I
find it interesting that we discuss the “Job Market” and set out to “look for a
job.” Isn’t that a short-sighted thing
to do? It is like buying a product based on price rather than total return on
investment. It might feel like the thing to do at that point in time but in the
mid- to long-run, you’re losing out.
I
believe people would be a lot better off if they “company hunt” rather than “job
hunt.” Think about it, who likes looking
for a job? It must be stressful and terribly time consuming.
By
a stroke of luck I landed at a great company seventeen years ago. I’ve been
able to change jobs here about every 1-3 years and continue to enjoy things
like a predictably short commute, un-disrupted stock option vesting, a dynamic
environment always filled with growth and challenge and decade-long relationships
with co-workers that stretch across the company and across the globe.
I
was reminded of the wisdom of this “company hunt” type approach when reading a
recent Fortune article by David Kirkpatrick titled “Why tech stocks have a
glorious future.”
The article
quotes recent research,
“2008 Global Internet Snapshot compiled by Imran Khan, senior analyst for
Internet, media and entertainment at JP Morgan ” which paints quite an
attractive future for stocks (and companies) that could benefit from the
“unremitting hunger for technology, communication, Internet access, and
information.”
Kirkpatrick
goes on to say, “That means that while we may seem to be living in grim
economic times, tech companies are facing a future that is anything but grim -
something that is salutary to recall when we read the daily headlines about
financial turmoil and economic uncertainty. If you take the global view - and
what technology company doesn't? - there really isn't much uncertainty. While
things could slow down for a year or two, there is nowhere to go but up - way
up.”
I’ve been
living this “way up” trend for on-line
information and connectivity to information since day one at EMC and there is
no end in sight. The amount of digital
information grows on average about 60% per year. IDC just did a study on the
digital universe and says that number is only getting higher. As the place “Where Information Lives” –
that’s pretty cool for EMC.
Now think
if you happen to be a badge carrying EMCer when seeing these headlines. It means
there’ll be plenty of opportunity for professional and wealth growth right from
where they’re sitting. Yum.
ShareThis
