When I was first trying to get a job in my field, I used to call it ‘getting a real job.’ This compared to working in the shoe section of a department store for years in college. As you can imagine, my comparison of a real job in contrast to the work I was doing was rather offensive to those around me. They were really working their real job, right alongside me. I wasn’t trying to be offensive. I still think back to hurting some of the sweet people that I loved working with by saying that.
The truth was I saw that job as a steppingstone. I was trying to step to the lowest rung of another ladder, so working in the shoe department just felt like play. I never needed to take it seriously, or worry about my title, gaining status, or leading people. All I needed was enough money to cover my low rent each month so I could just work, and that was fun.
Even stepping into my very first ‘real job’ I had aspirations of where I wanted to be eventually, but coming into that job, it was just play. I’m not sure I could tell you what my title was in that first role. I don’t know how much influence I had or the amount of autonomy. I just knew my bills were paid, I had the benefits I needed, and I could put some money away for a rainy day and to make some other ones brighter. It felt like I was on top of the world for probably that whole first year.
Why was it so good? The money.
When I started this first job in my field I had just finished my summer job and was living with my (now) husband completely supported by him. I had savings for fun things, but he was paying for all of the needs like our mortgage and groceries. This lasted a month or two and things were tight but we were fine. Then, when I got a job, it just more than doubled our household income. It felt like we were on top of the world rich. Beyond that I was used to working 12-hour days. Getting done while the sun was still up, and making more money than we needed, it felt like a scam. That first year wasn’t as fun, staring at a computer in cubicle land. I remember thinking though, if this is what adulthood feels like I don’t know what people are complaining about.
From the organization’s perspective, they were all about the money too.
At this stage in my career my employer was still feeling me out. My work ethic was great. As I said I sort of felt like I was scamming the system. I was making more money than I ever had while sitting and for much less hours per week. I worked hard to try and balance the score. Other than being intentional and taking on overtime when asked, I couldn’t add much. I had never done that type of work before, and I really required a lot of coaching.
Looking back, I can see my boss probably micromanaged our team. I didn’t mind though because I could soak up all the wisdom. I was at the bottom of that ladder with a low title, entry level pay, no development opportunities on the horizon, being micromanaged, just soaking it in. They had me exactly where I needed to be. All the while I’m sitting there like a golden retriever, just happy to be there.
I could never go back there.
It is a little bittersweet to look back on this time. The company valued me but to a pretty limited extent. I was happy with the situation. At that point in my career, I was focused on money and the freedom it could provide my husband and me. Not out of a place of greed but out of sheer gratefulness for the abundance we had. The money allowed us to cover all of our needs, save, and begin to dream. This was exactly what we as a young couple needed to do. At this stage, today, I’m too invested in my career and focused on what it offers besides the baseline of money to be wooed by a sum the same way.
At the end of the day it isn’t really about whether I was getting developed or leading people. It’s about alignment with the organization. During this time, I was really well aligned with where I was on the value hierarchy in that company. I have since gotten similar levels of joy from working when I’ve been aligned with different levels of the hierarchy in other roles. While money couldn’t really do it for me anymore, alignment in other levels certainly does.
So how aligned are you?
There are often two sides to the coin. You can be in a stage in your career, like I was, where everything is exactly as it should be. It feels like it’s all falling into place. Someone else might look at that same stage with confusion or even judgement. They might think you should expect more, be thinking about more, and hey you probably will eventually. For the moment though, you get to enjoy the base layer of the hierarchy, where you and your employer are in perfect step.
The flip side is when you have moved beyond this level and come back. Maybe you’ve moved past being excited about just the money after a year or so like me (probably triple that if you include the department store). Maybe it only took you a few months or a week even. Once the company shows value, through other means, the money won’t feel as exciting. If after showing value through status and development they go back to the base of money, you’re likely to feel pretty disillusioned.
In a matter of months, who knows, that may not be enough anymore. That is ok. You’re growing and evolving. You are becoming a new and more valuable version of yourself and that is great. You now get to explore just how valuable your organization considers you. Curious where you stand? Head over to the exclusive podcast that will walk you right through it, level by level.