Betting on You summary

How do you introduce yourself to new people when you’re at a party? If you’re like most people, you’ll probably say your name and then tell them where you work. That’s called a career identity statement. While it might be useful for people to know what your job is, these kinds of introductions are also very limiting.

The truth is, we’re so much more than our work. We’re friends and lovers and parents. We love obscure sci-fi books and exotic ice creams. We volunteer at animal shelters and harbor dreams of doing the tango. In short – we’re nuanced. And our lives have a value and purpose that has nothing to do with what we do for a living.

In 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger launched in the US. Excited people gathered around their TV sets to watch this historic moment. But shortly after takeoff, the rocket exploded. Seven astronauts died that day.

It was a tragedy that could have been avoided. An investigation revealed that one of the engineers working on the launch had warned his superiors about serious problems with the rocket. But nobody took any notice. NASA was so invested in getting the rocket to launch on time, that management brushed his concerns aside.

We all know what it’s like to live paycheck to paycheck, marveling at how our bank accounts empty so fast after paying the mortgage, insurance, and all the other monthly costs. It’s no accident that so many of us are short on cash, in spite of working so hard. Corporations have a pay structure that rewards the very top of the organization with lavish payouts while paying most workers as little as possible.

In fact, since the 1970s, pay for top executives has risen by 940 percent! And this happened while the salaries of the lowest-paid workers have stagnated or even decreased. We can get furious about these fat-cat executives, but we can also learn a thing or two from them.

Imagine having a job with so little to do that you can wander around museums all day. That’s what happened to the author when she had a cushy gig in Chicago. There was so little actual work to do that she showed up after 10:00 a.m., and then left for long lunches and walks around the city.

That might sound like your dream job, but in reality, it wasn’t much fun. Everyone likes to feel a sense of purpose and connection. And with nothing to do, she started to feel bored and aimless. She was also lonely – there was no one to talk to. And she felt guilty that she was wasting so much time.

If you didn’t inherit a goldmine, then chances are you’ve had to look for a job at some stage in your life. Most of us have engaged in multiple job hunts, looking for a better cultural fit, or more money, or just to escape an office bully.

Job hunting is never easy, and it can take its toll on even the most resilient of us. Multiple rejections and uncertainty activate all your insecurities and can make you miserable. Unfortunately, your prospective employers will definitely pick up on that sense of desperation. So, the first thing to do in any job hunt is to prioritize your well-being and work on a positive mindset.

You’ve heard of the proverbial last straw to break the camel’s back. Something seemingly small can happen at work and suddenly you know that it’s time to leave. For one of the author’s clients, that moment came when his company took away his office and made him work from a noisy cubicle in an open setting instead.

For you, it could be that you’re fed up with being passed over again for promotion. Or simply that your commute is too long. Whatever your reason, sometimes the best thing to do is quit. But, like anything you do in your career, you need to do it strategically.

The day the author saw one of her bosses having sex with his secretary is the day she became cynical about the world of HR. Her boss had forgotten to draw the curtains and so, the whole company got to see him and his secretary entangled in a passionate embrace.

She asked her manager what the HR department would do about the situation. But her manager just shrugged and said the department wouldn’t be getting involved because it was “above their pay grade.” So HR did nothing. And not long afterward, the secretary lost her job in a convenient restructuring. Doing nothing meant that the HR department had failed to protect a vulnerable employee from bearing the consequences of the affair.