Job Hunting: What tier are you looking for?
It’s no secret that job hunting is difficult. If you find yourself unexpectedly laid off with no real explanation, it can be hard to see where you go from here. In my experience, there are essentially 4 tiers, or types, of roles. The tier you target will determine the company and influence factors like pay, benefits, or even remote. Let’s peel this onion to find out which tier we should apply for.
Job Tiers
Tier 1 — The “Dream” Role
I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who didn’t have a ‘dream role’. Certainly, I have met people that weren’t sure what they wanted to do with their career, but they still all had that “dream”. I’ve met some who want to travel the country while helping others in their company. I’ve met others who wanted to open up their own store/business. Then of course there is the all too famous “home body” role.
The one thing all these people have had in common is that this role, no matter what it was, if they were ever offered one, they would accept it in a heartbeat. Sure, they may negotiate to sweeten the pot, but even without negotiating, it’s a near guarantee they would accept it.
Ultimately, the dream role is something you absolutely would love to do, you wouldn’t think twice about doing it, and you know you’d be happy doing it. It’s no surprise that this type of role is what we “target” when we are job hunting, especially if we already have a job to hold us over while we are trying to hit that perfect company.
What makes a dream role what it is will vary from person to person. Some may seek to work for a company or product they love. Others may look to go to a specific industry. Yet others may look for a role in a specific region of the world. I have also seen compensation be a factor in this. Regardless of the reason, the dream role is usually the hardest role to come by. Not having an open position, fighting hundreds if not thousands of other applicants, or simply not being qualified enough are all reasons why someone might not be able to get their dream role.
While everyone actively looking wants a dream role, the chances of landing it are so high it makes it difficult at best to land. I cannot prove it, but I suspect that only those passively looking for a new job will ultimately land that Dream Role. Furthermore, if you do land a Dream Role, it’s still entirely possible for that position to “downgrade” into a Tier 2 Career Role.
Something for the hiring managers and recruiters out there: Good Luck. Unless someone is already in a dream role, then if a dream role presents itself, that employee is all but gone. This is just the simple fact of the matter. In my opinion, the vast majority of the working class is not working in a dream role, no matter how much they love their job.
Tier 2 — The “Career” Role
The “Career” Role is that role which directly relates to your education. Whether that be a college degree or simply hands-on experience in your grandparent’s shop, it doesn’t matter. Simply put, it’s the role you’ve been trained on, and you are good at it. You are generally happy, or at least content, with your work, you enjoy what you do, and you [mostly] enjoy who you work with.
To be clear, I don’t want you to assume “Corporate White Collar” roles. While certainly, this is where a lot of Career Roles happen, you can be a mechanic and still have a Career Role. I also don’t want to imply that a Career role doesn’t have any issues. You can have a Career Role but still have that “one person” you don’t get along with.
When we are actively job hunting, this is the primary role we will likely be looking for. A role that matches our experience, skills, and education. We may try to make an industry jump, but generally, skills are cross-compatible from the industry we are currently in to the one we want to get into.
One thing you have to be careful about with Career Roles is that it is probably the role most likely to “downgrade”. That is to say, while most jobs may start as a Career role, they can quickly become Tier 3. Factors like not getting along well with your co-workers, too much stress, not enough pay, or even simply being neurodivergent can all be reasons why a Tier 2 will quickly downgrade itself.
Tier 3 — The “It’s a Job” Role
If you have ever worked retail, you’ve probably had this feeling on more than one occasion. This is especially true if you worked retail while attending college. A Tier 3 role is one that nothing is holding you there, other than the paycheck and maybe your coworkers. If any opportunity comes along, you can be certain you’ll likely take it. It’s a job so you can at least have some income, but you will not be staying there in the long term if you can help it.
There isn’t anything fancy about a Tier 3 role. You may be content with the role, but there is a good chance you are already semi-actively searching for a new role. In my opinion, no one applies for a Tier 3 role intentionally. That is to say, they are either short on money and have no choice, or maybe your guardian has forced you to get a job. Either way, being in a Tier 3 role is not a particularly satisfying position, and you are simply happy you have something to eat (hopefully).
If your job is in retail, chances are the job was a Tier 3 to begin with. If you are in a Corporate White Collar or Corporate Blue Color role, and you are in Tier 3, chances are that it started as a Tier 2. Eventually, enough toxic things happen that ultimately make you no longer love the job. Regardless of the reason you are in a Tier 3 role, it can turn into a Tier 4 role overnight.
Tier 4 — The “FTS” Role
Everyone has their unique name for the ‘FTS’ Role. That role that makes you just say ‘F**k this s**t’. Whatever you call it, you’ve already got one foot out the door. If you’ve ever seen someone walk off the job site in the middle of the project, without looking back, you can bet it was their FTS Role. No one applies for an FTS Role. Instead, the only way to reach this role is that your Tier 3 role has been downgraded to it.
If you are working in a Tier 4 role, you have my sympathy. Chances are high that you are 100% burnt out. Even the slightest ‘tick’ will make you walk out, and you will intentionally burn every bridge you can on the way. There could be any number of reasons why you want to leave. Perhaps it’s too low pay, not enough friends, or way too much stress. Regardless of the reason it became a Tier 4, nothing is going to keep you from leaving. If you have to take a Tier 3 job, a pay cut, or even move back in with your family, you cannot get out of there fast enough.
The saddest part of a Tier 4 job, is that once it hits this level, there is little to nothing that can be done about it. Nothing you do, or the company does, is likely to convenience you to continue working there. Furthermore, depending on the type of person you are, chances are high that your overall general health will start to be affected if you stay too long. You could start having mental breakdowns or get physically ill as a result of continuing to work there. Truth be told, the only thing you can, or should, do is work on getting out of there as fast as you reasonably can.
Which Tier Should You Target?
Which tier you go for will ultimately depend on your situation. We all want that Dream Role, but it can take you months, if not years, to find that, even while actively searching. In my opinion, if you’ve got some ‘time’, targeting Tier 2 is best. Once you have got a stable income, then you can start targeting your Dream Role. In the meantime, if that role turns to Tier 3, or Heaven Forbid a Tier 4 role, it may be time to be more active in your job search.
Job Hopping
One thing I would advise you to avoid is job hopping. That concept is where you get a new job every year or two. This is especially true in the technology arena. In recent years, the “cost” of a software engineer has gone up substantially. In some cases, it has much as doubled. As a result of this, hiring managers have become far more picky about who they hire. They are looking for a unicorn that can get up and running quickly and is otherwise worth the cost they are asking for. As a result of this, if they see you have had a new job every year for the past 5 years, they will automatically assume you are likely to do the same there.
To be clear, I only am talking about Tier 2. If you have the unfortunate situation that Tier 2 is downgraded to Tier 4, then by all means I understand, get out of there. If your Tier 2 is still a Tier 2, then think twice before jumping to the ‘next best thing’.
The grass is always greener on the other side because they fertilize it with bulls**t.
This is a rather fun saying to me, and it’s one of the key things I am referring to. If you already have a Tier 2, and it’s working great for you, then I would try to grow there before just jumping to your next Tier 2. Obviously, this is up to you, and what you do is your business, but in the end, I think it’s worth it for you to realize that this is something that will start to look bad if you do it too much.
Conclusion
While I wish that everyone could land their Dream Role, I know it’s a difficult moment to achieve. In the meantime, I hope you can land that Tier 2 role and be happy otherwise. It is my wish that no one ever has the unfortunate experience of having a job reach a Tier 4. Having been there, I know what it’s like, and it’s not pretty, and I pray you get out of there quickly if you are.
Have an idea for an article you’d like me to discuss? Feel free to suggest it and I’ll see if I can get it on the schedule.
