December will make three years since I finished undergrad and set out into the real world. I’d been working a corporate job since I was 17 so I was familiar with the culture but it wasn’t until I started at my current company that I really began to unravel the civics of it all. Up until recently, I was always thrilled with the idea of climbing a corporate ladder. When I was younger, I rarely played house. I played career; I was a teacher, a lawyer, a boss with a clipboard calling shots. I envisioned myself in a corner office in a perfectly tailored pantsuit before the age of 10. There was something particularly satisfying about maneuvering corporate politics and to see that my strategy has worked for me thus far has been incredibly rewarding. However, careers don’t play fair.
The idea we create for our careers generally goes a little something like this… Find a job with a “good” company, stay there for a few years, work really hard and you’ll be rewarded, move up then move on. Contrary to popular belief, working a corporate job isn’t anything like playing checkers. It’s much more similar to a game of Tetris, where you have to adjust quickly and fit into the right place at the right time in order to win.
I love entrepreneurship and if you haven’t already noticed, I strongly encourage it. There’s so much freedom that comes with the responsibility of being your own boss but I will attest to saying that it’s not meant for everyone. People take on careers for a lot of reasons. Whether it be because that’s their passion, that’s what they’ve been taught to do or because they haven’t taken the time out to tap into what they’d really like to do, the right 9 to 5 can be very satisfying. It wasn’t until a recent conversation with a colleague who insisted that I was taking the “easy way out” by working a corporate job that I realized the concept may be misunderstood. Entrepreneurship is put on a pedestal because of it’s difficulty, and I understand why but I don’t necessarily agree.
Unless you’re someone who clocks in daily solely to collect a paycheck, a corporate career is very difficult; especially for women of color. Besides it taking up 40 hours of your week away from your passions and loved ones, it can be stifling. Not all jobs guarantee growth. They don’t guarantee pay increases, or even a paid maternity leave. I’ve witnessed first hand the inequality that comes with holding a corporate position. But just as it delighted me as a child, my mentality has always been to conquer it. To be able to maneuver a white male dominated industry, while having to work directly with a team of 10 other women is something I pride myself on. Do you know how easily things can go left under those circumstances? You have to know when to hold your tongue and when to speak up; when to kill them with kindness and when to let them know not to try you; when to throw punches and when to roll with them.
You will never earn more than the amount of money that a company makes off of the work you do. Read that again. Slowly. That in itself is enough to make anyone dissatisfied with complacency want to work for themselves. Knowing that and still making the decision to be an asset to a company that’s not yours is a difficult decision to make. If at any point I decide to become a full-time entrepreneur, corporate America is teaching me invaluable lessons and the transferable skills I’ll need to succeed later, right now at a young age. There are several perks and rewards, but I also do a lot of things I don’t want to do. I huff and puff, then do what needs to be done. Things happen that aren’t fair and I don’t complain. I just do the work. I go above and beyond for myself more than I do for a company. The people that matter in my office, notice and care and in the short and long run, it will all pay off; if not financially, mentally.
So to the entrepreneur snob who frowns upon us 9-5’ers, get over yourself. We work really hard. And the best part? We get to make the same mistakes as you on someone else’s dime.
Love this!!! As the meme says “you can still be popping with a 9-5” …..it’s very difficult but I grew up in my profession dealing with all kinds of stuff I would’ve easily fought over in the streets. Maturity ….and mistakes that’s what I’ve learned in corporate America.
I’m telling you, you have to adjust your thinking in order to win in this field. If you can conquer that, you’ll be good to go. I’m glad you enjoyed it Brooke!
You make a stement of fact that is seldom heard and that is an employee has to perform their work in a manner that is profitable for their employer. In order for an employee to consistently be successful, it is much better to have a job that you enjoy. Having the entrepreneurial gift is a blessing and should be nurtured. It can also be a curse if you are a visionary because not many people will share your vision if it takes a path that is unique. In order to have a goal you must first have a dream and that dream belongs to you. It is only limited by your imagination and vision and I believe that by thinking outside the box you will be more successful and your success will be more rewarding.
The corporate culture can br very unfair and full of discrimination. The important thing is to know who you are and to never lose site of your goals. You don’t need to win every battle but you do need to win the war.
YES! You don’t need to win every battle, but you do need to win the war. I love that! That’s exactly what I’m working on now. Thank you for reading Baylis! 🙂
This was a word, whew! Excellent post!
Thank you for reading! I’m glad you enjoyed it! xx
Lawd, I loved this post! I find the hardest thing about a 9-5 is fitting in with the culture. As an individual who is strong-willed and expects strong leadership, it is so hard to flourish under laid back leadership styles. But if you’re always uptight, no one wants to work with you. In a nutshell, people don’t realize its all about conformity; it’s not about what you say/do but HOW you say/ do it… It’s arguably harder for minorities to fit in with the culture of corporate America… Just saying…
Luckily, the culture at my company is AMAZING but it’s still a corporate company nonetheless. Business and business and if you’re not tactical about what you’re doing it will get the best of you. I’m learning what works to my advantage as a minority and using it for my good. Thank you for reading Jessica!
Girl it is seriously as if you you’re reading my mind!!! I’ve been CONSTANTLY thinking about this and the comparison between 9-5ers vs entrepreneurs. I think both are amazing, but I agree completely with all the points you made. It takes some experience and hard work (and looking at invoices) to truly see that you’ll NEVER make as much as the work you’re doing for a company or the business you’re bringing in. It’s a mental struggle I’ve been finding myself in for the past year and a half. But like you said, we get to make mistakes and carry out fun projects on someone else’s dime. …A lot of dimes.
THANK YOU for always finding a way to put these topics into perspective and verbalizing them perfectly. We seem to be on the same wavelength!
Yup! I’d definitely suggest working for a company a few years before jumping into entrepreneurship. If you soak up what you learn, you will be so much better off. Some days it’s difficult and some days I’m thankful someone else pays me lol thank you for reading Cori!
OMG!! I swear I feel like you read my mind every time I read your posts! (I’m so glad I found you!!). It was difficult for me to find a job in Economics after I graduated but I finally found a job in corporate America a year ago and the 9-5 thing just is not for me! I too, always envisioned myself wearing the tailored suits, driving the luxury car, making the big bucks and attending meetings but I’ve realized that won’t happen unless I go into business for myself. Even though I’m working towards being an entrepreneur, the 9-5 grind is killing me! lol I hate routine so I am very excited to branch out on my own, create my own schedule and my own rules.
That’s the ultimate reward! Just make sure you’re making every day at your 9-5 a learning experience so that you take all that knowledge with you into your entrepreneurial journey. Sooner than later 😉
The 9-5 life style is harder than those who aren’t in it think, especially for African Americans. We start out at a disadvantage and have to come in trying to prove ourselves and aren’t allowed too many slip ups. Working a 9-5 can shape a persons characters in more ways than one and it’s always a great tool for if you would like to be an entrepreneur because will learn or be taught valuable life long lessons!! Trust me when I say I have.
We’re definitely at a disadvantage from the get-go, even being offered less money than men in the same positions. But we can find the loop holes and work our way around it. Thank you for reading Shaney! xx
Hey Courtney! – hit the nail on the head with this one. Corporate America can be draining and it is definitely a challenge being a woman and a minority. I have fought for a seat at the table that is easily given to the next man. Not male bashing, but I have definitely been witness to the imbalance. My biggest challenge present day is dealing with women in the department. Some seem to create this negative working culture being that their feelings are this is “every (wo)man for themselves”. Fighting off office politics from executive leadership and catty women can drive anyone to the nearest happy hour. LOL. I feel I have mastered the art of being “nice nasty” in the workplace. Professional but direct in my approach so people know that I mean business. However, my inner Third Ward really wants to come out at least once a week. 🙂
Great post!
-avid reader
Cassidy!
Man, you said a word there. We’ve had to fight for seats at this table! We work twice as hard, and have to “play nice”. I work in a large group of women and while I hardly ever take anything too personally, so many of them are ALWAYS hurt about something. I’m like man, just do the work and hush! But one time for Third Ward though! Hahaha thanks for reading Cass <3
Very well said! Just outright darn true. I’m using my 9-5 to mold and shape me for when I become an entrepreneur….my eye is on the prize. It’s not easy doing the 9-5 but it’s also not easy being a timid, immature and inexperienced entrepreneur. Great posts as usual keep them coming Courtney!
Thank you so much Tanand! I’m sure you’re well on your way to having exactly what you’ll need when it’s time to take off. Keep going! xx