I recently received an email from a man looking for a job. Although I know DeskElf's website states "There are no job openings at this time", I wasn't so surprised to get his email; we get a few each month from hopeful people. I also didn't mind getting the e-mail because I've been there and remember it vividly. I remember being a situation where I was actively ignoring phone calls from the bank because I had no clue how I would pay my mortgage that month, or the month after. I remember traveling long distances for job interviews at places

I didn't feel comfortable working. I shot for positions beyond my experience level and settled for jobs far below it. So I understood the idea of shooting a resume to a company that doesn't have any active positions posted.

I wrote a reply to the job hunter explaining that I had no openings, but would gladly keep his resume on file for future review (we have a database of potential "Elves") and asked where he learned of DeskElf. His response lead to http://unemployedworkersactiongroup.webs.com/, where I found DeskElf posted as a place for potential employment opportunities. My heart dropped. I can't hire anyone right now, as much as I would like to; I'm running a startup and we're not in that position at this time.

I'm writing to you because although I can't help you right now, I want you to know how amazing your community is. As we've seen in the global response to Haiti and Japan, when the going gets tough, we need one another. You might say your unemployment does not compare to disasters like those Haiti and Japan are facing, and it doesn't, simply because they're different kinds of pain. I would like to encourage you to keep things going. It's an amazing feeling to help someone to find a job and I hope you all get that feeling very soon.

I'll end with a few thoughts that helped to change my outlook. These are things that enabled me to start my company, survive when my company wasn't doing well and continue to inspire me to this day:

1. Find a good partner, someone who can fill in for you when you're down. You don't need someone like you, you need someone who provides what you lack.
2. Don't neglect your family. They care more about time with you than they do the money you'll provide.
3. You can never lose my doing the right thing. If a job seems too good to be true, it might be. Play it smart, money isn't everything.
4. People are understanding when you're honest. If you make a mistake, try to fix it. Don't ignore problems, they'll only grow.
5. Get help when you need help, provide people with help whenever you can.

Best of luck to all of you,

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