A Job Title is Just a Label, But You Are More Than That
When you first meet someone, it’s impossible to know their story. You can’t inherently know where they’ve been or where they’re headed on their journey of life. I believe that our tendency is to forget this when we see people in their occupations. People, generally, can be quick to pass judgments based on the labels that have been applied by society to job titles or positions.
It’s so easy to believe what you see and because of this a job title can be viewed as an absolute. Yet is it fair for someone to be defined by how they earn a living no matter what the job (bartender, accountant, janitor, executive, analyst, hair stylist, doctor, etc.) without knowing any of the context surrounding their situation? I don’t subscribe to this. We all lead complex lives and no one just arrives where they are. Understanding and appreciating this puts us one step closer to understanding and appreciating one another. It builds a world where labels lose their meaning and there is more compassion, empathy and respect regardless of title or how the job ‘appears’.
I have a nonlinear work history where I’ve had jobs that may seem unaccomplished, as well as roles where people easily assume that it must be a family connection, rather than hard work and ambition, that landed me there. In both cases, I wished I could explain that the assumptions people were making were inaccurate. And most importantly, that their judgments were untrue.
In making my point, let’s go for a walk down memory lane through all of the job positions I’ve held since I started working:
Starting at 11 years old, babysitting for up to four children at a time
At 15, Subway sandwich artist (in writing this I am reminded of how I loved those cookies!)
At 15 ½, daycare center infant room, and Michael’s Craft Store (well the last one was only for a day, but that’s a story for another time)
At 16-18, hair salon receptionist full time every summer break
In college, work-study at the Chancellor’s Office, fifteen hours per week
College pt. 2, Gap store during breaks
College pt. 3, summer internship at Mastercard, my first real taste at a corporate role
College pt. 4, TA for three different professors senior year
Immediately post grad, Reuters help desk supporting financial software clients
In being offered my first corporate position at Reuters, I was still in college. It was winter of my senior year and I was submitting my resume on the revolutionary (at the time) career websites, not knowing what may come of it but hopeful that something would stick. I didn’t have a fall back plan like living with my parents or traveling the world for the summer or taking a gap year. I had supported myself for years and with a college degree it was game time.
In order to train for this first official role I accepted, I had to miss the last three weeks of school. This is where being a TA for three professors (beyond making $500 per class, per semester) was extremely fruitful. I had built respectful, real relationships with my professors and when I showed them the offer letter they were happy for me. I was granted permission to leave for training, with the expectation I just show up for finals.
I knew when I first started the position that it wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but the unique thing is, I treated it like it was. I was Employee of the Month three out of my first six months, had stellar reviews from clients and became integral to the operations of the branch. However, I had my sights set on moving to New York City. With the help of a supervisor who acted as my champion against self-motivated bosses, I was able to transfer to the New York office where Goldman Sachs ended up one of my clients, before they recruited me to join their team. After years at Goldman, I switched career paths entirely, toward commercial real estate where I am today.
“Life is so impermanent, change is inevitable and that is a gift so embrace it. Let’s be considerate of others and their journeys.
The theme here is that along every step of the way, I was not entirely certain of what I wanted next. I just knew that I needed to approach every opportunity I was given with respect and an open mind, because I didn’t have a back up plan. For a long time in my life, work was something precluded by necessity. While I think it’s great that some people have the opportunity to land a job via their family connections, that wasn’t my life. I have known sheer grit, determination and perseverance, and those are qualities I possess without even trying. I know numerous other people that are cut from the same cloth. Knowing what I do now, I wouldn’t trade it.
When you’re in this kind of a sink or swim environment, you have to do what’s right for you. I’ve always approached my career with a focus on my own goals, not the goals or labels that society or family conditioning sets for us. When I first started out, sure I was motivated by money. It was a motivator so I could provide for myself, not to live up to standards. As I grew in my career, however, finding joy and passion in my work took over as my motivator. And it has been my belief for some time that money comes much more naturally when you do what you are passionate about and you do it authentically. For me, there has never been a clear end point to any role, only the desire for something more.
All of my work experiences have been service oriented and even though I use many skills-centered talents in my current role serving executive level clients, I have grown organically. The lessons I learned from each opportunity were invaluable. The relationships I formed and skills I developed early on shaped me both personally and professionally. And however it looked to the world around me, I always knew every role was a stepping stone; not to the next title or tier of income but to getting closer to work that aligned with my passion and purpose on earth. Each and every experience in these jobs were an important part of my journey, none of them to be diminished because of the label attached. No they may not have been the destination, yet would a stranger that met me in any of those positions know what I had already accomplished or what I would achieve in the future? Definitely not.
The next time you think that you’re smarter than your waiter or incapable of becoming an author or like the CEO you admire, widen your point of view and focus not on the labels we’ve been ascribed, but on the notion that we are all at different points in this adventure.
Life is so impermanent, change is inevitable and that is a gift so embrace it. Let’s be considerate of others and their journeys. Careers are not static. Your current role doesn’t define you, for the good or bad. Rather, your drive, your attitude, your ability to seize opportunity, and to seek improvement do. This is how you get closer to living your purpose and attracting abundance in your life.
