Take this Job.....

In yesterday’s New York Times, Jake DeSantis, an AIG executive (or now former executive if the letter had the stated affect), boldly and publically resigned from his job. What a guy! What a ballsy move!

In his resignation letter, Mr. DeSantis said that he, and many of his colleagues, were tired of being unfairly and unjustly blamed and persecuted for the problems at AIG, and by extension, the rest of the country. Most past and present employees of AIG had nothing to do with it. They were just trying to do their jobs as best they could.

I must admit, that I was kind of impressed. He did make some true and valid points that I hadn’t really heard or seen made on the subject. AIG and most of it’s employees are being made the scapegoats of this economic crisis, not that the company didn’t have a big part of it, but it wasn’t all their doing as some would lead you to believe.

Even the now infamous “Retention Bonuses” were explained and put into some context. They are, as he explained, a normal part of doing business. When a company is in financial trouble or undergoing some other major changes, the first reaction of most employees is “I’m going to loose my job”, and their first instinct is to find another job. “Retention Bonuses” or payments are a perfectly normal way to keep employees around to keep the company running until either the doors are officially shut or the company is otherwise reorganized. They are intended to compensate employees for income they may have lost by not taking that other job at that other company.

My problem, however, with Mr. DeSantis’s letter is, if it was intended in anyway to gain the public support or sympathy of the middle Americans who have been calling for his and other’s heads at AIG, it may have had somewhat of the opposite affect. While most people might like to follow his lead and tell their bosses to “take this job and shove it”, most people are not in the financial position to voluntarily give up their jobs and still be able to afford their mortgages, car payments, health insurance, food, colleges tuitions, etc. I think it might actually further point out the disparity in incomes and lifestyles that people are complaining about, and even further enflame the situation.

Just a few pointers for Mr. DeSantis, from past and present experience, now that you are no longer working:
• Try to keep a schedule as close to your working schedule as possible. If you got up at say 5:00 am to go to the gym and then to the office, get up and go to the gym and then to your “home office”
• Don’t let yourself get sloppy and hang around in sweats. Get dressed reasonably well. You can leave off the tie; business casual is acceptable.
• Find a hobby or some kind of volunteer work to give yourself a break from job hunting and make yourself feel like you are making some kind of a meaningful contribution to society.
• A professional resume and cover letter is critical. In today’s climate, you might want to de-emphasize your AIG experience, or at least be well prepared to explain what you did and didn’t do there.
• At least in the beginning, be prepared to spend 6 – 8 hours a day job hunting. It is almost a full time job in itself going through all of the job boards and networking. Thanks to the internet and email you don’t have to get your hands dirty with news print from the classified, lick stamps and address envelopes!
• If you get really bored or lonely, let’s hang out! You can Twitter me at gridunplugged, and be sure to check my blog for more interesting and helpful tips!