Are We Really Going to Talk About Politics?
October 1, 2024
Are we really going to talk about politics in a newsletter?
Of course not. But, if we’re looking for something to grab attention, election time is upon us, and politics always grabs attention.
Meaning, we’re not going to talk about MY politics. That would be crazy. But, we CAN talk about the concept of politics and how easy it is for us to make decisions using a piece of information (what your party is) and the danger of not being able to change your mind appropriately as new information presents.
How does this have anything to do with your job search and career path?
Well, unless you are among the 10% of America who is truly an independent voter, you most likely woke up a Democrat or a Republican this morning and will go to bed the same. People don’t exactly wake up looking for new data points to allow them to nimbly change their political views.
It’s also relevant to your job search because, of the thousands of job searches I’ve been involved in over the years, I typically see people follow a similar, linear, almost political, thought process. They start with an answer, i.e. this is the job/career path I want, and they don’t actively seek new data points which might guide their search in different directions as new information presents itself.
Therefore, job searches and ultimately entire career paths become more self-fulfilling prophecies than truth seeking journeys of what you really could be when you grow up… and that isn’t always great.
Since I spent most of my life recruiting in the Finance and Accounting space, let me make this suggestion. Think about your career path more financial portfolio and less politics. Try not to make binary, either or decisions (votes). Instead, maybe think more about the recent 50 basis point rate cut, how that might affect your career portfolio out into the future, and what other paths (reallocations) suddenly might make more sense (or less sense) with this new information.
In practice, it would look like this… Instead of waking up applying for Finance Manager jobs making $120K just like yesterday, maybe today would be a good day to think about the nuances of what a rate cut and potential future rate cuts mean for job prospects in the different industries and positions you’re looking at. I’ll give you a hint, rate cuts COULD make a difference, and probably WILL change your trajectory, whether you are thinking about it or not.
Or, you can always go start an argument about politics with your neighbor two cubes over.
Founder / Managing Partner
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