Career Advice⚓︎

I read an incredibly well written blog post this evening by Moxie Marlinspike titled "Career Advice". It provided just that, but also some real insight into what you should strive for before you settle into a career. It's been awhile since I've read something that really resonated with me.

The Chase is Better Than the Catch⚓︎

From the time I was 13 years old, I've consistently had a job. I've been a mechanic, a swimming pool contractor, a cashier, a photo tech, a warehouse worker, a helpdesk technician, a field technician, a systems analyst, an applications analyst and currently, a business analyst.

Looking back, it would seem that I've been on the upward trajectory (and I have), although there's an unseen commonality with all of those jobs...

I've hated every single one of them, including my current one.

I'd love to say that with every new job, I've gotten closer to attaining satisfaction, but truthfully, I've come to learn that satisfaction only comes from within. A job is just a job; a means to an end. To quote some unknown genius from Reddit - "you need spreadsheets and I need to eat." That's all there is to it.

I bring all of this up because after reading this article, I realized that I've been looking at this all wrong for years. Moxie talks about how everything before a career has defined beginnings and endings, which is what makes these things bearable.

Everything before a career has defined beginnings and endings. Elementary school, middle school, junior high, highschool, university. There’s always been a predefined end, and that contributes a lot to making the indignities of those institutions bearable. Once you start working full time, though, it’s just One Long Semester that you’re expected to attend for the rest of your life.

So consider caution if you’re overly excited to start down that road as quickly as you can. Other than being forever, it’s not as different from what’s come before as you might imagine.

He's right; a career has no defined endpoint. It's something you're just supposed to get up and do for the rest of your life. This is something I recognize in the back of my mind, but seeing it in black and white does make it particularly horrifying.

Finding Meaning in a Never-Ending Task⚓︎

I wanted to get a job that would give me some level of satisfaction; some fulfillment and purpose. Something meaningful, even. This has never been the case, and I've come to the conclusion that I don't think I'd attain any of the above no matter what job I have.

If you go on any site related to careers, you'll see no shortage of people making promises that if you just do "this" and stop doing "that", then you'll be on your way to the career of your dreams. This is harmful nonsense. By and large, people don't find any fulfillment from their careers.

I thought that if I could just get to the next rung on the ladder, that I would be happy. Well, having been a part of the workforce for 20 years now, I can safely say that this isn't true. Finding happiness and/or meaning can't be found in a never-ending task. Happiness is derived from family, friends, community, new experiences, etc. Meaning is found by doing something worthwhile - building something, running a marathon, spending time with a child, etc.

None of it can or will ever be found in a never-ending task.

The Future is Looking Back at You⚓︎

In the context of a career, these concepts make it simple to look into the future. Jobs at software companies are typically advertised in terms of the difficult problems that need solving, the impact the project will have, the benefits the company provides, the playful color of the bean bag chairs. Likewise, jobs in other fields have their own set of metrics that they use to position themselves within their domains.

As a young person, though, I think the best thing you can do is to ignore all of that and simply observe the older people working there.

They are the future you. Do not think that you will be substantially different. Look carefully at how they spend their time at work and outside of work, because this is also almost certainly how your life will look. It sounds obvious, but it’s amazing how often young people imagine a different projection for themselves.

Look at the real people, and you’ll see the honest future for yourself.

Reading this made me feel a number of different things. Scared, sad, and bummed out immediately come to mind, but I know there's a lot of truth to be found in what he's saying here.

I currently work at Weill Cornell Medicine, and while working at an Ivy League medical college does have it's perks, when you look around, it's a pretty dry and stuffy place to work. This is not to say there aren't a lot of great people there, but it's not what I would necessarily call a "fun place to work". It's a steady workplace that's been around for over 100 years, has a lot of red tape and is ultimately a place where the gears of progress turn very slow.

For a lot of people, this isn't a bad life. When I was hired, I thought it would be a place I'd retire from. I mean, I really didn't think I could move any higher than that. The longer I stayed, however, the less prospects I saw for my career. I've now been here for 6 years and my skill-set when I started is now currently obsolete. I often wonder if others who work here or in places like this run into the same problem. I can assume the answer is a resounding "yes", which may be the reason why people get comfortable and stick around.

Chasing a Phantom⚓︎

So what does it all amount to? Is having a fulfilling career just some kind of an abstract idea, or something that only happens to certain people? I believe there are people out there who truly enjoy their job for any number of reasons. Some people derive satisfaction in their job from helping others. Some people find fulfillment in keeping busy. Some people find meaning in implementing change. Most people just enjoy having a steady paycheck.

Moxie's "career advice" amounts to what I think is the appropriate outlook for any sort of career...

My career advice usually falls within the framework of doing the absolute minimum amount of work necessary to prevent starvation, and then doing something that’s not about money, completely outside of supporting structures, and not simply a matter of “consuming experience” with the remaining available time.

Going out in search of a career you're passionate about is only going to leave you unfulfilled. Find satisfaction, meaning and everything in between doing the things you really enjoy doing with the people you really care about. Do whatever you want as a career, but learn to measure success and fulfillment by doing something that actually counts.