Measure Mob

Job Quitting on the Rise. What Does That Mean?

by Keith on December 5, 2011

Today, I was watching the #measure hashtag on Twitter and saw this post from Jason Burby:

The link takes you to a post on the Freakonomics website questioning whether more people quitting their jobs was a good thing or not. I’ll let you look at the data and make that decision for yourself. What I would like to do is offer a theory that says these numbers have less to do with the US economy and more to do with the American mindset.

Separation Between Driven and……. Not So Much

It’s the holiday time of the year. This is my favorite opportunity to try and explain to my family what social media and web analytics is. Yea right. Every year someone new is at the holiday dinner table asking me what I do and I tell them I work on the internet to keep it simple. usually what ensues is this discussion about how the internet ruins jobs, isn’t a good source for information, where people can be stalkers and all that fun stuff. See why I try to avoid it? What’s the point you ask and how does this relate to the subject at hand?

Simple. The people that I tend to have holiday discussion with can be a bit stuck in 2008. Yea, I said 2008 not 1979. Things have changed really fast. The internet and technologies have closed antiquated doors and opened up new channels for communication, development, and employment. Thusly the global economy has changed.

I was that guy 7 years ago. I was the guy who’s job was fairly antiquated and saw very little upside. I was lucky to have been engaged in digital for as long as I can remember. My father and I were developing games on the Atari 400 in 1978. I’d been mucking around with data since high school and I was pretty tuned into the very early online networking scene. I took this as a cue to pursue my passions and get more involved in the online space. After years of hard work and study I am now the Director, Social Media Solutions for Keystone Solutions. To me, this is a success story. I am super happy and I get to play at that edge of development all the time.

This isn’t about me though! If you are reading this there is a very good chance you’ve had a similar path to myself. I am not unique. Not Unique, but i do believe I am not the majority either. We all know of the recent collapse in the economy. We are all questioning the government bailouts and the companies that took that bailout money. There is a much better chance that many of those Wall Street money managers should be in jail rather than receiving reward money. And then again, maybe not, I don’t know. I honestly choose not to focus on it. I’m not waking up every morning flicking on the news and swearing at the local and national politicians. I’m not asking how we can change society. What I am asking is, “How can I move forward?”, “How can I have impact in my family and our company?” Call me ignorant but i don’t give a crap what is on the news everyday. I am, however, in the minority.

Maybe I’ve taken the long route to get to my point but I believe that the separation between those looking out for opportunity and furthering themselves through study and drive is widening from those that are not. My wife has a friend who’s husband has been out of work for three years and I know for fact he’s doing NOTHING to get involved in the situation beyond sending out a couple resume’s every week. he’s not reading the tea leaves. He wants to take what he knows and apply it. I told him that there are immense opportunities in his area if he got engaged with that community online and he set up a linked in account that he never updates.

Humans take the path to least resistance and people are not holding themselves accountable. They want to blame the government, they want to blame the job market, they want to have something to bitch about or they don’t feel complete.

Ever see a sports team that loses year after year after year? Same Thing! It’s easier to do the same things over and over than it is to adapt and change. My daughter is 20 years old and in college. I tell her all the time that by the time she gets out her industry will have changed 180 degrees. You simply have to embrace change. This goes against the human spirit to flock and get comfortable but I really believe that the people quitting their jobs right now are those embracing change and opportunity.

The web analytics space is in DIRE need for qualified talent. The agencies are fighting over motivated talent! Want to change your situation? Go ahead and reach out to me. I’ll do what I can to point you in the right direction. Get on the bus that is moving forward and stop worrying about media propaganda. You get what you focus on!

Check out this video from Keystone Solutions, we’re looking for people!

About Keith

Keith is Director, Marketing & Communications for Carbonview Research. Carbonview is a full service market research company working with ad agencies, brand managers and interactive professionals. Keith's passions include marketing, measurement, social media and his family.

Follow Keith on Twitter