Do You Seek Pills or Performance?

Why do I talk about pills?  Have you ever noticed that if you wanted to lose weight, improve your health, feel better emotionally, gain muscle – with almost any problem people are willing to help you by magic pills, magic processes, or short cuts? I even heard a person who meditates one hour a day, for personal peace and harmony, sell a series of tapes on how for only a few minutes a day you can have the same result that takes you an hour today. How many times a day do you get a get rich quick scheme that only requires a few minutes and “you too can join the rich and famous”?

Just think about it. No more having to exercise, no more having to eat a balanced low calorie diet, no more losing your hair, no more health issues, no more worries about your credit card debt, no more hard work or long hours studying, no more pressure – just take this pill, buy this tape, or follow these 10 simple steps… When your friend falls for one of these lines you may laugh at them, but how many times have you been fooled by wanting to take short cuts to results?

The other option is performance or results. If you want lifelong weight loss, what changes are you making in your lifestyle to get that result. If you want better health, mental or physical, what are you doing about your diet, work habits, stress levels, exercise, and other lifestyle decisions that may impact your health?

I believe it was B. T. Barney who said that “THERE IS A SUCKER BORN EVERY MINUTE.” Well, aren’t we all suckers at some point and time?

Perhaps the biggest sucker is ourselves when we seek to pop a pill to solve a problem that is really only solved by lifestyle changes.

If you want lifetime performance, you have to do what it takes to get the results – the right way.

Are you still looking for pills to pop or to learn how to deliver performance and get the results you want?

Are You a Victim or a Victor?

There many victims in this world. In fact, anyone can claim to be a victim. The poor may not have enough food, clothing, education, healthcare, nurturing, safety, role models, etc. The rich may have been spoiled, not enough time with loving parents, too much freedom, too much money, too many temptations, too much unstructured free time, too much access to drugs, sex, and mischief. Perhaps you are in the middle but had a negative teacher experience, a professor who could not teach, a boss who was unethical, etc. It is easy to blame others or our circumstances. It emotionally feels good to blame the system, blame our situation, and ignore our own responsibility. You might get compassion from a court of law or others but feeling like a victim does not solve anything. You will just remain a victim.

We have far fewer victors. A victor does not ignore the injustices in life. Instead, they feed off of wanting their lives to be different. They take any negative energy and turn it into positive motivation to become different. They want to provide food, clothing, opportunities, a better world and a better life for themselves and for their children and grand children. They choose to win at the game of life. They get up each morning determined to break through their past, their excuses, and their weaknesses to make a difference, to maximize their potential, and to ultimately leave a legacy.

Being a victim is easy. You don’t have to do anything.

Being a victor is hard. You have to be determined, work hard, persevere, and surround yourself with other like-minded victors to become successful. Many future victors are often surprised how many older victors are willing to reach out a hand to help those who are determined to win in life. These older victors have won already and are now working on paying it forward in order to leave a legacy for future generations of victors.

At the end of the day, the difference is what you decide to do with your life.

Will you be a victim or a victor?

The Financial Challenge for Graduates Trying to A Job

The first shock will be having to go home. The article cites that in 2009, 80% moved back home to Mom and Dad after graduation. Since the trend has been increasing, the 2010 numbers may likely be higher. You can read the full USA Today article by clicking here.

When they arrive home, many will have to start paying back their college loans. While the national average is cited as around $23 thousand, if you went to school in a top tier school in an expensive state, that number could easily be much, much higher. Unless their parents keep paying for them, the financial pressures will quickly mount.

For some, their parents may also be unemployed and financially struggling. The unforeseen train wreck may be just around the corner.

I have heard some people suggest that this year’s graduates, as well as for the last two years, will be the “lost generation.” That refers to far fewer getting jobs and lower starting salaries for those who do get a job. By starting with a lower salary, the impact to lifetime earnings can be staggering.

If you do the math, ongoing support at home + paying off student loans + job hunting expenses + risk of parents running out of money + the lifetime loss of earnings (from starting at a lower salary) = a frightening scenario for today’s graduates. Yet the article suggests that 50% of graduates are confident that they will get a job.

I hope that they do. I suspect that those who assume that the job will come to them or that simply trying to get a job the same way that their parents used to get a job will be very disappointed. The math, for most, just will not work.

So, what are their choices? The article suggests: a) staying in school, b) starting their own business, c) picking jobs that don’t fit their majors, d) taking internships to get experience, and e) accepting job offers when they get an offer.  These are all reasonable but miss the most important point; which is learning how to competitively sell and market themselves to get a job now and develop the skills that will help them develop a lifetime of success.

Of course, most people think that getting their resume updated, applying online for jobs, and learning how to interview is all that you need. That is why I am trying to get the message out about Jobpreneurshipä. If you have heard our presentations, attended our seminars, read our newsletters, blogs, testimonials, and books, then you know that our message is a paradigm shift to many but simply words of wisdom shared from insiders who want to help others. Those who want to take action can increase their opportunity for career, family, and future success.

If you agree with our message, please tell others about Job Doctors.  Thank you for helping us help others.

The Shocking Challenge for Graduates Getting A Job

The employment news on Friday, June 4, 2010 was that unemployment fell to 9.7% nationally. That sounds like an improvement. However, when you peal back the number, less than 10% of the improvement came from the private sector – far less than expected. The improvements came from government hiring but are clouded by how many are related to temporary Census workers.  The bottom line is that the employment picture for everyone has not really improved. The stock market understands this math and the DJIA fell 323 points.

So, what does that mean for graduates? First, most students don’t really know what is going on. They often believe that getting a job is something to think about when they graduate; and not before. The real shock will be when they enter the transition market that over 30 million Americans are experiencing.

Let’s look at some of the information provided by USA Today on May 19, 2010. You can read the article by clicking here.

First, 2.4 million new students have recently graduated. That does not include graduate level students. Many of them will struggle to get an interview, much less get hired.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is cited as showing five job seekers for every opening. Who knows where they get their numbers. My HR sources tell me that hundreds and thousands are applying for posted positions. I will let you decide which you believe is true for your dream job.

What is astounding is that the percentage of employers planning to hire recent graduates is continuing to go down! The article cites 79% in 2007, 58% in 2008, and 44% this year with last year around the same number.

There is no question that the markets are incredibly competitive with little improvement seen for the next several years.

However, many of these graduates have been accustomed to getting along and not worrying about the future. Many, not finding a job, will simply go back home while others will assume that their parents will continue to pay for their needs. To be blunt, that phenomena will probably be increasing. But believing that they should not have to compete for jobs or assuming someone, like their parents, will help them get a job is living in a bubble that, for many, will eventually end poorly.

The conclusion is that, “are simply not enough jobs to go around.”

I agree with the numbers but not with the implied conclusion. If everyone just sat around, being a victim, the sentiment would be reasonable. However, not everyone will just be sitting around. The ones who get hired will be those who are hungry enough to decide to learn how to compete regardless of the economy. Their attitude will be, “no excuses!” They will choose to learn how to cope and succeed in today’s market. When the market improves, they will be ahead of their peers and far ahead in knowing how to get their ultimate dream jobs.

So how will they learn these skills? Job Doctors is here to teach them. Few may wish to learn, but I want to be there to help them learn the secrets that insiders have always used and that anyone who wishes to be competitive in today’s marketplace must use to be working while others go home to their parents house waiting for more jobs to “go around.”

How about you? Are you taking steps to learn to be competitive? Can you help others know about these insider secrets so that they can also start moving toward their dream job?

Helping College Students and Graduates Get Jobs

The challenges for experienced workers to get a job in today’s market are sobering. The challenges for a college student to land a job after graduation are far worse.

In today’s market, this demographic is caught in the middle. First they are competing against double digit general unemployment, experienced people willing to take a step down just to have a job, retirees wanting to return to the labor force, graduates from prior years who are still unemployed and far fewer companies who are interested in hiring anyone.

I want to help. I will need your help for me to help them. Who is “them”? It may be you, your children, friends, or friend’s children.

My program includes a new book that will be out this summer, speaking at colleges, and offering seminars designed for college students and college graduates.

Will this program solve the problem? No. However, the information that I will be sharing will provide a competitive advantage to those who have the opportunity to listen and to learn.

So, for me to help them, I need your help.

The best way for me to help that population is to work within existing college and alumni programs that are already set up for speakers and continuing education materials for career days, assemblies, student leadership gatherings, conferences, etc.

If you are interested in finding out more, please check out http://www.JobDoctorsInternational.com/speaking/college.

If you are interested in helping me, what I am requesting is that you consider either forwarding my link ( http://www.JobDoctorsInternational.com/speaking/college ) or my brochure to anyone whom you know in your college or alumni organization with any of the following titles:

• Director/Coordinator of Student Affairs
• Coordinator of Greek Life
• Director of Career Services
• Director of Residential Life
• Presidents of Alumni Groups
• Trusted College Staff Relationships
• Trusted Relationships in Associations interested in helping college/graduate students

Please consider helping me to get my urgently needed message to the next generation. For some of us that might mean helping others, perhaps even your children, get off their parent’s dole and out of their parent’s house to move on to their own life adventure.

If you need any brochures or information, please feel free to call me at 888-420-6861 or email me at Jim@JobDoctorsIntl.com.