Here is the complete transcript of the podcast
On the podcast today I’m answering a question that is sent to me in big font, in red color and a very sensitive email. And I think the reason why it was sent to me that way, is because they wanted to get my attention. So here’s what I’m doing. I’m going to, I got the question yesterday, and I’m answering it today. And this is it’s a long email, all written in red. But then eventually, in the end, the font color changes to thank you in black. Thank you. Srini. So, yes, you got my attention. And I’m answering your question. So for everybody who’s listening to this, here is the question I just got laid off. And I have been in the industry for 27 years, this is the first time I got laid off. And I have made some commitments, some financial commitments, that I’m starting to realize now that I cannot fulfill, I’m overleveraged. This market is not looking good. I do not know what to do. I never had a resume all these years.
What do you suggest I do? Have awesome not believe this market is going south. At least I haven’t met anybody who got laid off, or nobody called me like this. And this email comes from a gentleman who is listened to my radio show for a long time. Never met me, never spoke to me. And some house, for some reason, thinks that I have the answer to this problem trusts me, and sends me this message. And this is why I do this podcast. This is why I do this podcast, I don’t need to meet you and no need to see you. And I just want you to think that I am there for you. If you need me. So thank you for trusting me with this problem. So long email, I kind of gave the synopsis of it, the gist of it, but just is facing unemployment. Never been in this position for the last 27 years. Don’t have a resume. What should I do? I answered this question a while ago on the podcast. So here is my short answer. If you are a real player, if you really, really are playing your game, you really know what you’re doing. And you really believe in and trust in your capabilities, your experience your longevity in whatever you have done so far. You shouldn’t be sending that question.
This question should not forget about asking me the question. This should not cross your mind. So something is wrong. That’s why you asked this question something is wrong, you have a job, and you will be fired. That’s the truth. There is no guarantee there are no assurances you will be taken out. So not a good position to be in. But in a way, it’s a good thing. You see, if you have been working for 27 years, then I’m suspecting that you are in your 50s or mid-50s. Maybe it’s an age-related thing. That is why you are writing this email this way. But lets for a second assume that you will not get a job. Let’s take the worst scenario. Now, this happened recently. This happened last week. So you are that emotion is deep, the hurt, the hurt is felt now, but if you give a month, a month from today, let’s say the pain is going to be lesser. So first and foremost strategy is I want you to forget this for the next six weeks. We are done with 2022 2023 and it’s reasonable to think okay, I’m going to go apply for a job in January and I’m going to probably get it by February or March. So we’re talking about a 90 to the 120-day window within which we are not supposed to take anything we’re not going to process this at all. The only processing that you need to have is I’m given six weeks, not five weeks, and I’m going to use this time not to go have Thanksgiving lunches, and dinners and convey my pain to people or not to go out and meet people and kind of express my suffering to them. Rather use this time to not only have fun with people but also build up for all the deficiencies that I only know that I have within me That’s the mindset I want you to have. And I also want you to have the mindset of taking whatever comes your way, not the same title, not the same money, it may happen or may not happen come January, we do not know. But then I want you to start thinking of taking whatever comes. And whatever comes, I just not only take it as a job, but I’m going to immerse myself into it, I’m going to put my ego aside. And I truly get involved, indulged, and totally immersed, and totally see myself in it, whatever comes my way. That’s the least.
Now, I’m not asking you to go and start folding boxes in a retail store. That’s not what I’m asking you to do. And I’ve seen nothing wrong with doing it. But that’s not the point, I know, you are in a C-level position. And I understand, you know, that’s a big, Delta. Okay, I’m not saying that the no job is wrong. And every job has its own dignity. Every job has its own element. So it’s not about the job. It’s how we happen to the job. So every job is respectful. And every job has dignity. So but the delta is the delta. So I’m not asking you to take the least common thing from where you are. So that’s not what I’m asking you to do. I’m asking you to take whatever comes your way. But that which is in line and that which is within the space where you can make some compromises. Now, should we go even to the level of making a compromise at this point, I do not know. And I’m not suggesting that there is going to be a compromise either. But I’m telling you, I’m preparing you mentally preempting you with the thought that if at all, there is going to be a compromise, then you are prepared for it. In one of the podcasts Earlier, I talked about I made a point I said, great people are always in demand. And sometimes when a setback like this happens, it’s difficult to assess greatness. It’s very hard. If I ask you, what’s your greatness, it’s very difficult for you to show because you are, you are in hurt, right, now you’re in pain.
But taking the six weeks will allow you to go to introspect, go deep into within, within, into yourself and, and see, okay, I did these things, these things make me unique, these things make me stand out. And I’m going to put together, I’ll take all these events in the last 27 years, and specifically in the last three, four or five years, and I’m going to build a small narrative about who I am, that looks appealing, that sounds good to a recruiter, or maybe a friend in a position in a hiring position. I can build a narrative and I want you to build a few narratives about yourself. And from those narratives, comes confidence. So at this moment, you have lost confidence. And that is why this email, but then once you start thinking about yourself, you will have to look forward because whatever has happened has happened, there is no way to undo it. But then what you can do is we’re going to go into come your way, starting today tomorrow, that you have control on, because a conversation and interview, a discussion, a possibility and opportunity, all that you can control. And for that to happen, you got to have a narrative in place. So I want you to spend some time building the narrative whichever way you want to take yourself.
Now, I also want to highlight because I did not see that in this email, you are asking to tell him that you are in a C-level position, but even say anything about what responsibilities you had, or which department, or which role you played. Here’s what we know. Let’s assume for a second that this economy is going to completely go down. It’s going to be chaos and 2324. Everything is going to be chaotic till the next election. I mean, different people are saying different things in the media. Assuming that that is going to be the case. Let’s also look at the opposite of that which is still there, it will be hiring still companies are going to make products innovation is going to happen. Sales are going to happen revenues are going to be generated profits are going to be created. All that is going to happen on the other side. So the far extreme end is everything is going to collapse. The world is going to go into a third world war. That let’s say okay, that’s granted. But then on this side also it’s true. The companies are going to be created companies are going to be close to closing down but then employment, there’s going to be there, jobs are going to be there, and people will be hired. And revenues are going to be created, profits are going to be generated client-side are going to be created, all that is going to happen on the side too. So given these two extremes are true in some at some level, in some proportion, then what makes sense or the positioning that I would take is in this mix, is I’m somebody’s going to bring revenues, I’m going to be somebody’s going to be creating revenues, I’m going to be somebody’s going to be assisting in creating clients. So when I can impact directly at that level, or at least in my mind, then I know I’m creating something positive, I’m creating something big for the company. I’m not on the expense side of the equation, I’m on the income side of the equation.
So I bring something in, hence, I’m valuable. Hence, that’s my uniqueness. Hence, I have that greatness in me. I hope I answered your question. And if you have anything beyond this, then do let me know. And I promise you, you don’t need to write this email in red at all. Just text me at 888-818-0404. And if I have to record an additional podcast and release it for you, I’ll do that. Absolutely. Why not? I don’t want anybody to have to go through this situation of losing a job and getting worried. Job losses are going to happen. But what you have in control is the worry pot. So just on the podcast, I talked about no worries. So today, I’m telling you, again inclement that, don’t get worried about things that you have no control over and your job you absolutely have no control over and that’s happened to you.
Okay. I hope that’s helpful. I’m going to stop here, and I’ll catch up with all of you as early as tomorrow. Keep listening. Stay tuned.