Sherehan Ross

Navigating today’s job market is an exercise in walking a tightrope. You’ve got to be experienced, but not too experienced. You’re supposed to be a specialist, but also a jack-of-all-trades.

The game is rigged, and it’s exhausting trying to keep up with the ever-changing rules.

You need to have experience to get the job, but oh, the irony, you need a job to gain that coveted experience. And even when you’re finally dripping in experience, you might still not be the chosen one because someone, somewhere, brings something different to the table.

Like a birthmark in the shape of a butterfly on their left a$$ cheek.

Everyone wants a unicorn – that mythical creature with the perfect blend of skills, attitude, and adaptability. You’re expected to know your niche inside out but also maintain an admirable breadth of knowledge across multiple industries.

And, naturally, you’re supposed to be able to adapt to their specific industry – but not know it too well, lest you’re deemed inflexible.

You should walk away from toxic jobs, bosses and cultures, but don’t bounce around too often because then you’re a flight risk.
Stand up for yourself and call out the BS and tyranny, but don’t burn any bridges because your career will be over.

You must be eager – but not overzealous. Enthusiastic, yet measured. Show too much enthusiasm and you might come off as desperate. But show too little and you’re labeled indifferent. But also be excited.

And let’s not forget about age. There’s a delicate balancing act between being seasoned enough but not too seasoned. And heaven forbid you’ve actually built a successful career – because then you’re an ‘overqualified’ risk.

You’re too young to be a leader but too old to be an individual contributor.

It’s a conundrum of epic proportions! You’re expected to be well-rounded but also specialized, experienced but not overqualified, passionate but not overly eager, adaptable but not a blank slate.

I’m just so tired of seeing everyone twisting themselves into pretzels, trying to fit into this impossible mold. It’s a continuous dance of trying to be everything to everyone, yet somehow, it’s never enough.

And to top it all off, it’s not only that you’re doing everything wrong but also that everything seems to be your fault.

And the experts are disagreeing with their chaotic echo chamber of clashing advice.
“Your resume should be a page.”
“No, make it two.”

You need this. No, scratch that. You need that.

Straddling this job market tightrope is an exhausting endeavor, and I’m not sure how much longer we can keep up the act. It’s time for a change. It’s time to redefine the rules of the game.