Episode 78: Davidson Hang Reflections:A chapter from a new book we are publishing around How to have fun in a serious world

Career Hopper

Being labeled as a career hopper certainly has messed with my confidence. I have been told by leaders that no one will ever hire a career hopper because they simply aren’t committed. I remember being told that and feeling so hopeless. I now have the perspective that I gave it my all and contributed so much to every organization I have been a part of. I even had a company I worked for that went out of business and saw that I get to be with the consequences of my decisions. 

I also realized that it's okay to be want to explore and try so many different things. I no longer have any regret for the 30+ different jobs I’ve worked at over the course of my lifetime. From waiting tables and understanding the value of a dollar. I was able to meet so many interesting people and I fall in love with humanity every single time. I’m fortunate to have a job that pays extremely well and I get to travel the world. It wasn’t always rainbows and butterflies. I’ve been told be careful hiring him he is definitely someone who might not stay here a long time. Luckily because I have been so fortunate to work for so many companies I know what perfection looks like in terms of employee experience and company culture. I have been able to find the purple squirrel the company that I have been looking for my whole life. Many people give up the pursuit of perfection in many areas some of us are still seeking that in their partner. CoachHub gives me the autonomy and ability to coach and be able to have impact in the world. Finding your northstar can be challenging with all of the noise and responsibility that comes with living in Western Society. There is a pressure to fit in to make money, buy nice things, live in a pretty house, and drive cool cars. It’s hard to believe that I have that life now where I get to impact so many people every day. If I’m truly present I can pinch myself every day because I get to wake up to a beautiful wife, live in what I perceive to be a mansion in a new construction home where I never even thought was possible at my age. 

 

I remember feeling so hopeless and that I was so behind when I was making $26k a year graduated with a Bachelors and when I interviewed at 100+ different jobs. Going through what I call a quarter-life crisis. In my 20s, I feel like I was not a good salesperson. I was always good at meeting people and making friends and in my career, I was never too motivated. I dated someone once who asked me what I wanted to make in my 30s,40s,50s I remember thinking that $100k was a pretty decent salary. I feel extremely blessed to have had so many opportunities where people took a chance on me despite having not the most stable backgrounds and job history. Giving myself a lot more credit than I did in the past, I can honestly say that I poured my heart and soul into all of my jobs. I always give effort and I wore my heart on my sleeve. 

 

Being an ENFP, I also realize that when choosing a career/job make sure it’s social and does not require doing the same task over and over again. I get to go to cool conferences where I learn something new every time. I get to travel and experience different cultures, airports and meet genuinely good people who are trying to make a difference in their company through training and development. If you were to tell me 10 years ago that I will be working with Learning and Development professionals every day I would have told you that you are crazy. I honestly didn’t have much confidence in myself. There was no proven track record of anything other than being extremely social and being a part of many different groups, organizations.