As a career coach I talk with a lot of people who are in a state of career disarray. Many – right now maybe most – are between jobs, often as a result of the pandemic and the impact it’s had on the economy. Others are in a job that is not fulfilling, or they feel stuck with no place to advance. My goal in every case is to help them find a path forward – the path that is right for them that will deliver the income and lifestyle they are looking for.
A recurring theme in my conversations with people is a desire for a better lifestyle. That typically means the ability to manage their own time and have some ability to call the shots. This usually means being able to leave work to attend your daughter’s dance recital or your son’s baseball game or take a Friday off because it’s a nice day. Sometimes it means avoiding the tyranny of having to dial into a team conference call every Saturday morning for two hours to rehash the previous week’s events.
A recurring theme in my conversations with people is a desire for a better lifestyle.
But the path to freedom is fraught for many. It’s not that it can’t be navigated successfully. What holds most people back is that it’s different. It’s not comfortable. It feels foreign.
What feels normal is a job, or more realistically, a steady paycheck. I’ve had clients, some deeply engaged reviewing the possibilities of self-sufficiency, abandon their dreams when a job is offered. This can happen even when said job isn’t especially appealing due to location or pay or myriad other reasons. But it’s what they are used to – and it’s a paycheck.
When a client tells me she accepted a job offer my response is always the same. First, I offer congratulations. Then I ask, what’s next? What is your plan for this job? Or more accurately, what would you like for this job to be? Because ultimately, as an employee, you don’t get to decide anything about your job, unless it’s to quit.
Someone else decides your work hours, how much you get paid, when you can take time off, where your office or cubicle is located, and how long you will have the privilege of selling your time for pay. The only decision you get to make is whether you want to keep doing this – and if the trade-off is worth it to you.
Ultimately, as an employee, you don’t get to decide anything about your job, unless it’s to quit.
Depending on the age of the client there are other factors as well. If you’re over 50 and you get a job, high fives all around – you’re in the minority. But how long will it last, and what happens if it’s only for a couple of years? Then you’re back on the street, two years older, and…what’s next?
Tenure in most jobs is at an all-time low. For many companies, previously internal positions are now outsourced to gig workers. Project-based CMOs and part-time CFOs are commonplace. It’s become de rigueur for many people to have a side hustle. Sometimes this is making one’s passion pay out, sometimes it’s just a safety net for the inevitable layoff.
We continue to raise kids with the expectation that they will go to college, get a great job, work there for 30 years, and retire with a gold watch and a pension. That hasn’t been realistic for at least 50 years, if it ever was. But the millennials with mountains of student loan debt who are driving for Uber and living in Mom’s basement are legion. They bought into the fairy tale and are now living a life of indentured servitude as a result.
Millennials with mountains of student loan debt who are driving for Uber and living in Mom’s basement are legion.
But even those who know it’s never been the case still believe in that same fairy tale. The ultimate goal is to get a job – get a paycheck – and everything will be okay. Except every job has an expiration date. The chances of that expiration date lining up with your plans for retirement are laughably non-existent.
So what’s next?