I get it. Many places likely won’t bother checking your references. However, some will, and can you afford to miss an opportunity because you didn’t consider who you were listing as a reference, or weren’t sure what they would say about you?
When you’re looking at student loan debt and an uncertain job market, while being asked to learn new skills, it’s understandable to question what all that college was for in the first place. I’m not saying there’s no value in a college education. Still, the cost-benefit analysis is changing for many people right now, because learning and upskilling won’t stop when school is over. They keep going, and it’s only going to keep happening faster.
The fact is that most of our organizations fail to communicate change and explain their expectations for employees, especially when they are remote. We don’t prioritize this, and then we wonder why people aren’t meeting the uncommunicated expectations and report being disengaged at work.
I think the answers are apparent.
There are none so blind as those who will not see.
I may have mentioned that my favorite career advice is taking responsibility for your upskilling. It’s excellent if your manager and the organization you work for support training and development, but even if they don’t, you do it independently.
It’s your career, not theirs.
The link below makes a similar point about celebrating your achievements.
Your boss might not recognize them, but that’s no reason not to celebrate them yourself.
I’m unsure how many tech jobs will be displaced by AI. Part of me doubts that GenAI tools are capable of doing all the work, but I also know that CEOs don’t necessarily care as long as it’s good enough and cheaper than hiring human beings. (Which it might be right now.)
The important thing, however, is that the skills Irina recommends are the same skills we need to develop to deal with change, and our industry is constantly changing.
For many managers, you may be in luck because all of that uncertainty makes your employees want to stick with something stable. Assuming, of course, that the situation in your workplace is stable.
If it’s not, and you’re adding to their uncertainty? Look out.