift 

Being in an executive position often equals working from morning to night without taking the time to ask yourself, "What do I really want to do with my life"? Of course, it comes into your mind occasionally, but as you begin building your career you’re just too busy to seriously consider the question. Then, at mid-career, it raises its head again in a powerful way: the children have grown, everyday life lacks the exciting “firsts” of your younger years, and things you were willing to accept 20 years ago at work become increasingly intolerable. Often at this point, people decide to change to a similar job elsewhere with the excuse of a better salary or a new environment, but in reality they are not tackling the real source of their frustration. 

The company is like a couple: it is not enough to divorce to be happy. The analogy between our relationship to the company and our intimate relationships is not as absurd as it may seem; taking a step back is often lifesaving and can help you from making the same mistake twice. Doing so now has helped me realise that not only do I need to work for a company I believe in, but also that it is impossible for me to develop without a enriching, friendly and open minded relationship with my superiors. Of course, my next company will choose me, but I also need to remind myself that I need to consciously choose it. In the past, I never realized that I had this power. Being hired by TF1, Canal, and NRJ (three of Europe’s biggest media companies) was so prestigious that I forgot to ask myself “Do I agree with this company’s values and the way it treats people? Do I want to have this person as manager?" Even if I have been relatively lucky up till now, I know better than to put my fate in the hands of sheer luck again. 

Beyond these considerations, arriving at this midpoint in my career, I feel fortunate to have no choice but to take a break to stop and think. I have no doubt that when I decide to start the next chapter in my career, my choice will be based on the company’s values and the quality of its management. 

3- Adjusting your expectations of work is a necessity 

Have you ever noticed the difference between Generation X’s expectations of work and those of the generations that preceded and follow us? Our parents were loyal and respectful to their companies, and in return were guaranteed a steady climb up the ladder, if not lifetime employment. My generation may be slightly less loyal, but still feels a sense of commitment to the company, respects hierarchy, and is generally deferential to its managers. Yet all of that without the payoff our parents got. 

Generations Y, Z and the much-derided Millenials have not fallen for that fairy tale. They know that their professional path will not be linear, calm or written in advance. What is the consequence of their lowered expectations? Often a detachment that we, the older generations, experience as mistrust or an "I don’t care” attitude. However, this type of detachment is a reality -- and I would argue, a necessity -- in today’s working environment. Yes, we all need to work (unless your last name is Arnault or Gates)…but the company also needs us. People are the center of everything. 

I am certainly looking forward to joining my future company, but unlike in the past, I need to be convinced that the company is going to welcome me. This time around, I will not experience my new job like a gift being bestowed on me – it will be a reciprocal exchange where each of us benefit. The generations that have followed mine already know this to be true, and the crisis has only brought that home further. They have seen their parents worried, harassed and unemployed, and do not look at the world of business as if it were Disneyland, nor do they see CEOs as rock stars. The younger generations has rebalanced their relationship with work and readjusted their expectations. And we older folk have to do the same. Our happiness lies in the balance. 

In conclusion, I would like to underline that during these times of crisis with so many people unemployed – many of them unskilled or older workers – or juggling multiple low-paying jobs, it is my moral duty to be positive ... if not who will? 

That said… if you hear of any opportunities as General Manager, Deputy Manager, or Communication/Marketing Manager, even if I’m zen, I wouldn’t say no !! 

feel free to connect here and on twitter @gchatelain