7 Lessons from a Decade of Employment

If only we could teach our past selves

Growing up as a millennial in Europe, I expected to stick the landing in the job market by simply getting the right diplomas.

Academics however do not necessarily prepare you for understanding your place in the modern job market.

In the past 15 years alone, we’ve had to deal with several financial crises, a worldwide pandemic, and developments in cryptocurrency and AI. All this during a time when economies are more interwoven than ever.

While I like where I am now, which is a leading role in an international company and general peace of mind, I could have gotten there quicker.

Reflecting on more than 10 years of being employed in one capacity or another, there are things I wish I knew when I got started.

Understand your added value.

Previous generations would commonly stay in one field or even one company their entire career, with stability as the goal and norm.

Knowing early where you belong brings focus and identity, though there are probably more than a few people born into a family business who would have liked a choice.

While every era has its challenges, now more than ever your profession is not set in stone.

In a complex and rapidly changing world, you need to understand the value you bring in a more abstract manner than simply your diplomas and past occupations.

Reflect on your strengths and weaknesses that got you there, formulate what problems you are the solution to, and put effort into getting the message across.

Do something you like or like what you do.

It’s a cliche, but you’re in for a rough time if you hate your job. No matter whether you are employed in a 9-to-5 or building your own business, you will be spending a lot of time doing it.

That said, every job has aspects to it that are no fun and, let’s be real, most of us would not be working, or at least not the same hours, if we were financially independent.

It is important to ask yourself from time to time if you (still) like what you are doing and whether it could be better.

This does not always have to mean a radical career change, but could also be about taking on different duties within the company or investing in the relationship with your colleagues.

You always bring yourself, so your attitude and ability to find interest in things matter.

Don´t let others set your ambition.

From an early age, we are exposed to the expectations of our environment, in the form of parents, teachers, and friends. These can have a lasting impact, for better or for worse.

If you are led to believe that you will never amount to much, that can be a self-fulfilling prophecy as you no longer allow yourself to think of “rising above your station”.

On the flip side, excelling academically or pursuing a promotion can be taken so for granted that no one stops to ask you if it’s actually what you want to do.

Some people enjoy challenges, other people place more value on a good atmosphere or a job level that is comfortable for them.

We are especially quick to judge practical jobs as being “lower” than intellectual ones, even though we face an increasing shortage of people with practical skills. Social media promotes choices that make you more money; as if success (only) equals material status.

The bottom line is that you alone should be in charge of what you want to pursue.

Get with the times.

Few sectors are immune to worldwide developments. You only need to consider the COVID-19 pandemic or the recent developments in AI to know that the world can change, seemingly overnight, with major consequences for your field of work.

No one can predict the future, but being aware and trying to read the signs at least has you thinking critically about where things are going and what your role in it could be.

While this may sound a bit threatening, the bright side is that we have more means than ever to adapt and keep educating ourselves.

Many employers offer training opportunities and personal growth budgets, and there is an entire internet out there with like-minded people facing the same challenges.

Even if there are (financial) barriers for you to enroll in programs, you can find many free resources and ways to pick up new skills online.

Don’t overcompensate for structural understaffing.

Employees tend to be the biggest cost for companies, so it stands to reason boards are critical of the need for new hires.

Combined with a job market where it is hard to find and keep personnel in many sectors, it is common for teams to be understaffed for one reason or another.

While it is okay to go the extra mile on occasion, it is ultimately in no one’s interest to burn yourself out doing the work of multiple people.

If the output is kept high with less staff, this hides the shortage from those who only look at the numbers.

It is instead better to open the dialog with what you can and cannot accomplish with the current resources and leave management with the choice to either invest or accept a lower baseline.

The only constant is change.

Even if you are in a field that is relatively stable and stay with the same company for years, the organization will likely change around you.

Be it through growth, fluctuations in revenue (for better or for worse), a change of management, or a merger, many factors impact the overall company strategy.

The best way to not be swept up in change is to detach yourself from it to some extent, even more so if it happens frequently.

Keep an open mind and understand what the current leadership is trying to achieve, but mainly consider where you fit in the strategy and keep delivering the value that got you hired in the first place.

The nuance here is to not be too dogmatic in doing things “the old way” unless you have strong reasoning for it. Despite best efforts, it is of course still possible that you and the company are no longer a good match.

Keep assessing your market value.

It’s tempting to get into a comfort zone with the company you know, especially if you enjoy your work.

In an ideal world, an employer keeps benchmarking your role in comparison to the market, but this is rarely the case. It is a fact that the fastest way to increase your salary is to change employers.

Even if you do not intend to switch jobs at all, it is therefore in your best interest to keep tabs on what your role is doing in the general job market.

Under circumstances where your performance is on par or even exceptional, being able to present your employer with concrete numbers of what you can get elsewhere is a strong negotiation tactic.

Do not be afraid to talk to recruiters, as you are not committing yourself to anything and just might find an opportunity that exceeds your expectations.

In closing.

Like everyone else, I am still learning and changing as a professional. I find it helps to articulate my thoughts, and will be glad if they are of some use to someone else.

I can only wonder what the next decade will bring, but feel better equipped to handle whatever comes my way than I ever have.