And that's why you're jobless, America!

     When you decide you're not interested in a job you quit. You call up your current employer and say, 'Hi, Mr. or Mrs. So-in-So. I would like to tell you that I no longer feel that Such-in-Such, Inc. is a good fit for me. I appreciate all you've done and the opportunities you provided me during my employment.' Yada yada yada. That's nice, isn't it? You absolutely will be respected, at the very least. At the very most, you find yourself with a recommendation or a solid reference in the future. This isn't what I see in HR.
     My company might be a billion dollar, publicly traded giant in the industry, but we don't treat our employees as after-thoughts. We care about them. When I teach orientation I tell each and every one of them, 'If you feel, at any time, that this might not be a good fit for you please call me. When you just stop showing up I turn into your mother. I imagine you're 'dead on the side of the road somewhere' and I worry. Don't make me worry. Call me and quit. I can take it.' Do they do that? If I said, 'Sometimes' I'd be exaggerating. But, it's been known to happen. When they don't and I spend two weeks in the process of legally seeking termination...you heard me, two weeks...I'm miff'd. I spend another two weeks in interviews trying to replace them.
     Let's keep it real and honest. The best possible way to quit is to call your employer if you're not working and set up an appointment (if need be) with HR or your immediate Supervisor. If you're at work and you suddenly get the notion that you hate your job and there's no way you're going to hang around much longer tell them. Give them a two-week notice if you can suffer another two weeks there. What are you afraid of that you feel the need to disappear? If you're old enough to work, you're an adult, start acting like one! Respect goes both ways. If you're a poor performer and afraid of owning up, take the high road anyway. It will say more about your character than your realize. They may just respect you more for your honesty. If you feel mistreated, there are ways to get past that and to make change happen. Quite often there are 'open-door policies', employee corporate numbers to call, and more than likely, someone who cares and needs to hear your ideas. That's called giving them the benefit of the doubt.
     So, as I sit here watching Shelob stab Frodo during one of my obsessive LOTR filled evenings, I'm compelled to be brutally honest with you. This blog isn't just about me typing away on my lap-top to poke fun. I don't want to judge or degrade you for not contributing to, or reversing this historically pungent and rancid economy. I have a very passionate need to see people be successful in their job searches, thrive and develop in the workplace and overall to spread hope. There are jobs for the jobless if you're man or woman enough to find them. The trick is, how will you keep it when a growing number of people out there are lined up to take your place?