Capacity for more, or for better?
There is a lot going on in the tech industry, and this is the question you should be asking yourself right now.
It’s definitely another down-turn season for tech. This is a moment to pause and evaluate because it could be scary, or maybe it’s opportunity. Now is the time to find out if you’re willing to accept more of what you have, or if you feel you can find better.
I won’t belabor the point, because it probably goes without saying: The corporate and capitalistic environments most of us find ourselves in won’t be there to help when things go badly. You’re going to be on your own. This isn’t a judgement on the people in charge, (sometimes it is certainly a judgement and it’s bad) because in some cases, market dynamics control business, leaving very few good options available. However, it can be demotivating when those impacted the most learn that leadership didn’t always make the smartest sustainable choices, and instead reached for unproven opportunities and false ideas of success, and very likely don’t suffer consequences like being laid-off (or down-sized, or reduction-in-force, or right-sized, or whatever term the company finds palatable for saving money by not paying you).
But all that doesn’t matter. At least it shouldn’t. What matters is that you know what you want and it’s possible to go about getting it for yourself. Just as leadership has choices for what to do with business, you also have choices for how you trade your craft for compensation.
There have been ideas of what the great resignation, or quiet-quitting mean lately, but let’s get to the core of what those movements really represent.
While Jerry had a bit of a meltdown that lead to this sweet scene, it’s also not a great representation of reality. For many of us, we’re not in a position to just up and walk out (some of us are 3 months away from a pay increase). So what do we do? Suffer in silence? No, instead we should take this time to focus on ourselves and while we are currently employed, be sure to open our eyes to the rest of the world.
We all have different paths to take and the trouble with knowing which one is right for us, starts when we try to go it alone. We should take advantage of this time to plan for the future.
Is it possible that big tech doesn’t have to be a goal for our resume?
Could we find more serenity and inspiration from working in an entirely different industry than the one we’re in now?
Are we naive to the compensation opportunities that exist outside of our current situation?
This is a period in time where you’ll find counter arguments to leaving your current position. But as Jennifer Riggins writes:
“Whether you’re being forced out or stuck behind in an at-best awkward situation, more and more tech workers are planning their next move.“
And you could read this article from CNBC and conclude this is not a bad time to find a new job.
The bottom line for all of this is you don’t have to stay where you are, but you most definitely should be measured about what you do next. Take your time, and be sure to stick to your personal values. Use this season as an opportunity for you.