Yesterday I realized I hadn't updated my professional references in a while. Despite not actively looking for work, I updated them just in case. This got me thinking about the many broken promises higher education gave me about employment. My professors operated under the notion that a degree could get you any entry level job. Those positions dried up in the recession. Companies want to put in as little effort as possible to train new employees. By not caring about the people who carry out their operations, they've made people like me cynical about corporate management.
I went into interviews believing companies cared about helping me develop when I helped them meet their goals. Instead, they only planned to use me until I became irrelevant. While profitability & standards are important, screwing people over to meet them doesn't incur long-term loyalty. Despite having a functional environment, I'm wary about the future.
Recently I started watching videos about people who expatriated to find work and escape student debt. One of the big lessons I learned from living in Colorado was that I can't simply work any job. My disability closed more doors than I can imagine. I'm like the workforce equivalent of an endangered rainforest animal that can't survive in another ecosystem. I don't have debt, but working abroad might cause problems related to my neurological condition to emerge. Uncertainty is the new name of the game going forward.
- Andy Out
