Unemployment Day Three - "You Gotta Have Duct Tape"

I was talking to a friend today who is also looking for work. She assured me that I’m much more marketable than she is due to my degree and the years of experience I’ve had in corporate America.

That may be true, but only on paper. Here’s why; she’s tough, she’s smart (problem solving off the charts), and she works like a mule (for the record, that’s where the similarities end…well, she can be stubborn, but I’ll stop there for fear of the consequences).

I didn’t really know what to say to her until I came home and started working around the house. Fixing this. Repairing that. Securing those things over there. Storing that stuff that’s been in disarray since we moved in. The list goes on. I found myself returning to the same tool at each new spot in the house that needed attention. Duct tape.

Next to a dog, Duct tape is a man’s best friend. It’s strong. It’s versatile. It’s never backs down from a fight. And, if you’re like me and buy it just about every time you stop into Home Depot or the local hardware store, it never runs out. I have it tucked away in drawers and cupboards the way our grandparents tucked away money…and duct tape.

You’re probably seeing my point. This friend of mine may not be getting the credit on paper, but when it comes to doing a job, she’s got a lot to offer. I have to think that potential employers are still looking for versatility. Grit. Old fashioned hard work. I could be wrong, but I doubt it.

That was the big difference between my last job and the one from which I was just laid-off. The former job was with a company that was so massive, you could hide under the radar with ease. There was always someone who would take up the slack. Not that they didn’t have hard workers. I just think there was a larger percentage of the “keep your head down” crowd. And, they lacked versatility.

Not so with the last gig. Don’t get me wrong, no company is perfect. There was every type of person accounted for at that company, just like any other. But, I really saw more of an entrepreneurial spirit there. You had to go get it…whatever “it” was. You had to wear a bunch of hats. I have to think that companies are looking for that more than ever these days.

“Hi, what can you do?”
“Well, I can do task A really well.”

Versus:

“What can you do?”
“I can project manage, strategize, develop efficiencies, bring critical thinking, do task A very well and mop the floor when I’m done.”

The theory that a prospective employer will see versatility, and need it, should be encouraging for my friend. It is for me.

You gotta have Duct Tape.