When I look back on my “career arc,” I never could’ve predicted where it would take me.
I accepted my first job in 2003 because it was the only offer I had. It was to work for a defense contractor for a pretty good salary. The job was fine, not particularly inspiring, and what appealed the most was the fact that they hired a hundred-plus new graduates each year and a “leadership development program.” It turned out to be a great decision.
Looking back, a few of my friends still work at the company and have risen the ranks to become leaders in the company. It’s pretty awesome to see.
What’s less awesome to see is that they have a ton of travel, often being away from home for several days during the week, and it isn’t something I’d love to do. I’m not sure I’d be able to do it… but what’s the alternative? Sometimes that’s what the job calls for. Tough decisions to be made for sure, but our first article can help… maybe. 😅
How to Leave a Career You Don’t Genuinely Love [Retire Before Dad] – “Common advice from life coaches and career gurus is to build a career you love so much you don’t want to retire. I appreciate this advice and wish I’d followed it more in my 20s and early 30s. But genuinely loving what you do is a rare privilege. Most people don’t love their jobs, let alone their careers. Early on, we might like our jobs or tolerate them enough to use the income to qualify for a 30-year mortgage and get comfortable in a certain lifestyle. But then we’re trapped because we need the same income level or more to service the debt and maintain the way of life. Lifestyle inflation kicks in — income grows; spending follows. It’s gradual confinement.”
AI is taking the jobs of Kenyans who write essays for U.S. college students [Rest of World] – “For the past nine years, Collins, a 27-year-old freelance writer, has been making money by writing assignments for students in the U.S. — over 8,500 miles away from Nanyuki in central Kenya, where he lives. He is part of the “contract cheating” industry, known locally as simply “academic writing.” Collins writes college essays on topics including psychology, sociology, and economics. Occasionally, he is even granted direct access to college portals, allowing him to submit tests and assignments, participate in group discussions, and talk to professors using students’ identities. In 2022, he made between $900 and $1,200 a month from this work. Lately, however, his earnings have dropped to $500–$800 a month. Collins links this to the meteoric rise of ChatGPT and other generative artificial intelligence tools.”
IRS Pledges More Audits of Wealthy, Better Customer Service [U.S. News 7 World Report] – “The Inflation Reduction Act Strategic Operating Plan, released April 5, 2023, lays out the details of what to expect from the IRS. It plans to step up two major actions: audits of individuals and businesses with incomes of $400,000 and above, and new and improved customer service for all.”