This is a post that has a beginning but no end. I think one of the lessons I've taken away from the past year is the importance of taking calculated risks in your career. Looking back, I can think of 3 key moments that involved some fairly significant level of risk: 1. quitting my job at the bank without anything lined up. 2. taking a temp job as a 30+ yr old MBA grad, potentially permanently depressing my future earning capacity. 3. Holding off on taking an analyst position that was offered to me in the hopes of getting a manager role. (risk of coming up empty on both).
Looking back, there were also some significant risk mitigators. 1. Yes, I quit my job, but I was married and my wife had a high-paying job, so we weren't in danger of suffering financially. 2. Yes, I was taking a temp job, but I was also unemployed at the time, so making some money over making nothing seemed reasonable. 3. Yes, I was taking a risk at passing up an analyst position, but I figured I could get some analyst position elsewhere eventually, given my education and experience.
Summary: There were risks, but they weren't as big as they initially seemed, but even still, if I didn't take those risks, I wouldn't be where I am today. And where I am today is working for a company I like more than my old job. Working with people that I like more than my old job. Being able to see myself in this career longer than in my old job. Being more excited about the work content than my old job. Getting paid less than my old job, but also working proportionally less hours than my old job, which allows me to do other things in life that I value and enjoy. I'm much less stressed and much more happier than I was a year ago. I do not have the benefit of looking into the future and seeing how things all pan out. But early indications are that it's hard to say anything but just to admit that things worked out very well.
It's also very important to note that my agency in what transpired was minimal compared to God's agency and others' agency. Yet, it is still important to stress that we have a major part to play. We only have one life, so we better live it the best we can.
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I was looking back at an old e-mail from an old friend I received back when I was thinking of quitting my job in banking, and here's a summary of what he wrote back to me:
1. There's wisdom in refocusing your career earlier than later; the longer you wait, the more difficult it gets - and your soul dies in the process.
2. Don't minimize the importance of affinity, but don't overemphasize it either. Your personality affects what tendency you should likely avoid.
3. Don't do anything that creates an inner-deadness.
4. Be courageous. More often than not, our inability to make decisions has less to do with ignorance and more to do with fear.
5. Seek community input
6. Consider how much other lifestyle pre-decisions have factored into your vocational decision.
Looking back, this was one of many valuable advice I received in helping me process my thoughts.
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Just today, I was talking with a friend about how we're in our early 30s now, and we and a lot of our friends are at a stage in our lives where we face real challenging decisions, decisions that involve closing doors of opportunities, making real tradeoffs with consequences, making real sacrifices in career or family, etc. When we were high school, the biggest decision was what college to go to. In college, the biggest decision was which job to take. And in our early-mid 20s, the decisions was about going to grad school, or taking a better job, or moving to a new city. These choices always involved risk and they still exist for us in our 30s. But back then, it didn't seem risky. It always felt like you could just turn around if you wanted. But now, the consequences seem more permanent and the impact wider in scope. Now, the consequences are not just different alternatives of fabulous. Now, they involve starting over, taking steps back, closing certain doors, etc. Now, it's decisions like: do I take a step back in my career in support of my husband/wife? Do I take a step back in my career to take care of a child or two? Do I take a step back to take care of my parents for a period of time? If I start over in my career, am I throwing away everything I did over the last 10 years? Now, the risks seem more real.
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I wish I remember this better, but one of the key lessons from behavioral finance is the existence of loss aversion. The pain that most people feel about losing x is far greater than the joy they feel about gaining x. So this results in a severe risk aversion in many people that is somewhat irrational. And perhaps there is an opportunity to really benefit if we had the ability to see risks and their corresponding rewards more rationally.
This isn't a post to unequivocally encourage everyone to take more risks. But in general, assuming reasonable outcomes like low-risk/low-reward and high-risk/high-reward, if our tendency is to be much more risk adverse than we should be, then perhaps there's tremendous opportunity for those of us who can stomach more risk than we otherwise might have taken. And particularly for those of us who are younger and can absorb the potential downside outcomes that may occur.
Of course, another lesson of behavioral finance is the presence of confirmation bias. So where does this leave us?
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Behind Every Good Woman is a Good Man?
One thing I've really enjoyed and appreciated over the last several years is seeing how discussion on feminism has become more prominent, more nuanced, more mainstream, more complicated, more diverse, etc.
Last year, Anne Marie Slaughter, professor at Princeton, wrote an Atlantic Monthly piece called "Why Women Still Can't Have It All" that went viral.
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/07/why-women-still-cant-have-it-all/309020/
Also last year, Marissa Meyer, a Google Executive, was appointed CEO of Yahoo! It was notable then, that she was hired while pregnant. Then she surprised everyone by returning to work 2 weeks after giving birth and more recently issuing a ban on telecommuting at her company. (She has said in a prior interview [paraphrased] "I don't think that I would consider myself a feminist. Certainly I believe in equal rights and feel women are just as capable as men in a lot of dimensions, but I don't have the militant drive that comes with that."
This Monday, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg's book Lean In was released. Before the book, before her HBS speech, before her Barnard speech, there was her TED talk in 2010, which I remember watching when it first came out. (below)
Last year, Anne Marie Slaughter, professor at Princeton, wrote an Atlantic Monthly piece called "Why Women Still Can't Have It All" that went viral.
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/07/why-women-still-cant-have-it-all/309020/
Also last year, Marissa Meyer, a Google Executive, was appointed CEO of Yahoo! It was notable then, that she was hired while pregnant. Then she surprised everyone by returning to work 2 weeks after giving birth and more recently issuing a ban on telecommuting at her company. (She has said in a prior interview [paraphrased] "I don't think that I would consider myself a feminist. Certainly I believe in equal rights and feel women are just as capable as men in a lot of dimensions, but I don't have the militant drive that comes with that."
This Monday, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg's book Lean In was released. Before the book, before her HBS speech, before her Barnard speech, there was her TED talk in 2010, which I remember watching when it first came out. (below)
Most recently, former Lehman Brothers CFO, Erin Callan, came out with a NY Times op ed piece, "Is There Life After Work", warning women of the potential sacrifices they face for "leaning in" without really thinking about it.
She considers herself a feminist because she's allowing women to have real freedom. If you want to become the next CEO, go for it, but know the costs. But you shouldn't feel marginalized for accepting those costs. If you want to be a stay-at-home-mom, that's great too, and you shouldn't feel marginalized for that decision either. It's your choice. As is any combination of work-life balance in between.
In her book [disclosure: which I've only skimmed so far], Sandberg defends Meyer's decision to return to work early from maternity leave. And Slaughter defended Meyer's other controversial decision to eliminate telecommuting in another Atlantic Monthly article, "Mayer's Job is to be CEO - Not to Make Life Easier For Working Moms"
*************
All this is a tangential preamble. What really struck me about Sandberg's talk was her suggestion that to achieve equality in the workplace, you really needed equality at home. She talks about how stay-at-home-dads are ostracized, sometimes ridiculed, and have no support, and how that's a real problem and barrier for WOMEN succeeding. (I got a glimmer of this when I was a SAHD for several months - looking back an invaluable experience for me; or costly experience depending on how you look at it!) The way I interpret this is that we'll never really have equality in the workplace unless we see a massive shift of men taking on more responsibility in the home, whether that be just doing more chores, or working part time, or being full-time stay-at-home-dads. There is an implicit acknowledgment that women (like men) want it all but can't have it all. We're not going to see 50% of leadership positions go to women just by encouraging women to work hard and stay in the game, b/c there are too many sacrifices. Anyway, I found this point extremely insightful.
One of my college friends, who's now a pastor in DC wrote tangentially about this idea on his blog soon after the first Slaughter article came out called "__men can't have it all"
Peter was not primarily making a point about feminism. He was actually making a point about genuine Biblical masculinity. He was making a point about how God calls men to be excellent at being fathers, beyond the bare minimum, beyond the traditional stereotypes. But the side effect of this will be improved opportunities for women in the workplace.
*************
So, in a strange way, one of the nuanced goals of feminism may be to improve working conditions for MEN. Giving more paternity leave for example, to encourage and support men who want to stay at home. Would any man reject this? I wouldn't!
Also, another nuanced goal of feminism may be not so much to encourage women to reach for the top (though it should and must), but more so to encourage all (men and women) to reject ridiculously demanding work conditions at the top, so that we can all have some semblance of work-life balance, thereby creating the atmosphere where men and women can succeed at work while feeling like they haven't given up on the hope of "having it all".
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Reputation
Forcing myself to churn these out. This is a brief, fragmented post about reputation.
The only important quotation I know off the top of my head about the importance of reputation is from Othello. In junior year of high school, we were forced to memorize this short phrase: "Who steals my purse steals trash; tis something, nothing; t'was mine t'is his has has been slaves to thousands; but he who filches from me my good name; robs me of that which not enriches him; but makes me poor indeed." It's amazing I still remember this, though I remember nothing about the context and very little about the story. All I remember is that Iago is the bad guy. So anyway, I thought this would be a good, though potentially grossly out-of-context (I don't know), way to introduce the importance of reputation.
But then, I googled something like "reputation quotations", and one of the ones that kept coming up was "Character is more important than reputation." And I thought, "Oh, that's very true!" Everyone, and especially Christians, should be less concerned with how others perceive us and more concerned with who we truly are, before God, before ourselves. Yet, hopefully, these two should not be widely divergent. Meaning, good character should eventually result in a good reputation. If we are Christians, but we have awful reputations, then perhaps there is an opportunity to do some self-reflection to consider whether we are truly reflecting Godly characteristics.
************
My dad recently gave me this short advice: When you're an entry level worker, all you need to do is work hard and you will do well. But later on, it's not enough to just work hard to get ahead. As you rise up in the company, it's also about who you know. If you are aligned with good people above you, you can rise with them.
************
I think one of the reasons I got this new job was that I basically did an internship in my temp role, demonstrating who I am and what I can do. The people around me know I'm capable of doing the work. They also know that I can pass the airline test. "Would I want to be stuck in an airline with this guy on a business trip for several hours?" In fact, I actually carpooled with a few people and was stuck in traffic for several hours on a business trip, so this was more than just a theoretical test that I passed.
One of the great benefits of my temp job was that it introduced me to many people within the company because my job required me to interact with a lot of different people. When the position opened up, I initially didn't think I was qualified for the position. But, I was pleasantly surprised when 3 different people, all from different groups, suggested that I apply for it. That gave me the encouragement to pursue it, even though on paper, there may have been more qualified candidates applying for the position. I think I was able to get the job because I was a decent known quantity, while all the other candidates were decent, but unknown quantities.
************
What am I trying to say? I learned that we all have a reputation at work, whether we are conscious of it or not. If you do good work consistently, you develop a good reputation, even with those with whom you rarely work. Temp jobs or internships provide a great opportunity to demonstrate your ability but also establish a reputation. The important thing at work is to do your job well, treat others with respect, bring a good attitude, etc. and hopefully things work out. But, eventually, it'll be important to be savvy about how a good reputation can translate into future opportunities. This is where networking and some personal brand management probably helps (being smart without getting self-absorbed).
************
During my annual assessment in my prior banking job, my general feedback was that I'm good to work with, I follow directions well, I produce good work, but I need to speak up more and contribute more. Often I'm silent or quiet in meetings, and it gives off the impression that I don't care or that I'm holding something back. In my defense, that was sort of accurate! The main reasons I was quiet was: 1. Strategic: I didn't know what to contribute because I was such a fish out of water, so I was following the rule of "Better to stay quiet and be thought a fool, than to speak up and remove all doubt". 2. Decoy: I absolutely hated my job, so I sort of just kept my head down and tried to suffer through the day so I could get home.
But despite those circumstances, I do know that my natural tendency is to be reserved and quiet, so it's a challenge for me to be more expressive and engaging in my future role, so that I can avoid developing that kind of reputation in an environment where I have fewer excuses.
The only important quotation I know off the top of my head about the importance of reputation is from Othello. In junior year of high school, we were forced to memorize this short phrase: "Who steals my purse steals trash; tis something, nothing; t'was mine t'is his has has been slaves to thousands; but he who filches from me my good name; robs me of that which not enriches him; but makes me poor indeed." It's amazing I still remember this, though I remember nothing about the context and very little about the story. All I remember is that Iago is the bad guy. So anyway, I thought this would be a good, though potentially grossly out-of-context (I don't know), way to introduce the importance of reputation.
But then, I googled something like "reputation quotations", and one of the ones that kept coming up was "Character is more important than reputation." And I thought, "Oh, that's very true!" Everyone, and especially Christians, should be less concerned with how others perceive us and more concerned with who we truly are, before God, before ourselves. Yet, hopefully, these two should not be widely divergent. Meaning, good character should eventually result in a good reputation. If we are Christians, but we have awful reputations, then perhaps there is an opportunity to do some self-reflection to consider whether we are truly reflecting Godly characteristics.
************
My dad recently gave me this short advice: When you're an entry level worker, all you need to do is work hard and you will do well. But later on, it's not enough to just work hard to get ahead. As you rise up in the company, it's also about who you know. If you are aligned with good people above you, you can rise with them.
************
I think one of the reasons I got this new job was that I basically did an internship in my temp role, demonstrating who I am and what I can do. The people around me know I'm capable of doing the work. They also know that I can pass the airline test. "Would I want to be stuck in an airline with this guy on a business trip for several hours?" In fact, I actually carpooled with a few people and was stuck in traffic for several hours on a business trip, so this was more than just a theoretical test that I passed.
One of the great benefits of my temp job was that it introduced me to many people within the company because my job required me to interact with a lot of different people. When the position opened up, I initially didn't think I was qualified for the position. But, I was pleasantly surprised when 3 different people, all from different groups, suggested that I apply for it. That gave me the encouragement to pursue it, even though on paper, there may have been more qualified candidates applying for the position. I think I was able to get the job because I was a decent known quantity, while all the other candidates were decent, but unknown quantities.
************
What am I trying to say? I learned that we all have a reputation at work, whether we are conscious of it or not. If you do good work consistently, you develop a good reputation, even with those with whom you rarely work. Temp jobs or internships provide a great opportunity to demonstrate your ability but also establish a reputation. The important thing at work is to do your job well, treat others with respect, bring a good attitude, etc. and hopefully things work out. But, eventually, it'll be important to be savvy about how a good reputation can translate into future opportunities. This is where networking and some personal brand management probably helps (being smart without getting self-absorbed).
************
During my annual assessment in my prior banking job, my general feedback was that I'm good to work with, I follow directions well, I produce good work, but I need to speak up more and contribute more. Often I'm silent or quiet in meetings, and it gives off the impression that I don't care or that I'm holding something back. In my defense, that was sort of accurate! The main reasons I was quiet was: 1. Strategic: I didn't know what to contribute because I was such a fish out of water, so I was following the rule of "Better to stay quiet and be thought a fool, than to speak up and remove all doubt". 2. Decoy: I absolutely hated my job, so I sort of just kept my head down and tried to suffer through the day so I could get home.
But despite those circumstances, I do know that my natural tendency is to be reserved and quiet, so it's a challenge for me to be more expressive and engaging in my future role, so that I can avoid developing that kind of reputation in an environment where I have fewer excuses.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Disobedience and Growth
A brief post on disobeying one's parents. The context is that I am Asian-American and grew up in a culture that had a strong respect for your elders stemming from Confucian ideas of filial piety. I also grew up in an environment that emphasized a shame / guilt culture, in which one would bring dishonor to the family for bad behavior / choices. I remember in my childhood that I heard the phrase "What will other people think if..." a lot. For example, if I acted rudely toward my parents in public, I was scolded, not necessarily for simply being rude, but for how bad I made them look in front of others.
[Aside: In my opinion, one of the great challenges for second-generation Asian-American Christians is loosening this shame culture specifically when it comes to confession and community. If weakness and failings are something to be ashamed of and hidden, it inhibits the process of transparency, confession, forgiveness and growth. It hinders authentic relationships. And it contributes to a host of other problems. One major area that comes to mind is treatment of mental illness. It may be true that white American kids are over-medicated. But it's probably true that Asian-American kids are under-medicated because some of them never get a chance to confront their issues directly and openly.]
After my one year minimum commitment in banking ended in July 2011, I began seriously thinking about quitting. Over time, I realized that it was difficult to do a job search while doing banking, so I might need to just quit without another job lined up. My wife and I had already discussed this, but I also wanted to begin to tell my parents my line of reasoning. First, my parents were extremely disappointed that I would be voluntarily giving up a lucrative, prestigious job. They were ashamed that I would be temporarily dependent on my wife's income, ashamed of how this would look to my in-laws. The flip side of shame culture, of course, is pride culture. So they also said stuff like, "Do you know how many people are envious of your position? Why would you give that up?" Once they realized that I was adamant about quitting, they implored me not to quit without something else lined up. I have a wife and child. It's harder to find a job once you're unemployed. Very legitimate concerns. I promised them that I would try, but as the months went by and work got even busier, I realized that this was impossible for me. By the time late fall rolled around, I decided that I'd suck it up and stay until I got my annual bonus in February 2012, then quit right afterwards. No use quitting having accrued 10-12 months of bonus and ditching it. (In banking, the bonus is a MAJOR part of your income, not just a 5-10% thing.) So this is what I did. Eventually, in February, I quit my job without anything lined up.
Why did I have such a hard time disobeying my parents? I was an adult after all. I moved out from under their roof when I left for college. Well, first, I knew it would cause them a lot of pain and disappointment. They were really proud of me working for a great company and having a great job. Second, I knew how much they sacrificed for me and my success. Quitting would sort of be like me throwing away everything they worked so hard for. Third, I really love them, and wanted to honor them. This came from me being a Christian. So, I really wanted to find a way to love and honor my parents, even as I wanted to quit my job.
So how was I able to finally pull the trigger and reconcile these thoughts? Two things. First, I was more and more convinced of the sentiment that Steve Jobs mentioned in another part of his Stanford Commencement address in 2005 when he said, "Your time is limited so don't waste it living someone else's life." But this still felt selfish to me. But the second reason was much more helpful to me than the first. In January 2012, I heard a very timely sermon from Tim Keller on Ephesians 6 titled "Work and Family" in which he mentioned one aspect of a healthy relationship between children and parents.
For me, most of the time when I listen to a sermon or study the Bible or read a Christian book or pray or sing - most of the time I worship - I come away feeling only slightly different. I come away thinking "That was nice", "cool", "interesting" etc. No major changes. But about 1-3 times a year, I come away profoundly changed or deeply moved or really convicted or really enlightened. Why does it not happen more often? Probably some unequal mix of me being sinful and my general temperament. Anyway, I found something Keller said that day so insightful and so personally relevant and timely, that I don't think I'll ever forget it. It was one of those moments.
What he said was that as Christians, we are all called to honor our parents. But as adults, we do not have to obey them. The command to obey your parents is only given to children. Keller proceeded to frame the difference. He said that even if you have absolutely horrible parents, God calls you to honor and respect them. But on the flip side, even with great parents, you need to sometimes disobey them, because God calls you to grow up and be independent of them. Some of us are controlled by our parents because they were so bad, we want to completely rebel and have nothing to do with them. But others of us are controlled by our parents because their approval is so important to us that we're still essentially dependent on them. So God calls us to honor our parents, not always obey them. I had probably known about this distinction before, but hearing it then, it felt like I had heard it for the first time.
Anyway, this distinction gave me the framework to communicate with my parents. I wanted them to know that I heard everything they said. I genuinely listened to their concerns. I really respected them and thought through my decision for a long time. And ultimately I decided to go my own way. It wasn't easy. It wasn't pretty. But we do still have a very functioning parent-son relationship. And I think when they look back, they will see a son who grew up and honored them, even as I disobeyed them.
[Aside: In my opinion, one of the great challenges for second-generation Asian-American Christians is loosening this shame culture specifically when it comes to confession and community. If weakness and failings are something to be ashamed of and hidden, it inhibits the process of transparency, confession, forgiveness and growth. It hinders authentic relationships. And it contributes to a host of other problems. One major area that comes to mind is treatment of mental illness. It may be true that white American kids are over-medicated. But it's probably true that Asian-American kids are under-medicated because some of them never get a chance to confront their issues directly and openly.]
After my one year minimum commitment in banking ended in July 2011, I began seriously thinking about quitting. Over time, I realized that it was difficult to do a job search while doing banking, so I might need to just quit without another job lined up. My wife and I had already discussed this, but I also wanted to begin to tell my parents my line of reasoning. First, my parents were extremely disappointed that I would be voluntarily giving up a lucrative, prestigious job. They were ashamed that I would be temporarily dependent on my wife's income, ashamed of how this would look to my in-laws. The flip side of shame culture, of course, is pride culture. So they also said stuff like, "Do you know how many people are envious of your position? Why would you give that up?" Once they realized that I was adamant about quitting, they implored me not to quit without something else lined up. I have a wife and child. It's harder to find a job once you're unemployed. Very legitimate concerns. I promised them that I would try, but as the months went by and work got even busier, I realized that this was impossible for me. By the time late fall rolled around, I decided that I'd suck it up and stay until I got my annual bonus in February 2012, then quit right afterwards. No use quitting having accrued 10-12 months of bonus and ditching it. (In banking, the bonus is a MAJOR part of your income, not just a 5-10% thing.) So this is what I did. Eventually, in February, I quit my job without anything lined up.
Why did I have such a hard time disobeying my parents? I was an adult after all. I moved out from under their roof when I left for college. Well, first, I knew it would cause them a lot of pain and disappointment. They were really proud of me working for a great company and having a great job. Second, I knew how much they sacrificed for me and my success. Quitting would sort of be like me throwing away everything they worked so hard for. Third, I really love them, and wanted to honor them. This came from me being a Christian. So, I really wanted to find a way to love and honor my parents, even as I wanted to quit my job.
So how was I able to finally pull the trigger and reconcile these thoughts? Two things. First, I was more and more convinced of the sentiment that Steve Jobs mentioned in another part of his Stanford Commencement address in 2005 when he said, "Your time is limited so don't waste it living someone else's life." But this still felt selfish to me. But the second reason was much more helpful to me than the first. In January 2012, I heard a very timely sermon from Tim Keller on Ephesians 6 titled "Work and Family" in which he mentioned one aspect of a healthy relationship between children and parents.
For me, most of the time when I listen to a sermon or study the Bible or read a Christian book or pray or sing - most of the time I worship - I come away feeling only slightly different. I come away thinking "That was nice", "cool", "interesting" etc. No major changes. But about 1-3 times a year, I come away profoundly changed or deeply moved or really convicted or really enlightened. Why does it not happen more often? Probably some unequal mix of me being sinful and my general temperament. Anyway, I found something Keller said that day so insightful and so personally relevant and timely, that I don't think I'll ever forget it. It was one of those moments.
What he said was that as Christians, we are all called to honor our parents. But as adults, we do not have to obey them. The command to obey your parents is only given to children. Keller proceeded to frame the difference. He said that even if you have absolutely horrible parents, God calls you to honor and respect them. But on the flip side, even with great parents, you need to sometimes disobey them, because God calls you to grow up and be independent of them. Some of us are controlled by our parents because they were so bad, we want to completely rebel and have nothing to do with them. But others of us are controlled by our parents because their approval is so important to us that we're still essentially dependent on them. So God calls us to honor our parents, not always obey them. I had probably known about this distinction before, but hearing it then, it felt like I had heard it for the first time.
Anyway, this distinction gave me the framework to communicate with my parents. I wanted them to know that I heard everything they said. I genuinely listened to their concerns. I really respected them and thought through my decision for a long time. And ultimately I decided to go my own way. It wasn't easy. It wasn't pretty. But we do still have a very functioning parent-son relationship. And I think when they look back, they will see a son who grew up and honored them, even as I disobeyed them.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Providential Timing
I want to tell a brief story about providential timing. But before I do, I want to first make a separate point. I think it's presumptuous to think too highly of a job that I haven't even started yet. I would never say that this position is my "dream job". It's too soon, too optimistic to say such things. And, it's not in my personality to speak in such superlatives. But, on paper, theoretically, I think it presents an intriguing possibility for me. About a year ago, when I went through the exercise of listing out a random list of things I'm passionate about, I wrote down things like: sports, technology, learning new things, solving problems, and sharing ideas. When I went through the strength finder's exercise, I found out that some of my strengths are: learner (developing an expertise), and input (acquiring new information). This job would address these strengths and passions. So, as I was six months ago when I started my temp position, I am "cautiously optimistic" that this will be a good opportunity for me.
Story #1 on providential timing: Several things had to happen for me to get the temp position in August 2012. First, after quitting my job in February 2012, I had to be lazy enough (or still searching enough) to remain unemployed for 6 months. Second, if you remember, I back-filled for a friend who was pregnant and taking maternity leave for a fixed time. So, my friend had to be pregnant at the exact moment when I was looking for a job. And, her supervisors had to approve bringing on someone to replace her while she was out. And, she had to tell me about the opening. Third, in June, I had also applied to a city government position. But their hiring process had to be slow enough that I was offered and accepted the temp job first, literally days before receiving a call from the city government asking if I was interested in working there.
Story #2 on providential timing: Several things had to happen for me to get the full time position in February 2013. First, the opening was made available because someone who had been working there for 5+ years decided to move to another job, exactly at the time my temp job was ending and I was looking for a full time position. Second, there was another less attractive job that I was initially offered in late January, but the hiring process for that was delayed for just enough time that I was able to apply for this other position without having to commit. Third, there was an external position that I had applied to in December and I got all the way to the final round of interviews, but the position was given to another person, freeing me to take this job.
Some may say this providential timing. Others may call it plain luck. Either way you look at it, it should give me the motivation to be humble and thankful, because it wasn't because of my concerted planning or deep ambition that things worked out.
This is tangentially related, but I'm reminded of Steve Jobs' famous Stanford Commencement speech of 2005, when he said that you can't "connect the dots" looking forward, you can only "connect the dots" looking backwards.
Jobs didn't know that all these little events and activities early on in his life would prove to be beneficial to him years later. He says that you need a kind of faith to follow your heart and trust that the dots will connect in the future, even when you don't see it connecting in the present. Only with the benefit of hindsight and perspective, can he see how everything fell into place. I think Christians would agree in part with what Jobs had to say. But whereas others may place their faith in an idea like karma or destiny or in trusting their own gut, we Christians place our faith firmly in Christ, someone who is worthy of receiving the full weight of our trust.
Story #1 on providential timing: Several things had to happen for me to get the temp position in August 2012. First, after quitting my job in February 2012, I had to be lazy enough (or still searching enough) to remain unemployed for 6 months. Second, if you remember, I back-filled for a friend who was pregnant and taking maternity leave for a fixed time. So, my friend had to be pregnant at the exact moment when I was looking for a job. And, her supervisors had to approve bringing on someone to replace her while she was out. And, she had to tell me about the opening. Third, in June, I had also applied to a city government position. But their hiring process had to be slow enough that I was offered and accepted the temp job first, literally days before receiving a call from the city government asking if I was interested in working there.
Story #2 on providential timing: Several things had to happen for me to get the full time position in February 2013. First, the opening was made available because someone who had been working there for 5+ years decided to move to another job, exactly at the time my temp job was ending and I was looking for a full time position. Second, there was another less attractive job that I was initially offered in late January, but the hiring process for that was delayed for just enough time that I was able to apply for this other position without having to commit. Third, there was an external position that I had applied to in December and I got all the way to the final round of interviews, but the position was given to another person, freeing me to take this job.
Some may say this providential timing. Others may call it plain luck. Either way you look at it, it should give me the motivation to be humble and thankful, because it wasn't because of my concerted planning or deep ambition that things worked out.
This is tangentially related, but I'm reminded of Steve Jobs' famous Stanford Commencement speech of 2005, when he said that you can't "connect the dots" looking forward, you can only "connect the dots" looking backwards.
Jobs didn't know that all these little events and activities early on in his life would prove to be beneficial to him years later. He says that you need a kind of faith to follow your heart and trust that the dots will connect in the future, even when you don't see it connecting in the present. Only with the benefit of hindsight and perspective, can he see how everything fell into place. I think Christians would agree in part with what Jobs had to say. But whereas others may place their faith in an idea like karma or destiny or in trusting their own gut, we Christians place our faith firmly in Christ, someone who is worthy of receiving the full weight of our trust.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Dignity of Work
I'm going to try to make this post short. "Dignity of work" can mean a variety of things. It's a term used by politicians when discussing the importance of finding work for the unemployed and growing the economy. It's a term used by pastors and theologians to discuss how our vocational callings mesh with our primary calling to serve God and others. It also conveys the idea that there is a dignity to all work. I haven't read enough to know all the meanings; I'm sure there are more.
In December 2012, my pastor Tim Keller was on MSNBC's Morning Joe to publicize his new book "Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Work". You can see the clip below:
Quotation: "When you make your work your identity, which of course is what we are invited to do in our culture now…you identify with your work, and that means if you are successful it destroys you because it goes to your head. If you are not successful it destroys you because it goes to your heart, and it destroys your self-worth; and what you need with faith is that it gives you an identity that is not in work or accomplishment, and that gives you insulation against the weather changes. So if you are successful you stay humble; if you are not successful you have some ballast…making your work your identity — kind of an idol, to use biblical terminology — is maybe the big sin of New York City."
I never thought of myself struggling with the idolatry of work, mainly because I cared so little about work. In my mind, idolizing your work looked like the guy who works long hours, is constantly away on business, and is constantly thinking about ways to climb the corporate ladder at the expense of his family, his church, and his friends. That isn't me. When I was working in banking, I was never really proud of it. Quite frankly, I felt sort of sheepish. It was something I was a bit apologetic about. "Yeah, I'm the scum of the earth who works in banking and makes tons of money. Sorry. I'm still a genuine Christian, really. Sorry." (Sidebar: I don't really think banking is inherently anti-thetical to a good Christian life. I'm just trying to convey a sentiment.)
But, anyway, a more robust and nuanced understanding of work idolatry is tying your self-worth and identity to work. And in this way, I realized that I probably struggle with it just as much as everyone else. I noticed this, not when I had a job, but when I didn't have one. In the months I was unemployed, there were a few genuine moments where I felt sad and depressed, probably I think, because I felt a lack of self-worth at not having a job. I put it on myself. Paranoid, I perceived to feel it from others.
As people, created in the image of God, we were built to work - to use our unique God-given gifts and talents for his glory and in service to others. And, as Eric Liddell said, to feel God's pleasure. I definitely hope to experience more of this in my new job. To produce excellent work. To manage with a servant-like concern and attitude. To learn with deep curiosity. And to feel God's pleasure.
There is a true dignity to work that is separate from idolatry. I hopefully came out of this process with a better understanding of that. I definitely have a greater appreciation for how easily the unemployed can feel depressed, bitter, resentful, useless, discouraged, etc. Work can be an idol, whether we have have a job or not. Work can be an idol, whether we're working too much, or too little, or even just an average amount of hours. Work can be an idol, whether we use it to think highly of ourselves, or feel depressed about our current station. May God be our God, and work be our servant, to God's glory.
In December 2012, my pastor Tim Keller was on MSNBC's Morning Joe to publicize his new book "Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Work". You can see the clip below:
I never thought of myself struggling with the idolatry of work, mainly because I cared so little about work. In my mind, idolizing your work looked like the guy who works long hours, is constantly away on business, and is constantly thinking about ways to climb the corporate ladder at the expense of his family, his church, and his friends. That isn't me. When I was working in banking, I was never really proud of it. Quite frankly, I felt sort of sheepish. It was something I was a bit apologetic about. "Yeah, I'm the scum of the earth who works in banking and makes tons of money. Sorry. I'm still a genuine Christian, really. Sorry." (Sidebar: I don't really think banking is inherently anti-thetical to a good Christian life. I'm just trying to convey a sentiment.)
But, anyway, a more robust and nuanced understanding of work idolatry is tying your self-worth and identity to work. And in this way, I realized that I probably struggle with it just as much as everyone else. I noticed this, not when I had a job, but when I didn't have one. In the months I was unemployed, there were a few genuine moments where I felt sad and depressed, probably I think, because I felt a lack of self-worth at not having a job. I put it on myself. Paranoid, I perceived to feel it from others.
As people, created in the image of God, we were built to work - to use our unique God-given gifts and talents for his glory and in service to others. And, as Eric Liddell said, to feel God's pleasure. I definitely hope to experience more of this in my new job. To produce excellent work. To manage with a servant-like concern and attitude. To learn with deep curiosity. And to feel God's pleasure.
There is a true dignity to work that is separate from idolatry. I hopefully came out of this process with a better understanding of that. I definitely have a greater appreciation for how easily the unemployed can feel depressed, bitter, resentful, useless, discouraged, etc. Work can be an idol, whether we have have a job or not. Work can be an idol, whether we're working too much, or too little, or even just an average amount of hours. Work can be an idol, whether we use it to think highly of ourselves, or feel depressed about our current station. May God be our God, and work be our servant, to God's glory.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
FT Job Offer Received and Accepted
It's been almost six months since I last updated this blog. Just wanted to bring some sort of closure to the "job search" aspect of this blog and provide an update to my readers. Since September 2012, I'd been working as a temporary employee at a sports entertainment company. The contract was for a fixed time until roughly early February 2013. Around mid-December with the end of my contract looming, I started formally looking around for full-time positions both inside and outside the company. I went through the interview process for a few openings and was recently offered a permanent full-time manager position at the company I temped at, but with a different group. I accepted the offer and will begin working in early March. Again, I chose not to blog about the specific aspects of the job search as I was going through it but hope to discuss it in a little more detail later when it's more appropriate.
I'm very excited to have a full-time permanent job; I'll be getting paid a reasonable entry-level MBA salary. I'm also pretty excited about this specific position because it is at the intersection of corporate finance, digital media, and sports entertainment. It ties into my background and education (finance), but also addresses my affinity (sports) as well as learning about a new area (digital media). It is really a great position, so I feel very thankful to start it.
It's been a little over a year since I quit my banking job and last had a non-contract job. It's amazing to see and personally experience how things worked out. Over the next few days/weeks, I want to try to force myself to write a few more blog entries on some lessons learned or other reflections from over the past year. I think this will help me process everything I went through. Mainly, I hope it'll be a benefit to me so that I can look back and remember, but also, I hope it can serve to benefit others who may stumble onto this site and read it from start to finish. I feel like this blog would be incomplete unless I put some kind of closure to it, since it was always meant to be temporary and chronicle just a set time period of my life.
A few specific topics I'd like to reflect on in the coming days are: providential timing, importance of reputation, the power of hope, taking risks, dignity of work, work/life balance, etc. Looking forward to going through the debrief together.
I'm very excited to have a full-time permanent job; I'll be getting paid a reasonable entry-level MBA salary. I'm also pretty excited about this specific position because it is at the intersection of corporate finance, digital media, and sports entertainment. It ties into my background and education (finance), but also addresses my affinity (sports) as well as learning about a new area (digital media). It is really a great position, so I feel very thankful to start it.
It's been a little over a year since I quit my banking job and last had a non-contract job. It's amazing to see and personally experience how things worked out. Over the next few days/weeks, I want to try to force myself to write a few more blog entries on some lessons learned or other reflections from over the past year. I think this will help me process everything I went through. Mainly, I hope it'll be a benefit to me so that I can look back and remember, but also, I hope it can serve to benefit others who may stumble onto this site and read it from start to finish. I feel like this blog would be incomplete unless I put some kind of closure to it, since it was always meant to be temporary and chronicle just a set time period of my life.
A few specific topics I'd like to reflect on in the coming days are: providential timing, importance of reputation, the power of hope, taking risks, dignity of work, work/life balance, etc. Looking forward to going through the debrief together.
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