Asked to describe his dream job, Miguel Guzmán bursts out laughing.
“Ideally, I’d be a philanthropist,” says the 55-year-old, who is on the Whittier Elementary School Fundraising Committee and served on the Colorado AIDS Project board of directors from 1990 to 1998. “But for that, I would need to win the lottery, and that’s not going to happen.”
For the past 30 years, Guzmán has worked in various capacities for Blake Street Glass, a boutique glass-blowing studio. He started as an assistant, then became one of three owners. When he sold the interest to a business partner in 2004, he remained to manage the business on a contract basis.
“Right now, everything kind of stopped, so there’s really not much work. For the first time in all these years, I’m looking for something else.”
Guzmán is clear on a few things he doesn’t want to do.
Like work for a big corporation.
“I just don’t think I’d fit in,” he says as he picks up a shimmering vortex of colorful glass from the mantel in his living room. “I’ve worked for years at a small business, and it’s so great to work with people who can create this kind of work. I’d love to work in an artistic setting again, like an art or photography studio.”
The soft-spoken businessman pauses for a moment, and studies the colors swirling through the piece.
“I know how to do so many things, from bookkeeping and website maintenance to customer relations and management. But I look at the job postings and just ask myself, ‘Is that what I did? Is that what I can do?’ “
He also wants to avoid a long commute and he doesn’t want to have to move from his home, an 1898 Dutch Colonial where he lives with his partner, Mike Romano.
“My husband, Mike, and I restored this home. We had planned to turn it, but we loved it so much, we couldn’t stand the thought of selling it, he says.
“Plus the people in this neighborhood are like family to us. We have keys to each other’s houses. We’re the uncles on the block. If a mom needs us to watch a child for a halfhour, we’re here. If they get noisy, the best thing is, we can send them home.”
Guzmán’s degree in mathematics and his minor in business administration have served him well over the years, as does the fact that he’s fluent in Spanish. He was born in Puerto Rico and was sent to boarding school in New England.
“I didn’t speak English well at first, so math was a language I could understand.”
While searching for a job, he’s done some work restoring other homes.
“Word gets around,” he says. “You can see from this house, I can do carpentry, plumbing and electrical work.”
He’s also working on a degree in graphic design. Photography is one of his passions.
“I got the photography bug because we traveled a lot,” Guzmán said, adding that Mike, who he’s been with for 34 years, is a travel agent. “I’d take pictures of all these places, and I realized they were great for memories, but I really wanted more. I wanted to take it a step further; to be able to show a friend a photo and hear, ‘Wow, this is a amazing.’ “
Guzmán says he’s very fortunate to have a support system in Mike and his many friends. Unlike many who face unemployment, he’s also avoided debt.
“But this is scary, especially at my age. I don’t think of myself as a middle-aged man. I still think of myself as young. But there are a whole lot of younger people out there looking for work.”
What he would bring to a job, he says, are all the positive qualities of someone with his experience.
Michael David, who worked with Guzmán as co-owner of Blake Street Glass, says he’d recommend his former partner to anyone.
“He was brought into the business as an assistant,” David says. “Because of his energy, intelligence, skills and positive outlook, he ended up a partner. He’s always there for you, and he’s able to do just about anything involved in managing a business.”
While Guzmán says he’s scratching his head trying to figure out how to market himself, he’s clear on many of his attributes.
“I bring maturity,” he says, wandering through his colorful, cozy home. “I’m easy to get along with. I work hard, and I understand my duties and responsibilities.
“Everything I knew about running a business, I took for granted all those years,” he says. “Now I have to ask myself, ‘Am I a manager? An administrator?’ I guess I’ve done all of those things and more, and I’m looking forward to doing them again.”
Four tips for job-hunting success
Dana Williams, senior workforce development adviser with the Office of Economic Work Force Development, and Christopher J. Chavez, regional communications director of the U.S. Small Business Administration, offer advice to job seekers trying to find their way:
1. Those who have management experience should take a look at the small businesses that are doing well, Williams says. Target those industries first. Figure out exactly how they work, what they need, how you could make improvements.
2. Write a list of the skills you have that are transferable to other businesses. Also, look at the skills you don’t have. Look for short-term training to address those areas, Williams says. Chavez agrees. “Figure out what your skill set is and what your realistic probability is of getting work in the field you’re interested in.”
Small businesses need people who have many talents, Chavez says. “Be flexible with compensation, as a lot of small businesses are hurting now. And set yourself apart. Show that you can fill two or three or even more of their needs.”
3. Go to to access all kinds of training programs. “For instance, we offer a workshop in interviewing skills,” Williams says. “Those first 30 seconds are all-important. What would you say to a possible employer? And we have workshops that will teach you to network, which we all know is crucial.” Chavez says those interested in starting a new business should contact Service Core of Retired Executives, which offers free counseling; or 303-844-3985.
4. Those who decide to start their own small businesses should build a plan of action. “Starting a small business isn’t easy. You have to have a customer base and a strategy. Are you going to be home-based or sell off the Internet? Those who have figured this out have much higher success rates.”
