There are a lot of things I wish I could warn my younger self about. Things that I wish someone had told me. Or things that would have made my life and career a whole lot easier.
This is the first in a series of blog posts dedicated to the personal lessons I have learned in my career and my advice for anyone who might be in the same situation (or will be in the future).
Don't get comfortable.
There comes a time in all of our careers when we get tired of fighting. We think we can pump the brakes and chill after we finally get that new job or promotion.
That's where you're wrong.
I spent all of my college years constantly fighting for new internship opportunities. I never stopped networking, going to career fairs, and applying for internships the whole time I was there.
I didn't realize at the time but I was burnt out by graduation. Endlessly fighting for new opportunities is exhausting physically and mentally.
Then, I got my first full-time job. I was a Football Operations Assistant at the NFL. I had "made it".
...or so I thought.
The thing is - I got too comfortable.
I thought that since I got my first real job, I could just chill here for a bit. Take my foot off the gas. I don't have to constantly search anymore. I can stay for a few years until I decide I want to leave.
Unfortunately, this industry doesn't operate like that.
The job market is volatile. The economy is volatile. All of that plays into your job security.
In my situation, I was a temp, not a salaried employee, so my contract stated that I could be let go at any time. I didn't think I would be because I knew I did great work and everyone liked me.
I didn't realize that none of that matters.
Even though I was a temp, the same can be said for salaried employees. I mean the NFL just offered a third of their workforce retirement packages to get them to leave. And we all saw the layoffs that have been swinging through the industry since the pandemic.
At the end of the day, here is what happened:
👉 I got the cool, fancy job that I loved.
👉 I worked really hard and proved myself to everyone there.
👉 I gave that place all the time and energy that I had.
👉 I stopped looking for jobs - and even turned down a job offer because I thought I was protected.
🛑 And they let me go out of the blue with 5 days' notice. 🛑
While I thought I was the only one to ever have something like this happen to them at the time, I am not.
This is commonplace in this industry.
This is why I always tell people - whether you're a student, recent grad, or an industry veteran - don't ever get comfortable in a job in this industry.
Here is the truth:
💥 Your company doesn't care about you. So many people want to work in this space that they don't need loyalty from you. They can replace you with the snap of their fingers.
💥 People are not inherently looking out for your success. No matter what they tell you, they will always try to save themselves before they try to save you.
So what should you be doing? ⤵️
Never quit the job search. Even if you feel like you are in a great job at a great place, continue to stay open to new opportunities. Never turn down a conversation. Nothing in this industry is permanent.
Stay alert. Pay attention to the inner politics going on in your office. Do you sense a leadership change is imminent? Are you being asked to cut your budget? Are you noticing a shift in company culture? Are your performance review results going down each year? These could be signs that you are about to get laid off or pushed out. Know them before you get caught in the trap.
Take control of your career. No one should be able to tell you when it's your turn to advance. If you feel like you're ready, you have to go find those opportunities for yourself and advocate for them. If you don't get it at your company, you need to find it somewhere else. Someone will see your worth but your company probably won't be those people most of the time.
Take it from someone who made the mistake of getting comfortable and feeling like I had control over whether I stayed or left a company.
I didn't.
I was unemployed for almost a year following that even with the NFL on my resume.
Learn from my mistakes.
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