If you live on the East Coast, even more so the state of N.J., these are precarious times. Superstorm Sandy just ripped through; forcibly decimating our beloved Jersey shore.
NJRockstar.com typically covers nightlife, DJ’s and venues, however, its critical to discuss what other issues are affecting young people during these uncertain times.
The toll of the storm is upward of $60 billion and half of that bill is going to be footed by N.J residents who are lucky enough to still be able to live in the Garden State. The economy has been weak enough as it is and now we face the aftermath of a natural disaster. Even if the U.S. government bails us out, do you really trust them to appropriate and execute on these funds? The subject of Sandy is the first part of a miniseries that discusses what will lead to our next economic crisis.
Who is this Cliff guy everyone is talking about these days? Isn’t increasing revenue (taxes) and lowering the deficit a good thing? Well. That’s a loaded question with three answers: Yes, No and Maybe. Truth is that the “Fiscal Cliff” is much to do about nothing.
The tax increases can always be rolled back by Congress. Both sides agree that spending cuts are inevitable. But true to partisan form, they simply disagree on “how” to allocate our budget. This political stalemate is the 2nd part of this horror show. Companies are now planning their budgets for next year (if not already done). They will hire, fire, or stay neutral from a headcount standpoint.
WE NEED JOBS. The problem is that the people deciding when to release these jobs are concerned about the prospects of America’s economic future – and they should be. Thus inaction further exacerbates the matter even further. So the government will resolve this issue in 2013 and claim victory while blaming the other side partisan divide for the delay. Yet by then, the damage will be done. That job that was to be “released” will be nothing but a requisition collecting dust on some coordinator within the HR department. Now that our houses have been flooded, I’ll still be waiting tables because my job search is fruitless. Even service jobs at bars and nightclubs are at risk. NJRockstar.com reports that although traffic has been steadily increasing to the site, Sandy sent many nightlife venues into a tailspin.
The third part of this disaster (and arguably the scariest) is the advent of the student loan debacle. As it stands student loans (debt) has reached the TRILLION dollar mark. It’s larger than consumer, home equity, and auto loans. This means those undergraduate four years (if you’re lucky) you’ve spent learning about life will result in the beginning of a real lesson. Those folks, who lent you the money for school, want their money back. Further, under the new bankruptcy laws, you have to pay them back no matter what. It’s kind of like the part in Goodfellas when the owner is bled dry by Paulie resulting in the line, “F YOU, pay me”. The loan is only satisfied once it’s paid off. This is frankly the right thing. The only problem is that you typically need a job or some sort of revenue producing function to pay off your bills; and hopefully student loans if there is anything left at the end of the month. That is why the delinquency rate amongst student loans is a staggering 12%, higher than credit card and mortgage payments.
So what do young adults do, they either stay in school (with even more loans) or hit the “real world” and be most likely un or underemployed. But what about that job your uncle told you about that will be approved by the Senior VP at ABC Company, oops, that is on hold. The cause could be either of our frenemies Sandy or Cliff, nevertheless I wouldn’t hold my breath about that 2013 opportunity.
So what is a young person to do? Well, there is not a universal solution to this problem. As you know the macro level economics are way out of our control. We can only control what we do in response to this debacle. Although it may sound counter-intuitive, perhaps it’s a great time to launch a small business. If you’re not going to be working in your dream job, you might as well work for a cause you’re passionate about – yourself. Although funding is difficult, technology has made it easier to do business: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. So if you’re passionate about anything, if there is a way to monetize this passion, no better time than the present!
If you’re not in the entrepreneurial spirit, then look into opportunities that may not be in your wheelhouse, but are actually hiring. For one, there is no shortage of sales jobs. Although sales may not be for everyone, as a sales guy, I truly believe anyone can be a salesperson with the right training (disclosure: my book on the subject of sales is 3-4 months away from launching). Healthcare jobs, despite Obama care, will see an increase due to shortage of doctors, nurses and even medical assistants. So if you pursue a current support opportunity in healthcare or can at least get a student loan that will actually pay off downstream you can strive despite the current state of the economy. Lastly, tourism is starting to rebound, especially in NYC, where tourism is up double digits year over year.
Whichever road you choose, there will always be storms, political squabbles and loans over your head. But I’m confident that this 3 part miniseries is our short term reality. So you can either be part of this tragic comedy or a fighter who took charge of their own future.
Also don’t forget to follow me on twitter @thesalesexpert Also feel free to share any thoughts on how to build your personal brand. All ideas are welcome.
An Article Written By Tom LaVecchia