Back in the old days (read: 20 years ago), a person would graduate from a post-secondary education centre after studying in a particular area of focus. They would then begin their career in a related place of employment until the day they die. Give or take. Flash-forward to modern life and people are dropping out of school to become Instagram models. Is there really a right or wrong way of doing things? For those of us who fall in-between those societal pillars, job changes are inevitable. This means having a Fear of Changing Jobs is inevitable too. This also means a post about having a Fear of Changing Jobs was destined to happen. You can’t fight fate.
Start Fresh With a Fear of Changing Jobs
If Millennials and Gen Z have taught us anything, it’s actions have no consequences. Including changing your job every few months. Any consequences that do occur can be rendered useless by “sub-tweeting” the problem away. (Had to Google what that meant). There is no reason to second guess your decision to collect a couple of paycheques and then give your two-weeks notice. Assuming people still give two-weeks notice. Otherwise, you can just “ghost” your employer. Which means just stop showing up and pretend it never happened. (Also an expression I had to Google. Getting more “woke” by the day).
The ebbs and flows of business personnel are constant. Just as one person is getting used to routine and understanding what is expected of them during their 9-5, another person is leaving the company. Or is replaced by a robot. Technology is so cool. Despite the plethora of positivity, there are still a lot of reasons to have a Fear of Changing Jobs. Your first day often begins with ‘can I park here?’ and ends with ‘is it okay if I go home now?’. If you are lucky, you can actually ask these questions to a real person. Assuming you’ve made a friend or have a boss who wants to help you. It might be weeks or decades before anyone actually learns your name or they have your desk ready for you.
Most new employers will start you off in a probation period. Which can loosely be defined as “we can fire you at any time for any reason just because”. You really should read the fine print in the offer letter. Additionally, you have to prove you can actually do half the things you lied about being able to during your interview. Alternatively, you might be starting a new job because your employer has decided to ship you off to another location for your “leadership abilities”. Which is just a fancy way of saying “we don’t like you”.
Is Having a Fear of Changing Jobs Worth it?
There are dozens of reasons to stay at a job forever. There are also dozens of reasons to leave. Ask 10 different people what matters most to them in a job or career and you will likely get 10 different answers. Some people value a short commute or value a high salary. Some people seem to inexplicably value being able to make a difference in the world. Whether you are a doctor, a lawyer, a cowboy, a teacher, or any other generic profession we were encouraged to pursue as children, there are lots of reasons why you might want to leave your job for a new one. And that’s okay. You are free to make your own decisions. It’s a good idea to change things up now and then. Challenge yourself to be different and try something new even if it scares you. Just don’t do something stupid like making this terrible decision past the age of 30 or you’ll ruin everything.
