Searching for a job is no fun. The stress builds with each interview. The seemingly endless stream of rejection letters gnaws away at your confidence. The bills pile up. The future is uncertain - especially now when the economy is in recession. Okay, enough! Snap out of it! You need to get a grip on your worrying. Let me help you relax and feel better about things.

Yes, Virginia, You Will Get a Job

Recessions are rough. But they're not the end of life on the planet. Even during a recession, people work, companies produce and consumers consume. In fact, it's precisely during recessions that the need for smart, skilled, hard working managers is greatest. You will get a job. Know that and you've won half the battle.

Once you come to grips with the situation and recognize that you will overcome it, you can concentrate on finding out what you really want to do with your career.

Aligning Your Profession with Your Passion

The job search is the perfect time to reassess. People don't like change. But change is inevitable. How you deal with it determines your success, productivity, creativity, passion and stress. This is particularly true in the course of the job search.

Are you happy in the health and safety profession? Does it represent a paycheck or a passion? One way you can gauge your commitment is to ask yourself this question: Would I do this work even if I didn't get paid for it? Be honest. If health and safety isn't what you'd do for free, what is? Picture in your mind what would make you happy. Then you can see if your profession and your passion are in alignment.

Conclusion

Take responsibility for your own happiness. Too many of us rely on the words and actions of other people as the source of our happiness. But we have the capacity to choose to be happy on our own. We just need to understand that it takes a willful and determined effort to control our attitudes and reactions, especially during a job search. And remember that when we're happy and having fun, we're more creative, productive and effective.

Wishing you career success and peace of mind,

Lauryn Franzoni
ExecuNet
www.execunet.com

CHILDREN'S SAFETY

All of these products contain phthalates

Toy Recalls Highlight Flaws in Consumer Protection System

EDITOR'S NOTE: Lauryn did not write this article. I did. If you have any comments, please send them to me, glennd@bongarde.com.

By Glenn Demby

The rash of consumer product recalls last year earned 2007 the dubious nickname the year of the recall. But it looks like 2008 is going to be even worse. Of particular concern is recalls of toys and children's products. A brand new report issued by consumer advocacy groups like Public Citizen (the group founded by Ralph Nader in 1971) and U.S. Public Interest Research Group details the extent of the problem.

Children's product recalls reached an all time high in 2007-231 recalls affecting 45 million toys and other children's products. In the first six months of 2008, children's products recalls are running at 108, including 53 toys-higher than the 84 recalls at the same time last year. The implication: Last year's toy safety problem continues and, if anything, has gotten worse.

What's being done to address the problem? Last year, Congress significantly increased the budget of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the federal agency designed to protect consumers from unsafe products. It also passed a bill to reform safety standards and inspection procedures. But the legislation has yet to become law.

The consumer groups are calling on Congress to ban a class of toxic chemicals known as phthalates which have been linked to cancer and irregular genital development in boys from use in children's products. The most common phthalate, DINP, is an active ingredient in plastic toys and products like rubber ducks and pacifiers. A number of states, including California, have enacted legislation banning phthalates in toys.

The report also recommends giving states broader authority to protect consumers independently of the CPSC and to provide more protection to employees of manufacturers who blow the whistle on unsafe products.

Source: "Total Recall: The Need for CPSC Reform Now," July 2008, http://www.citizen.org/documents/totalrecalljuly08.pdf

MEMBER REPLY

Earthquake Preparation

Regarding your Wednesday article/bullet points on earthquakes, I wondered if you might also inform your readers about this website: http://www.shakeout.org/ and the upcoming Earthquake Drill that's being planned for Nov. 2008 in Southern California.

Thanks for all the good information you provide through SafetyXChange.

Cathryn Lang

Story Tools:  E-mail this to a friend  Print This Post Top