Journey In Unemployment Land | 28
Post 28: 5/18/2025
2025-05-18 17:26:38
šļø11 months, one week into my #JourneyInUnemploymentLand. Letās talk about wages.
āļøāš„I forget where I read this, but an article claimed that with each additional $10k you are seeking in salary, you could be extending your job hunt by at least a month. When I initially read this, I thought hmm, thatās strange. Why would getting more money take longer?. What I didnāt realize then (and what I know now) is that people often apply for jobs just for the money. They donāt actually have the qualifications.
š» I had an interview late last year. The salary started at $100k. It took the hiring manager three months to contact me. Exhausted, the woman explained to me that I was one of maybe 30 people who were actually qualified for the job. 30/400. Let that sink in.
š³ Iām not insinuating that people shouldnāt seek higher wages. Heck, I just told you I interviewed for a six-figure role (and it wasnāt my first interview for a six figure job either). What I am getting at is that thereās something inherently broken about how salary is communicated to job seekers. Salary, for most people, is a way to fund a lifestyle and EVERYONE wants the six figure lifestyle.
š¹ The truth is that, on average, a four person household needs over $110k to sustain itself in the United States. So, yes, Iām competing with the majority of Americans to get a six figure job as a marketer and creative writer. (In case you donāt believe me, hereās a report that came out this week that states 60% of Americans canāt afford to live here: https://lnkd.in/ekp9WfNQ)
š§ At my core, Iām a student. I love history and mathematics. I adore facts. And the factsāas Iāve studied the job market and been lacking full time employment for so longāis that we are in a historic crisis where wages donāt match our contribution to this economy; employers cannot or refuse to match the cost of labor; our government twiddles its thumbs to provide socioeconomic safety nets for its citizens; and the average American family are forced to climb over each other to beg for a salary that they can thrive on. (Donāt believe me? Hereās some longitudinal data about wages vs productivity: https://lnkd.in/e8f_yzsy)
š§šæāāļøColleagues, Iām just one woman. A qualified, capable woman seeking to provide for my tiny familyājust like everyone else. Sure, I could listen to the not-unkind advice of people telling me to accept a lower salary just to have something, but thatās assuming that there arenāt millions doing the exact same thing.
ā®ļø I accepted that what Iām experiencing is something I cannot change. This is a historic moment of inequality and social change that I must bear witness to. My season of famine will come to an endāthis is true. However, we need to talk about this or nothing will change.