Why ‘Get A Job’ May No Longer Be PC

Some people may try to argue that, like Fight Club says “You are not your job, you’re not how much money you have in the bank. You are not the car you drive. You’re not the contents of your wallet. You are not your khakis.” In truth, there is a lot of identity in the job you have. Just ask yourself when you meet someone new, do you volunteer this information, or do you hope they won’t ask the dreaded question, “So, what do you do?” Have you become an expert at changing the subject? Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, our jobs are a significant part of who we are and they offer us a greater sense of identity.

It wasn’t too many years ago that the regular school of thought for the professional world was that there is always a job, that the level of success in attaining a position simply rested on our “go get ’em” attitude and motivation, or lack thereof. How many of us have had that same mantra drilled into our brains before? However, this ideal scenario has become a myth and legend for water cooler fairy tales. The scary reality of today for many people is that a job, or better yet a position that requires a higher education, is becoming more of a luxury.

So, how is it that in this drastically different reality of today, we are still casting judgement and criticism towards those who don’t fit into our ideals? Take newly graduated college students for example. If he is jobless, we simply instruct him to go out and find a job. If while taking this advice, he gets a minimum wage position he is over qualified for, we tell him to stop wasting his time. If said college student decides to take an unpaid internship, we scold him for ruining the job market and degrading himself. If he does somehow manage to secure a low position in his field of study, we then scorn him for still living at home.

Everyone is fighting their own battle and is on their own path to their own version of professional success. Yes, there are those who are unemployed due to laziness or lack of ambition, but it’s no longer a guarantee that hard work will be justly rewarded. So, let’s work hard to keep the jobs we have and be more compassionate to those that are still searching.

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