Super Bowl at what career cost?

Career management is not always about finding jobs, it’s also about examining potential factors causing unemployment and/or economic difficulties.  With this said, what gives with the topic?  Surely the game is about getting the gang together, having fun, and doing what our great ancestors (going all the way back to the land time forgot) did as they beat their chests after tackling a wild hog and NOT about spending a ridiculous amount of money without thought of who is really paying the bill.

Good news, the days of beating chests are back (at least for one long and expensive weekend).  With me so far?  Good.

This weekend, as you watch the Super Bowl and check out those commercials that may be the time to ask “who is really paying for the $2.5 million to $3 million 30-second price tag?”  That’s not even including production, pre-marketing, graphics, and research costs, etc.  What affect does a super-buck blow-out have on my career and who is going to pay the bloated price for a bag of chips simply because a hottie pushes the delight?  Let’s take a pure economic approach to this for a minute and find out who loses and who wins:

Losers:
1. General laborers feel the most pain in the form of lower wages and, in many cases, layoffs; companies are in business to make money and low-bearing fruit is ALWAYS the first to go.  For general laborers out there, no disrespect intended.
2. The average consumer is not able to purchase more than the bare minimum; meaning the price is above their personal equilibrium and most are barely balancing.  With fewer consumers working or working at low wages, the cost of the product must then increase to cover the exploding wages of the company power elite.

To summarize: the average person is paying the tab while our career prospects are being ignored for the sake of juicing the pocket of the few.

Think about the money being spent for our brief entertainment.  Then think how Monday morning will find many still unemployed, underemployed, or unsatisfied with their job.

Winners:
1. Dr. Pepper’s recruitment of KISS in full armor and makeup… Gene Simmons has already been pushing the soda with their “Calling Dr. Love” ads.
2. CareerBuilder’s contest to award a $100,000 prize to those creating the most memorable commercial (truth be known, they aren’t bad as far as commercials go).

3. Monster’s promotion to find a “NFL Director of Fandemonium.”  The ultimate winner will receive $100,000 and will be involved in various NFL activities including being on the field for the coin toss ceremony.

I tip my hat to FedEx, General Motors, and Pepsi who opted out of this years event; perhaps they have their eyes on employee development and keeping prices to a reasonable level.

Let’s loop back to the job search and tie it back in to the Super Bowl (after all, I have some ribs needing to be marinated).  A lesson can be expressed as the philosophy used in consumer marketing can also be adopted into your career search.  There’s a reason commercials are brief (other than the expense).

To be effective, an advertisement, you being the product, has less than 20 seconds to get the decision-maker to contact you based on your commercial (resume).  Maximizing time management, the top third must convey value, detailing how you will make or save money based on your past performances.

Then again, if I could spend $3 million for a 30-second commercial, I would just pay someone to write my resume for me while I go out chasing a wild hog… and this is coming from a certified resume writer!

Enjoy the game!

Danny Huffman, MA,CEIP, CPRW, CPCC, author, educator, and co-owner of Career Services International/Education Career Services.  He may be reached at [email protected] or visit his Career Blog at www.educationcs.wordpress.com.