Focus on What's Real
Stop Selling.
We simulate almost everything important in life. Pilots train in simulators before flying aircraft. Military units rehearse missions before deployment. Athletes practice situational scenarios repeatedly before competition. Simulation reduces risk and improves decision-making.
Yet when it comes to careers, one of the biggest decisions people make in life, we often expect young adults to commit years of time and enormous amounts of money with very little understanding of the actual daily reality of the work. That makes very little sense to me although, until more recently, I didn’t see as clearly as I do now.
Too many people choose careers based on image rather than experience. Factors such as salary, prestige, social media “imaginery”, portrayals on TV, family pressure, or cultural expectations carry different weight and value for a variety of legitimate reasons, but often are over relied upon or overly considered with the needs of the one closest to this decision being least understood. Very few truly understand the pace, stress, lifestyle, emotional burden, or operational realities before entering a profession. With the best of intentions, we think we do, but then soon wake up to the fact that very little exists that is actually helpful (which is why we often default to jobs and careers that emulate those closest to us) – classic “devil you know” scenario.
This lack of resources and ultimate disconnect creates enormous personal and societal costs. As I have shared in other posts, people spend years pursuing careers they eventually hate. Students accumulate debt for professions they barely understood. Employers struggle with burnout and retention. All while entire industries face workforce shortages.
Meanwhile, many Gray Collar professions and operational careers suffer from outdated stereotypes despite offering meaningful, stable, lucrative and highly satisfying work for the right individuals. The problem is that many are making life-changing decisions with almost no realistic exposure beforehand, not that people are incapable of making good decisions.
I believe the future of workforce development must become far more experiential and honest. More than simply, “What are you good at?” Rather, “What kinds of environments, responsibilities, and challenges are you naturally wired to sustain?” These are much more important and insightful questions. Technology and visual media platforms, AI, and other emerging career simulation tools have the potential to help people understand professions more realistically before major commitments are made.
In the spirit of my prior posts, this is not to eliminate hardship nor to make work easy. It is to improve alignment to increase general satisfaction and reduce burnout. Because, don’t forget, all jobs suck sometimes. So, find the kind of suck you are built to embrace and LOVE IT!