God, it’s brutal out here.
Olivia Rodrigo’s words have never reigned so true.
What has working in the industry for nearly two years taught me?
It’s taught me that no matter your skill level, your knowledge, your experience…
You’re more than likely to get fucked over.
And it’s not just in one way, it’s in a few.
Take, age for example.
We’re seen as less employable, simply because of our age. I’ve heard time and time again of people not getting the job because they wanted someone a little older for the job, even though they were fully qualified and aced their interviews.
Then pay.
You enter a world of people trying to underpay, to maximise your knowledge, your potential, and your expertise to better fit their budgets.
And of course, respect is hard to come by.
Because of course, in the case of social media marketing, “anyone can do it”, and “it’s not that hard”.
And to that, we say, go for it.
Do you.
Wish you all the best.
I’ll never understand why we insist on tearing each other down in positions and roles, diminishing other segments of industries. I’ll never understand that internal need that some people have to want to ruin another.
We’re all here, we’re all working away trying to pay the bills while inflation rises, and capitalism gnaws at our heels.
So okay, great, you read through all that angst, now what?
What’s the lesson?
Simply put, know your worth.
That means asking for that raise.
That means setting your professional boundaries.
Putting people in check when they speak to you disrespectfully.
Holding people accountable.
It means not subsiding your needs, your values, and your wants for the sake of “convenience”.
Obviously, this is not industry-specific advice, as I can’t speak to other industries, I can only speak to what I know and what I’ve seen within my own.
But it’s important to remind ourselves to not only just know, but honour our worth.
Because respect starts with yourself.
Whether it’s professional or personal.
Take a moment to reflect on your life, consider areas in which you feel your worth is minimized, then create your plan for change.
And then let us know one way you are going to honour your worth moving forward.
