SENTINEL WATCH December 12, 2005 Issue

WHAT DO YOU 'BE' FOR A LIVING?

DIANE P. DAILEY

She Probably Has No Idea what the words mean—downsizing, outsourcing, layoffs, buyouts. Why should she? She's only four. Still, though this little Sunday School student is years away from exploring the job market, she gave me the best perspective I've heard in a long time on work and careers: "It isn't what I do," she said, "but what I be, huh?"

Companies worldwide are constantly rethinking their core business, reviewing the bottom line, and then implementing new profit-driven policies—policies that can change the present and future lives of hundreds, sometimes thousands of people, almost overnight. It's the kind of decision-making that conjures up restless and sleepless nights, especially for those faced with an evaporating job.

Getting a pink slip can feel like having to start all over again, a little like going back to "Go" in a game of Monopoly. This may seem especially true for someone who's had the security of a position for a reasonable amount of time, has been an effective and responsible employee, and has enjoyed working for a boss and co-workers to boot. Some find it particularly unsettling when their employment income has met everyday living expenses and even allowed them to put aside a little extra cash for future needs.