6 Brutal Truths About Your Career - Career Advice To Act Like A Free Agent

[@jackcarraway4707]

I'm not a slave auctioning myself to an employer; I'm a mercenary who charges for my time and is always looking for the best deal.

[@vorpalchoppers]

And they take the best mercenary, so if you are not the best you are not getting picked!

[@jackcarraway4707]

@@vorpalchoppers Their loss. Keep moving forward.

[@KingKong-ux3gg]

Cringe, but that’s exactly how we need to operate

[@bradmesser4807]

Fend for yourself and keep moving. We're only useful in so far as we can get work done and move on.

[@ShannonLandsberger]

Am I the only person that left a company and it did fail? Lol.. I get what you are saying and generally agree that a company will find a way, but occasionally a person really is that valuable and the company doesn't realize it.

[@Sentry719]

A 7th truth: don't work hard and don't be an overachiever. Hard work isn't rewarded with promotions and raises; it's rewarded with more work. You have to actively manage your perception at work so others think you are working hard while also being strategic about which projects to give your full effort. If you don't do this, management will expect 110% from you while the slackers do a third of the work and get paid the same. (EDIT): The only time you should be an overachiever and work hard is if you plan to leave shortly thereafter for a better job. Take on all of the hardest projects to get the bragging rights for your resume then bounce after a year or two. You'll be overworked and underpaid but it's temporary. If you market yourself correctly you will be highly rewarded with substantial pay increases after you job hop. Never accept management's offer to retain you.

[@cpK054L]

funny story. the "hard work" that I've been doing, was to actually make EVERYONE's life a lot easier in the future developments. but this Indo-hoor decides she knows better than someone who actually worked in a regulatory controlled environment and thinks that off-da-rails engineering is the way to go , she also continuously blames the customer for her failures. tsk tsk, I'm done with this company. I was hoping to get the lay off soon, but seems I'll have to resign instead because my mental health is about to snap at this witch.

[@pattimiller9157]

💯 % TRUTH!

[@Catata123]

So true, so true!

[@GoldenDogs514]

It's called "performance punishment."

[@lisak6279]

This is part of my company’s culture too - hard work gets rewarded with more work and a pat on the back for doing a great job

[@psp4150]

Found out a lot of this the hard way. Stayed with a company for six years made “friends”. Got laid off and never heard a peep from anyone.

[@stratmancruthers]

I was at my company 14 years, was laid off never even a good bye or text, nothing. Heartbreaking. Proves co workers are not your friends.

[@KS0102]

Not a problem for me. I never really liked them anyway...

[@BillClinton228]

Co-workers are never ever your "friends" they might try really hard to pretend they are your friends but you'll find that if you leave a company all those "friends" will never want to interact with you again. Sure it does happen sometimes but its very rare.

[@bmc9406]

Ive used the “you’re replaceable” mentality when taking time off. If things can’t run without me, I definitely don’t make enough money.

[@cpK054L]

lol, some dumb bitch is touching my project and thinks she's all gung-ho about being ready for the next position She about to learn REAL quick why you don't mess with an ACTUAL engineer's project I'm throwing in my notice, whether or not I give them two weeks will be the result on the one-on-one I actually had the skills they were looking for for their future developments: Machine-Learning/Neural Networks which I paid out of my own pocket to learn, but now I'm thinking ...nah. You guys are just going to waste my time and pay me below market. I'm done. 3 years, 2 pitiful pay raises, dangling a promotion that I don't even care about for the past year. This dumb bitch about to take on my work load and learn, "Not your project, not your problem" is going to become "You touch it, you buy it" and her little master that's holding her leash, she about to take the harder part of my job, integration and setting the development life cycle up for an actual QSR if they don't unwreck what they have done to my board, that company has already missed TWO YEARS of target revenues, those layoffs they've been doing the last years is nothing when the department is now going DEFUNCT because it makes no money.

[@rpospeedwagon]

Yes. But they might merely tread water for awhile.

[@larasmith5723]

@@jabber1990 So TRUE as well. Dead weight people put more stress to people who work honestly hard for what they are paid for.

[@isambo400]

@@jabber1990 😂

[@toasterhed]

​@rpospeedwagon isn't that the case most of the time anyways? Let's be honest here, "treading water" is how most businesses are ran. That's how they save $$$. 😂 just saying.

[@NC-oy8hq]

I can honestly say , one company I quit did go under. But it wasn’t just me quitting. It was most the “good” people quitting close to the same time. I was just one of the first. And it’s a good feeling. They were evil.

[@inuendo6365]

I used to move large furniture out of closing box stores and offices; your part about all the "good" ones going around the same time is more common than businesses would like to let on. While not every big corp will fold because 1 or 2 employees leave, *branches* sure can fail. First it's the top salesman or a good spirited manager leaving, followed by the folks who actually know what they are doing, then by the time the slimeballs up top realize they shouldn't be shitty all they have left are the barely-there-burnouts and lost trainees so that branch is doomed to painful death by high turnover. Glad you led the way outta there!

[@cpK054L]

I have seen departments collapse. Most companies don't fold because they are...in actuality... zombie companies. They're technically not even functioning, but being propped up by BR money.

[@dontthrow6064]

i was looking for a comment like this you can't have - "the company will survive without you" and "9/10 businesses fail" at the same time businesses don't succeed or fail at random shitty businesses fail, unless they already reached a point where they are "too big to fail"

[@klauseba]

Same thing happened in one of the service desks I worked at for a bank. I helped get the team more motivated and knowledgeable, got promoted to L2, then 3 months later the leaders saw that the service was much better and decided that they don't need eight L2 agents anymore so they only wanted to keep 3 while the rest got demoted. I instantly found another job, told the others about how fast it was and they all did the same. After I left every other pro colleague left as well and the team fell into chaos again. Not sure what else happened afterwards as everyone else left as well.

[@tomking5290]

I don't come here for career advice - I come here to be reminded of why I need to start my own business Thanks!

[@petekwando]

Starting to feel the same way. Don't get me wrong, the advice is helpful - but I find myself increasingly disgusted by the process.

[@Bellasie1]

@@petekwando Welcome to the club!

[@medianikophotography]

Good luck! What you hoping to do?

[@starboard9551]

You shouldn't need reminding. That just means you aren't serious.

[@cmdr1911]

My first employer broke me. Family owned company. I knew the families of my coworkers. I spent thousands of hours in shitty locations, long hours ect. Things got tough and I was let go. Then owner made sure he was nowhere to be found. I was willing to give everything to them. The other bad one was leaving my last employer. Watched our corporate office give up on us and the oil field. Stopped replacing ppl that left, froze wages and stopped marketing. Just ran us into the ground while bleeding us dry. Loved that company and it was sick what they did. 15 years of work thrown away. Look out for your four walls. No one else is going to.

[@Novastar.SaberCombat]

Yup. Humanity is classy. Class warfare, that is. Health is wealth. Might is right. Kill or be killed.

[@asadb1990]

In family owned businesses its too easy to feel like family. But remember you are an employee and its not your company

[@Raphews]

I've worked in family-owned companies and honestly, I hated working in all of them. I've noticed a similar pattern in those family-owned businesses, there is always a lot of nepotism and cronyism inside them. The employees with some kind of kinship or blood relation with the owners or managers always get some slack, privileges, and promotions more often than the employees without parents or friends inside.

[@TacoTacoYum]

I've had over 40 jobs.... that coworker's arent your friend/see how many of them reach out after 3, 4, or 5 months after employment ends... nailed it, bro

[@kenya9540]

I totally agree with you. We all have to act like free agents. Corporate America does not have any loyalty to the employees that uphold the company.

[@JaWanja]

Not only the Corporate America. It here in Germany we have meanwhile the same thing. No loyalty. And I already learned this in my first company. That‘s why I am always open for new job offers and I talk with recruiters. And if there is an opportunity to change in a better paid job, I take it.

[@ALCRAN2010]

Every once in a while I need a good schalaquing from Brian. The grounded honesty that the corporates won't tell you, and your family may be too nice to say.

[@ccmetalhead]

That's gay af

[@qty1315]

I think there's a risk in assuming that because something is gritty and mean it's automatically more true than something nice. Like, without knowing anything about you or your Dad I could probably say: "Your Dad probably secretly hates you," and you'd probably believe that it's true just because it's a mean thing to say.

[@kkondakov]

Truth #8 - your promotion or setting people above you often has nothing to do with your professional skills, seniority in the company, etc. Those decisions are often made beyond closed doors and results are often very puzzling. Several times in my career my great boss was removed by Powers That Be and replaced by very questionable individuals without sufficient experience, people or management skills. It may be very frustrating, but it is life

[@mmgilman]

Numbers on a Spreadsheet: This is one of my favorites. What's funny is the millions of dollars spent by large companies on employee goal setting, sit-downs, yearly reviews, career development etc. In the end, it doesn't mean a thing. My wife had her yearly review with her manager on Thursday and got the standard 3% merit raise. On Friday they laid her off and her manager didn't find out until that morning. The higher-level spreadsheet people did their thing regardless of manager input or feedback.

[@sarahrosen4985]

☹️😡🤬 hope she finds something better and quicker than anticipated.

[@Bambotb]

🤣

[@y_yy_2844]

The yearly reviews are mostly about having a paper trail for them to deny you a raise. We determine the goalposts AND what your score is AND if we feel like paying out if you hit the goal. Totally fair and free of conflict of interest amirite?

[@swagmundfreud666]

​@@y_yy_2844yeah yearly review is a great time to start looking for a new job

[@JaesonL17]

The last point about “numbers on a spreadsheet” is very true. When I was laid off back in November ‘22, I tried everything to remain with the company. Offered to take a lower salary, move to a different department. All they did was offer an additional month of cobra coverage given my family was going through a very serious medical emergency at the time and required the same level of health coverage for several more months. In the exit interview it felt cold and heartless. Just going through the motions. Especially with them all knowing what challenges we as a family were facing health-wise. Finding your videos though, I have taken control of my career and search, becoming the CEO of my career. Appreciate the occasional “kick in the ass” videos to remind us where we need to be. Keep up the great work!

[@flyingjeff1984]

My org is filling out the spreadsheet right now......literally.

[@f.-j.j.5738]

They had a generous paternal leave policy. They offered 12 weeks. My husband took 4 weeks off and announced it. They fired him 10 days before our son was born and before he was scheduled to begin paternity leave. Now we all, my husband, me and Baby, depended on his health insurance. We had to scramble to add the baby and do a COBRA coverage. They were even difficult to work with to add the Baby because the insurance told us we had to go through their HR to do so. I was sad for my husband. Such a hard worker. He was stressed being unemployed, taking care of a sick wife and a newborn and trying to keep our insurance.

[@colidia]

dang I didn't even get an exit interview when I was fired.

[@asadb1990]

Had been laid off after only 6monthd with new employer. They came to me begging to join them as they were growing so much. Most employees were former employees of big companies. What i later found out was they were middle managers who didn't do much at all. I was like i should leave back to a bigger company at least where the expectations were more reasonable.

[@redpepper7181]

I’d have told them to stick their exit interview where the sun doesn’t shine.

[@marcbe144]

I work in Healthcare. Recently I got tired of seeing a coworker get paid significantly more then myself due to them having more education, yet they did the bare minimum and left work for others. They eventually left, but it left a bitter taste in my mouth with the company. I requested off 7 PTO days for the rest of the year between June-August. The manager denied 2 of them due to staffing. I immediately found a travel job, which pays better and I got all my days off. Suffice to day, I'll be much happier and have a life outside of work.

[@anniesshenanigans3815]

hows things going now? Do you like travel?

[@shuki1]

To your credit, you've been saying this all along. You were not the typical KZbinr glossing over the bad things and risks while times were great.

[@bradmesser4807]

Jobs can be quicksand if we aren't careful. Get in, get out, and keep moving.

[@larasmith5723]

@@bradmesser4807 Spot on. After 24yrs of loyalty I lost my job due to an accident at work. So sad.

[@bradmesser4807]

@@larasmith5723 I'm sorry that happened to you. Good luck in your future job search.

[@manolokonosko2868]

I hope a lot of young people who are just beginning to join the workforce watch this and your other videos. For too long corporations have been bullshitting workers into think that they "matter". HR matters. The CEOS matter. Top managers "matter", but the people who do the real work are a dime a dozen. The moment you find a better job or opportunity, jump ship, even if they beg you to stay. They'll beg you long enough for your opportunity to sail away, and before you know it, your ass will be on the street when the next round of layoffs come. I hope young people will learn not to get into debt, and be a hell of a lot more demanding of a job, because it is consuming your life.

[@handledhandlehandlinghandler]

This needs to be on a poster on the employee bulletin board or handed out to every new hire along with their benefits packet.

[@corriedebeer799]

Luckily for me Programmers are not a dime a dozen. They are 80 - 120K each. Depends on the industry. Some really are not replaceable.

[@manolokonosko2868]

@@corriedebeer799 Give it time. All work is being outsourced so that they don't have to pay American wages. I'm not disrespecting or belittling the work and skill of the programmer or IT worker, it's just that in places like India, they pump out more IT people than the US per week and American firms will look for the cheapest bidder.

[@corriedebeer799]

@@manolokonosko2868 quality Indian programmers know what they are worth. Indians are the Jews of the East, Americans don't seem to realise that.

[@y_yy_2844]

@@corriedebeer799 Well programmers are not even 1% of the economy. Great.

[@loveandjoy810]

He’s not wrong. I worked at a company that promoted us as “family”. I really believed it. When restructuring happened and we merged with another company my boss didn’t even fight to keep me on her team. She literally said my position wasn’t needed. So they got someone with less education and a cheaper pay scale to do something similar. Then they moved me to a team where I literally didn’t know anyone. About 6 months later they had to hire someone with my same educational level and resurrect my old position on my old team because customers were complaining that my old team was in chaos. 🤷🏽‍♀️. Now I’m with a team I don’t know and don’t like and someone is in my position with my old team that I really liked. It made me realize. I’m not valued by this company and I’m easily replaced. So I act accordingly. I’m saving money like crazy and I got a side hustle to stack cash. They won’t blindside me again

[@rubenc.5648]

“You’re just a line on a spreadsheet” omg that is so true 💯 I work in FP&A and we do this all the time when doing budgeting.

[@gorillagaming8722]

This is why every year, I study new certifications to get my next role. The promise of a full time contract conversion never comes, so I look out for myself first.

[@Jupiterxice]

Your videos had changed my whole professional mindset. In long run never stay loyal to any company you're just a number what I am to the company is a exchange contract. Act as a mercenary to the highest bidder.

[@chrism3198]

Makes contracting seem like a better route to go.

[@Jupiterxice]

@@chrism3198 bruh.......exactly

[@seanmysel5823]

Here's what being a free agent feels like: last Tuesday my boss at one of my gigs pulls me on a call, he's barely able to keep from going into a "Weep-A-Thon" and says, 'we need to cut your hours drastically... I know you've been great annd.." I cut him off and said, "Awesome when does that start?" He was floored. Thing is I have a bigger income from another job, I have an ecom store that's flourishing and already doubles what I made at that gig plus I sell paid media training as well. First time I ever get to exercise that power and I felt like a gangster.

[@ALifeAfterLayoff]

You are a true free agent, my friend.

[@cpK054L]

famous words ....I'm salaried...so I just get demoralized and sleep for 10 hours, ignore emails for the remaining 10 hours, and the 4 hours I'm actually on... well... I know I'm getting underpaid for my skillset, and they're just lucky a lot of job postings are literally fake.

[@abetterlivedlife]

I love what I do. I am paid well. I am ready to quit. I don't get along well with my colleagues or bosses, partially because after 7 years of consistent delivery, predicting and mitigating or solving problems before they become issues, and making a lot of people look really good, it is clear that I'm still not trusted. I'm still not allowed to actually manage my own program. When I bring up upcoming issues that I need assistance with, I'm still treated like I don't know what I'm talking about and can't possibly see what's coming down the road. I am an INTJ female, and to be honest, I think that's where a lot of the problems lie. I do not behave as people expect women to and I think I am kept at arm's length because of it (and my boss' boss is a bit of a control freak). I don't want to move on, but I don't think I can handle the blows to my psyche much longer.

[@达米恩贱安王]

Just nearly 2 months back I was laid off from the employer that I have worked for nearly 5 years. I have contributed much to the company with no complaints and never make any crucial mistakes. In fact if not of my initiatives the department would have some trouble functioning. And out of sudden I was told that my position was being made redundant and I have to leave my workplace on the day of notification when some of my task were still incomplete and I can't even handover my work smoothly and bide farewell to my colleagues! When they doesn't need you they can get rid of you immediately so what 'loyalty' is it?

[@colidia]

dang I didn't even get an exit interview when I was fired. I literally had 2 hours to pack my things and I was forced to leave through the back door without saying goodbye to anyone. It was the strangest thing. Then I asked for an HR report from my boss and the interim director (we don't have a director) and they never replied.

[@larasmith5723]

@@colidia SO TRUE. If this happened to you you're not the only one. That's so brutal.

[@j03man44]

Might need to work on grammar for your resume 😂

[@simonboland]

Great advice overall. I’ve gone from being a software engineering manager back to an individual contributor role as a contractor. I get paid more and for now I’m enjoying it. One thing I did recently was update my CV even though I’ve still got 5 months to run on my contract. It automatically makes me feel proactive and helps me think about preparing for the next role.

[@cedarforest4621]

30 years ago I became a Free Agent and have never looked back. Love my life.

[@pattimiller9157]

This is 💯 % true. That's why I'm always looking. Been slapped to many times. The days of lifelong careers are GONE!

[@jon6309]

Very good insight and I agree to everything you said. Quitting a job is just a temporary inconvenience for your manager but not the end of the world. When I quit my job for a better offer with another department yes my former managers were stressed out for the time being because of the uncertainty with how quickly they can find a replacement who could learn my job up to speed and also possibly paying them more than my salary to compete with the market but the show must go on and most managers find a way to deal with it. In fact it’s a part of their job. Most managers don’t want their employees to quit not because they are a key to the job but because managers are somewhat lazy and do not want to go through the inconvenience of interviewing, negotiating and retraining staff. It makes their job so much easier by keeping you around and that’s pretty much it.

[@jessem3143]

I just quit my job of over two and a half years. I was the second longest running employee in the company due to so much turnover. When several opportunities for advancement came up, I applied and was passed over for outside hires. Although I was given some of the tasks of managing, was never given the pay or recognition. These new managers kept making unnecessary changes that didn't help anything or even made things worse. In my two and a half years, I had seven different managers, that's how much turnover they had. I kept hearing "things will be different this time," but they kept making the same bad choices other managers had made in the past without listening to any of my advice. At one time, there were three higher up people trying to fix an issue with the inventory system and I was standing behind them for about ten minutes telling them what was wrong, why it was wrong, and how to fix it but nobody was listening and they kept trying other things without success. In my time there I kept being told I was valued and appreciated but never felt it. I had only ever received a single 4% raise, not even enough to account for inflation over the last several years. The new hires I was tasked with training were making nearly as much as I was. At my new job, I'm starting at a pay rate that better matches current economy. I'm glad to be moving on. Thank you for videos like these that have helped me better my resume, sell myself in interviews, and give me the insight to see what was wrong and the courage to do something about it.

[@julied1959]

You speak the honest brutal truth. I just got laid off for the first time in my career. It hurts, but it wasn't personal. I thought I was valuable, but I was a number on a spreadsheet.

[@Ink30]

We all are just numbers on a spreadsheet

[@DiamondFlame45]

You will get through this! I was laid off last year as well and landed a role in February!

[@rpospeedwagon]

I would disagree. In the short term, large orgs often have to make quick, sweeping decisions to cut costs. It's imperfect calculation. But obviously you know when you interview again you're not just a number on a spreadsheet. Performance matters. That's obviously true to you and everyone in the room. They don't hire Excel sheets.

[@rogerbartlet5720]

Likely a company views your job as a necessary evil - if they could get away without filling your position they would. Bad times force this view. Always be getting ready for your next job and be learning.

[@Al-rn5qy]

Brutal, but truthful indeed! Where was this channel 15-20 years ago when I was in my early working life, could have saved me some frustration 😂! But in all seriousness, these are all equally true, because the truth is no one ever tells you this stuff. You don't learn this in school, your parents can't always prepare you for this, and certainly your coworkers/ boss won't tell you this. You learn this either through your mistakes or watching channels like this. I'll end with this: regarding the part 'you're replaceable'. Yes, in some cases they will even have your replacement hired and ready to take your position before they even tell you you're fired -it happened to me. Keep making awesome videos 😉👍

[@istvanpraha]

I thought I was irreplaceable at my last job - here is the scary part - they laid off a few people like me, and the company was fine losing top high paying prestigious customers and generally lose money and reputation by firing the good people to save money. That was a huge wake up call for me

[@kokoskokso]

Happened to me also. We were the most valuable team as we were dealing with international clients and still we were severely understaffed and underpaid, and of course overworked. I'm talking 10-15 hours of overtime per week per person, even those who only had a part-time contract. One person down and it was more than critical. The "manager" didn't manage much aside from pushing more work and OT on us, emailing all day and taking double pay and bonuses than us who actually produced value. Two out of five people left in a short space, the team had to be disbanded. Like you're saying, the scary thing is that the company didn't mind providing less than satisfactory service to their most prestigious clientele, they would pay paper shuffling managers big time but had no money for the worker bees to deliver quality work. Even worse we had to attend "we are family" workshops and participate in HR pet projects like questionnaires on motivation when we were so hard pressed for time. Well, too bad for them.

[@thatxdamnxgirl7416]

I just want to thank you so much. Due to the pandemic, cancer, and pregnancy/new baby my career was thrown into chaos and I lost my house. Your channel and your advise really truly helped me pick myself back up again and now my career has never been better or more promising. You gave me hope in my career that I didn't have before, thank you!

[@ALifeAfterLayoff]

I love these kinds of comments.

[@tobiasthederp]

As a hiring manager for over a decade with a Fortune 500 company, I can tell you that everything in this video is truth and gospel. Become self-reliant, grow your reserve of knowledge and remember that employers don't care about you, they care about the value you can bring them.

[@alefratat4018]

True, and the employees should not care about their employers, but only care about the value they can get from working there.

[@smoozerish]

The number one thing to protect yourself is to pay off your mortgage as quickly as possible. Cut down all of your overheads until you do this then you will never fear for your position in any work situation. You will always be the boss of your own career trajectory and be able to walk away from toxic work environments without any worries. Also you can pick and choose your work carefully without having the pressure to find your end of month mortgage payment. I only work contract hourly rate now when and where I choose. Sometimes i work for two years and take a year off traveling and live in another country and try to experience new cultures. I couldn't do this if i hadn't paid my mortgage off at the age of 36. So start saving early in your working life when you have energy and youth, pay off your mortgage like your life depended on it and then enjoy the freedom.

[@VeneratedSon]

Speaking honestly and from first hand experience, the last company I left went under because management’s view at the time was we can get these jobs done on time with 3 individuals on the shop floor. That manpower then became 2 when an employee found other options. The nail in the coffin came when I found other options and the company wasn’t able to fill those work roles. I’m now celebrating a full year at a new employer with a nearly 200% increase in earnings as well as an actual promotion worthy of my skill set.

[@sarahrosen4985]

🥳🥳🥳

[@CRCCStudyGroup]

I also call this career Nhilism advice because it is true! I preach more than half of this to my clients as well and dmpower them to take control of their own lives. Thanks Brian! Like minds think alike.

[@chrislarivee]

your videos are truly inciteful - you are getting me through a tough period in a long-time employment "stuck" situation.

[@mikefusco7215]

Brutal, but necessary. Thank you.

[@Jamerican-JourneyGirl]

Selling yourself tidbit was the best part of this video. I and many people struggle with this.

[@chuckchan4127]

I knew all these, but hearing you reconfirm them is great!

[@masteryoda9044]

Are you very wise ?

[@JA-ro3zv]

This is the most relevant honest excellent advice on KZbin! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge ❤

[@tylerlindell]

Absolutely solid points. Thank you for putting this together. Love the free agent mindset.

[@GoldenDogs514]

Everything in this video is 💯% true. I learned many of them the hard way over 20 years.

[@helpingyourgeeks]

Funny story on "Friends" at work. I once was in a meeting where peers were talking about friends, and I made a statement that no one there was my "Friend". There was such an upset with the group it was unsettling. One even told me that they were my "Friend". I told them all that if it made them feel better, I would call them my Work Friends. That seem to help and set most at ease. My definition of Friend is a much more personal and different than most of those I work with..

[@The_SmorgMan]

I knew a guy that would hire the second best from the hiring process. Then whoever he picked he would set the resume from the top candidate and use it as leverage to tell new hire to work hard because there are other better people that wanted that job

[@mattb9664]

Work to whatever the minimum requirement is to get the good rating, and that's it. If you want to be the Allstar these days in America, that really means forgoing any type of relationship with another person, forgoing having children and not having any type of external hobbies (like doing Pro-DIY home improvements, that actually add home value). Just know that even if you are the Allstar, you still may end up on that list as well, and you will have sacrificed much of what makes a life - life. Btw, just spent the week with a bunch of really intelligent PhDs that work for various universities, and even at the academia level of genuinely being "passionate" about life's work, even they rotate between universities for many of the same reasons discussed here. They sacrifice soooo much time and I can only assume they don't know how to do any hands-on tasks like changing the oil (which you need to know how to do now because of worker decay) or installing tile perfectly! Likewise at my own company, the only truly passionate engineers are the ones that have sacrificed their personal life for the patent(s)- and are actually making real royalties off the patent(s). Everyone else- they either have a critical personality defect or they are stuck chasing the carrot

[@kevinmach730]

The academic world somehow gotten label as a cushy, low stress job for fairly medium level pay. But I've known quite a few people who were professors who have told me the environments can be very high stress (publishing articles to remain academically relevant, etc) and very political. And yes, you need to be ready to move /change schools, especially for your first gig-you better be ready to move across the county on short notice.

[@cpK054L]

@@kevinmach730 the only "cushy" jobs in Academia are the literal diversity offices like title IX and X unless someone is called a black graper, don't worry, nobody is even at those offices, and it's literally the bloated reason why colleges are even expesnive. Administrative costs are without a doubt 80% of the expense. Famous scenario from University of Minnesota President - "We cannot afford to reduce the tuition" - While receiving a 30% pay raise over the next couple years Note - She already breaks the million dollar mark with her comp package. The irony is PALPABLE.

[@profjeff9]

I'm a new PhD and was thinking of academics before you mentioned us. After I got the PhD, I taught for a year and applied to some jobs and the expectations are inhumane. So I'm just heading back home and rethinking my life. I'm glad that I have the foresight to leave the industry before it makes my life worse and I'm glad that other former academics were there to warn me. Maybe there are people out there who think the working conditions in the academic job market are acceptable, but I don't think I'm one of them.

[@wobbles7915]

@@profjeff9 working conditions in NO industry are acceptable rn. The simple fact is that financialization has inflated the cost of everything! its not just administrative, its across the entire economy. Every. Single. Thing. MUST pay interest to someone, must pay some rent seeker or investor. Growth has not kept up so instead debt will fuel the growth of financial assets.

[@BrianGivensYtube]

The reason I work harder at my job than I should is for a few reasons: 1. I enjoy working on projects rather than doing mundane easy work. 2. Completing projects with a cost savings is great to put on my resume. I have done 2 projects in the last year that saved a total of $500k. 3. Every cost savings project I do I get $500 in cash. Not a lot but its icing on the cake when thats the work I prefer to do. I do plan to have a strategy and move on every 2-3 years seeking better and better places using the positions as an opportunity to boost my merit for the next promotion.

[@TheCookster64]

At 58 I really want to just retire from the software industry. I have tons of experience. I'm very good at what I do. I'm going contract fully remote from now on. I will not accept anything else. If you're in software working on site is absolutely ridiculous.

[@cricket6410]

“Free agent” means correcting our perception of our value in the marketplace within which we sell our time, knowledge, energy, skills, and abilities. Employers hold the greater share of the power as long as we do not accurately perceive our value and our ability to access/create multiple ways to capitalize on our value. Employers can be line items on our spreadsheet, too. Free agent: rejecting the notion that we have extremely limited opportunities to provide for ourselves and our families…. ..and making it a continual practice to identify and cultivate other sources of income.

[@ALifeAfterLayoff]

You've got it!

[@cricket6410]

@@ALifeAfterLayoff these truths need to be espoused worldwide. The subservience that we live with is sickening- literally. Time to take back our lives and spirits…

[@masteryoda9044]

Free agent: the agent who works for free to help out others 🙏

[@Jaybearno]

Great video. Everything he says has been my experience exactly with recent layoffs. What is the most frustrating, is that I have been contacted by 6 different recruiters to work for the SAME company as a contractor for 85% of the pay. Really gross, and also idiotic to think how inefficient it is to hire multiple agencies and pay commissions to reach out to the same people they just fired.

[@y_yy_2844]

Companies waste money like oxygen. They just get mad about "wasting" it on people who do actual work. Eww, yucky!

[@TheLynxTarot]

Thanks again for the awesome content and success of your channel! I worked as an independent contractor for 15 years and the office politics that I didn't think would be there existed in full force! It was a nightmare! I'm grateful I was able to make a huge change in my career and that things are much better now. So many things you say in your videos have helped me to not look back with regret, but look forward with promise. Thank you again!

[@DianeFenton-ml8fi]

So valuable! So helpful! So honest! We want the truth and you deliver so now we can move forward and make informed choices and be aware. Thank you for this video and all of your content. Much appreciated!!

[@vibesmom]

I have a friend who got laid off and he’s never had another job. He worked there for over 40years. , they hired three new kids to replace him. Brutal

[@gjinkalla23]

Sometimes I think it is intentional. Somehow it punches your perceived self value when it has nothing to do with you. Younger less experience, gets along with a lot of BS and above all, mediocre pays

[@patmarek1222]

When Bryan said “part od the family” I laughed so hard.. guess I did learn a thing or two 😂

[@colidia]

On the part of the hiring process I would also add that if your boss perceives that you could easily take on their job because you're super qualified they'll get rid of you and hire someone who isn't a perceived threat. My last boss is on her last leg making others do the work she can't do. She knew that if I stayed I would easily be promoted to her job. So she decided to get rid of me before that day would come.

[@gjinkalla23]

They smell the 'threat' most job positions are filled with mediocrity

[@witblitsfpv1265]

All of these are very true. There is still no good reason to force people back to an office. It is such a big advantage for companies and costs nothing. If I'm forced back I will change jobs and industry if I have to. Too many years rushing back and forth for no good reason, finally some good work-life balance which I'm not giving up.

[@fremontpathfinder8463]

I learned a truth once my school was reconstituted and the entire staff displaced in 2010. We realized it was politics and not about education. I started really looking out for myself and gaining more skills and credentials to provide me the freedom to leave when I need to and I did just that 3 years ago- and without that added credential would not have been able to do so. Best decision I made. I gained the credentials that were most in demand. That led to a great union job. I also hung onto my allied health license from years ago. Never take anything for granted. I've also had my teaching credentials transferred to two other states.

[@cecchinibarnaba]

Yes, everyone is replaceable and the company is unlikely to die, but the results will be different because different people lead to different results ...

[@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley]

I'm going back to school this fall to work on a bachelor's, but am also trying to mull over a side-gig where I can do something that is less stressful. I'd like to start making some type of videos on KZbin where I'm not verbally talking, given I talk on the phone all day already and really dislike it, but I'm still looking for my niche.

[@lilianavpsuarez6979]

Hello Brian, can you do a video about how to answer "What's your least favorite task at work / type of job"? Been watching your videos, they're so helpful. Really appreciate your good work!

[@persisknipe6401]

You are soo Right about being a free agent! I learned this in 2009 when I was laid off in finacial services only experince. Since then I have upskilled in different industries and have Contract roles that I can take " bridge" companies in case I am laid off again.

[@patriciachavez-reyes618]

Brilliant! Definitely reaching out to you for your trainings soon!

[@pamelamays4186]

Suggestion: Change of career tips. Also, alternatives to spending thousands of dollars on education and retraining for a new career. I myself am in the process of a career change. I'll be attending one of the local community colleges to prepare. My program will cost a little under three thousand dollars as opposed to the tens of thousands charged by private colleges that offer the same program.

[@ThinkBeFree99]

That's awesome. What type of program will u be doing?

[@Auro77]

Hey, what was your career path till now and how many years you spend in it vs which career are you going for now ?

[@charliedallachie3539]

Constantly getting cheated, greed, lack of loyalty from the employer were my major lessons 8 years in

[@kimberlydonaldson4904]

Brutal but true! Thank you for the reminder.

[@phantomvox]

I “quiet quit”my job 20 years ago. I know the time passed me by and cant retire for 20 more years. Now Im 47 bored as fck trying to change my career.

[@coolbluelady2]

Thanks!

[@ALifeAfterLayoff]

Much appreciated!

[@marydiamond7099]

Nice video, this SO fits me. I've been at my job almost 20 years, I'm a school custodian, that's my happy place. So, I'm betting, I've been at my job too long. Also, ageism could affect me. I'll be 55 in 16 days. I'm trying to move to a different state. I had a zoom interview last week and did great. I thanked them with an email 24 hours later, checked in again last Friday and had a couple of questions for them. I'm praying they get ahold of me for my next interview soon!! I feel SO defeated 😞. I wish you'd do a video about navigating the job search while trying to move to another state.

[@Lisa_688]

SPOT ON as always, Brian. Very insightful. I love your videos.Thank you so much, you’re doing us job seekers a great service!

[@ALifeAfterLayoff]

Glad you like them!

[@SwimminWitDaFishies]

The main thing that everybody seems to lose sight of is to live within your means. You may need to save up to buy that BMW, Tesla, Porsche, boat, and bigger house.

[@crd525]

One of your best videos, sir. Nothing but brutal truth. LOVE IT!

[@stephaniepersin4222]

Everybody is replaceable.

[@chuckchan4127]

​@infogodly Nope: you're STILL replaceable: customers can find a new company to do business with.

[@Info-God]

@@chuckchan4127 Partially correct. That's called competition when you offer a SIMILAR(SAME) service/product I consider is fair ONLY amongst companies. Not amongst employees/colleagues.

[@chuckchan4127]

​@@Info-Godcompetition, layoff, fired: those all mean replacable.

[@chuckchan4127]

@@Info-God No one ever said that being replaced was logical. All the more reason to be a free agent.

[@masteryoda9044]

What about diversity officer ?

[@80schick1967]

I worked for 11 years as an Associate Lecturer for a big distance learning university. I thought that I could turn it into a career but was rejected for every post I applied for. I resigned myself to having a job rather than a career and applied to do a PhD and gave up the job when I was accepted.

[@DrCatterBox]

Can you give some examples of those irreplaceable skills that are broadly wanted/ valued across multiple work settings/ industries?

[@smithrr6]

The most broadly applied skills that I can think of would be sales skills. If you can sell and talk to clients and close deals, you will always have a well paying job.

[@randyriegel8553]

I have always looked out for myself. About 20 years ago I was making little over 30K as software developer. This company did NOT like to give raises. I asked for one and got denied. Not long after that got an offer from a company offering me around 38K. So when I put my 2-week notice in at the original company they ended up bring me in to talk with them and asked if I was leaving because on monetary issues. I said YES. They asked me what other company was offering. I said 48K. So my company counter offered me a 50K deal. I took it at that time because I liked it there but they were "tight asses". Now every time I'm looking for new opportunity and they asks me what I expect as salary I bump it up about 10-12K above my current salary. I usually say I'm making X amount at my current job but would like a little more than that. So that is the 10-12 plus some extra they offer if they like me :) I figured out how to play the game. Almost like poker... gotta bluff sometimes.

[@Fawn0001]

Never accept a lessor role so that you can "grow" into a higher role. Only play the cards you are delt at that time. You will be left waiting, getting angry, and wondering where your promotion went when they have forgotten all about it!

[@ricardo9013]

I quit many jobs in my life and i never regret it but my last job i quit impulsivly and took another job offer. I regret it alot it was an emotional responce to alot going on inside and outside of work. It was a new role and i felt i was being thrown into a fire. I reached out to the employer to see if i could speak with him and work it out but just got crickets so i went ahead and confirmed my start day for the new job. It was all pride and ego that made me leave but now i just feel guilty because other then my boss they treated me like royalty. In my 30 years i've only regretting quiting 2 times and this was one of them. Wish i stayed atleast a year. Maybe you can do a video on what to do in these emotional states. I've always been hard headed, easily frustrated and sometimes hard to understand. It's always the people that get to me and rarly the work.

[@Ghostman80]

9:30 This is the difficult part. This takes times and years to accomplish.

[@roseballerine4395]

Worst case is during layoffs, they hire outsiders consultants to restructure and decide who goes to chopping block based on job functions. And the managers or HOD get bad repo among staffs while scrambling among their connections within the company to get other departments to absorb their staffs who did not make it.

[@bmiller949]

My exboss threw me under the bus by pushing me to work nights and weekends to meet brutal deadlines. He eliminated my position and used me to do it. There are total dickheads out there and I should have starting looking two years ago. Lesson learned that jobs that damage work-life balance, you must start looking to get out ASAP.

[@zohramartini9425]

I learnt the hard way that loyalty only lies with friends and sometimes family. Companies are there to make money and nothing more. So be courteous and dont expect from people

[@CAVEMAN93able]

Been prepared for this since 2008. Glad I did because this is going to be a doozy!

[@conner1354]

I look at it as change is always constant. I go so tired of being turned down for not having a bachelors degree. I went to school and got my bachelors degree. My current employer at the time had no interest of promoting me. Needless to say I left. I ended up with a job almost double what I was making. I had to move but that is the name of the game. I have since been promoted not once but twice. Now I am almost paid double what I was making when I first started where I work now. So you must be highly motivated if you want to move up and improve your career.

[@JohnTube2K]

This video really is the tough love message that tells the hard truths.

[@untouchable360x]

Hard truths cut both ways.

[@ConstantinoCoChua]

Yes! Everyone is replaceable even the CEO. So i don't work too hard beyond the office hours and to my contract.

[@wallywest2360]

Everything he says is true. Once upon a time I had a job I was 100% positive I would do for the rest of my life. I enjoyed the work, I was good at it, and I worked in a family owned business. Meaning, my family owned it. My wife and I were going to take it over when her parents retired. And that was all fine and good right up to the point when they went through a messy divorce and it turns out my MIL actually owned the business. My FIL didn't even try to force her to sell it or anything, but she decided to bail on the whole thing and sold it out from under us. No conversation, no nothing, we found out after the deal was done. You are a number on a spreadsheet, no matter where you work and how important to the operation you think you are. Unless you have an ownership stake in the company you could lose it all tomorrow. You could lose it even then, but at least you'd probably see it coming and have a way out that got you paid.

[@bethiciaprasek1008]

Oilfield is a volatile market. People regularly change organizations, either by choice or via layoff. I work to stay in contact with coworkers from decades ago (even if they are retired as many are still involved in the industry). Not just LinkedIn, but I have a rule to visit with someone each week for lunch or happy hour during Daylight Savings Time. Some are closer to me than others, but some are very true friends. Others can be valuable contacts.

[@TheGrmany69]

Tell me about it, in Venezuela workers are either up to be trafficked or done in the industry. Quality cheap labour brings this... exploitation and lots of travel.

[@breakmywalletmotorsport]

Selfish - great advice. Learned the hardest its not bad to be selfish. This was hard to connect with being a veteran but business is business. Even when I was on active duty - being selfish about my career would have landed me better assignments.

[@carltoncoleman454]

At the end of the day, you just have to do you!

[@T1Oracle]

I can't be an employee anymore. The more vital you are to an organization, the more trapped you are, because you can't do that niche anywhere else. You'll get paid until you get canned and you won't see that money again.

[@CHESTER9871]

One of my supervisors gave me the whole "im not here to make friends" saying when he tried to mess with my hours for calling out one day and I confronted him about it, as someone who knew me since I was 7 yrs old, I didn't expect that, so I ended up getting him fired because I knew the girl he was making sexual advances on while he was married and encouraged her to report it... careful how obvious you make the "not here to make friends" attitude... theres people like me who has little birds to chirp at me when they find out something spicey and can be used as ammo

[@serafine666]

9:12 Sometimes it does, though. There are employees that the organization _thinks_ they can replace but they find out top late that they can't. That's why it's important for the boss of your boss's boss to understand why they can't get rid of you without very significant preparation-very significant _costly_ preparation.

[@handledhandlehandlinghandler]

1 person from my old company called while I was out of work. And that was to ask me to write a how to guide to train new people. It was a short, awkward conversation.

[@jasonroberts5746]

This video is 100% on point. Take heed.

[@h.p.tiwari5668]

The only problem is gaining skill is not trivial at all. Also one needs experience, reference from someone higher up that you did great job and great communication skill to market that you have best skills and your work experience is actually relevant.

[@christopherzobel357]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 this guy is genius... thank u for the eye opening, Sir.

[@plattenschielerlp7796]

Crazy how accurate this is. Even though I thought it’s different here in Germany. Its not. It’s probably even worse.

[@goombabear]

The company I worked for was toxic and was having financial problems when I was fired. I was not getting pay raises, the operations manager was incompetent, the owner had explosive anger issues and I was looked upon as being useless to the company because I troubleshoot. I saved the company tens of thousands a year by fixing and solving all of the problems that the clients and other employees made. I worked very hard and did extra work without extra pay. Before I was fired, my husband got two extra part-time jobs which made up for my income loss. We are now completing extra training within our own fields and we are learning additional skills. I have to disagree about the companies who laid off my husband. None of those companies are in still business. One manager who fired my husband a decade ago was also fired soon after and he could not find a job for years. Eventually he had to move to Detroit to get a job. Some of my husband's former coworkers could not find work for over a year. To sum things up, get extra skills, get an extra job, and pay off cars and credit cards, and have at least a year in savings.

[@stuntmansynyster]

This channel is epic. Love a good reality check.