“Should I stay in my job until things get better?” I mean in this economy? The answer is probably yes. But that doesn’t have to be a dead-end. Here are five things to consider as you enter into this informal agreement of staying in your job for now.

* It is non-binding. You can always change your mind. It’s not a trap. It’s an option that you are currently exercising.

* This can be an opportunity to learn different ways to do things. In an economy where most people and small businesses are struggling, we are going to need to be scrappy. Play MacGyver at work. Solve problems with what you have around you. Learn about the ordinary tools more deeply. Always wanted to learn pivot tables? Now’s your chance.

* Be wary of being given the work of 2 or 3 other jobs in addition to your own duties. If you are the survivor of layoffs, be prepared. To be frank, most companies don’t actually live the “do less with less” platitude, even if they say it repeatedly. They are usually trying to do more with less so they can get ahead. As we all are. So. Be wary. If you do get handed tasks from other people’s jobs, thoughtfully explore your priorities list and determine which tasks are directives, which ones are “If you can get to this, great.” and which ones are “there’s no way I’ll be able to get this done.”

* Remember that all you can do is all you can do. And you are the owner of that measurement.

* Try to emotionally detach from happenings in rooms where you are not present. Decisions you can’t control. People who do things you don’t agree with. Policies that are control focused. If you can’t control it, let it float around you. Don’t internalize it.

I am not an economist and I don’t know how things will turn out, but it seems hard for most people right now. Layoffs are happening hourly in almost every industry. AI is coming in to replace people but with a mediocrity that can only be explained by overconfidence in a genius that does not exist.

The LLMs that most people are using - they can’t count. They lie. They blackmail. And lawyers are using them to create real arguments in court, with fictional cases, trying to make things happen that shouldn’t happen. People are using AI as if it is the highest standard, but I’m pretty sure it’s not even a bronze standard, let alone gold.

The chaos that is being created by overdependence on a tool that was prematurely released to the world will need to be cleaned up if our society wants to continue. What can you do in your current space to prepare for that cleanup? What human processes need to be documented and saved? What are the human parts of processes that will likely be written out in the future to the detriment of the consumers? Write it down. On a computer. On paper. On audio. Write down your ideas for human processes, using AI to automate the non-human parts. Our society is changing rapidly and while there is an AI “boom”, it’s not rooted in stability.

If you do plan on hugging your job - remember to keep yourself at the top of the priority list. You can get through this without losing yourself. This is your journey. No one else’s.

Deep breaths. You’ve got this.

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