By Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter
EP 3130 Don’t wait for companies to manage your career for you – they won’t. This episode breaks down the hard-won lessons of the Baby Boomer generation and shows you how to move from being a “loyal employee” to being the CEO of your own career.
Episode timestamp
-
00:00 – Introduction: Hard-won career wisdom from baby boomers.
-
00:18 – Meet Jeff Altman: “Big Game Hunter” and the source of these career classes.
-
00:46 – Lesson One: The Safety Myth – Compare the “baby boomer promise” of loyalty with the modern reality of self-reliance.
-
01:57 – Lesson 2: Occupational Hazard Signs – Real-life stories of “lazy loyalty” and ignoring signs of stagnation.
-
03:29 – Lesson 3: Are you the CEO of your career? – Take back control and manage your career growth like a business.
-
04:32 – Stretch Yourself: The Importance of Striving for Excellence, Not Perfection.
-
04:52 – Lesson 4: Become Invisible – Become a “danger zone” for interchangeable gears in company machinery.
-
05:32 – The power of the Internet: Why 70-85% of jobs are found through connections.
-
06:13 – Lesson 5: Adapt or fall behind – Stay relevant in a rapidly evolving workplace.
-
07:04 – Conclusion: Final self-assessment – can you sell yourself?
Strategic interview questions to ask
This is no nonsense job search advice broadcast. Today, we’re going to dive into some really powerful, hard-won wisdom from the Baby Boomers. Look, these aren’t just stories, they’re cautionary tales about career mistakes that had some pretty serious consequences.
The target is here? So you don’t have to learn these lessons the hard way. So where does this all come from? Well, our source is Jeff Altman. You may know him as a big game hunter.
He saw these career-destroying mistakes happen not only to his friends, but to himself as well. This really gets to the heart of the matter, doesn’t it? It’s not just about getting older, it’s about getting wiser. What he calls a crushing blow comes from a fundamental misunderstanding of how workplaces actually work, and it all starts with the promise of job security.
So let’s start with this fundamental belief that has shaped how an entire generation views their careers, and how that belief has completely collapsed. You know, the crazy thing about this slide is how different these two worlds are. Baby boomers were basically sold on a promise, be loyal to your company and your company will be loyal back.
You climb the ladder, step by step, all the way to a secure retirement. But what about today’s reality? This is a completely different game. It’s all about relying on yourself, building a skill set that you can take anywhere, and constantly transitioning.
Career ladder? Yes, it has been replaced by a climbing frame. Most difficult of all, events like the Great Recession proved in a very painful way that job security was an illusion. Ultimately, companies must protect their own interests first.
What’s the real irony? You know, playing it safe, keeping your head down, and doing the same thing over and over again becomes the riskiest move you can make. Why? Because of things like corporate efficiency like Lean and Six Sigma. They are designed to make processes repeatable, which in turn makes the employees running those processes repeatable and disposable.
Therefore, believing this myth of job security causes many people to miss the warning signs. Let’s look at some stories of red flags that were ignored until it was too late. So meet Jerry, a highly capable man who suddenly found himself reporting to Generation Xers. Now, management gave him all the classic assurances, right? Oh, you’re too capable for what you have, or we have something big planned for you in the next budget.
But the real message is very clear. His path to advancement in that company had disappeared. Then there’s Juanita.
Strategic interview questions to ask
She is the perfect example of what is called “lazy loyalty.” For years, she ignored calls from recruiters, thinking her dedication would pay off. But instead, she just became reliable while her colleagues got all the cool, high-profile projects.
When layoffs come, that loyalty means nothing. She was eliminated in the second round. Now, this one is a little subtle.
Sunil’s boss always tells him how well he does his job. But those compliments were just placebo. They were designed to make him feel good while his career was essentially going nowhere.
It cost his manager nothing to say those kind words. But Sunil paid the price, not realizing that his chances didn’t match the praise. The key takeaway here is to observe what they do, not just what they say.
So, are any of these stories a little too realistic? These are not just random examples. They are patterns. Recognizing them is the first step.
Next? It’s taking back control. This brings us to perhaps the most important mindset shift. You can’t wait for a company to manage your career for you.
You have to step up and own it. I mean, what a powerful way to think about it, right? As CEO, you are responsible for the strategy, finances and long-term health of the company. What about your family? They are your board of directors, the people to whom you are ultimately accountable.
It completely changes your relationship with work. Okay, so how do you behave like a CEO? First, you stop handing over the keys. Don’t just accept whatever the company gives you.
Second, you have to make a really honest assessment of your weaknesses. What skills are you missing? What experience do you need? Then, you must proactively drive projects to close these gaps. Ultimately, you have to be your own biggest advocate.
Because simply being a quiet team player can easily be seen as giving them permission to ignore you. Yes, being a CEO means you have to push the envelope. The source material uses the great analogy of yoga.
Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Your Work
You know, small stretches can go a long way toward improving your flexibility over time. Same here. You will never be perfect, but you can always strive for excellence.
Hey, if you’re not making any mistakes, it probably just means you’re not trying anything new. You’re not stretching. Well, another huge mistake is letting yourself fade into the background.
People work really hard, but in the process, they are ignored. Let’s take a deeper look at how this passive approach can completely kill a career. This sentence says it all, doesn’t it? It’s that easy to become a reliable, vital part of the machine.
But the problem with being a big part of it is that you can quickly be taken for granted. You become a cog. This solves the danger perfectly.
The gears certainly work, but they are interchangeable. They have no say. They don’t have a brand.
Eventually, they will wear out and be replaced with new ones. Your goal cannot be just to be a cog in the machine. There’s another huge side effect of becoming invisible.
Your network is dormant. and get this number. 70% to 85% of people find their next job through connections.
So if you let all those connections get rusty, you’re missing out on the most effective way to find your next opportunity. But here’s the good news. It doesn’t take much to keep your network functioning properly.
You just need to develop what the authors call the stay-in-connection gene. This is not a big request or a big favor. This is a short text sharing an article you think they will like.
However, the real key is to connect when you don’t need something. That way, when you finally do, the relationship is already warm. This brings us to the final lesson, and perhaps the most urgent.
The world doesn’t stand still, and neither does your career. I mean, think about it. The way we worked was completely different 10 years ago.
The pace of change is accelerating. A very common mistake is to be skeptical of new things and prefer the old standard way of doing things. You cannot afford this mentality today.
So the big question here is, are you preparing now for a future you can’t quite imagine yet? You know, the easiest way to fall behind is to stick to a rut. Sources call it a commute, work, eating trap. Every day is the same.
You won’t make new friends. You learned nothing new. That’s not a career.
This is just a holding pattern. Breaking this cycle is absolutely critical to your long-term growth. So we’ll end with this question.
It really ties together everything we talk about. If you take a really honest look at your skills, your network, your adaptability, how proactive you are, have you earned that? If the answer is no, now you know what you need to do. Answering this question for yourself is the first step.
But if you’re looking to get into your next job, there’s more to help you at jobsearch.community. We’re talking video courses, books, guides, coaching, and even resume and LinkedIn profile reviews, and interview preparation services. Thank you for listening to No Bullshit Job Advice Radio.
When follow-up backfires
About Big Game Hunter Jeff Altman
People hire big game hunter Jeff Altman to provide no-BS career advice around the world because he’s done so much in people’s careers Easier. These matters may involve job hunting, Recruit more effectively, manage and lead better, career transition, and advice on solving workplace problems.
He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 job search podcast on iTunes with over 3,100 episodes.
LinkedIn’s #opentowork post
You’ll find important information to help you with your job search on my new website, JobSearch.Community In addition to video courses, books, and guides, I answer members’ questions about their job search every day. Leave your job search questions and I will respond every day. Becoming an Insider+ member gives you everything you get as an Insider+ member, plus you can connect with me via Zoom call to get your questions answered. Become an Insider Premium member and we offer individual and group coaching.
Is your job search routine or consistent?
Also, please subscribe to JobSearchTV.com on YouTube and No BS Job Advice Radiothe #1 job search podcast with over 2,700 episodes in over 12 years. On Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Amazon Music, and almost anywhere you listen or watch podcasts.
You can also get your #jobsearchquestions answered on Tuesday at noon ET. Search for career coaching office hours on LinkedIn and mark that you are attending. If you miss the live broadcast, you can access the recording.
Don’t act desperate!
Schedule a discovery call on my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us Talk to me about one-on-one or group coaching
LinkedIn:
Resume and LinkedIn profile reviewswww.TheBigGameHunter.us/critiques
Mastering your executive brand: A guide for C Suite professionals
We allow this and other articles to be used on your site as long as they include a backlink www.TheBigGameHunter.us and states that it is provided by Jeff Altman of The Big Game Hunter as the author or creator. Does not acknowledge his work or provide backlinks www.TheBigGameHunter.us Subjects you to a $1,000 fine, which you voluntarily agree to pay.
