A response to Job uncertainty

23 Jul, 2024

I read the post "Job uncertainty" while sitting at the dentist's office this morning. As I read it, I thought back on my career and the various jobs I've had, both the companies I've worked for and the roles I've taken on in those companies, and wanted to share my thoughts.

First: Your first job, where you did so much but were underpaid and underappreciated. This experience, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. Often, when starting a career, you end up doing what I call “thankless work.”

Doing that work allows you to recognize it for what it is. At the same time, it also allows you to gain a lot of experience that you didn’t have when you first started. The catch is that they are paying you for your skills from however many years ago, not for what you are capable of now.

To that end, if you aren’t moving up (in pay, promotions, or learning opportunities), it’s time to move out.

That leads me to the second point. The CV that you casually put in, the one that landed you the second job. You said it was a casual submission versus a painstakingly, meticulously curated CV. This is actually the way it goes. The person who reads it and moves forward with the interview—this is the person you want to work for. They are not looking for a unicorn or some wunderkind. They are looking for someone with the right skills and attitude to get the job done.

If you happen to be at another “thankless job,” no worries. Refer back to the first point and start looking around after a couple of years of learning more stuff.

The third point is about job uncertainty itself. In my career, every single job (with the exception of one six-month misjudgment) was a step forward. (Truth be told, I knew within a month of starting that crappy six-month gig that I needed to find something else. The takeaway is that sometimes toxic workplaces, environments, or bosses throw off subtle red flags versus big ones, and sometimes you miss them.)

Each new job brought new learning challenges, and coupled with a positive attitude of wanting to learn and know more (so I could advance further), I always came out ahead.

I didn’t know what I didn’t know when I walked in the door, but when I was working for the right person, they knew that I wouldn’t know everything and that I would have a few months to learn and show them that I was resourceful and a team player.

I’m sure in your next role, you’ll excel, and I look forward to reading more about your progress.