Why Your Career Doesn’t Matter: 3 Harsh Truths To Know

Most people want a career that’s exciting and offers opportunities for growth. If you’re one of those people, I want to explain why your career doesn’t matter much these days.

To be clear, I’m referring to working as an employer and working your way up to a higher position at a company. This understanding has been taught to many people in modern society, and it’s still one that a lot of people will follow down the road.

I don’t believe in going in the direction of “Go to school, get a job, buy a house, and save up for retirement until old age.” I believe that thinking has led many people to a life of misery and mediocrity.

In this post, I will go over a few reasons why this career path is not the best one to take today. Also, I will give my thoughts and provide an alternative approach to take instead.

1. The Traditional Career Path Is Not The Solution To Personal Fulfillment
2. You Have No Freedom When Working For Someone Else
3. Your Job Title Does Not Define You
4. You’ll Likely Have A Mid-Life Crisis

The traditional career path is not the solution to personal fulfillment

The traditional route worked very well back in the 20th century. It made a lot of sense 40-50 years ago (long before the internet was born).

Fast forward to today (2022-2023), and so much has changed over the years. Now that we’re in the 21st century, the world is changing much faster than ever. 

There have been a lot of advancements in technology and health care that have made life in general much better. The best part is it will get even better in the coming years.

Examples of an outdated system

Yet, modern society still follows an antiquated system when it comes to education and the workplace. Although somewhat beneficial, the education system consists of requiring students to sit in classrooms in front of dusty old chalkboards.

But for the most part, the technology we have today does not require students to do in-person classes. Some of it may be needed, but most classes can be done online on your own schedule.

When it comes to building a career, people are taught to become good employees at a large organization. Once you start, it’s best to work your way up the corporate ladder, be loyal and stay there until you’re able to retire in your 60s or 70s.

The problem with that is you may never reach your full potential; for example, you’ll never get a net worth of seven figures or more. 

Unless you move your way up to being CEO of a Fortune 500 company, it’s unlikely you’ll make a salary worth seven figures or more.

Let’s go over three harsh truths that people need to hear. The sooner you know them, the better decisions you make to have a successful life ahead.

You have no freedom when working for someone else

There are three types of freedom I will briefly lay out, including:

1. Financial
2. Time
3. Mobility (i.e. relocation)

Financial

Let’s have a reality check: You are not free when you’re dependent on an employer for income. 

I’ve discussed before that you may get occasional pay raises every now and then.

Unfortunately, those pay increases are likely to be small. Unless you can prove to your boss that you are the most valuable individual to the company, it’s hard to ask for a 500% increase in your pay.

You have no control over your pay whatsoever. As an employee, it can be difficult to increase your income exponentially.

Time

Not only is it relying on steady paychecks, but you have no time freedom.

When you work for someone else, you may have to work on their schedule. So if you’re working the 9-5 grind, you’re expected to be working between those hours the employer expects from you.

You may get lucky if you’re able to work a flexible schedule. There are those options available, but at the same time, you still have no control if your employer’s need for you to work on weekdays.

Mobility

Another thing you may not have is mobility. If your employer does not provide mobility (where you’re able to move and work somewhere else), you have no location freedom.

Having mobility is beneficial if you want to move elsewhere around the world. There may come a time when you want to move to provide a better life for yourself and your family.

Without that option, you’ll feel stuck working in the same location. If there are better opportunities around the world to take advantage of, it’s worth looking to have mobility as an option.

So the three types of freedom you’re limited to are financial, time, and mobility (i.e. relocation). Without any of those, it’s difficult to find a career that can help you achieve your goals.

Your job title does not define you

No matter what you do for a living, it may not define who you truly are as an individual. A lot of people don’t enjoy what they do for work. 

For example, your title may be a specialist role. You may be good at the work you do, but you’re not fully engaged or have passion for it.

In other words, you’re doing it for the sake of earning a paycheck. When you work for money, are you truly doing work that you find fulfilling?

For many people, they don’t do work that’s fulfilling. Even if it’s a prestige title, they may go farther ahead and achieve their full potential. 

You’ll likely have a mid-life crisis moment

I think that’s a big one that people don’t recognize early on. Some people will work beginning in their 20s, and then continue on until their 40s. 

But once they reach the age of 40 or 50, there’s a day when they wake up and say, “Oh my gosh, what the f—k am I doing? That’s the moment when you have a mid-life crisis.

That’s the point in life where people regret not making better choices early on. Could they have gone in a different direction, or looked at another job position?

That’s a difficult moment to have, which can come with a lot of regrets. So that’s why people should think twice about what they really want in their careers.

My thoughts

As I mentioned earlier, going down the traditional career path has disappointed a lot of people. A lot of them have high expectations to work in fulfilling careers; however, it ends up being less than that.

For me, I find that to be more true than in prior years. I’ve found myself disappointed at times and thought about what I can do better moving forward.

Whatever the case may be, I know I can find better options. I’ve taken the initiative to create opportunities for myself.

For example, working on creating a little business as an extra source of income is well worth going after. I understand that there’s much potential to seek freedom working for myself.

A relevant article from notimekillers.com

Read next on “Is it better to work for yourself than for someone else? and see which option is better in the long run. The answer might surprise you a lot.

What is an alternative?

I find that starting a side hustle (or a business) is a great starting point while you’re working a traditional job. Once you get that business going and it’s making money, there’s the option of growing and scaling it.

If you’re interested in starting a business for yourself, I encourage you to think twice about it. There’s a place I recommend for getting started right now at no cost. 

If you’re looking for an alternative route to the 9-5 grind, you’ve come to the right place. You never know if that career can be well worth going into- such as entrepreneurship.

Final Words

Some people may be confused about which career path to go on. Unfortunately, some people decide to take the traditional route and end up regretting it later on.

The hard truths I went over earlier are difficult to swallow, but they need to be put out there. You can make better choices if you understand that sooner rather than later.

Whichever path you take, take the time to consider what’s best for you. Again, if you’re interested in creating freedom for yourself, check out my recommendation on getting started today.

Your Turn: Are you on the right career path?

I would like to get your thoughts on this topic. Do you believe you’re on the right career path?

Are you unsatisfied with where you’re at right now? Is the work you do fulfil or not? 

Is there another route you can take besides taking the traditional path? Do you think it would benefit you in the long run?

Feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment below. I look forward to reading your responses, and I’ll gladly respond promptly.

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Eric is the owner and chief editor of notimekillers.com. 

He takes great pride in helping people manage their time and grow their businesses. 

Eric is a firm believer in financial and time freedom, as he believes in financial independence and taking ownership of your time. 

“Time is your most important asset. It can be your best friend or worst enemy. How you use your time can shape the future you desire to have.” 

In his leisure time, Eric loves to write and read whenever possible. He enjoys going for long walks outdoors while doing in-home workout videos every week. 

You can also connect with Eric via LinkedIn.