The Tenure Conundrum

The average career span in our lifetime is 30 - 35 years or so. If you spend three years in a company, it’s 10% of your life. If you spend one year, it’s 3.33% of your life. Changing jobs is a highly contextual and personal experience. I'm not advocating for anything here. The idea is to only spotlight.

Time is your most precious asset.

By all means, choose to work with companies that are aligned to your values, those that respect your value, and are also doing some meaningful work from a societal standpoint. Focus on building diverse skills, a learning mindset, and explore the possibility of being a multipotentialite. Smart companies and hiring managers focus on the current and future potential of a prospect. While you work for the company, ensure the company is also working for you.

Think deeply and strategically about your tenure at an organization.

In this VUCA world, it’s in your best interest to build your own identity. It’s a huge risk to build an identity totally based on your employer's identity card. Do your job well, but don't let the job consume your life. Everyone has the potential to craft a unique identity for themselves. The idea is to be indispensable in a constantly volatile economy. Jobs are for seasons. However, a career lasts for a lifetime, demanding you to become self-reliant.

Decouple your identity from your identity card.

Trade your time wisely. 

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