3/17/2012 10:03 PM
I had read that when it first came out last year. Yes, a very good article. Some points as it applies to me. I am no longer in the golf business. You will find out who your friends are and that you don't have as many as you thought. For me, I had always wanted to come home, but as far as the golf business goes I remembered very quickly why I left home in the first place! I always thought that if I had to spend so much time at work, I could just work 2 jobs and be responsible for myself. The problem is, when you are not the boss, you actually have to work! When you are the boss you just have to be there. If you don't feel well, you can hang out in the office all day and leave early. Heck, even if you do feel well, you can do the same thing if you so desire. If you are an employee, you have to tough it out or stay home and not get paid! My first superintendent's job required me to be there everyday, but I could do basically whatever I chose to do. I found out from what I was told about my successor that I could have done much less and gotten away with much more, but I was married with children and he was 22. If you asked a current member, they would not even be able to remember me either. That's the thanks you get for busting your butt in this business!
I think the number one thing I learned about my career loss is that you should never make a move unless you know all the facts especially if you are in a comfortable position. The other thing is to ask for what you want. Show your value and your worth and ask for it. It doesn't hurt to try and if you get it, you will be much happier for it. I never asked for a raise, so I rarely got one and if I did, it only kept up with last years 1k insurance premium increase and a little chunk of inflation. Is it right that you are good and that you learn every year and never get considered for the big job while some 28 year old assistant gets it? Of course it is not, but that is the way of the world. The brow beatable factor always wins out over real knowledge and experience. They will probably get theirs someday too. The worst thing is that when you are out, it is very difficult to get back in. Employers are wary of your reasons for being unemployed even if your place went under because your personal credit cards were maxed out. You get the added benefit of bad credit, so that bad job becomes the gift that just keeps on giving! I would love to go back 6 years and not make that decision, too bad there is no time machine. Of course I was very unhappy at the time and took the first thing that came along after interviewing an average of twice per year and seeing the aforementioned age group selected most of the time. I got to experience the added frustration of seeing every good job I already knew about advertised on GCSAA ERS, while as we all know almost no jobs are ever advertised at all. It's a hard career, but having been out and having to actually work for a few years, I would be a much better superintendent and certainly a much happier one if ever given the opportunity. So, you guys who have a job doing what you love, be happy, you could have to really "work" some mundane job 10 to 12 hours a day like me for less than half the pay!!