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I started upskilling, and all my boss could say was, "How could this benefit our company?" 😁 I completely didn't think about that. I was thinking about my personal growth not a company that could fire me whenever they want.
@@emilyau8023 yes, I am glad you felt that way. Sadly, companies don't care about your feelings. I am not saying you can't be happy at your job. Talk to other coworkers, make friends. But, when push comes to shove, don't be surprised if they do the pushing and shoving. You also need to take care of yourself, too.
Fortunately, my love for the work I do has made living that easier and it has come naturally. Unfortunately, money is not a core motivation for me and that is basically all most companies can or will offer, so I stayed too long at my last employer (about 14 years) and my rewards stagnated. I made a change about 1.5 years ago and wages have skyrocketed, but nothing comes free.
After 15 years at the same job, and being jerked around, lied to repeatedly, broken promises, being given work because others wouldn’t do theirs, and experiencing gaslighting on an epic scale, I accepted a new job offer yesterday. Even though we are supposed to finally be getting cost of living adjustments and pretty significant raises across the board next month, it is still a dead-end job, and now that I’m over 50, I decided that I had to make the leap. The stress and stupidity is just not worth it anymore.
If they told me to do someone else’s job because they didn’t want to do it, I’d straight up tell them no, unless I was going to get their wage, in addition to mine.
I support your decision. I did the same, retrained in my early 50s and now 8 years later doing fantastic. You can reinvent yourself as many times as you have the desire and energy for.
Hi there! How was your transition? I’m going through the same thing 15 years to comfortable and the job has promised me so many opportunities and nothing. Really close on landing something good and ready to leave. Just nervous because I’m so use to being at my job. 😊
@@SaltLifeGeo have faith in God and yourself. You got through the interview and you are about to start your new job. That is half the battle. You won that round. Go for it.
I watched both of my aunts waste away decades of their lives at jobs that demanded a lot and gave back very little, with management spouting off about "loyalty" and "family" the whole time . There were always "reasons" why raises either never happened or were so stingy that inflation left you losing footing in life. If you ever gave 110% at work that 110% effort became next week's 80% effort Employers will drain the life blood from you and throw you away after years of loyal service to tweak numbers before a CEO comes to visit. You've got to become a mercenary and be all about #1, yourself
Beware of the word “family” being tossed around to set an absurd expectation of loyalty. We owe the company whatever we have agreed to do for the pay. It is a business arrangement.
I understand the logic behind what you say, but I think more is involved than logic. Some people were taught to work hard and be loyal when younger, probably by well intentioned but misguided parents. My mom has worked at one company for practically her entire life, and so has my dad. It's what I know, for better or worse. It's 'worked' ok for them, so that's what they ended up teaching me and my brother. Sometimes I would like to be more like a mercenary, but it feels foreign to me, given what I have known.
@@jtixtlan I think many people probably spend more time around co-workers than they do around their own family...thats assuming you have a good family that is worth spending time with. I don't think its too surprising that some people may start to partially believe that their 'work family' actually cares about them.
"You're not ready" = gatekeeping. If your employer gives you that line without specific & measureable goals to "become ready" they are just using it as a vague excuse.
I learned in being Cybersecurity you have to stay current and up to date on everything you can. Staying in one position will have you left behind. I left my last job due to burnout and no growth and opportunities. Act like a free agent and never stay loyal to a company.
the part that resonated most was "being too good at my job so they are trying to keep you in the chair." That's what it's been for the past three years for me. And now more than ever I have to move on.
Been there, done that. I even had the same company reach out to me several years later dangling a carrot on a stick, mentioning my old boss was retiring (*hint* *hint*). Later, I found out the opportunity was the exact same role that I left, with a lower salary than my current salary and my old boss was still employed.
Fifteen years here of being “kept in that chair”. My boss even told me “If you promote, we can’t get anyone to do your job!” But did that result in raises? Nope!
Mine hid that they did this, I only found out after no longer being employed there that's what they did, they made sure the direct team managers were yes people and not good at the actual management side of things and then prevented the people who did the job well from leaving to other internal roles but helped the people who were under work performance management to be shuffled along so they didn't have to do the process to get them fired.
My personal rule: make myself known as a "heavy hitter" for my company during the first 2 years. In year three, I ask for promotion. If I don't receive promotion by end of year 4, I dust off my resume and move on.
Yes!! 4 to 5 years is the most you should stay at a gig!! I, personally, move every 2 to 4. The longest I've been at a gig is 5 years! I could of done more somewhere else!
Hi, I’m 25 yo and I’ve just quit my first job. I cried and took my first company too personally. My work load gave me a handful of panic attacks at the office, I regretted resigning the first few days after I gave my directors my letter. A lot of self doubt and massive imposter syndrome while serving my one month’s notice. Today is my last day of the month’s notice, can’t help but to feel bumping into your video is a sign. Thank you so much.
I really wish it wasn’t this way. If you like the company you become forced to leave and it sucks. We should be able to find a company we love and grow
@@Iampamb Same. Loved a company I was at in my early years. Stayed for 8 years. After I left, I realized I wasted a lot of my time being loyal to the place and is now around 6 years behind.
I basically screwed up doing this too. I worked for a government agency. After 15 years, I thought about leaving but a friend of mine who was a financial advisor ran the numbers and it made sense to stay. Unfortunately, some of the assumptions we made were wrong. The economy crashed and pay raises were frozen or only like 1%. Then I was stuck because I would lose a lot of money if I took early retirement. You need to be constantly re-evaluating your situation.
Unfortunately, I had a similar experience. I worked for a (very small) company for over 13 years as a software engineer. I allowed myself to get too comfortable and eventually I was laid off. It was pretty much the "drain all of the blood from you and then let you go" situation as you mention. Funny thing is that years earlier I was warned by three different people who were there 25+ years that they would do this and sure enough they did (this was a family owned private company). The bright side is that I did gain some great skills while working there but when I moved on to the next position I realized I was a bit behind in technology and this is because I stayed "too long". Fortunately I realized this pretty quick and got myself caught up. I will never make that mistake again. Companies just don't deserve your loyalty. You must be a free agent! A very relatable quote: "Comfort is the enemy of progress." - P.T. Barnum
Same just happened to me (fired to avoid paying me severance and health insurance) after a few years. I've never felt so insulted. So many hard lessons learned in this experience.
The hardest part is to stay current on skills and trends when you have family obligations or your role keeps you so busy you don't have time for up skilling. And at some organizations, promotions are few and far between because there are limited opportunities for advancement if leadership if fairly well entrenched. So I usually keep an ear open for other opportunities.
I stayed in my local government job for 10.5 years because I wanted to access management opportunities. I agree with you, I should've left way before then. When I walked away from that job, I grew more professionally and personally by developing new skills. Thank you for sharing your thoughtful commentary. I appreciate you.
Same here, I should have looked for growth opportunities in other state government departments instead of clinging on in my department hoping that a growth opportunity to open up there.
@@seansasser2575 A stagnant job is like being in an abusive relationship that lacks reciprocity. They tell you, "things will get better, they'll be other opportunities/more money." That change never happens until you walk away.
I’m in the situation now! You fall so far behind. You spend years in the same title and the workplace is literally changing right before our eyes, pulling the rug right from beneath us.
I'm in this situation. Contemplating leaving my cushy County government job that is making me lazy & apathetic & the pay is falling behind in terms of inflation unless I get a masters to be in management. I can make more & learn more in private or other government agencies but so many people at my job or elder family tell me to stay cuz I'll regret it, meanwhile they don't look very successful themselves if I'm being quite frank.
I do agree. I was previously stuck in a dead end job for about 5 1/2 years. The management team always tried to impose the fear that other areas within the company was not a nice as them. Fortunately my work spoke for itself and attracted the attention of another department which offered me more money for less responsibility. I accepted it and never regret the moved. To prevent the same mistake I always do a self assessment quarterly to see if the job is worth holding on to or if I can find better conditions elsewhere.
I am currently trying to change jobs since I have realized that my job is a dead end job at this point. Thanks for this story because not only does it work as a cautionary tale but it also shows that it's never too late to be able to take control of your career.
Don't worry about the word career. Some people stress that word. Just focus on getting a job, that you enjoy and you can be happy with. Also, when that happens and it will, focus on a great work and life balance.
Very true. I worked 17 years for a large state agency in Florida. For the first 14 years I was needed to maintain a critical web application that nobody else wanted to touch. Then, someone finally decided that the app had to be rewritten. Once that was done, I was working on other things until a new manager was hired who thought that it was time for me to go. I was given an app to work on written in a language I had never received any training in at all. So, I quit after a month and moved to New York, where the rest of my family had moved to. I had stayed too long and I should have quit the minute they had taken the app away from me. Lesson learned.
Your point about feeling ready to excel, but being told you’re not ready is so relatable. I was hired into a position with promises of being moved up the position hierarchy in 12 months. Well wouldn’t it be convenient if the company kept increasing the required years of experience needed for the role? Happened year over year. My boss told me in March that I would “definitely be eligible in October” and it lit a fire under to me to get away from that organization as soon as humanly possible. I start my new role this week and I am definitely experiencing the self doubt as I know I’ve sat idle for some time, but I’m motivated and have a development plan scheduled with my new boss already! Thank you for sharing your experience and making us not feel so lonely in the world!
I left a steady job with an amazing company and I regret it. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. It’s green where you water it. Don’t let FOMO make you do stupid things.
I agree… Lots of people end up leaving and blaming the company without realizing that it was them who caused the pattern and it will follow them unless they change their behavior. There are situations where the company is indeed holding you back, but make sure you do some objective evaluation. I had a couple of peers that were on fast track development, company was giving them any opportunity they asked for and still were unhappy and left. The new employer does not give them any special treatment anymore. Don’t fall in the trap when you blame your company for every bad thing in your life.
Thank you Brian for this! I've seen throughout my career coworkers who have stayed in the same job for 20 years or more. What they don't realize that your skill set and pay are not of the current industry standard and you are being paid WAY lower than you should. Also sometimes you need to get out of your comfort zone to learn something new.
Cool insight. I came to a similar conclusion after participating in the 'benefits' of the PSLF program. I was one of the folks who got their student loans the second year of forgiveness because I heard about the program very early and got my loans lined up in 2009 to be on track. For the ten years I stayed in the non-profit space I sacrificed prime working years and my compensation never really scaled. It would have made a lot more sense to move on to a position at a for-profit company where I could make more and pay off the loans the normal way. Life is too short to wait for others to recognize your worth - including yourself.
Oh my old job did allow me to learn new tasks but it benefited them by maximizing me because they didn’t pay me for the extra responsibilities. Also owning your own business is overrated and not a solution for everyone. The failure rate of owning a business is higher than failing probation upon being hired. The risks is higher as a business owner and most people cannot cope with the expectations of unpredictable customers who become your new boss! I have seen many new entrepreneurs boast during the pandemic and were overconfident by quitting their jobs only to miserably fail after a year or two and are now back in the workforce working for someone else!
This is very similar to what is happening to me now. I have been with my company for 7 1/2 years and was brought in at a manager level to build out a department from the ground up. It was a very small company when I started, and the company has grown exponentially over the last several years. With this growth, I grew my team from 1 to 28 heads, multiple services, and multiple vendor relationships, all this with the notion I would at some point be elevated to a director level leadership position. This video resonates with me... almost everything mentioned in this video is something that in a similar fashion has applied to my situation. Sadly, I (and my team) were recently re-org'd and lost a bit of control over my department, as the person I report to now is a Director whereas I previously reported to a VP. It is absolutely frightening and discouraging to recognize that the time I have spent in this position has set me back in my career years, and has both adversely affected my career aspirations, potential and if Im being honest, the desire to want to continue in this career path.
Same. I had 2 long term jobs that were so much fun. I had tons of autonomy, everyone was friends, bosses were awesome and pay was great, the work was exhilarating. But on the downside, there was no incentive to build skills because there was really no upper roles to move to. The golden handcuffs are no joke.
I had to leave my job. I got a hernia. After healing, they wanted me back. I had a new supervisor, just before my hernia. The supervisor turned out to be a big problem. After seven years with the company, I just wanted to leave. I was starting to feel stomach pains. Then, came the hernia. As I was healing, my coworkers, got in touch with me. Half my team left the company, because of our new supervisor. They felt just like me. After healing, I told the company, I am leaving. Even my wife told me to leave. Yes, even without other job.
@@Holion5604 It wasn't also like that. I really had a bad time finding the woman. I was told by so many, it's not going to happen for you. Even God, can't help you. I understand envy. I felt that, too. Don't give up. Pray to God ask Him, to help you achieve your talents and goals.
A steady job that you have mastered and good pay are a deadly combination for career apathy. I personally set promotion milestones for my current job, and thankfully, I have hit them. I will probably need to make a jump to reach that next level, which is always scary. But, I tend to think of it as holding your breath underwater. Sometimes, you can forget how good it feels to breathe fresh air.
This was sooooo me. I was a chef at the Embassy suites/Loveland, Colorado. I gave them 5yrs. I knew at year 3, it was dead end. I stayed because of loyalty and I’m a single mom with two kids. After 5yrs, the Vid hit and ALL of us were let go. CV was the silver lining. Why? It FORCED me to pivot ❤️🔥
I’ve been watching your channel since you first started it and I had no idea until your recent videos how your journey is like many of ours and especially my own. It’s difficult to recover from feeling overlooked, and equally difficult to recover from self-sabotage. Brian, I appreciate you for always trying to be helpful and truthful.
You're most welcome. My path isn't any different, and I've made my share of mistakes. The important part is learning from them. Thanks for following along!
I knew a Manager who thought that if he befriended the Boss that when the Boss retired he would slip into that position. Well, when the Boss retired they fired this guy and promoted another Manager. He was an A-hole to other employees and got what he deserved.
Been in my current role for 8 years. Worked so hard…not valued. I am mi-career and also mid life. It’s terrifying and frustrating. I need to promote. I appreciate your videos.
Brian, this is by far the most important video I’ve seen you do. The personal experience speaks louder than anything you have said in all your previous videos combined. Tack this one to the top of every playlist.
I was at a fast food job for over a decade; I was working steadily, and kept my job due to pressures from family life, among other things. I, too, became complacent, just waiting to be promoted to management . . . "someday". It took a final "ghosting" from management to wake me up. (I was supposed to be sent for management training, and all of a sudden communication on that stopped). I also was watching others being promoted to management who weren't there as long as I had been (I knew that place like the back of my hand). These broke me of turning a blind eye to things, and I left. Your videos have helped me to see the moves I can make, now. I have since found new jobs, and better ones. Thank you so much for sharing your personal journey with us. "I'm not the only one in this situation." :)
I did the same thing for my first job out of school. I spent 8 years there and now i’ve moved on to better things and learned so much more in the last 2 years than what i did in the last 2 years of that job.
I stayed in my last job for 11 years and went as far as I could go without entering management. I finally left that job to become the heir apparent for my current organization. Right before I came here the gentleman who would’ve been my boss announced his retirement. By the time I had everyone here encouraging me to apply for and do his job it was VERY CLEAR that this ain’t “it” for me either. I generally don’t make plans except to keep moving and explore. I’m just too interested in too many things to stay anywhere now. Money isn’t irrelevant but it’s not the most important aspect these days.
This was a wonderful video. While your channel might be called “A Life After Layoff” and I think people find the channel in order to get help with getting reemployed, it’s really all about shaping how you can approach your career going forward. I love that we have a guy like you out there to share some great wisdom with us.
The workplace is fraught with many different dangers especially for young people. It's important to read about these sort of matters so you can navigate the workplace in s successful manner. I wish I had these resources available to me years ago, it would have been a great help. Great upload and topic.
Yup, I fell for the same trap and I got comfortable with my employer, after six years no promotion, no title change that reflects a growth in responsibility and skillsets I stagnated in my role (lost interest to build my skills) the moment I noticed nothing was going to change about year and half ago I decided to pursue building an online business than the career route because its a lot more in my control than in the hands of an employer; especially, I don't want to end up in a situation like yourself where I have to build it back up by 'deleveling' my career goals.
What a simple and genuine reminder to take charge of our careers and be proactive in our professional growth. It's truly a valuable lesson for those seeking advancement and fulfillment🙌
This video slapped me in the face as hard as discovering a former coworker who was not given a chance by my boss to move up is now a supervisor for networking teams at a State level. And we're over here troubleshooting printers and deploying stodgy prosumer gear. My former coworker is special I could always tell. As for myself, better late than never. Thank you for another guiding and imperative video.
Brian is THE MAN!! Everything he says is 100% on point!! If he hurts your feelings, then you don't want to hear the truth about corporations and career possibilities!!
A lot of what you said reallly resonates to me. I wasted a lot of my 20s not having a clear guidance on where I was going career wise. I was in school to obtain a 4 year degree, worked a lot of food service jobs jumping from one place to another because management was very poor in many of the places. Then I got settled into a role as a remote customer service and sales rep for an E-commerce platform. I worked there all the way until my graduation...the work was remote and the pay was very sub-par and I was content doing it really because I didnt have any kind of growth mentality. Just spend my money on appealing things and rack up some student debt from school. After graduation, I got my first "career" oriented job in tech but got laid off very quickly because I was underperforming and the market turned sour. Here I am now, after my layoff looking to get my feet wet again and realizing all the time I wasted not growing and working on myself :(
This really, really resonates with me. I worked for a personal injury lawyer for far too long and I regret not being the CEO of my career. It was a steady job with a steady paycheck, but it really wasn't worth the lowball pay to put up with the BS from my boss, but I put up with it. I was also sick of the greed the clients often displayed when it came to what they felt their cases were worth. I finally got the courage to leave after a coworker who briefly worked there saw the conditions i was working under (verbal and mental abuse by the boss, not really being paid well, etc.), and got me hired on with another law firm doing a different area of law, but the CEO cut me loose from thar job after a little over a year. I now am doing pizza delivery and looking for another ob because it's part time work really and i need something full time. Trouble is, i feel as if though I sabotaged my career by staying too long. I have tried finding other jobs, but I almost feel like I'm unhireable because I have been turned down most of the time. I turn 50 later on in June, and the prospect of continuing in part time work scares me.
I was just laid off from my steady job I’ve had the last 7 years. I am completely unskilled for the job market and feel like a fool. I was told by older generations it looks bad to switch jobs so I listened to them and didn’t. I’m really regretting it now.
Sorry for the audio issue - UA-cam decided to copywrite strike the same intro music I've used for years. They are re-rendering it to remove the audio. Hopefully, it will be fixed when it's done.
I was unemployed/underemployed for 4 years after I was laid off by HP in 2013. Around the same time, I had horrible events occur in my life that almost gave me a nervous breakdown (wife passed away, and had a fire in my home). I took a year off of work to get my head and my affairs in order. When I attempted to return to the job market, I found that my skills were hopelessly out of date. I had to start back at the bottom where I did work-from-home tech support for $13 an hour. I also did temporary 3 month contracts for desktop installations and even some PHP LAMP development. As a result of this experience, I now make sure to study 1 hour per day, every day, without fail. I've obtained 9 tech certifications in the past 3 years and I make much more money compared to 10 years ago. When you work in the tech industry, one has to expect a career of lifelong learning. It is a very unstable industry that is constantly being automated and disrupted. If you want job security, you need to be disciplined and talented. But I would argue that good luck and talent flow downstream from hard work--or they're at least a symbiotic combination. Talent without discipline is wasted.
I used to be a somewhat loyal employee until i got let go for a very minor incident when i had no other writeups. After that my goal became get as many certifications and training as possible then start applying for better paying jobs until i got one. Used that plan to go from 25k a year to 65k a year in 2 years. And I'm someone who's in an analytical field that typically wants people with college degrees when I only have a diploma and certifications.
Oh boy! This topic resonates with me. Been in the same position for too long because it's been cushy and I haven't kept up with my peers. I'm trying to remedy that right now by upskilling on my own time and putting my resume out to places where my friends have given me leads. My manager left 4 months ago and it seems like I would be the perfect replacement candidate, but the company definitely has different goals for filling that position. I'm struggling because the perks & benefits still somewhat outweigh the stress of leaving and finding a new job.
Thank you for posting this. I have been kicking myself for believing the lip service from management on job expansion, which had led me to burnout and depression. Although I don’t like to feel others have had the similar experiences, it does help me to forgive myself for being only human.
This was a nice reminder of my "why". I loved what I did but didn't like the place. I checked out for a while until I realized I didn't want the next 20 years just doing a job. I got lucky with a supportive husband so I can go back to school. I also put myself out there with my resume and found a job in the same industry. It fits with my want of balance but also gives me a path to a career. I'm grumpy that I waited until 45 to get my stuff together, but better late than never I guess? 🙃
I relate so much to your comment. Been on my job 35 years; graduated with master's last year and now I will be 58 in a few weeks. Wish I had put myself out there more, but it is what it is. I see my 2nd phase working for myself. I have done enough for corporate and I must say its been good to me. Give and take relationship but its never too late to turn things around; I dont care what anyone says; never too late.
What you were experiencing is "learned helplessness." It's an easy trap to fall in to but it's also easy once you realize you can do the things you want to break out of.
Gosh, your content is fabulous. This is SO TRUE. I have fallen into this trap. I’ve been in a “comfortable” role for the past two years, not really challenged at all and no opportunity for growth, but great pay (after many years of being on my game in much more challenging roles, but highly stressed out). What lit a fire under me was recent lay offs last month, which I “survived” this round, but I see as a red flag and I suddenly am worried about job stability. So now I’m looking for jobs again trying to get back to more challenging and rewarding work, it’s very hard because I lost the last two years being apathetic. I’m trying to turn things around in my career and get back on track.
Thanks for sharing all this Bryan. All those experiences led you one to build a business of your own two teach us all watching priceless lessons in our careers. Thank you 🙏
This totally happened to me, too! I was at a company for 17 years and was just laid off in April and my remote design job went to someone overseas. I got too comfortable because it was a paycheck and I was raising my daughter at the same time. Now I missed out on so many skills I could’ve/should’ve learned, especially during Covid! I’m looking for a job now and not qualified for the jobs I really want so I’m taking classes online to catch up while I collect unemployment. Hard lesson to learn but I’m hoping my next chapter will be a better experience. Love your videos and I’m learning a lot! Last time I wrote a resume and cover letter was 18 years ago. Times sure have changed but your tips have been very helpful. Still waiting for an interview but I know it’ll happen eventually 🙏🏼
I left my "steady job" a year and a half ago because the team I was on would win all kinds of Sales Awards all the time and promised promotions and they never came. I knew I was doing the work of 2 people. They had to hire 2 people to replace me when I left. The job I took next was a promotion on day one. Leaving that job was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
I know exactly about how it feels to be passive and losing passion. My first engineering job I stayed at almost 4 years, and after the first 2 years of mediocre raises and constantly increasing workload I thought I had it all figured out that the expectations were lower than other places, so I started to slack and stopped pushing to go above and beyond. Eventually, I reached out to my bosses boss about raising my wages to at least market rates, and was told that I was barely doing well enough to keep. So I immediately began looking, found new work that pays market rates and am back to being passionate and feeling like I have goals and direction in life. Places like the last, they'll make all kinds of promises without any intention to reach them, and my experience was that they don't adjust their own expectations even when they pay below average with no opportunity.
I’m riding the fence on the decision I know I’m ready and need to make. I’ve been in my IT job for 6 years now. Two different positions but capped at my title now. Next is manager and I don’t want to manage. I know I’ve outgrown this company and ready to do different things. However, the perks at the job is what’s keeping me there. I have complete trust, come and go as I please. No micromanaging. Flexibility, not strap to a desk. Good pay and non profit for my PSLF payments. It’s a state job and a really good one. Pretty solid through out Covid and no layoffs. So I feel that it would be hard to find a job like this one that pays more. I’m looking though. At my company people leave all the time for more pay and come back because of the flexibility there.
Thank you for posting all these helpful videos. I really appreciate your content. After 22 years of being in a comfortable professional role I am one of the last remaining employees that hasn't been laid off (yet). I am following your advice, quickly acquiring new skills and doing my best to push forward into a different career. Your content is so timely rapidly changing world.
ALAL - I’ve watched a lot of your videos and have learned / realized a great deal about career development and management. This video is by far the one that resonates most with me. I did not manage my career very well early and as a result had to play catch up in my early 30s. By my mid 40s I was where I wanted to be career / work / pay-wise but that turned out to be bad for my marriage, family and personal health. I transitioned to a position that was actually a step down but it’s much less stress, the pay is good, and the company supports and develop employees in a way no other employer I’ve had has. I find measuring myself against friends and peers is not always a good way to determine your success or where you should be though. Great video and thank you for sharing something this personal and intimate. You’ve been an inspiration.
Just wanted to say that I think it was really brave of you to put out this video, and share this difficult experience to help teach others. Overall, you seem to have bounced back from that situation with real tenacity - and I hope you've been able to heal from the pain it caused you, too. Great video as always.
I have stayed in the same position for 5+years. Notwithstanding applying for senior roles, working long hours without pay, being diligent and efficient, formally applying for training opportunities within the company to no avail and carrying the largest workload at my level. I even expressed love for my organization at my most recent interview with another company. I decided to take my power back and to hold myself accountable for my development and growth. I am actively seeking new opportunities outside of my current organization. I'm very educated, productive and believe in continuously learning/developing. I encourage everyone to learn something new, be intentional about what you want and let nothing/no one stop you. As I type this, I am yet to be updated on an internal interview I took 3 months ago. Go figure right? Be bold and trust yourself!
I did software QA for the same company for ten years. Didn't learn much, did the same thing. The next company expected a lot more out of me and I didn't have the expected skills and experience. Each job after that was a disaster. Had to quit that career five years later. Still recovering from it.
Thank you so much for sharing Brian! I feel exactly the same, shortened runway, seeing peers (even former interns, while I was senior!) in certain positions. Though I did take some ownership and try to reflect, the outcome is similar. I definitely did not play chess enough, next to perhaps cultural differences in my country on thinking outside the box. I also think confidence and allowing for + owning your mistakes, helps building yourself. Keep up the good work!
Thank you for this timely message. I'm not at the point where I regret my career but I am at a point where I'm considering leaving my job because the promise promotion hasn't materialized. And I have been sitting around for the last 6 months bored. Because my job has gotten too easy. I was brought in to fix rhe problems in my company and niw that they are fixed im ready for a new challenge. And my boss instead of offering me a promotion offered me a sideways move into another department that would have been attractive 3 years ago, but not now. This video helped reaffirm my decision.
I really resonate with this video. I just left my toxic job that I stayed at for years (it was really easy going and steady until the boss started to bully me) and I felt so behind all of my peers.
Just wanted to say: I was nervous about making my side business my full time work. With guidance from a mentor on growing it and your framework on growing self, I had opened and expanded my operations. Thank you. Listening to this reminds me of my own story. Better late than never!
I'm actually trying ,to do that with my. cleaning business & trying to start it as my side business in the fall. That why I'm staying at this job so I can saved up money .& start buying some supplies.
I left my job of 5 years. Never acknowledged for hard work. No paid time off. Were only got sick time. Only took 1 personal day off in 5 years. Company would make people supervisors after 2 weeks and they knew nothing. Had a couple horrible supervisors who wanted to fight or demean you because they are higher up than you. Reporting them to our manager/HR did nothing. Supervisors would give me the worst job a lot of the time simply because I'm a dude and know what I'm doing. After I've been somewhere years I don't want to do all the worst stuff, give some to the new people, but new people were not trained so they gave it to me. Ugh. Then other times I'd get called to do stuff after I'd been working my ass off and wanted to take a bit of a break simply because I was only name someone knew. Nothing like having to hide in a stairwell to rest for 5 minutes because you know if you are seen on the floor they'll work you like a dog.
I have been in my current job for 8 years and last week I was offered a new challenge. I decided to take it. Being in one job for so long isn't always good for your career. During the first few years it was wonderful and I absolutely loved what I was doing. 6 months ago I got moved to another department and everything changed, it became dreadful. During my time I was told to bide my time and wait for the big boss to quit so I could move up, He has just said he is planning to work a few more years and I had enough. I went for an interview for a new opportunity and it looks exciting so i accepted the new job. I told my current job I was leaving and they acted like they didn't care. Sometimes loyalty means nothing!!!
Thank you for this video!! Ive been through this shit MANY times!! Now i'm finally realizing my worth after going through what you did for many years and I agree with your stand point. Altogether, it was that company's loss, not yours. The best option was to take your experience and just leave for something better befire you start losing yourself and forgetting your self worth.. these mangers need to get off thier high horses, STOP being pucky and predjudice and stop promoting "friends and family members", so they have an easier time in control while getting away with pay cuts and saving money!! BS!
I also started out my career at a very small company. Although initially I made significant increases in salary, at a certain point I stalled out because there was no real room for promotion, given the size of the firm, and then hit a salary ceiling where the boss was just not willing to raise my salary anymore, despite my increasing responsibilities. I definitely learned a lot within this close-knit environment but definitely spent much much longer there than I should have.
TBH I am managing someone like this and it is frustrating. At this point, I think they should focus on having a life and just living! They got so used to the hustle and getting big raises but can't adjust to being near the end goal, now they want even more, but can't way more of what. They also overestimate how much upper management earns so think they still can earn alot more, when they are actually doing well
Our generation (gen x) really got screwed in this respect. The boomers are not retiring out of these better positions leaving us in a waiting pattern. I have multiple degrees massive experience yet these higher positions are never available.
This is exactly where I am as well. I keep being told I need leadership experience but I can’t get it because I don’t have it. The recruiters are also not interested in transferable skills.
OMG, I can totally relate to your complacency. I work for the SCUSD in Sacramento, I've been working as a clerk-sub off and on since 03. I was never hired permanently, in fact my presence went ignored until something negative happened. Therefore, I did the bare minimum just to get paid. It caught up with me and now I don't have a job at all anymore. It's like getting a bucket of cold water splashed on me to take control of my life instead of letting life happen to me. My reason for being on autopilot was due to me never being able to ace and interview and go on to a permanent position. I've been at the bottom to long, and got treated as such. Working in the office with a bunch of petty people waiting for me to mess up was not motivating to strive for excellence.
This is where I am standing now and being not ready for the role is exact words used for me..I m glad I am looking for job sooner. I m just one year old in this crappy organisation and your video is validating my thoughts of falling behind in job market.. thank you for sharing your experience
Ouch this is me. Every single thing! Waiting and waiting. Brushing aside toxic behaviour from my boss because I loved my job and clients.hard reality check. Finally got the courage to put a Cv together and had first interview today!!
I had a similar experience at one point. It only dawned on me when I started casually looking for other options and quickly realized that other employers thought I was overqualified for the position I was in (had 10+ years experience in something most companies were fine with 2-5 years, with the lower salary to match) but didn't want to take a chance on me at a higher role because I didn't have any experience in that field. And all I had was a promise from my current employer that some day somewhere in the future they would promote me. Always remember that even if the company you work for has good intentions, there are various reasons why you might be let go through no fault at your own and you don't want to be left with a resume that suggests your skillset never improved the last decade.
Scarily in a similar situation. Job was steady and even addicting throughout my 20s. Eventually it switched to mostly legacy support and now theres rumors of shutting down our satellite office. Started looking around at other jobs but sadly im way behind now in my 30s because we havent learned anything new in years due to being on legacy support only. The pay was nice and they kept giving good raises to stop us from leaving. It seemed great while it was happening but now im stressed wondering what's going to happen to my career in the future due to being behind and catching up looks very expensive.
Your video definitely resonated with me. Tbo, I used your advice last year (2022) when I decided to leave a company I was at for 10.5 yrs making $172k base to where I am now earning $220k base with a better job title. So I thank you for sharing your story about “Joe”. With that being said, I am still pushing and will jump to the next company if means advancing my career. Prior to my 10.5 year run at my previous company, I job hopped every 2-3 years. I work in IT and it really didn’t have any negative effects on gaining jobs with more responsibilities and new growth. Anyways, thank you very much for all your efforts making these videos. Little advice, maybe consider to start doing interviews in the future to help add new kinds of content.
I am working in the spot you talk about. Except management has come and gone since I began. Never promoted either. Frankly, I have no interest in those positions. I would rather stick to the things I know how to do and be stable.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I'm in a very niche market and almost 10 years with my current company (yes, I know). I only realized in the past year how far behind I am, compared to the rest of the industry, in skills and pay and motivation, and everything else you have mentioned. By my conservative estimate, my lost income is nearing 200k. Still struggling to retrain myself so I can leave my job without applying first to a more junior level position or getting a paycut first with the hopes of getting promoted
Thanks for this video and for telling your story. I feel motivated by what you said, though luckily I have never been in a situation like this. I definitely feel even more motivated not to do this, the allure of stability and a steady pay-check is tempting but if you don't change you'll never grow. I am in a similar mindset with my career but I am looking to switch careers and maybe looking for some guidance in doing that.
Left my job 2 weeks ago. I was in the company for 2 years. But it wasn't until end of last year that i realized i wasn't getting any more career development. I thought of leaving but didn't because i haven't landed any offers and the pay was higher than other companies. So i thought i might stay for a little while. I ended up resigning without any backup plan and did not even regret it. Right now i'm just focusing on upskilling myself. Previously i had no time because i was prioritising my work. Now i have all the time in the world to attend whatever course that i want and take this time to realign my career and life goals. I don't think everyone can see the real value of their careers. Some people are just dead set on their goals so they plan ahead. Some people just like to go with the flow 🤷🏻♀️
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I have a steady job. My regret is not using the steady job all these years to prepare for next step.
Act like the CEO and play some career chess!
@@ALifeAfterLayoffDubbing is way off for me. The intro video was skipped and it seems that threw the audio out-of-synch.
@@Tie509I noticed that, too
I started upskilling, and all my boss could say was, "How could this benefit our company?" 😁 I completely didn't think about that. I was thinking about my personal growth not a company that could fire me whenever they want.
@@emilyau8023 yes, I am glad you felt that way. Sadly, companies don't care about your feelings. I am not saying you can't be happy at your job. Talk to other coworkers, make friends. But, when push comes to shove, don't be surprised if they do the pushing and shoving. You also need to take care of yourself, too.
“Work harder on yourself than on your job” - Jim Rohm
Fortunately, my love for the work I do has made living that easier and it has come naturally. Unfortunately, money is not a core motivation for me and that is basically all most companies can or will offer, so I stayed too long at my last employer (about 14 years) and my rewards stagnated. I made a change about 1.5 years ago and wages have skyrocketed, but nothing comes free.
After 15 years at the same job, and being jerked around, lied to repeatedly, broken promises, being given work because others wouldn’t do theirs, and experiencing gaslighting on an epic scale, I accepted a new job offer yesterday. Even though we are supposed to finally be getting cost of living adjustments and pretty significant raises across the board next month, it is still a dead-end job, and now that I’m over 50, I decided that I had to make the leap. The stress and stupidity is just not worth it anymore.
If they told me to do someone else’s job because they didn’t want to do it, I’d straight up tell them no, unless I was going to get their wage, in addition to mine.
I support your decision. I did the same, retrained in my early 50s and now 8 years later doing fantastic. You can reinvent yourself as many times as you have the desire and energy for.
Hi there! How was your transition? I’m going through the same thing 15 years to comfortable and the job has promised me so many opportunities and nothing.
Really close on landing something good and ready to leave. Just nervous because I’m so use to being at my job. 😊
Good for you. I, too am over 50. I feel, 30 years younger. You happiness and well-being is very important, too.
@@SaltLifeGeo have faith in God and yourself. You got through the interview and you are about to start your new job. That is half the battle. You won that round. Go for it.
I watched both of my aunts waste away decades of their lives at jobs that demanded a lot and gave back very little, with management spouting off about "loyalty" and "family" the whole time . There were always "reasons" why raises either never happened or were so stingy that inflation left you losing footing in life.
If you ever gave 110% at work that 110% effort became next week's 80% effort
Employers will drain the life blood from you and throw you away after years of loyal service to tweak numbers before a CEO comes to visit. You've got to become a mercenary and be all about #1, yourself
Beware of the word “family” being tossed around to set an absurd expectation of loyalty. We owe the company whatever we have agreed to do for the pay. It is a business arrangement.
Exactly. I'm a hired mercenary. Nothing more. Whomever pays me more, I work for. Loyalty doesn't exist.
I understand the logic behind what you say, but I think more is involved than logic. Some people were taught to work hard and be loyal when younger, probably by well intentioned but misguided parents. My mom has worked at one company for practically her entire life, and so has my dad. It's what I know, for better or worse. It's 'worked' ok for them, so that's what they ended up teaching me and my brother. Sometimes I would like to be more like a mercenary, but it feels foreign to me, given what I have known.
@@jtixtlan I think many people probably spend more time around co-workers than they do around their own family...thats assuming you have a good family that is worth spending time with. I don't think its too surprising that some people may start to partially believe that their 'work family' actually cares about them.
@CJ underrated comment
I change every 2 years, I keep learning some more and I don't care about what anybody says, I have SO much to offer
A job can become comfortable like a "well worn shoe". Then you get laid off.
This happens way too often. Always have a plan.
This was me. It actually kinda feels refreshing knowing other people have done this too
"You're not ready" = gatekeeping. If your employer gives you that line without specific & measureable goals to "become ready" they are just using it as a vague excuse.
That’s when I gave my notice in 2015 after seven years of going no where.
I learned in being Cybersecurity you have to stay current and up to date on everything you can. Staying in one position will have you left behind. I left my last job due to burnout and no growth and opportunities. Act like a free agent and never stay loyal to a company.
the part that resonated most was "being too good at my job so they are trying to keep you in the chair." That's what it's been for the past three years for me. And now more than ever I have to move on.
Been there, done that. I even had the same company reach out to me several years later dangling a carrot on a stick, mentioning my old boss was retiring (*hint* *hint*). Later, I found out the opportunity was the exact same role that I left, with a lower salary than my current salary and my old boss was still employed.
Fifteen years here of being “kept in that chair”. My boss even told me “If you promote, we can’t get anyone to do your job!” But did that result in raises? Nope!
That’s the truth. If you’re too good at your job, it actually HURTS your chances at promotion.
Sounds like they pigeon holed you
Mine hid that they did this, I only found out after no longer being employed there that's what they did, they made sure the direct team managers were yes people and not good at the actual management side of things and then prevented the people who did the job well from leaving to other internal roles but helped the people who were under work performance management to be shuffled along so they didn't have to do the process to get them fired.
My personal rule: make myself known as a "heavy hitter" for my company during the first 2 years. In year three, I ask for promotion. If I don't receive promotion by end of year 4, I dust off my resume and move on.
Yes!! 4 to 5 years is the most you should stay at a gig!! I, personally, move every 2 to 4. The longest I've been at a gig is 5 years! I could of done more somewhere else!
That’s honestly a long timeline
Well played
I wait one year only and second year I start hunting and before 3rd year I am gone
3 years
Hi, I’m 25 yo and I’ve just quit my first job. I cried and took my first company too personally. My work load gave me a handful of panic attacks at the office, I regretted resigning the first few days after I gave my directors my letter. A lot of self doubt and massive imposter syndrome while serving my one month’s notice. Today is my last day of the month’s notice, can’t help but to feel bumping into your video is a sign. Thank you so much.
Being loyal with a company doesn't work out well most time. If you're trying to improve title and pay, switch jobs every 2-3 years.
I really wish it wasn’t this way. If you like the company you become forced to leave and it sucks. We should be able to find a company we love and grow
@@Iampamb Same. Loved a company I was at in my early years. Stayed for 8 years. After I left, I realized I wasted a lot of my time being loyal to the place and is now around 6 years behind.
I basically screwed up doing this too. I worked for a government agency. After 15 years, I thought about leaving but a friend of mine who was a financial advisor ran the numbers and it made sense to stay. Unfortunately, some of the assumptions we made were wrong. The economy crashed and pay raises were frozen or only like 1%. Then I was stuck because I would lose a lot of money if I took early retirement. You need to be constantly re-evaluating your situation.
Unfortunately, I had a similar experience. I worked for a (very small) company for over 13 years as a software engineer. I allowed myself to get too comfortable and eventually I was laid off. It was pretty much the "drain all of the blood from you and then let you go" situation as you mention. Funny thing is that years earlier I was warned by three different people who were there 25+ years that they would do this and sure enough they did (this was a family owned private company). The bright side is that I did gain some great skills while working there but when I moved on to the next position I realized I was a bit behind in technology and this is because I stayed "too long". Fortunately I realized this pretty quick and got myself caught up. I will never make that mistake again. Companies just don't deserve your loyalty. You must be a free agent!
A very relatable quote: "Comfort is the enemy of progress." - P.T. Barnum
After 13 1/2 years, the same thing happened to me.
Same just happened to me (fired to avoid paying me severance and health insurance) after a few years. I've never felt so insulted. So many hard lessons learned in this experience.
The hardest part is to stay current on skills and trends when you have family obligations or your role keeps you so busy you don't have time for up skilling. And at some organizations, promotions are few and far between because there are limited opportunities for advancement if leadership if fairly well entrenched. So I usually keep an ear open for other opportunities.
I stayed in my local government job for 10.5 years because I wanted to access management opportunities. I agree with you, I should've left way before then. When I walked away from that job, I grew more professionally and personally by developing new skills.
Thank you for sharing your thoughtful commentary. I appreciate you.
You're most welcome!
Same here, I should have looked for growth opportunities in other state government departments instead of clinging on in my department hoping that a growth opportunity to open up there.
@@seansasser2575 A stagnant job is like being in an abusive relationship that lacks reciprocity. They tell you, "things will get better, they'll be other opportunities/more money." That change never happens until you walk away.
I’m in the situation now! You fall so far behind. You spend years in the same title and the workplace is literally changing right before our eyes, pulling the rug right from beneath us.
I'm in this situation. Contemplating leaving my cushy County government job that is making me lazy & apathetic & the pay is falling behind in terms of inflation unless I get a masters to be in management. I can make more & learn more in private or other government agencies but so many people at my job or elder family tell me to stay cuz I'll regret it, meanwhile they don't look very successful themselves if I'm being quite frank.
I do agree. I was previously stuck in a dead end job for about 5 1/2 years. The management team always tried to impose the fear that other areas within the company was not a nice as them. Fortunately my work spoke for itself and attracted the attention of another department which offered me more money for less responsibility. I accepted it and never regret the moved. To prevent the same mistake I always do a self assessment quarterly to see if the job is worth holding on to or if I can find better conditions elsewhere.
Same company rip
Very good plan, IMO. :)
I am currently trying to change jobs since I have realized that my job is a dead end job at this point. Thanks for this story because not only does it work as a cautionary tale but it also shows that it's never too late to be able to take control of your career.
Don't worry about the word career. Some people stress that word. Just focus on getting a job, that you enjoy and you can be happy with. Also, when that happens and it will, focus on a great work and life balance.
One step at a time. Resume, apply, follow up. Im finally leaving a place after 17 years. If I can do it, anyone can.
Please don't stress the word career. Say, it's never too late, to change your life.
That's why 2 years max your working potential matters
@@jamesd.9955 I agree! I'm 58, now, and am just recently starting out in my new "job path". Having fun, learning a lot, doing okay.
Very true. I worked 17 years for a large state agency in Florida. For the first 14 years I was needed to maintain a critical web application that nobody else wanted to touch. Then, someone finally decided that the app had to be rewritten. Once that was done, I was working on other things until a new manager was hired who thought that it was time for me to go. I was given an app to work on written in a language I had never received any training in at all. So, I quit after a month and moved to New York, where the rest of my family had moved to. I had stayed too long and I should have quit the minute they had taken the app away from me. Lesson learned.
Your point about feeling ready to excel, but being told you’re not ready is so relatable. I was hired into a position with promises of being moved up the position hierarchy in 12 months. Well wouldn’t it be convenient if the company kept increasing the required years of experience needed for the role? Happened year over year. My boss told me in March that I would “definitely be eligible in October” and it lit a fire under to me to get away from that organization as soon as humanly possible.
I start my new role this week and I am definitely experiencing the self doubt as I know I’ve sat idle for some time, but I’m motivated and have a development plan scheduled with my new boss already! Thank you for sharing your experience and making us not feel so lonely in the world!
That's acting like the CEO of your career! Congrats on the new role and hopefully they provide more meaningful opportunities for you.
I left a steady job with an amazing company and I regret it. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. It’s green where you water it. Don’t let FOMO make you do stupid things.
I agree… Lots of people end up leaving and blaming the company without realizing that it was them who caused the pattern and it will follow them unless they change their behavior. There are situations where the company is indeed holding you back, but make sure you do some objective evaluation.
I had a couple of peers that were on fast track development, company was giving them any opportunity they asked for and still were unhappy and left. The new employer does not give them any special treatment anymore. Don’t fall in the trap when you blame your company for every bad thing in your life.
Thank you Brian for this! I've seen throughout my career coworkers who have stayed in the same job for 20 years or more. What they don't realize that your skill set and pay are not of the current industry standard and you are being paid WAY lower than you should. Also sometimes you need to get out of your comfort zone to learn something new.
So true
Cool insight. I came to a similar conclusion after participating in the 'benefits' of the PSLF program. I was one of the folks who got their student loans the second year of forgiveness because I heard about the program very early and got my loans lined up in 2009 to be on track. For the ten years I stayed in the non-profit space I sacrificed prime working years and my compensation never really scaled. It would have made a lot more sense to move on to a position at a for-profit company where I could make more and pay off the loans the normal way. Life is too short to wait for others to recognize your worth - including yourself.
If you are NOT ALLOWED to learn anything new, then, MOVE. Alternatively, STAY, grab a whole "rack of spices" and,work on opening a business
That's good advice to follow. Especially the last statement.
Ok dumb question, what is this spice rack you speak of
Oh my old job did allow me to learn new tasks but it benefited them by maximizing me because they didn’t pay me for the extra responsibilities. Also owning your own business is overrated and not a solution for everyone. The failure rate of owning a business is higher than failing probation upon being hired. The risks is higher as a business owner and most people cannot cope with the expectations of unpredictable customers who become your new boss! I have seen many new entrepreneurs boast during the pandemic and were overconfident by quitting their jobs only to miserably fail after a year or two and are now back in the workforce working for someone else!
Shut-up, put-up, swallow-up, keep it under tbe radar, be low-key, be invisible, do not make waves, do not chit chat, bad mouth.
@@jon6309 I said STAY and work in parallel to set up your own business, NOT quitting.
This is very similar to what is happening to me now. I have been with my company for 7 1/2 years and was brought in at a manager level to build out a department from the ground up. It was a very small company when I started, and the company has grown exponentially over the last several years. With this growth, I grew my team from 1 to 28 heads, multiple services, and multiple vendor relationships, all this with the notion I would at some point be elevated to a director level leadership position. This video resonates with me... almost everything mentioned in this video is something that in a similar fashion has applied to my situation. Sadly, I (and my team) were recently re-org'd and lost a bit of control over my department, as the person I report to now is a Director whereas I previously reported to a VP. It is absolutely frightening and discouraging to recognize that the time I have spent in this position has set me back in my career years, and has both adversely affected my career aspirations, potential and if Im being honest, the desire to want to continue in this career path.
So leave
Same. I had 2 long term jobs that were so much fun. I had tons of autonomy, everyone was friends, bosses were awesome and pay was great, the work was exhilarating. But on the downside, there was no incentive to build skills because there was really no upper roles to move to. The golden handcuffs are no joke.
I had to leave my job. I got a hernia. After healing, they wanted me back. I had a new supervisor, just before my hernia. The supervisor turned out to be a big problem. After seven years with the company, I just wanted to leave. I was starting to feel stomach pains. Then, came the hernia. As I was healing, my coworkers, got in touch with me. Half my team left the company, because of our new supervisor. They felt just like me. After healing, I told the company, I am leaving. Even my wife told me to leave. Yes, even without other job.
Proof positive that people don't quit jobs, they quit managers.
@@cjanquart I did and half my team did.
You have a wonderful supportive wife. I envy you.
@@Holion5604 It wasn't also like that. I really had a bad time finding the woman. I was told by so many, it's not going to happen for you. Even God, can't help you. I understand envy. I felt that, too. Don't give up. Pray to God ask Him, to help you achieve your talents and goals.
A steady job that you have mastered and good pay are a deadly combination for career apathy. I personally set promotion milestones for my current job, and thankfully, I have hit them. I will probably need to make a jump to reach that next level, which is always scary. But, I tend to think of it as holding your breath underwater. Sometimes, you can forget how good it feels to breathe fresh air.
This was sooooo me. I was a chef at the Embassy suites/Loveland, Colorado. I gave them 5yrs. I knew at year 3, it was dead end. I stayed because of loyalty and I’m a single mom with two kids. After 5yrs, the Vid hit and ALL of us were let go. CV was the silver lining. Why? It FORCED me to pivot ❤️🔥
I’ve been watching your channel since you first started it and I had no idea until your recent videos how your journey is like many of ours and especially my own. It’s difficult to recover from feeling overlooked, and equally difficult to recover from self-sabotage. Brian, I appreciate you for always trying to be helpful and truthful.
You're most welcome. My path isn't any different, and I've made my share of mistakes. The important part is learning from them. Thanks for following along!
I knew a Manager who thought that if he befriended the Boss that when the Boss retired he would slip into that position. Well, when the Boss retired they fired this guy and promoted another Manager. He was an A-hole to other employees and got what he deserved.
lol i work for a guy just like the dude you described. i hope it happens to him too.
Been in my current role for 8 years. Worked so hard…not valued. I am mi-career and also mid life. It’s terrifying and frustrating. I need to promote. I appreciate your videos.
Brian, this is by far the most important video I’ve seen you do. The personal experience speaks louder than anything you have said in all your previous videos combined. Tack this one to the top of every playlist.
I was at a fast food job for over a decade; I was working steadily, and kept my job due to pressures from family life, among other things. I, too, became complacent, just waiting to be promoted to management . . . "someday".
It took a final "ghosting" from management to wake me up. (I was supposed to be sent for management training, and all of a sudden communication on that stopped). I also was watching others being promoted to management who weren't there as long as I had been (I knew that place like the back of my hand). These broke me of turning a blind eye to things, and I left. Your videos have helped me to see the moves I can make, now. I have since found new jobs, and better ones. Thank you so much for sharing your personal journey with us. "I'm not the only one in this situation." :)
I did the same thing for my first job out of school. I spent 8 years there and now i’ve moved on to better things and learned so much more in the last 2 years than what i did in the last 2 years of that job.
I stayed in my last job for 11 years and went as far as I could go without entering management. I finally left that job to become the heir apparent for my current organization. Right before I came here the gentleman who would’ve been my boss announced his retirement. By the time I had everyone here encouraging me to apply for and do his job it was VERY CLEAR that this ain’t “it” for me either. I generally don’t make plans except to keep moving and explore. I’m just too interested in too many things to stay anywhere now. Money isn’t irrelevant but it’s not the most important aspect these days.
This was a wonderful video. While your channel might be called “A Life After Layoff” and I think people find the channel in order to get help with getting reemployed, it’s really all about shaping how you can approach your career going forward. I love that we have a guy like you out there to share some great wisdom with us.
The workplace is fraught with many different dangers especially for young people. It's important to read about these sort of matters so you can navigate the workplace in s successful manner. I wish I had these resources available to me years ago, it would have been a great help. Great upload and topic.
There's a problem with the synchronisation of the video. The video is totally desynchronized with the sound.
I learned so much from this video. I have 7 years with my company. Constant gaslighting and belittling from my boss. No promotion. I am tired of it.
Yup, I fell for the same trap and I got comfortable with my employer, after six years no promotion, no title change that reflects a growth in responsibility and skillsets I stagnated in my role (lost interest to build my skills) the moment I noticed nothing was going to change about year and half ago I decided to pursue building an online business than the career route because its a lot more in my control than in the hands of an employer; especially, I don't want to end up in a situation like yourself where I have to build it back up by 'deleveling' my career goals.
What a simple and genuine reminder to take charge of our careers and be proactive in our professional growth. It's truly a valuable lesson for those seeking advancement and fulfillment🙌
This video slapped me in the face as hard as discovering a former coworker who was not given a chance by my boss to move up is now a supervisor for networking teams at a State level. And we're over here troubleshooting printers and deploying stodgy prosumer gear. My former coworker is special I could always tell. As for myself, better late than never. Thank you for another guiding and imperative video.
Brian is THE MAN!! Everything he says is 100% on point!! If he hurts your feelings, then you don't want to hear the truth about corporations and career possibilities!!
A lot of what you said reallly resonates to me. I wasted a lot of my 20s not having a clear guidance on where I was going career wise. I was in school to obtain a 4 year degree, worked a lot of food service jobs jumping from one place to another because management was very poor in many of the places. Then I got settled into a role as a remote customer service and sales rep for an E-commerce platform. I worked there all the way until my graduation...the work was remote and the pay was very sub-par and I was content doing it really because I didnt have any kind of growth mentality. Just spend my money on appealing things and rack up some student debt from school. After graduation, I got my first "career" oriented job in tech but got laid off very quickly because I was underperforming and the market turned sour. Here I am now, after my layoff looking to get my feet wet again and realizing all the time I wasted not growing and working on myself :(
This really, really resonates with me. I worked for a personal injury lawyer for far too long and I regret not being the CEO of my career. It was a steady job with a steady paycheck, but it really wasn't worth the lowball pay to put up with the BS from my boss, but I put up with it. I was also sick of the greed the clients often displayed when it came to what they felt their cases were worth. I finally got the courage to leave after a coworker who briefly worked there saw the conditions i was working under (verbal and mental abuse by the boss, not really being paid well, etc.), and got me hired on with another law firm doing a different area of law, but the CEO cut me loose from thar job after a little over a year.
I now am doing pizza delivery and looking for another ob because it's part time work really and i need something full time. Trouble is, i feel as if though I sabotaged my career by staying too long. I have tried finding other jobs, but I almost feel like I'm unhireable because I have been turned down most of the time. I turn 50 later on in June, and the prospect of continuing in part time work scares me.
My last job the longer I stayed the less respect I got. The cliché was true - familiarity brings contempt!
I was just laid off from my steady job I’ve had the last 7 years. I am completely unskilled for the job market and feel like a fool. I was told by older generations it looks bad to switch jobs so I listened to them and didn’t. I’m really regretting it now.
Sorry for the audio issue - UA-cam decided to copywrite strike the same intro music I've used for years. They are re-rendering it to remove the audio. Hopefully, it will be fixed when it's done.
Yes for sure the course on how to be the CEO of your career would be awesome.
I was unemployed/underemployed for 4 years after I was laid off by HP in 2013. Around the same time, I had horrible events occur in my life that almost gave me a nervous breakdown (wife passed away, and had a fire in my home). I took a year off of work to get my head and my affairs in order. When I attempted to return to the job market, I found that my skills were hopelessly out of date. I had to start back at the bottom where I did work-from-home tech support for $13 an hour. I also did temporary 3 month contracts for desktop installations and even some PHP LAMP development.
As a result of this experience, I now make sure to study 1 hour per day, every day, without fail. I've obtained 9 tech certifications in the past 3 years and I make much more money compared to 10 years ago. When you work in the tech industry, one has to expect a career of lifelong learning. It is a very unstable industry that is constantly being automated and disrupted. If you want job security, you need to be disciplined and talented. But I would argue that good luck and talent flow downstream from hard work--or they're at least a symbiotic combination. Talent without discipline is wasted.
I used to be a somewhat loyal employee until i got let go for a very minor incident when i had no other writeups. After that my goal became get as many certifications and training as possible then start applying for better paying jobs until i got one. Used that plan to go from 25k a year to 65k a year in 2 years. And I'm someone who's in an analytical field that typically wants people with college degrees when I only have a diploma and certifications.
Congrats. I'm trying do the same. The certifications and experience oath
Oh boy! This topic resonates with me. Been in the same position for too long because it's been cushy and I haven't kept up with my peers. I'm trying to remedy that right now by upskilling on my own time and putting my resume out to places where my friends have given me leads. My manager left 4 months ago and it seems like I would be the perfect replacement candidate, but the company definitely has different goals for filling that position. I'm struggling because the perks & benefits still somewhat outweigh the stress of leaving and finding a new job.
Thank you for posting this. I have been kicking myself for believing the lip service from management on job expansion, which had led me to burnout and depression. Although I don’t like to feel others have had the similar experiences, it does help me to forgive myself for being only human.
This was a nice reminder of my "why". I loved what I did but didn't like the place. I checked out for a while until I realized I didn't want the next 20 years just doing a job. I got lucky with a supportive husband so I can go back to school. I also put myself out there with my resume and found a job in the same industry. It fits with my want of balance but also gives me a path to a career. I'm grumpy that I waited until 45 to get my stuff together, but better late than never I guess? 🙃
I relate so much to your comment. Been on my job 35 years; graduated with master's last year and now I will be 58 in a few weeks. Wish I had put myself out there more, but it is what it is. I see my 2nd phase working for myself. I have done enough for corporate and I must say its been good to me. Give and take relationship but its never too late to turn things around; I dont care what anyone says; never too late.
This is such a valuable topic, story, testimony, and mentoring! Thank you for being so genuine and open. You have many talents! I love your channel ❤
What you were experiencing is "learned helplessness." It's an easy trap to fall in to but it's also easy once you realize you can do the things you want to break out of.
Gosh, your content is fabulous. This is SO TRUE. I have fallen into this trap. I’ve been in a “comfortable” role for the past two years, not really challenged at all and no opportunity for growth, but great pay (after many years of being on my game in much more challenging roles, but highly stressed out). What lit a fire under me was recent lay offs last month, which I “survived” this round, but I see as a red flag and I suddenly am worried about job stability. So now I’m looking for jobs again trying to get back to more challenging and rewarding work, it’s very hard because I lost the last two years being apathetic. I’m trying to turn things around in my career and get back on track.
Thanks for sharing all this Bryan. All those experiences led you one to build a business of your own two teach us all watching priceless lessons in our careers. Thank you 🙏
This totally happened to me, too! I was at a company for 17 years and was just laid off in April and my remote design job went to someone overseas. I got too comfortable because it was a paycheck and I was raising my daughter at the same time. Now I missed out on so many skills I could’ve/should’ve learned, especially during Covid! I’m looking for a job now and not qualified for the jobs I really want so I’m taking classes online to catch up while I collect unemployment. Hard lesson to learn but I’m hoping my next chapter will be a better experience. Love your videos and I’m learning a lot! Last time I wrote a resume and cover letter was 18 years ago. Times sure have changed but your tips have been very helpful. Still waiting for an interview but I know it’ll happen eventually 🙏🏼
I left my "steady job" a year and a half ago because the team I was on would win all kinds of Sales Awards all the time and promised promotions and they never came. I knew I was doing the work of 2 people. They had to hire 2 people to replace me when I left. The job I took next was a promotion on day one. Leaving that job was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
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I know exactly about how it feels to be passive and losing passion. My first engineering job I stayed at almost 4 years, and after the first 2 years of mediocre raises and constantly increasing workload I thought I had it all figured out that the expectations were lower than other places, so I started to slack and stopped pushing to go above and beyond. Eventually, I reached out to my bosses boss about raising my wages to at least market rates, and was told that I was barely doing well enough to keep.
So I immediately began looking, found new work that pays market rates and am back to being passionate and feeling like I have goals and direction in life.
Places like the last, they'll make all kinds of promises without any intention to reach them, and my experience was that they don't adjust their own expectations even when they pay below average with no opportunity.
I’m riding the fence on the decision I know I’m ready and need to make. I’ve been in my IT job for 6 years now. Two different positions but capped at my title now. Next is manager and I don’t want to manage. I know I’ve outgrown this company and ready to do different things. However, the perks at the job is what’s keeping me there. I have complete trust, come and go as I please. No micromanaging. Flexibility, not strap to a desk. Good pay and non profit for my PSLF payments. It’s a state job and a really good one. Pretty solid through out Covid and no layoffs. So I feel that it would be hard to find a job like this one that pays more. I’m looking though. At my company people leave all the time for more pay and come back because of the flexibility there.
Thank you for all the invalueable information you provide here for free. You are the best.
Thank you for posting all these helpful videos. I really appreciate your content. After 22 years of being in a comfortable professional role I am one of the last remaining employees that hasn't been laid off (yet). I am following your advice, quickly acquiring new skills and doing my best to push forward into a different career. Your content is so timely rapidly changing world.
ALAL - I’ve watched a lot of your videos and have learned / realized a great deal about career development and management. This video is by far the one that resonates most with me. I did not manage my career very well early and as a result had to play catch up in my early 30s. By my mid 40s I was where I wanted to be career / work / pay-wise but that turned out to be bad for my marriage, family and personal health. I transitioned to a position that was actually a step down but it’s much less stress, the pay is good, and the company supports and develop employees in a way no other employer I’ve had has. I find measuring myself against friends and peers is not always a good way to determine your success or where you should be though.
Great video and thank you for sharing something this personal and intimate. You’ve been an inspiration.
Just wanted to say that I think it was really brave of you to put out this video, and share this difficult experience to help teach others. Overall, you seem to have bounced back from that situation with real tenacity - and I hope you've been able to heal from the pain it caused you, too. Great video as always.
I have stayed in the same position for 5+years. Notwithstanding applying for senior roles, working long hours without pay, being diligent and efficient, formally applying for training opportunities within the company to no avail and carrying the largest workload at my level. I even expressed love for my organization at my most recent interview with another company. I decided to take my power back and to hold myself accountable for my development and growth. I am actively seeking new opportunities outside of my current organization. I'm very educated, productive and believe in continuously learning/developing. I encourage everyone to learn something new, be intentional about what you want and let nothing/no one stop you. As I type this, I am yet to be updated on an internal interview I took 3 months ago. Go figure right? Be bold and trust yourself!
I did software QA for the same company for ten years. Didn't learn much, did the same thing. The next company expected a lot more out of me and I didn't have the expected skills and experience. Each job after that was a disaster. Had to quit that career five years later. Still recovering from it.
Thank you so much for sharing Brian! I feel exactly the same, shortened runway, seeing peers (even former interns, while I was senior!) in certain positions. Though I did take some ownership and try to reflect, the outcome is similar. I definitely did not play chess enough, next to perhaps cultural differences in my country on thinking outside the box. I also think confidence and allowing for + owning your mistakes, helps building yourself. Keep up the good work!
Thank you for this timely message. I'm not at the point where I regret my career but I am at a point where I'm considering leaving my job because the promise promotion hasn't materialized. And I have been sitting around for the last 6 months bored. Because my job has gotten too easy. I was brought in to fix rhe problems in my company and niw that they are fixed im ready for a new challenge. And my boss instead of offering me a promotion offered me a sideways move into another department that would have been attractive 3 years ago, but not now.
This video helped reaffirm my decision.
I really resonate with this video. I just left my toxic job that I stayed at for years (it was really easy going and steady until the boss started to bully me) and I felt so behind all of my peers.
Just wanted to say: I was nervous about making my side business my full time work. With guidance from a mentor on growing it and your framework on growing self, I had opened and expanded my operations. Thank you. Listening to this reminds me of my own story. Better late than never!
I'm actually trying ,to do that with my. cleaning business & trying to start it as my side business in the fall.
That why I'm staying at this job so I can saved up money .& start buying some supplies.
I left my job of 5 years. Never acknowledged for hard work. No paid time off. Were only got sick time. Only took 1 personal day off in 5 years. Company would make people supervisors after 2 weeks and they knew nothing. Had a couple horrible supervisors who wanted to fight or demean you because they are higher up than you. Reporting them to our manager/HR did nothing. Supervisors would give me the worst job a lot of the time simply because I'm a dude and know what I'm doing. After I've been somewhere years I don't want to do all the worst stuff, give some to the new people, but new people were not trained so they gave it to me. Ugh. Then other times I'd get called to do stuff after I'd been working my ass off and wanted to take a bit of a break simply because I was only name someone knew. Nothing like having to hide in a stairwell to rest for 5 minutes because you know if you are seen on the floor they'll work you like a dog.
I have been in my current job for 8 years and last week I was offered a new challenge. I decided to take it. Being in one job for so long isn't always good for your career. During the first few years it was wonderful and I absolutely loved what I was doing. 6 months ago I got moved to another department and everything changed, it became dreadful. During my time I was told to bide my time and wait for the big boss to quit so I could move up, He has just said he is planning to work a few more years and I had enough. I went for an interview for a new opportunity and it looks exciting so i accepted the new job. I told my current job I was leaving and they acted like they didn't care. Sometimes loyalty means nothing!!!
One of the best content on UA-cam. Been following you for a few years (since the pandemic) and you just keep getting better & better! 🙌🏻🔥👏🏻
Wow, thank you!
Thank you for this video!! Ive been through this shit MANY times!! Now i'm finally realizing my worth after going through what you did for many years and I agree with your stand point. Altogether, it was that company's loss, not yours. The best option was to take your experience and just leave for something better befire you start losing yourself and forgetting your self worth.. these mangers need to get off thier high horses, STOP being pucky and predjudice and stop promoting "friends and family members", so they have an easier time in control while getting away with pay cuts and saving money!! BS!
I also started out my career at a very small company. Although initially I made significant increases in salary, at a certain point I stalled out because there was no real room for promotion, given the size of the firm, and then hit a salary ceiling where the boss was just not willing to raise my salary anymore, despite my increasing responsibilities.
I definitely learned a lot within this close-knit environment but definitely spent much much longer there than I should have.
TBH I am managing someone like this and it is frustrating. At this point, I think they should focus on having a life and just living! They got so used to the hustle and getting big raises but can't adjust to being near the end goal, now they want even more, but can't way more of what. They also overestimate how much upper management earns so think they still can earn alot more, when they are actually doing well
Our generation (gen x) really got screwed in this respect. The boomers are not retiring out of these better positions leaving us in a waiting pattern. I have multiple degrees massive experience yet these higher positions are never available.
This is exactly where I am as well. I keep being told I need leadership experience but I can’t get it because I don’t have it. The recruiters are also not interested in transferable skills.
They work until they die in multiple roles. Damn parasites.
You sir have a soothing voice that is so "listenable" in the background. I sometimes play your videos in the background while doing something else.
Wow, thank you!
@@ALifeAfterLayoff , I agree ! Great voice for a foreigner (like me) to understand each and every word. Which State in the US is your accent from ?
OMG, I can totally relate to your complacency. I work for the SCUSD in Sacramento, I've been working as a clerk-sub off and on since 03. I was never hired permanently, in fact my presence went ignored until something negative happened. Therefore, I did the bare minimum just to get paid. It caught up with me and now I don't have a job at all anymore. It's like getting a bucket of cold water splashed on me to take control of my life instead of letting life happen to me. My reason for being on autopilot was due to me never being able to ace and interview and go on to a permanent position. I've been at the bottom to long, and got treated as such. Working in the office with a bunch of petty people waiting for me to mess up was not motivating to strive for excellence.
Thanks for posting, i wished i watched it 2 years ago. It was a very strong video
This is where I am standing now and being not ready for the role is exact words used for me..I m glad I am looking for job sooner. I m just one year old in this crappy organisation and your video is validating my thoughts of falling behind in job market.. thank you for sharing your experience
Ouch this is me. Every single thing! Waiting and waiting. Brushing aside toxic behaviour from my boss because I loved my job and clients.hard reality check. Finally got the courage to put a Cv together and had first interview today!!
I had a similar experience at one point. It only dawned on me when I started casually looking for other options and quickly realized that other employers thought I was overqualified for the position I was in (had 10+ years experience in something most companies were fine with 2-5 years, with the lower salary to match) but didn't want to take a chance on me at a higher role because I didn't have any experience in that field. And all I had was a promise from my current employer that some day somewhere in the future they would promote me. Always remember that even if the company you work for has good intentions, there are various reasons why you might be let go through no fault at your own and you don't want to be left with a resume that suggests your skillset never improved the last decade.
Amazing video, and great lessons!
Is the video and audio completely desynced for anyone else?
Yeah! It's off sync!!
Scarily in a similar situation.
Job was steady and even addicting throughout my 20s. Eventually it switched to mostly legacy support and now theres rumors of shutting down our satellite office. Started looking around at other jobs but sadly im way behind now in my 30s because we havent learned anything new in years due to being on legacy support only.
The pay was nice and they kept giving good raises to stop us from leaving. It seemed great while it was happening but now im stressed wondering what's going to happen to my career in the future due to being behind and catching up looks very expensive.
Is it me or is the video and audio not really in sync , if you try to lip read him? lol
Your video definitely resonated with me. Tbo, I used your advice last year (2022) when I decided to leave a company I was at for 10.5 yrs making $172k base to where I am now earning $220k base with a better job title. So I thank you for sharing your story about “Joe”. With that being said, I am still pushing and will jump to the next company if means advancing my career. Prior to my 10.5 year run at my previous company, I job hopped every 2-3 years. I work in IT and it really didn’t have any negative effects on gaining jobs with more responsibilities and new growth. Anyways, thank you very much for all your efforts making these videos. Little advice, maybe consider to start doing interviews in the future to help add new kinds of content.
I never seen a 220k job... You sure your not smokin ! Lol
Excellent video Bryan. Your words really resonated with me. Your work is much appreciated.
You're most welcome!
Wow great story telling - thanks for the advice, I’ve definitely felt this way at the previous jobs I was at before lay off
Your videos help me stay more focused on the job/career/business minded side of things, at least in the US lol
I am working in the spot you talk about. Except management has come and gone since I began. Never promoted either. Frankly, I have no interest in those positions. I would rather stick to the things I know how to do and be stable.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I'm in a very niche market and almost 10 years with my current company (yes, I know). I only realized in the past year how far behind I am, compared to the rest of the industry, in skills and pay and motivation, and everything else you have mentioned. By my conservative estimate, my lost income is nearing 200k. Still struggling to retrain myself so I can leave my job without applying first to a more junior level position or getting a paycut first with the hopes of getting promoted
Thanks for this video and for telling your story. I feel motivated by what you said, though luckily I have never been in a situation like this. I definitely feel even more motivated not to do this, the allure of stability and a steady pay-check is tempting but if you don't change you'll never grow.
I am in a similar mindset with my career but I am looking to switch careers and maybe looking for some guidance in doing that.
audio is out of sync 😁
All your videos are truly amazing. Wish they had been around years ago. Thank you and keep them coming!
Great videos keeping me motivated
Glad to be helpful!
Left my job 2 weeks ago. I was in the company for 2 years. But it wasn't until end of last year that i realized i wasn't getting any more career development. I thought of leaving but didn't because i haven't landed any offers and the pay was higher than other companies. So i thought i might stay for a little while. I ended up resigning without any backup plan and did not even regret it. Right now i'm just focusing on upskilling myself. Previously i had no time because i was prioritising my work. Now i have all the time in the world to attend whatever course that i want and take this time to realign my career and life goals. I don't think everyone can see the real value of their careers. Some people are just dead set on their goals so they plan ahead. Some people just like to go with the flow 🤷🏻♀️
This REALLY spoke to me. THANK YOU!