If you’ve lost your job in the recent white-collar recession, you’ll likely receive career advice ... [+]
If you’ve lost your job in the recent white-collar recession, you’ll likely receive career advice from your family, friends, co-workers and online gurus. While some of the guidance means well, be cautious and take it with a grain of salt. It's harmful to offer sweeping generalizations as every job market is different. As the labor market was hot, you would have benefited from being told to switch jobs during the Great Resignation. Today, it would be inadvisable to capriciously rage quit, as the market is saturated with job seekers.
TikTokers will tell you to act your wage, quiet quit and rage apply to jobs. You will need to be careful of well-intentioned people telling you to pursue your passion, don’t jump at the first offer, avoid using a recruiter, fight for what you deserve and play hard to get.
In this current challenging environment, it makes prudent sense to hold onto your job for the time being. Make yourself one of the most valued employees at the company. Come into the office five days a week, volunteer for difficult assignments and overdeliver on the results. This isn’t sucking up; it’s saving yourself from getting lumped in with everyone else who’s getting axed. While you’re making yourself irreplaceable, also hedge your bets by connecting with recruiters who specialize in your space, go on informational interviews, update your résumé and LinkedIn profile and connect with your network to gather job leads and introductions to the hidden job market. Just in case you’re let go, despite your best efforts, you won’t have to start from scratch.
“Follow Your Passion”
When people say to follow your passion, they’re just echoing every college graduation commencement speech ever given. It feels good to say. The recipient appreciates the approval to go after their dream of being an artist. Better advice would be more nuanced. If you want to pursue your passion in a time of record-level inflation, high interest rates and soaring costs, the sober reality is that you need to earn enough money to afford to live. If you can do this as an artist, more power to you. The odds are against this happening. Instead, leverage your artistic flair into a job or profession that can enable you to pay the bills and lead the lifestyle you desire.
“Act Your Wage, Quiet Quit Or Rage Apply”
Those who act their wage, quiet quit or rage apply to jobs are only harming themselves. You are setting a bad precedent by just doing the bare minimum and always trying to wiggle out of work. Managers and bosses know what you’re doing and take note. Each sector is an ecosystem. The chances are when you finally leave, you’ll end up at a place with a few of your former co-workers or supervisors. They’ll recall how you were difficult and always dragging your feet. Word will spread throughout the company that you’re not someone people want to work with, and they will be watchful over every move you make.
Rage applying is just a cute TikTok term for shotgunning your résumé to several companies because you feel overlooked or mistreated at the office. It's no different than the old-fashioned searching for jobs online and submitting résumés. The difference is that the ragers may not be thinking clearly. Their anger and resentment may cloud their judgment. Instead of thoughtfully seeking appropriate opportunities that will offer future growth potential, more money and a higher corporate title, the raging applicant will likely take any job to run away from their company and boss. If they rage quit without a job, it's dangerous in this market. With so much competition, you may not find a new job for a long time. Interviewers will question why you have such a big gap on your résumé. It won’t go over well when you say, “I was rage quitting!”
“Using A Recruiter Will Cost Money”
Some people erroneously believe that if you work with a recruiter, it will result in getting a lower offer since the company needs to compensate the search firm. Companies pay the recruiting fee—not the job hunter. The business factors in the costs of using the services of a search professional as an investment in getting the best talent for the open role. They primarily utilize the services of recruiters for difficult or discrete assignments.
The benefit of a recruiter is that the person will help coach and guide you throughout the entire hiring process. These professionals know the hiring managers and HR professionals and can share precious insider insight into how you should present yourself in the interviews. They will navigate the awkward compensation negotiations to obtain the best offer—without blowing it up.
“When Negotiating Compensation, You Must Fight For Everything”
The best salary negotiations are the ones in which everyone walks away somewhat happy. Both parties didn’t get everything they wanted, but they got most of what they desired.
In a competitive market, if you push too hard, the company will just put you aside and continue looking for another candidate who is not as difficult and strident in their demands. They’ll worry that you’ll be argumentative and pushy when it comes to daily matters, if you get the job.
“Play Hard To Get”
Human resources and hiring managers want someone who wants the job. If you are coy and unclear about how you feel about the opportunity, and plenty of other applicants are available, they’ll just move on.
If you are interested in the role, make it clear. At the end of the interview process, say, “I really enjoyed meeting with everyone. They seem nice, smart and friendly. The role is a perfect fit for my background. If you are considering putting together an offer—and I hope you are—I’d gladly accept the compensation we discussed.”
By saying this, the hiring manager doesn't have to worry about a competing or counteroffer. There is political capital spent getting an offer approved. At large companies, it has to get approved through a bureaucracy of people and red tape. If the person later rejects the offer, it makes the people involved look bad. It's easier to just hire the person who wants it the most and possesses the right skills and background.
“Avoid Going Down In Title And Compensation”
Career trajectories don’t always have to be linear. There are times when you may want to pivot to something completely different and reinvent yourself. In these instances, you’ll likely have to take a few steps back to move forward eventually.
Not all businesses have the same titles. A “vice president” may be a big shot at one company, and not mean much at another. Since there isn’t usually a standard across your sector, don’t focus more on the title compared to the quality of work you’ll be doing, the upside potential, the impact a good manager will make for your career and the total compensation package.
If you decide to work in a different area to gain valuable experience, the pivot comes at a small cost—a drawdown in pay, as you may not possess all the requisite skills and experiences. It is, however, a way to get your foot in the door to embark upon a new career journey. It is worthwhile for some to leave money on the table to learn new skills that will help them in the long run.
“Don’t Accept The First Offer”
In baseball, coaches may say, “Don’t swing at the first pitch.” It translates to “there may be a better pitch thrown, if you wait a little longer” or “don’t be too impatient.” This cliché is also used in job searches. Family and friends will admonish you for taking the first offer that’s made to you. It could be the best offer, or maybe a better one will come later. In a tight job market, marred by layoffs, and money at home being tight, it may make sense to lock in a job. You can always stay for a while, try to grow in the ranks, and if not, look for other opportunities when conditions improve.
