"Opportunity is out there," the Brookfield resident said, whose position as sales and marketing national sales manager with GE in its Capital division ceased last month, after 12 years, when he was "affected by the company's reorganization."
Now, he said, "I am the product." Like many others who are between jobs, he is endeavoring to find a good place where he can both bring and grow his skills set.
"I was very blessed to be with GE for so long-I supported a team of 20 across the county-and now it's time for me to find something else," he said.
"If you talk to anybody, they are worried or concerned, but I am very optimistic that there will be a recovery," he said. "There will be change, but that is the reality. Because of what is going on in business now, people are forced to think differently. That's not a bad thing, and for me, I think it's a very great opportunity."
"There's a lot of 'woe is me' in the world today but also a lot of excitement," Mr. Lonergan said. "Life is difficult but, at the same time, what we all do is problem solve. This is just another example of it, and it's no different from any of the business problems I had to deal with."
What's key-"at any time," he said-is not to get emotionally caught up, because "your mind is a great tool, so use it."
Ffor him, to remain in a business mode. "I still get dressed up and go to my office, at home, to work," he said.
He believes that "90 percent of the jobs are gotten through networking," which, for him, is easy. "I grew up as one of 11 kids, so I guess that's where my interpersonal skills come from."
He added that it's still necessary to do "the usual"-get a resume out and let people know in any other meaninful ways what one can do.
He did so himself in an unusual manner last weekend-on his T-shirt,front and back-as he participated in a half-marathon Sunday in Danbury.
"I'm not an exhibitionist, but in my business we have to think out of the box, even though this is an overused expression," he said. "I run 8 miles every morning, at 5:30 a.m., and the idea came to me on a run. I told my wife [Laura] and when I asked her what she thought, she said, "Brilliant, go for it."
The feedback was "great," he said, adding that the lesson "all this teaches" is very valuable for their three children, ages 11, 9 and 4.
Mr. Lonergan, who is part of support group that includes other former GE employees, added, "I am very encouraged because people who get together in networking groups share the same view-that business will go on, and that they have to find their way to be a part of it," Mr. Lonergan said.