Advice

Why Local Politics Matter When You Relocate

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Right now there's a lot of talk about Arizona's recent immigration laws – as well as additional laws and policies following it.  To summarize as easy as I can:

  • The governor signed a bill that extended police power to detain/question people over citizenship with reasonable suspicion.  The interpretation of this – and some potential modifications – make it more complicated.  The law is quite controversial as it seems to invite profiling (though people I know in Arizona says it's less change than people may think).
  • A bill that would limit ethnic studies (and oddly lump it in with other things)
  • An education department policy on teachers with accents that could lead to teachers being fired or limited in teaching.  I find this ridiculous as I live in an area with tons of accents.

Yes, if you read about these laws, you'd get the impression that there's some racial and ethnic animosity here.  I sadly come to the same conclusion, am sure that this is going to be a giant political powderkeg, and that there will be much fallout in the future. 

But ask yourself this (before I turn this into a Frustration Friday), would you have heard of this if it wasn't national news?  I don't think you would.

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The Poison of Negativity

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It's hard not to be negative in the Great Recession.  Unemployment is insane (actual unemployment much higher).  Greece may destabilize the Euro for a decade.  Wall Street appears to be run by spoiled children.  You're not sure what to do with your career, and hope you can make ends meet, let alone live your dreams.

On top of all of this maybe you're unemployed, or your city or state are in the dumps, or your friends are facing career meltdown.

It's hard not to be negative.  It's hard not to rant or white or get angry, it's hard not to vent constantly because there's so much built up.

And for the sake of your career, I recommend you be bloody careful with your negativity.  Why?  Because Negativity in all its manifestations, from the screaming tearful rant to the mopey self-absorbed withdrawal, can poison your Network.

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Don’t Let Employment Define Your Identity

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I remember my first layoff in 1996.

It was weird and traumatic.  I'd been let go before, I'd had temp assignments run out, but this was a case of everything just ended.  The company I worked for was gone, my co-workers scattered to the four winds, and I was out of a job.

I'd like to say that immunized me against future layoffs.  It didn't.  There's really something about your job just ending, and not because of anything you did – but because a company collapses, or runs out of money, or just decides to cut staff.  Your job is just gone.

In some cases, it feels like you're gone too.  You're not making money, not doing anything, and you don't feel like anyone.  Like it or not, we define a lot of ourselves by our jobs.

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