Become Irreplaceable In The Job Market In 2024

Yes. 2024 has become a very weird and very unpredictable year. 2020 pandemic happened, flying unicorn, and the McFlurry machine at McDonald's is working. Just nuts and in the middle of all this there is a lot of uncertainty, financially specifically. While life doesn’t provide 100 percent certainty there are things that you can to make sure that you're always in demand or at least that you have the skills to always provide you with a level of stability whether it is now or the future.

This pandemic in middle of this chaos has provide a once in lifetime opportunity if you're looking at it objectively and for opportunities. It's almost like a reset button for a lot of people who was looking for the time to start that new business they were afraid of attempting, company employee who needed a break or for someone who’s making more money from unemployment than they were from their actual jobs. I truly believe in economic freedom and I don’t think everyone was meant to work for someone else forever. A job should provide you the funds to pay your immediate bills and dreams or business. Now I know that’s not everyone. Some people are better and more equip to work as part of team. Depending on your personality or skill you can contribute the best helping someone perform better or help take it to the next level. 

Everyone has a specialize skill and I believe every job has a purpose. The life goal however is to always try to level up. No matter what the position is. If you clean toilet, respect but you should learn everything you can about the job. All the in and outs, how how they get there supplies, how they pay, everything and then plan your exit once you get your side cleaning business going. No matter what you're doing you can always improve. Do you think your life is worth 8, 10, even 15 an hour? One supersize meal and I can own an hour of your life? Doesn’t it add up, does it? 

The company is owned by a person or group that built it so I never expect them to always pay you what’s “right” or “fair”.  Demand a higher pay or start your own business. Yes you could always go find another job but it should be for a higher pay and for the purpose of funding your own goal much quicker. Also if you need to get experience for another field, If not what’s the point of leaving your first job? It wouldn’t make any logical sense. 

Now let’s get down to one of your main choices that allows you to makes more: Demand a higher pay. Demand a higher pay from your boss, how do you do that? Well for one you don’t, your market value does. Meaning the your level of skills and value you bring to table and what other jobs are willingly to pay dictate your leverage. There is a reason why a grocery bag person and cloud developer have huge difference in salary. While I’m not trying do talk down on being a bagger, it’s not a valuable skill that anybody with a pulse can’t do. They are a dime a dozen, if the boss fires or you quit he can find another almost the same day. But a cloud developer on the hand is not as easy. They have to be certified, have experience in dealing with a huge system  that the whole world have to relies on especially in this day and age generates millions and billions in Amazons case. Therefore they are much more in demand and valuable employee’s to employers in terms of justifying why they have to pay a high salary to them.

It may sound fair for some and unfair to others but the market value is the market value. The good news is, that now that you know how the market value means you can do something about it. Having control is the best part of it. You don’t have to be stuck in your situation. With this pandemic it should specially highlight the importance of getting or maximize your valuable skills. If you don’t know how to figure that out check my other article I wrote about it over here (link of “Figuring your genius”). So I have some quick tips on maximizing your skill:

Research Research Research! Google is a good place to start. I know it’s boring but it must be done. Start with your job first and how can you level up from there first. Whatever skills or field you're in look up the next level above that. What do you have to do to get that? Is there an increase in salary? Do you meet the requirements? What does your boss think about your work ethic? Is there another position that you’re looking to explore? Remote? What’s on an upward trend? The demands for it in the job market? Etc. 


2. Next whatever your skill is: Copywriting, App development, Plumbing, etc, are you the best in your company? Locally? Regionally? Are you up to date or highly skills in your field? Could I find anyone who does the same thing as you? Better? Faster? Or do you have something additional that separate you from what everyone is doing in your field?

3.  How was your job affected during this pandemic? Do you need to explore other fields or career path and will that be in demand a few years from now? You should be open minded to all possibilities but with a practical mindset at that. I wouldn’t quit your hotel job to be a full time singer or actor. Secure your income first as your working towards your passion. Things don’t happen this fast. Think about any underutilized skills or talent you're not using and explore it.

4. Learn a new skill if you must after you do research on the jobs that has a high upside and an upward trend. Also something you can see yourself doing. College degree is not the end all be all anymore. And the internet has evolve last time I checked. There is a lot places you can go to learn a new skills from high train experts without spending 1000’s even 100’s. Sites like Udemy which always have course as cheap as $10 every couple days, Coursera, Skillshare and more. Trade jobs that pay more than a lot college degree careers. You can learn just about any skill. All it take is a specific goal, determination and some caffeine(well that’ll be me). Start from there. If you need any help, have a question or have something to add let me know.