Agaba
I Was Raised For a World That No Longer Exists
As a child, the world that I was raised to face when grown, the one I was promised, prepared, and educated to face no longer exists. In fact, I now wonder if it ever did.
Growing up, I constantly received messages along these lines from parents, teachers, and other authority figures. It became ingrained in me:
- Study hard.
- Focus on academics.
- Choose the “right” subjects.
- Score the highest marks.
The promise implied and stated was this: after school and formal education, I would get a good job, earn good money, and that life would be smooth sailing complete with sunsets, mojitos, and a clear badge of success.
What a lie that has turned out to be.
The Harsh Reality of Modern Work
Take job hunting, for example. Landing a job today feels like playing a slot machine except here, the highest chance of success lies with a master’s degree and five years of experience for an entry level job, and for you to somehow still be under 26.
The application processes have become a tedious journey filled with irrelevant requirements, one goes through multiple aptitude tests, and interviews. After all that, there’s a probation period in which at some companies, the employee is placed on an at-will contract that stretches for more than two years, during which time they are earning less salary and benefits compared to those of permanent employees doing the exact same work. Here, the corporations hold all the power, and the job seekers are left to accept whatever is offered.
And then, the nature and design of modern office jobs
Most office jobs are standardized products that are designed less for creativity and more for compliance. They just require a human to sit in the chair to keep the corporate wheels going. You’re expected to follow the preset instructions, and not to go off script. Your education, aspirations, and individual personality doesn’t matter. In fact, differences are often punished and this is done under the disguise of company culture slogans like “we’re one team, one family.”
The reality is 80% of the time is spent doing redundant, routine and mundane tasks, while being confined to a desk and screen.
When You Don’t Fit the Mold
For someone like me that’s introverted, highly curious, and neurodivergent—this world is especially hard to adjust to and fit in. Maybe I’m the problem or maybe I just overthink it, I often wonder. But I just can’t shake off the disillusionment.
I followed the advice. I did the work. I got the books, the grades, and the courses. But these results just haven’t materialized where I need them most: in real life.
Worse still, is I was never trained the skills that actually matter and are more correlated to success and a richer balanced life:
- Building and maintaining relationships.
- Networking.
- Self-promotion and marketing my work.
- Self-care and personal management.
- Speaking up.
Now, I find myself having to learn these lessons on my own, with no roadmap.
Where Do I Go From Here?
Hey, maybe you’ve felt this way too. Maybe you’ve also been raised and prepared for a world that now doesn’t exist, and you have had to figure it all out again.
So here’s my question: where and how do I begin again?
I’d really love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Thanks for reading.
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