Are You Better or Worse Off Since the End of the Great Recession [survey] - Career Pivot

Are You Better or Worse Off Since the End of the Great Recession [survey] - Career Pivot Better or Worse Off? I want to pose a question to you this week â€"Are you better or worse off since the end of the great recession? From Wikipedia: According to the US National Bureau of Economic Research(the official arbiter of US recessions) the recession, as experienced in that country, began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009, thus extending over 19 months. For most of my readership, the great recession did not end in June of 2009, and for some, it has not yet ended. To determine whether we are better or worse off, we will focus on 4 key areas: Finances Physical Health Career Status Happiness Level I want to describe my own journey duringthis period and then ask you to take a survey. We will report the survey results in 2-3 weeks. Finances I was hired by a growing startup in December 2007. I left my non-profit position just a couple months earlier inOctober and planned to take a few months off before looking for a new position. My time off did not last long. Instead, I landed at LifeSize Communications as the training manager. My job was to build a training and certification program on a shoestring budget for a booming startup. Well, we grew from $15M in revenue in 2007 to over $100M in 2008. Then, the effects of the great recession hit. I watched my IRA crumble, but I was smart…and did nothing. My retirement accounts have recovered. In 2009, we downsized into a condo and in 2010 we sold our house of 28 years. In January of 2011, I stopped working forLifeSize Communications. I was broken both physically and emotionally…but more on that later. Listen to the most recent episode Are we better or worse off financiallysince the end of the great recession? I would have to say we are about the same. We are certainly not worse off. Career Pivot only partially pays the bills, but it is on plan. Physical Health Above, I stated that I quit my job in January 2011. I was exhausted and completely stressed out. My blood pressure was over the top. LifeSize was acquired in December 2009 by Logitech. At that point it got ugly. Previously, I wrote,When Your Ethical Boundaries are Crossedabout the time in 2010 when I was put in a highly unethical position. Give it a readâ€"it was one factor to my becoming stressed out. Since I left, I have focused on reclaiming my health. My blood pressure is close to normal, my body weight is normal, and I am fairly fit for a guy over 60 years of age. Am Ibetter or worse offin myphysicalhealthsince the end of the great recession? I have to say my physical health is much better since the end of the great recession. Career Status My career has pivoted once again. I left high-tech in 2004 to teach high school math in an inner city high school. When I foundit difficult toteach and stay healthy, I did a year long stint in the non-profit world. Irelapsedand went back into technology in 2007. I launched the Career Pivot brand in February 2012 and have never looked back. It was my first entrepreneurial effort outside of technology (I have worked for two successful tech startups). Am Ibetter or worse offin my career statussince the end of the great recession? My career status is…very different. I will never go back to work forthe man. I definitely believeI am better off now. Happiness Level The end 2009 and all of 2010 were some of the worst years of my career. I was scared to leave my job because the economy was so shaky.I was not happy. Am Ibetter or worse offin my happiness levelsince the end of the great recession? This is an easy one. I am MUCH HAPPIER! My stress level is way down. My only problem is that I work for the worst boss ever… ME! Take Our Survey What about you? Are you better or worse off since the end of the great recession? The survey is now closed. Check out the results here. Check out past Career Pivotsurvey results here. Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...