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The Truth About Jobs: Expectations Vs Reality
In the world of work, expectations and reality frequently diverge. Many people start employment with high expectations, hoping for a successful career, chances for personal development, and financial security. The truth is that not every profession lives up to these expectations, though. In the post below, we will examine the truth about jobs and typical mismatches between job expectations and reality, such as constrained room for advancement, excessive office drama, and inadequate pay.
If you have read The Millionaire Fastlane, you must be aware of the demerits the jobs contain. But with the rapid growth in technology, these faults are bound to increase.
The House Always Wins
Your time is precious, and so is for others. But you must have noticed one thing, many entry-level jobs currently in the market are not difficult for you to waste 4- years. You can take up any entry-level IT job being a self-taught individual, and you’ll earn the same even more than the person who spent 4- years and a ton of money to get the same job.
At least you wouldn’t enter your job with regret.
Truth #1
1) Expectation: I will sincerely do my job, go on regular vacations and become rich.
1) Reality: Your earning depends on your working hour. If you stop working, money stops flowing.
The main characteristic of a job is trading your life for your earnings. In this manner, the time never works for you. You must actively put in hours to earn yourself a piece of bread. You have to trade 5- days of your life for a vacation of 2. If you fail to do so, you must dive into your savings, and if you are anything like the ones who have nothing saved for the future, then say goodbye to your meals, your house, and even the necessities of your life.
Even if you survive in a job for a significant period, your chances of retiring rich are surprisingly low.
You would need to work for 30-40 years to have some appreciable savings, and that too, provided your lifestyle is not so extravagant. After you retire, you have to rely upon only your savings to fulfill all your needs.
From where does this sound fun to you? It looks more like a risky gamble of trading large parts of your life in the hope of being rich. And don’t tell me you don’t want to be rich!!
Truth #2
Expectation: I will learn so much in this job
Reality: Doing the same task over and over
The next myth about entering a job is that you’ll learn so much from your job and the people around you. But hardly you get involved in such events where you can improve yourself as an all-round personality.
Skills are crucial for success, but unless you are at a manager level, all the skills you can develop are of personal sorts.
You repeat your set of tasks over and over again. It makes you resistant to new learning and growth. And when a time comes when your job gets done by machine, your roles get eliminated, and you are back on the street with no monetizable skills.
Moreover, your job does not let you understand the big picture of how the product is actually making a difference. You do your part and pass it on to another department. It limits your knowledge, and you fail to see the big picture.
An excerpt from the Millionaire Fastlane,
"For example, thousands of auto workers have been displaced because their jobs have been outsourced or replaced by robotics. Remember typewriters? How is the typewriter repairman doing these days? How about stockbrokers and travel agents? With the advent of ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft, how are taxi drivers faring? Dying breeds of jobs move out of favor like fashion fads. One year your skill set has value; the next, it doesn't."
Truth #3
Expectation: My Job is Secured
Reality: Your Job is Secured As long as Your Company is Healthy
Did you ever think you work a secure job and need not worry about unemployment? Think again.
Your control over your employment is not as much as you think. As long as the market is healthy and your company is profitable, you get employed with the company. It does not matter how many years you have dedicated to your company when push comes to shove. They will not wait to show you the gate. See here
Moreover, as we progress, the fight for jobs in any company will increase, resulting in less salary for any individual. The result would be a slow and challenging journey for you to see richness. Your job will pay you mediocrely, and your wealth will also be mediocre.
This type of contract can lay a massive blow to your financial goal unless you are at some high-paying job, cashing in millions in previous years. Thus, if your financial plans are affected by some companies’ financial health, it is unreasonable to trust somebody else for much longer.
Truth #4
Expectation: I will work harder and get promoted easily
Reality: Office Politics would never allow that to happen.
The presence of office politics is another reality that frequently dissatisfies workers. The ideal workplace is frequently represented as a peaceful setting where everyone collaborates to achieve a common objective. Power battles, favoritism, and unhealthy rivalry, on the other hand, can make the reality quite different and undermine productivity and job happiness.
Office politics can be caused by several things, such as interpersonal dynamics, competing goals, and a lack of resources. People may feel pressured to compete with their coworkers rather than work together, which can damage trust and teamwork at work.
Office politics can also thrive when promotions and awards are determined by subjective standards rather than impartial performance assessments. Politics-savvy employees may receive bonuses instead of others who perform better or deserve them. Talented personnel may become frustrated and demotivated as a result of this predicament, which may ultimately limit their potential.
Truth #5
Expectation: I will first save my money and then spend the remaining on things I require
Reality: Quite a large sum of your income is paid to the government.
You might have heard about paying yourself first strategy, i.e. keeping aside a portion of your income for the future and not touching it in any circumstance.
But the problem with having a job is that you are paid at the last. You receive money after the deduction of taxes and with the remaining money only you have to manage all your savings, all your requirements and necessities.
Assuming a 30% tax bracket, for every 12 months, you work 4-5 months for the government. That is too much of your time wasted for somebody else.
Your boss gets paid whatever he pleases, and he doesn’t have to worry about working for the government.
Truth #6
Expectation: I will learn new skills and increase my earnings according to my wish.
Reality: There are more people like you in the market, thus your authority of commanding salary according to your wish decreases.
How much of the increase have you ever received? 10, 20 maybe 30% and how often does that happen? I suppose not that frequently. When you are at a job, chances are there are other people as well with your same skillset. So replacing you becomes a better option rather than increasing your income.
But have you ever seen articles where the boss’s earnings have increased more than 100%, and that too in succession? Do you think they would have any problem achieving their financial goals? I don’t think so. When you have command over how much you can earn, getting rich quickly seems pretty easy.
Conclusion
I know this is not what you expected with your job to accomplish but this is the reality. But this does not at any cost proves that all jobs are bad. When joining the employment, it’s normal to have expectations, but it’s important to understand that not all positions will live up to them. For many people, the harsh realities of limited career opportunities, overbearing workplace politics, and low pay can be a reality. However, people can overcome these obstacles and build more rewarding work lives by carefully choosing their career routes, honing their abilities, and looking into extra sources of income. To pursue personal and professional growth despite potential roadblocks, it is crucial to stay flexible, resilient, and proactive.
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