The disease called unemployed

What prompted me to write this article is that I just watched a video from a recent show on CNBC where a woman is being interviewed about a tragic situation that happened to her family. It started with the firing of her husband in 2008.

He was the sole breadwinner in the family and received a moderate severance pay. She started looking for work. In the meantime, he reviewed his severance package, retirement savings, and home equity. Eventually his wife went out and found a clerical job somewhere, mostly for benefits since they could no longer afford Cobra’s health care costs, which were running at $1,500 a month for the whole family.

This put a lot of stress on the marriage and ended in a divorce filing for this couple, which will break up the family and have a lasting negative impact forever, especially on the children. In my opinion, all this was caused by a disease, which I call “unemploymentitis”. The symptoms of this disease are withdrawal, denial, laziness, self-pity and complete narrow-mindedness. There is no medication for this condition, although many turn to alcohol, drugs, and/or sometimes even crime.

The amazing thing is that although this disease is not infectious, it is spreading like wildfire across the United States. I’m sure some psychologists somewhere have even started “unemployed clinics” to deal with this problem. Kind of like Alcoholics Anonymous. The most important question is: “What is this disease, where does it come from and how can it be treated and cured?”

To find a cure, we must first understand the essence of the disease itself. What is unemployment and where does it come from? I was exposed to the cause of the disease during my time as an insurance broker, interviewing potential candidates to join my firm. The insurance business is typically made up of commissioned agents who do not have a base salary, much like the real estate industry. There is an investment to obtain the license and then you are paid for what you bring.

In many cases I was interviewing people who came from the fixed salary environment. Everyone was excited about the potential of the insurance industry until they realized there was no base salary. The symptoms of unemployment suddenly reared their ugly head. “Well, I can’t take a job that doesn’t give me a base salary (and a bunch of fringe benefits),” was the first sign. When I pointed out that we pay based on performance and that I had no problem paying them $100,000 a month as long as they performed, I saw the blank stare come from across my desk as the unemployed woman began to take hold.

It didn’t matter if I approached them with questions like, “Well, didn’t you have a job before? Isn’t that why you’re unemployed now?” or “Wouldn’t you consider starting out as an insurance agent and then you can still look for another JOB? At least you could earn something in the meantime.” It did not matter. Unemployment had taken hold of them and they were already thinking about their next interview and their quest to find someone who would part with their own money to pay them to show up from 9 to 5.

This disease has now become even more widespread and entrenched due to the current recession we are experiencing. I heard last week from a friend who had applied for a job where they had received 495 applications. So his chances were 1 in 500. Yet he still sends his resume 15 times a day. My question to him was, “Isn’t this a waste of time and energy? Why don’t we sit down and I’ll show you a way you could earn double the work you won’t find and your time is yours?”

He was not impressed and will simply continue to send out resumes, attend occasional interviews while spending all his assets maintaining the lifestyle he is accustomed to. This is where I say, the best cure for this disease is a healthy dose of network marketing. This is what would happen if the unemployed started with this cure.

They would learn to be independent. They could be surrounded by people in the same boat. They could meet inspiring leaders who would help them fight their disease. They could have printed business cards showing that they were at least active in the business of their choice instead of having cards calling them “consultants.” In the labor market “consultant” is translated as “unemployed”. They could have access to their own professional websites, marketing materials, DVDs, and regular meetings at your location. They would look good with their friends and family who saw them taking steps to cure them of this disease.

Then they could finally experience the full cure. Being compensated for how hard they work. Be self-sufficient and never have to report to a boss again. Perhaps working from home so he can spend more time with his family and be more involved in raising the children. Achieve income levels that would allow them to take the trips they had previously only dreamed of and drive the cars they thought were exclusively owned by movie stars.

So, the network marketing industry is much more than just a place where you can make a lot of money. It is a place where you can effectively fight against the disease called unemploymentitis. Restore your dignity, your professional image in society and probably the lack of income. But more importantly, it offers him a path that could completely change his life and that of his family. What do you have to lose? The two hundred dollars it costs to register? That is much cheaper than the cost of losing all your assets, getting divorced, and perhaps the endless hours you might have to spend in the psychologist’s office. If nothing else, you’ll meet lots of other people and hopefully lots of new friends.

If you suffer from unemployment or know someone else with the same disease, come to http://DitchThatJob.com to start the cure. It could become so much more. You’ll also have the opportunity to receive Robert Kiyosaki’s new book “The Business of the 21st Century” for free, just pay shipping and handling.