I’ve been spending a lot of time on LinkedIn lately because I’m looking for work. I’m grateful for my coaching clients and for the community that we’re building here, dear readers. But I’m exploring industry roles to give those ventures more time to grow.
Aug 11, 2023·edited Aug 11, 2023Liked by Joshua Doležal
Outside the gates of the working world... I can so relate to this, Josh. I have been there. I often think of it as the "professional wilderness." You're outside the gates of the city, in a place that many others are afraid to visit. But their fear does not have to be your fear. Your integrity brought you here, and your integrity will guide you on. Although pragmatism says you should get back on the payroll as soon as possible, try not to rush back to the city. The wilderness offers more possibility. "It's opener here in the wide open air, where things can happen and frequently do, to people as brainy and footsy as you" (Dr. Seuss, surely misquoted).
On a more practical note, I offer that if getting a job depends on networking, and networking depends on relationships, and relationships must develop naturally, then networking can't be forced. It can't be a meetup or a mixer. It has to be kickball or sewing club or something like that. Let other people see you doing something you love. You at your best. I think you're already doing that by sharing your writing. The rest is in time's hands
It feels wrong to me that a job should be a "prize" -- it feels to me like a destructively misleading mixing of metaphors. A job may be something you compete for, but it's not a reward, it's a contract to work for remuneration. A job application is a "bid," and an interview is a demonstration, getting the job is always contingent on performing the job, and the job can be done perfectly but the contract still canceled because of external factors. No one should tie their sense of self up in this uncontrollable game, even if one chooses to play. Humans have been hustling and pivoting and exploiting for as long as we've existed. Rather than getting hung up on tethering by contract to an institution with the idea that the institution will protect and relieve the stress of life -- even if that means moving 1900 miles away, or bolting yourself to a laptop for hours a day -- we should look at the ground we're standing on and see what needs to be done or made or sold here. My kids are great at this: they have no concept of working for a company and don't want to move away. They want to breed expensive dogs and raise alpacas and sell eggs and mow lawns. If they follow these instincts I suspect they'll be happy. Anyway, just a counter-thought to add to the mix. :)
Good luck in your search, it’s tough out there. I have been looking for jobs for over a year (since before I voluntarily left my safe but toxic and soul destroying corporate job) without much luck besides patching together temp academic gigs and a little contract work. In my case, extremely restrictive non-compete and similar agreements have made me radioactive, a topic I’ve written about on my Substack 😔 I agree that the most manageable way forward is realism with a touch of optimism to keep your sanity ❤️
Thank you for the Barbara Ehrenreich reference, Joshua. I would love to read it but I also know that, right now, it would strike me too hard in a place that I’m working hard to keep alive: my optimism - about pretty much anything and everything!
Searching for a professional job is really tough at the moment, for everyone but especially for those of us pivoting out of academic careers.
I originally wrote a long screed about how unfair that is, how many of the popular perceptions about us (that we work slowly, that we’re haughty and easily bored, that we have no clue about or experience in business contexts) are WAY off for those of us who’ve spent years grafting at the equivalent of 3 people’s jobs making and delivering $millions for neo-liberal universities. About how frustrating it is to have to keep finding ways of telling that story better on 1 or 2 sides of 8.5”x11”. Add in the difficulty for former academics (and immigrants like me!) of ‘using your connections’ - the standard advice now and deeply problematic for diversity.
Instead, I prefer acceptance - and to focus on positive steps. For me, that means continuing to develop new technical skills, making new connections and acquaintances, and taking breaks from the whole catastrophe to create and achieve things that recall myself to myself, including/especially in my personal relationships.
On a practical level, I’ve also been steeling myself and gathering ideas to start writing on LinkedIn, a prospect made daunting by my English reserve and generational regard for privacy but clearly a necessity of sorts. And I’ve been carrying out the job search more locally now - almost literally knocking on people’s doors and letting them now I’m right here, ready to get stuck in.
Things will find a way. Right now, we’re in the numinous space of possibilities - exactly what we wanted for ourselves - even if it doesn’t always feel like it. Solidarity.
oh wow, this is gut wrenching. My brother - a VP in his field when his entire division was retired - was out of work for 6 months. And, at 61, that is even more terrifying (ageism really does exist). It's terrifying under any circumstances. And frustrating AF.
As usual, Josh, you write about my exact experience but with more honesty and insight than I have access to at the moment (or maybe ever-ha!). I am in the same boat as you and have absorbed much of the same advice--and have the same sinking feeling about my chances.
Right now, I’m trying to build my network. It’s been pretty wonderful to learn about all the options out there--but I think most if not all of those connections have been through mutual acquaintances. I’ve been completely unable to meet with anyone I’ve approached for a “coffee chat” cold. I’m especially interested in coaching, but no one in that space will meet with me.
I no more think the broader job market is a meritocracy than I do academia. In fact, I think it’s more about who you know out here, as you mention above. As for keeping it up for 6-12 months, I am hoping that having a few passion projects on the side, and working on a few small contract jobs, will keep me motivated and bring in a little income.
Thank you so much for this post. It’s demoralizing to feel so totally out of sync with the optimistic view of coaches and advocates on LinkedIn and Twitter, and it means a lot to know that I’m not alone in that experience.
Thanks for sharing such vulnerable truths whilst also illuminating the ways to exist in between their lines. I’m mostly going to react here to the fact that a lot of people in digital-style work, who believe in the strength of a resume and references and strong on-paper hireability (why isn’t this a word?) are very proud of their past accomplishments but are less vocal about their interpersonal skills.
So much of my experience in finding random jobs in academia or elsewhere were 100% decided based on somehow developing a human connection (and quickly) with whoever was interviewing me. Most humans don’t care about MA degrees or how successful we were at X or Y company--they care about whether or not they’ll be able to stand hearing our voice and seeing our faces five days a week. Especially post Covid, in a world in which even PhDs can’t find work, being overly proud of past accolades or degrees or why we’re “the one” for the job seems paradoxically at odds with finding work, especially in industries wherein cultivating the human is at an all time premium as the robots continue marching onwards.
Outside the gates of the working world... I can so relate to this, Josh. I have been there. I often think of it as the "professional wilderness." You're outside the gates of the city, in a place that many others are afraid to visit. But their fear does not have to be your fear. Your integrity brought you here, and your integrity will guide you on. Although pragmatism says you should get back on the payroll as soon as possible, try not to rush back to the city. The wilderness offers more possibility. "It's opener here in the wide open air, where things can happen and frequently do, to people as brainy and footsy as you" (Dr. Seuss, surely misquoted).
On a more practical note, I offer that if getting a job depends on networking, and networking depends on relationships, and relationships must develop naturally, then networking can't be forced. It can't be a meetup or a mixer. It has to be kickball or sewing club or something like that. Let other people see you doing something you love. You at your best. I think you're already doing that by sharing your writing. The rest is in time's hands
It feels wrong to me that a job should be a "prize" -- it feels to me like a destructively misleading mixing of metaphors. A job may be something you compete for, but it's not a reward, it's a contract to work for remuneration. A job application is a "bid," and an interview is a demonstration, getting the job is always contingent on performing the job, and the job can be done perfectly but the contract still canceled because of external factors. No one should tie their sense of self up in this uncontrollable game, even if one chooses to play. Humans have been hustling and pivoting and exploiting for as long as we've existed. Rather than getting hung up on tethering by contract to an institution with the idea that the institution will protect and relieve the stress of life -- even if that means moving 1900 miles away, or bolting yourself to a laptop for hours a day -- we should look at the ground we're standing on and see what needs to be done or made or sold here. My kids are great at this: they have no concept of working for a company and don't want to move away. They want to breed expensive dogs and raise alpacas and sell eggs and mow lawns. If they follow these instincts I suspect they'll be happy. Anyway, just a counter-thought to add to the mix. :)
Good luck in your search, it’s tough out there. I have been looking for jobs for over a year (since before I voluntarily left my safe but toxic and soul destroying corporate job) without much luck besides patching together temp academic gigs and a little contract work. In my case, extremely restrictive non-compete and similar agreements have made me radioactive, a topic I’ve written about on my Substack 😔 I agree that the most manageable way forward is realism with a touch of optimism to keep your sanity ❤️
Thank you for the Barbara Ehrenreich reference, Joshua. I would love to read it but I also know that, right now, it would strike me too hard in a place that I’m working hard to keep alive: my optimism - about pretty much anything and everything!
Searching for a professional job is really tough at the moment, for everyone but especially for those of us pivoting out of academic careers.
I originally wrote a long screed about how unfair that is, how many of the popular perceptions about us (that we work slowly, that we’re haughty and easily bored, that we have no clue about or experience in business contexts) are WAY off for those of us who’ve spent years grafting at the equivalent of 3 people’s jobs making and delivering $millions for neo-liberal universities. About how frustrating it is to have to keep finding ways of telling that story better on 1 or 2 sides of 8.5”x11”. Add in the difficulty for former academics (and immigrants like me!) of ‘using your connections’ - the standard advice now and deeply problematic for diversity.
Instead, I prefer acceptance - and to focus on positive steps. For me, that means continuing to develop new technical skills, making new connections and acquaintances, and taking breaks from the whole catastrophe to create and achieve things that recall myself to myself, including/especially in my personal relationships.
On a practical level, I’ve also been steeling myself and gathering ideas to start writing on LinkedIn, a prospect made daunting by my English reserve and generational regard for privacy but clearly a necessity of sorts. And I’ve been carrying out the job search more locally now - almost literally knocking on people’s doors and letting them now I’m right here, ready to get stuck in.
Things will find a way. Right now, we’re in the numinous space of possibilities - exactly what we wanted for ourselves - even if it doesn’t always feel like it. Solidarity.
oh wow, this is gut wrenching. My brother - a VP in his field when his entire division was retired - was out of work for 6 months. And, at 61, that is even more terrifying (ageism really does exist). It's terrifying under any circumstances. And frustrating AF.
As usual, Josh, you write about my exact experience but with more honesty and insight than I have access to at the moment (or maybe ever-ha!). I am in the same boat as you and have absorbed much of the same advice--and have the same sinking feeling about my chances.
Right now, I’m trying to build my network. It’s been pretty wonderful to learn about all the options out there--but I think most if not all of those connections have been through mutual acquaintances. I’ve been completely unable to meet with anyone I’ve approached for a “coffee chat” cold. I’m especially interested in coaching, but no one in that space will meet with me.
I no more think the broader job market is a meritocracy than I do academia. In fact, I think it’s more about who you know out here, as you mention above. As for keeping it up for 6-12 months, I am hoping that having a few passion projects on the side, and working on a few small contract jobs, will keep me motivated and bring in a little income.
Thank you so much for this post. It’s demoralizing to feel so totally out of sync with the optimistic view of coaches and advocates on LinkedIn and Twitter, and it means a lot to know that I’m not alone in that experience.
Thanks for posting Joshua! It helps to know that the job search is just difficult, period, right now
Thanks for sharing such vulnerable truths whilst also illuminating the ways to exist in between their lines. I’m mostly going to react here to the fact that a lot of people in digital-style work, who believe in the strength of a resume and references and strong on-paper hireability (why isn’t this a word?) are very proud of their past accomplishments but are less vocal about their interpersonal skills.
So much of my experience in finding random jobs in academia or elsewhere were 100% decided based on somehow developing a human connection (and quickly) with whoever was interviewing me. Most humans don’t care about MA degrees or how successful we were at X or Y company--they care about whether or not they’ll be able to stand hearing our voice and seeing our faces five days a week. Especially post Covid, in a world in which even PhDs can’t find work, being overly proud of past accolades or degrees or why we’re “the one” for the job seems paradoxically at odds with finding work, especially in industries wherein cultivating the human is at an all time premium as the robots continue marching onwards.