European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 18, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Going it alone ditching mainstream jobs for self employment More and More people Are viewing Pink slips As Golden opportunities to become their own Bosses Selling everything from bakery goods to computer software. By Jill Arab As associated press when ten y Quiroga received his termination notice from Clairol inc last year he quickly found a new employer himself of Acca a former factory manager at he cad Quot a Beauty products firm in Stamford. Conn. Decided to ditch the cop crate and 3tad his own sea i a mess now ses his own hours and signs a i a he creeks a a franchise Branch off e cd gets Etc an office products and Posta Chan m the nearby town cd e u cd Riga s re w he has t freed him f co Ryng about the amount of Cash i Quot the Bank accustomed to company health plans after 19 years he panicked a when his 17-year-old son got Hurt a month ago and had to be rushed to the Hose Al he was t sure of his wife a insurance Pokey would cover the bit nonetheless pm Riga sad he Laos running a Small cosiness. So. Apparently do other former executives who have started their o in companies after losing jobs in corporate overhauls. Thousands of lower and mid level executives have been Laid off in the dizzying Era of mergers takeovers and restructurings that have reshaped the face of corporate America in recent years the National planning association a Washington based bus mess research organization estimates Plant closings and other corporate staff reductions have displaced 2 million workers a year since the late 1970s most of the executive victims have sought jobs with other businesses where they find Comfort and Security in a steady salary and benefits said Joan learn president of the Greenwich group an executive counselling firm that encourages clients to consider self employment. But evidence suggests a growing number of these people Are viewing Pink slips As Golden opportunities to become their own Bosses Selling everything from Flowers to computer software. Part of the reason experts say. Is the insecurity Layoff victims feel by going to work for someone else again challenger Gray amp Christmas a Chicago based consulting and executive placement company estimates the number of Laid off executives who have become entrepreneurs has tripled in the past five years from 7 percent of the total in 1985 to about 20 percent today the company bases the estimate on its own quarterly surveys of 600 displaced managers around the United states there is no question that a prime Factor in the decision to become an entrepreneur is concern Over another said James challenger company president. Quot these people Are hoping to guarantee that they will never again hear an employer Tell them they no longer have a Kathleen Purdy walked Down both career paths when she was Laid off As director of internal management consulting for i Filco corp. Of Meriden Conn. She started looking for new jobs with help from learn but also drafted a plan to form her own consulting firm Purdy chickened out when time came to launch the plan instead accepting a Job As a marketing director for onsite Energy a subsidiary of Pacific Orp. In Portland Ore. But when she got Laid off from that Job two years later she took the plunge. Quot i decided to go for it and i m just delighted Quot said Purdy whose consulting firm opened in january. Quot it s working out vey going it alone in t Al ways easy for the corporate Type however especially Middle managers who have staked their professional careers on loyalty to a Well established business with thousands of employees. Quot you miss the camaraderie of your associates. You miss the second family society that a Large company has to offer. You make a lot of Good friends when you re working at Large corporations Quot said Dan Mccarthy a former senior executive at Pitney Bowes inc., a leading office equipment maker in Stamford. Mccarthy left the company on his own last september when it announced a restructuring that watered Down his Job. And is just getting started running a franchise Branch of remedy temporary services an employment Agency. Many displaced executives find they must adjust their focus away from expense accounts and prof to and loss statements and toward concern for their customers whom they Are often meeting face to face for the first time. Quot having been senior management for the last 18, 19 years there is a management syndrome you have to be careful of a you can t just sit at your desk and feel you re going to be firing off a lot of orders to people Quot said Mccarthy who spent 29 years at nor corp. In Dayton Ohio before he went to Pitney Bowes and then ventured out on his own. Quot there is a big difference in coming out of a corporate Structure where things Are much More formalized and there Are Many Long meetings and a certain amount of politics that exist in Evey company Quot he said. Quot that s Fine for that Way of life but it does t work for the entrepreneur. You have to keep the customer in mind Evey Many former executives who turn to self employment say they find a new source of Energy and excitement in their Layoff afterlife that compensates for the anxieties. Quot in a getting More of a kick out of doing this than i d Ever anticipated Quot Mccarthy said. Quot it allows me to bring Forth All the experiences i had in the past and use that Effort and Energy on my own learn who runs the Greenwich group with her husband said the firm has grown steadily since its founding four years ago largely because of corporate restructurings and growing interest in self employment. They estimate they will help 300 to 400 people from 50 to 60 companies this year. So far Only one of the firm s would be entrepreneur clients has Given up a an executive who underestimated his need to be around people. He sold the business and went Back to work for someone else. But the rest appear to be thriving. Learn said. A even though it s risky it just feels right Quot Purdy said. Quot you Start creating things and you realize you have the Power to create the income to create the business. In a Way it s More Security because you control it. Its not a company that May have to downsize. There Isnit Security in corporations on the Job make or break interviews by Randolph e. Schmid associated press hordes of High school and College graduates Are making the rounds of Job interviews and those face to face meetings can be crucial to Landing employment. A Good looking resume and thorough Job application Are a Good Start but those efforts Lead to the interview the make or break moment in getting the Job. Think of the Man standing on a subway platform in new York holding a violin Case. He asks a conductor a How do you get to Carnegie Hall Quot the conductor answers Quot practice practice that s the Case in Job interviews too. Consider beforehand what May be asked practice questions and answers with a Friend and Don t get discouraged if it takes several tries to land a Job. Each interview is Good practice for the next one. Time is important in business so the first thing to remember is to be on time for the interview. Start out Early and arrive a Little Early if possible. And Don t bring anyone along for moral support. Appearance is also important say experts at the labor department. The Job interview is not a Good time to express individuality or eccentricity in dress or grooming. The clothing worn to an interview depends to some extent on the Job being applied for but in All cases should be clean neat and conservative. Men labor department officials say should Wear suits or shirts and Slacks. Dresses Are Best for women. Think in Advance about How to answer some of the most Likely questions such As Why you want to work for that particular company what your interests and goals Are and How you can help the company. This requires learning something about the company beforehand either from Library Reading or by talking to people who work there. In answering questions pause to compose an answer that is concise and to the Point. This requires careful listening to make sure you understand the questions. And be sure to let the interviewer finish the question Don t interrupt. If you Don t understand a question ask the interviewer what he or she Means. Then answer honestly. Sometimes people will ask Why you left a former Job Tell the truth but do not say negative things about former employers. Such remarks May be interpreted As unwillingness on your part to cooperate. Two of the hardest questions to Deal with Are the open ended ones such As Quot Tell me about yourself and Quot what can i do for you Quot the idea is to get you talking and the Best answer is to narrow Down the focus to the reasons Why you Are a Good candidate for the Job in question. Done to just ramble on about yourself describing Long term goals or saying such things As Quot i d like to on the Job Page 14 a a a the stars and stripes
