The class of 2024 is preparing to enter the labor market during a time when hiring is expected to cool and inflation is still higher than at any point in their formative years.
For those already in employment, widespread layoffs mean that an equal amount of uncertainty and concern is present. Meanwhile, emerging technologies like AI are putting more job roles at risk of obsolescence.
Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, is keenly aware of how daunting these constant changes are for professionals and founders alike. Yet he also believes that we can embrace unexpected changes with optimism by becoming more resilient and adaptable.
His newsletter, One Thing Better, offers a weekly update on this theme.
A career built on change
Jason’s career first began as a reporter for a community newspaper before moving into the world of freelance writing from his bedroom in rural Massachusetts. After writing for Boston Magazine he managed to bag a full-time editor job to further bolster his experience.
Still not content, Jason decided to move to New York where he moved between magazines such as Men’s Health, Fast Company and Maxim.
Throughout these years in flux, one thing became increasingly clear to Jason. If you only focus on the core deliverables of the role you’re hired for, you’ll only be qualified for similar roles in the future.
However, the professionals who actively pursue new opportunities, seek out change and constantly learn are the ones who end up on unpredictable but extraordinary journeys.
The value of new opportunities
Jason suggests that professional opportunities fall into two categories. Opportunity Set A are the projects and tasks that you need to deliver because of your job. These are still opportunities, but they fall within the current remit of your skill set.
Opportunity Set B represents things that may be available, but you won’t get asked to do because they’re adjacent or separate to your core role. For Jason, these types of opportunities took the form of going on TV, learning how to podcast, writing a romantic comedy novel and launching a media production company.
While he didn’t immediately excel at these new tasks, he broadened his horizons, skills and connections well beyond those he was developing as a reporter. Further, these experiences didn’t lead Jason to abandon his original career choice. If anything, they helped to propel him forward into a position where he was able to become editor-in-chief for one of the most influential business publications worldwide.
How to handle change as a positive
When the goalposts are constantly moving it can be hard to stay positive. Today, Jason hopes to deliver a dose of optimism through his newsletter, One Thing Better.
Each week he shares one idea that could help readers build a career or company they love by developing alternative skills.
Through his work at Entrepreneur, he also has access to the world’s greatest entrepreneurs and cultural icons which offer more inspiring insights to readers. He also cohosts a podcast, Help Wanted, where he and cohost Nicole Lapin help solve people’s trickiest work problems.
In short, Jason truly believes that change creates opportunity and he wants us all to get on board with the idea with helpful guidance and inspiring stories.
Photo credit of featured photo: Babson University
Update: This article was updated to correct the name of the Help Wanted podcast.
