Blog Post: A Lesson in Life from Major Corporations

A Lesson in Life from Major Corporations

By TJ Haygood, Founder & CEO of Confidential Search Solutions, LLC

All major corporations understand one of the keys to financial success in any given market (bull or bear) is diversification. Yet individually, many working professionals do not think to diversify their personal income stream beyond a pay check and an occasional 401k fund when available. While this may have worked in times past, it is imperative that employees begin to think differently in today’s economy. With the unbelievable decline in the financial and employment market over the last 12 months, individual employees must begin to approach their personal and professional income streams strategically and tactically like major corporations. 

When considering international food chains like McDonald's and Burger King, the concept of diversification is easy to comprehend and in fact can be considered a normal way of life. However, that was not always true. While they now offer breakfast meals in the early morning they did not always provide that option until they began to diversify. While salads are a welcome selection to those who prefer to limit their consumption of burgers and fries, those choices were not always available until they began to diversify.

While the above examples give us a clear picture of diversification, some may be surprised to know that even if all the burgers were eliminated from their menus, that those same entities could still make money from their other revenue streams to include: other specialty foods, interest income, franchise and royalty fees, lease holdings, and other real estate transactions. Why, because of their diversification.

Likewise, more people need to diversify their job search process beyond a few online job boards and one or two employment agencies. The fact of the matter is everyone should explore as many job outlets and job search resources as possible. Why, because diversification is the key. The more personal and professional contacts along with employment resources one has available, the more options become proportionately possible. The more books one reads and employment training classes one takes, the more knowledgeable and prepared one is for those potential interviews.

We understand the often frustrated moments one may encounter as they continue to look for a new job for days, weeks, and months at a time. It can be quite time consuming and flat out exhausting. However, it is necessary to build one’s personal story that can be proudly shared one day with others on how triumphantly one was able to overcome this difficult time in our history because they persevered and began to diversify their personal and professional revenue streams. Best wishes and much success on your diversification.