Career
Career or Job?
What will the future hold and what are the options??? What jobs will be around will people have a career or just a series of temp and gig work?
Career background
See what you can find for work try to find something local. Its better to be fully remote and free or at least within walking or 1 bus route (don't try to play transfer the bus). What you start as a job tends to be where you get "stuck" in as a career. I commuted from Cedar Rapids to the Iowa City area for a middle class union job that never had a layoff in over 60 years, and had a pension and lots of benefits but I HATE commuting daily it drains ones soul even when that job paid the most out of any place I have worked and I knew if I stayed I would have a job for life.
I have worked in call centers since I was a teenager its the only type of job that I have held. I could be working much worse jobs than a call center and I am at one of the better places to work at. If they let you use a computer to browse online and are fairly liberal with breaks between calls etc that is good most call centers suck but I have worked at some good ones. I have worked one sales call center job the rest have been tech support jobs. Two places I worked at were large multinational corporations and the rest where at places that had under 100 employees. I have been lucky in the fact that I have not had to a apply for a lot of jobs most of the time I look for a job that would be a good fit I get an interview and I get the job. When my employment has ended at other employers I just pivot to self-employment and make money that way.
Culture
The CLUT of culture or social benefits of working with others. I have met and made a lot of friendships and connections from the different places that I have worked at. I find it interesting how all these places use #family and all these other things when highlighting or talking about employees I feel that when that is used its a way to guilt employees and use some sort of family dynamics etc. I do my job because I am paid and I want to do a good job not ove
I find that quote to be interesting because i think that most people if they look at themselves objectively would want to make positive contributions to society. The employer should be able to provide living wages and not dependent on getting tax payer subsidies for being a job creator but that is easier said than done. living wage in Iowa https://livingwage.mit.edu/states/19
Why work?
Places you work for can offer some good deals
I have gotten:
Free gym memberships
Free Health Care
Free internet
Dollar for Dollar Matching on 401K with immediate vesting
some additional corporate deals and discounts
Finding Work
If you are looking for a job or a change in jobs. Word of month is the best way to find work and a job that is the main way I have found work. Also look directly on the website of the company that you want to work at if they are a small employer
Looking at linkedin.com or https://www.corridorcareers.com/ could be good to get an idea of the jobs that are out there.
Personal branding
You will always have yourself. Your business may change your products and services may change but you the individual will still be you that is why I think having a personal brand is just as important as having a business or corporate branding. Even if you are working for someone else its good to have a professional portfolio to showcase your work and skills and background so when your employment ends you can pivot to something else.
Marketing examples
CJFlynn@cjflynn.com is my email address that is also my main hub for my personal brand. It's just my name. It's very simple. About 15 years ago I set up the website and used it for all my business ideas and needs it was mostly for web design but now it's just my personal site.
Having a printed professionally done this is card is well worth the money if you get it for a reasonable price you can have multiple business cards printed with multiple business names as you try things out and if things change over time but handing someone your business card really creates a personal connection and a tangible lasting artifact of yourself that that person will have to reference to you. Depending on the type of business you going local and community connections can really make or break your business. But even if it's an online business or one that is not dependent on the local economy having a good business card build credibility and personal and brand value.