Is Settling Part Of The Struggle?
I did it. Or at least I thought I did. I dutifully scoured all paragraphs, quotes, punctuations, anomalies, similes, and anything else that could have been incorrect in the essay. I sat with the editors and producers slumped over stacks of papers infiltrated with red ink and yellow highlights absorbing the material. I was the first to arrive and the last to leave.
Not only that, I made copies, organized tape databases, refilled printers with ink, brought the producers their lattes, fraps, mochas, grande, venti whatever-type-they-needed-when-they-needed-it coffee, ran out to the library in the freezing cold and sleeting rain to get a 1970 yr. old book for the writers, and so forth.
So when I heard our show was ending, I believed a promotion was well deserved.
It was a Tuesday. In January. Seven months from birthday. I brushed off my pants, straightened my collar, patted my curly fro into place, spit out the gum that I had been chewing all morning to help me from munching nervously on snacks, and walked into my exec’s office. I sat down quietly to gather my thoughts.
“I want to be considered for an associate producer position,” I said.
She looked at me.
“I’ve been working as a production assistant here for the past 2 years and I’ve began applying for jobs. I don’t think that with my current job title employers are really able to take me seriously. I want them to know that I’m knowledgeable of the position. My title doesn’t say that.”
The exec looked at me. She nodded slowly. “It’s reasonable. I’ll let you know.”
That was it. I expected more, but nevertheless I walked out of the office feeling empowered, mentally toasting myself with imaginary wine.
It’s now a Thursday. In March. And I’m 5 months shy of my birthday, which means I’m 5 months shy of failing at my goal to get a promotion at 23. And there is still no update or reassurance that I’m actually being considered.
The other day, I got a call back about job I applied to a few months back. But not just any type of job, oh no. The job that I’ve been doing for the past 2 years.
The question becomes then, do I settle to keep my career in full gear? (This means abandoning my goal.) Or do I pause, wait until my job ends and see if I do in fact get that promotion, which will put me in a better bracket for applying to jobs in the future?
Frederick Douglass said, “Without a struggle, there can be no progress.” But is settling part of the struggle?
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Never settle!
You took the 1st step by working hard for two years. You took the 2nd step by asking for what you deserve. Now set a firm date in which you expect to hear from your boss and stick with it.
The most powerful thing we can do is determine our own self worth!
Amen!
I agree. I think I have been settling. My goal has been to leave Ohio and go out Do bigger and better things. I’m 24! I want to go back to grad school! I want to stop working at just a “job” and find my career. It sounds like you are already ahead of a lot of people your age. I mean you are already in the field. There are so many people that I graduated with that are just working to make ends meet and putting their goals/dreams aside. I’M TIRED OF SETTLING. I’d rather have a million dollars in school debt then have a “nice paying” job where I’m miserable. That’s just me.
In short, lol DON’T SETTLE. We have our WHOLE lives to work. FIND YOUR DREAM NOW!!!!! LIFE’S SHORT!!!
I think I’m just in “inpatient” mode for the last few months. I feel like our time is here is limited.
Dreux, I honestly believe you’re overreacting. You have to ask yourself some important questions, the first being whether or not your desire for a promotion at your age is even reasonable. This attitude is prevelant among our generation because we’re used to being gratified instantly for our work. So, if we aren’t getting positive feedback or we aren’t seeing near immediate results, many of us tend to think that something is wrong, or that we’re being slighted.
How old are your superiors? Are they also in their early 20′s, or did they get promotions in their early 20′s? If so, why, how? How much time did they spend doing your job before moving up? Do you feel as if your work is going unnoticed while the work of your colleagues garners praise?
I’m not much older than you, and when I applied for a higher paying job in my organization, I plead and won my case by proving how my performance contributed to the company’s bottom line, and I also discussed how I had planned to contribute even more to the company’s bottom line if given the opportunity. I don’t know if you’ve had a similar discussion with your superiors, but if not, that’s the approach I would suggest you take.
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“I’ve been working as a production assistant here for the past 2 years and I’ve began applying for jobs. I don’t think that with my current job title employers are really able to take me seriously. I want them to know that I’m knowledgeable of the position. My title doesn’t say that.”
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This sentence bothers me. Did you really tell your superior that she should give you a promotion so you would have a better chance of finding employment elsewhere? I do not understand the rationale behind this.
I agree with you isolde. Dreux basically told her boss (to her face, no less) that she wasn’t invested in the job that she already had. Dreux, do you honestly think that your boss should have taken you seriously after you came at her like that?
I feel your struggle, I identify with your pain. It is hard to do a “job” while in the process you feel your true spirit is evaporating with every time you settle in and set at the desk. Two months ago, I left a “job” and started a new journey to finding my happy space. I don’t recommend doing it without saving first but leaps of faith cultivate a spirit of risk and determination. After leaving that job, I’ve been able to reconnect with myself. I hadn’t realized how much of myself I had lost in the process. Since I was reconnected to self again, I pursued passions I had put on the backburner and have walked into such great opportunities. Examine your options, think about your dreams, and know that when young, a setback is not permanent. Nothing is permanent until we resign ourselves to it.
Aura J, thank you for your comment. I am a 25 year-old doing a job that I KNOW I’ve lost myself in. Yes, I’m making better money, but I work longer hours in an environment that is not mentally healthy. My dreams and goals have come to a hault, and I feel stuck. The job market sucks and I don’t want to go back to waitressing. It’s not the job’s fault, this seems to happen everytime I get a new job, I think this job will help me get focused, but I end up getting off track from my personal goals. I want to take that risk and reach for the stars…but all the what-ifs come in to play.
Well thanks again for your comment, I feel inspired:)
Don’t settle. Wait for your Associate Producer position. You took the first step by working your tail off and ASKING for what you wanted. You know your worth and have every right to expect progress. Your struggle has been you past 2 years as a PA. Go get yours. I don’t know how religious you are, but God did not bring you this far to leave you.
Dreux. Stick to your plan. Besides, at the end of the day you have to do what’s best for you. I’m also in production (more so print). You say you’ve been there for 2 years, well the next thing is to progress into another role or position. If they will not consider you for that position, then it’s time to find another company that will. What it comes down to is that you can’t sit and wait for something that may never come. You have to put your needs before your company’s. However, you can’t be blunt about this motive, as you were.
He Dreux, I was all with you, until you mentioned your age. You’re 23! You’ve been working for 2 years! I’m certain you’ve worked hard, but 2 years is NOT a long time. As someone who has worked in the television industry for 14 years I will say that sometimes when you’re young you want instant success.
You did the right thing by letting your superiors know that you want to get ahead. However, I question your decision to tell your boss you want to move up so that you look appealing to other employers. That may be the case, but why would someone want to give you a promotion so that you will look more desirable to another company? Continue to work hard, make contacts, network and when you do something great at work, showcase it to your boss.
Best of luck to you.
Druex, as a young professional in the production field I can understand your struggle. One thing that bothered me was as I was reading the other comments I was very frustrated that everyone went back to how young you are. I do not think that your age matters in regards to you getting a promotion. If anything it sets you apart and puts you in a better position. I started in my field at 19 and by 22 I got a promotion and now at the age of 23 I am going for an even higher title. If you are good at your job then you deserve a promotion. Now from a professional stand point telling your supervisor that you want a title change so that it looks better on your resume was not the best thing to do. My suggestion would be to follow up about the assistant position but go about it in a more professional manner. Treat this like any other job would interview for. Set up a meeting, bring your resume, list why you are qualified for the position, state how you are invested in the company, etc. If they are smart they will keep you if not then you will be a good asset to another company. Good Luck!
Krystal, the reason I bring up her age is because it’s sort of silly at 23 after 2 years of working to say “Is settling part of the struggle?” NO!
When I think of “settling” I think of someone giving up their dreams or staying in a job for security or because there is a fear of moving on or up. Not this scenario.
Yes,but, when you tell your boss that you want a promotion simply because the bump in title will increase your worth in the eyes of other employers— you have pretty much said “I am not invested in the job that I have now.”. The author shot herself in the foot when she did this. And I think that she is probably going to have to move on at this point.
And while this may not speak to her “age”, it most certainly speaks to her “maturity”.
Tonya, I agree that what Duex is doing is not really settling. Honestly what she is going through is something that many women experience in their careers and depending on how she chooses to handle this situation will outline how she handles future situations. But I did want to make clear that your age does not determine the quality of your work.
Listen when I tell you, I have come a long way and that’s strictly because of my mentality. I remember the whole age issue not too long ago myself. When the time came and everyone knew that I deserved a raise, my manager gave me little notice, almost ignoring me. I let time go by and when I never brought it up again neither did she. A few months later, when our company started sinking and this manager was making plans to jump ship, I approached her and we had a long conversation. She told me that while I definitely warranted the raise, I just wasn’t aggressive enough and that I was often too passive around the office and it had nothing to do with my age. At first I didn’t know how to take this and I was miffed that she told me this at that stage. But looking back on it, that experience fueled my drive, or even ignited it moreso, because from there on I had the realization that my success was more than just my hard work, I had to be aggressive. Well I’m proud to say, that every job I have had since then, I have treated promotion with tenacity. And now I’m proud to say that I am the youngest vice president in my new company’s history. This approach may not work for everyone and I know we all have different experiences, but I one thing that is universal is the will and the mentality to succeed is crucial to growth.
~Mayasha
this is a page out of my life…
battling this fear as we speak.
best of luck in your future pursuits!