People will always say whatever they feel like; they are quick to judge. There are certain things about which some folks are snotty, with job snottiness being the commonly occurring concern.
It is common for people to ask when they meet someone for the first time, “What do you do?” As we tend to jump to conclusions after looking at a person’s appearance, we will undoubtedly encounter work snobby. Depending on how you respond, they will either look for excuses to cut the conversation short, or they are happy to meet you and have deeper conversations.
We consider social status to be more important than work satisfaction, and job titles hold a “Behemoth” place in our minds. “What do you do?” For this very reason, a lot of people constantly worry about their work title and wish to frequently upgrade to a fancier title. When we hear titles like “I’m the CEO at XYZ company.” (XYZ company could be a two-person startup that is burning cash and hasn’t seen any profits yet.) or “I am a manager at ABC company.” (where you supervise 30 people.)? Whichever of the following would you choose to work with, a chess instructor, a chess pro, or a chess performance coach if you wanted to evolve your game?
We are wired to be identified with our work titles. What do you want to become when you grow up? We are asked such questions when we are children. We ask similar questions to our kids and kids of friends and acquaintances; we are conditioned that way. Titles sound complex and out of reach sometimes. Lots of folks tend to shy away from titles that seem out of their league. It’s obvious that there is social anxiety because of the title.
In any culture, a person’s occupation takes importance over their personal identity. (For example, a car detailer, a barber, a chef at a nursing home, or someone who makes the best ornaments from ethically sourced beads). Sadly, most people don’t make the slightest effort to get to know someone beyond their job description. Judging someone by their job title is not a reliable way to evaluate their financial capacity, character, and personality. I have known a social media influencer who sold “Spiritual Kits” on Instagram and built a sizable following and ran a six-figure business doing so; as far as the title is concerned, nothing much to mention.
Our job titles and our labor are highly overestimated. Forty-hour work-weeks are no more a norm. People are taking up side hustles or part-time gigs to support their financial requirements. There is no righteous justification for putting in a 40–70 hour or more workweek and chasing non-guaranteed promotions, and attempting to advance your career. No matter how you respond to the question, “What do you do?” your job provides a paycheck, which is what most people put in the hard work for.
All of this is to stress that job applicants are aware that the experience they mention on their resume and their work history will be used to judge their value and determine the outcome at an interview. Their choice of career and, consequently, their job searches are significantly influenced by this “knowing.” Without a doubt, job searchers who focus their job hunt on their perceived status have a far more difficult and drawn-out application process than those who are just looking for a job and believe that work is work.
Three recent conversations:
My spouse and I bought a new light fixture from a large appliance store at the start of last year. An enthusiastic salesman who looked to be in his mid-50s and seemed well-informed and appeared to thoroughly enjoy his work helped us choose the right kind of product we wanted, within our budget.
Some good old friends joined us for lunch at a well-known restaurant last week. Our server, who I would estimate to be in her mid-50s, was genuine, nice, and kind when she informed us that she had been working as a server at that restaurant for almost thirty-two years.
I take my son regularly for his karate class, and the office manager was chatting up, and I asked her, how long she has been working there, and her answer was 34 years. She is always welcoming, smiling, enthusiastic, and full of energy to answer any questions or educate new customers or existing members on updates and information. She likes her job very much, and the management treats her very well, appreciating her work ethic and enthusiasm at her work.
All the three interactions demonstrated that you may make a living—even a wonderful life—if you set aside your snottiness towards some positions and look for ones that are much simpler to get into because they don’t have as much status. But the secret isn’t just to get a job as a salesman; it’s also to learn the abilities and people skills that will help you stand out from the competition and earn big commissions from sales generated. The salesman that helped my wife and I purchase our light fixture had a great sense-of-humor, was very knowledgeable about the product, and dealt with us in a very professional manner. Selling light-fixtures wasn’t a side gig for him; it was a passion.
Despite what many people think, you can actually make a respectable living as a Salesperson: It’s important to work in a reputable business where patrons spend more money overall and buy high-ticket items more frequently.
Salesperson for furniture, apparel, electronics, or cars (A retail position with a base pay plus commission can be financially profitable for people who polish their customer service and sales abilities) and well-organized executives Within Sales make good commissions on top of base salaries (I get what you’re thinking: “cold calling,” “telemarketing.” There are inside sales jobs where you make calls to current clients and receive a base income plus commission.)
Folks that land laptop employment with fancy titles are far harder to get than the aforementioned positions and many more, especially if they require labor. When you are applying for jobs on reputable job-boards, you will see how many people are applying for the same job, you can see the number of applicants who applied. You can see the competition, which is usually fierce. It’s not surprising when 700-800 people apply for one single position that is open. What are the odds? How much effort goes behind tailoring the resume when applying for that one open position? When you’re a job seeker and you see all the other people fighting for the same position, it can be freeing to just search for work in areas where there is lesser competition.
Staying unemployed for a long time can cause depression, anxiety, and psychological issues. Taking up a course, networking, upgrading skills, or even enrolling in college for skill upgrade certainly help, but It’s all mental how you approach the game of job search. It’s respectable to accept a position selling appliances at your neighborhood retail establishment after months of being unemployed and job searching in the very competitive modern job market, following your layoff from your executive position. What other people say does not matter because when you are in need and in financial stress, hardly anyone comes forward to help. What matters is putting food on the table and taking care of the family and making sure their basic needs are met, and occasional recreation for the “reset”.
When the market is tough, job searchers would be advised to set aside their job snottiness, not give much importance to what others think and assess the situation in practicality and examine positions that serve, what should be their primary goal: to earn a living, as the battle for white-collar employment is intensifying—it’s an employer’s market.