Scrapping the corporate ladder mindset
Through his life, Ron has worn many hats: engineer, MBA student, investment banker, musician.
People talk about rising on the corporate ladder (the idea of working to rise in the ranks of a company). Ron is the perfect example of someone who subscribed to that thinking. As he says himself, he got a degree to get a job and then got a second degree to become an expert. When he had that, he pursued an MBA to become an expert in something else. In terms of jobs, he was always chasing the next best thing.
Ron was in the middle of beautiful cottage country but something was nagging at him. He was reading Jim’s first book about fit and finding the perfect employer and it hit him: “I’m doing the wrong thing.” As he read through the pages, that feeling only became stronger.
It got to a point where he was unhappy at work. Even his teenage son said he saw it. Ron was up for a job with another company but late one night, unable to sleep, he realized he couldn’t take the job. That company wasn’t right, but neither was his current one. Through doing Jim’s work, he decided to take time off.
He’s someone who values trust, friendship and honesty. In his line of work, he saw money-motivated people not doing right by their clients.
There’s something else about Ron: he had often felt ashamed of his industry. He’s someone who values trust, friendship and honesty. In his line of work, he saw money-motivated people not doing right by their clients.
In working with Jim, he was able to identify these values. He started thinking about the people in his career who he most enjoyed working with and why. He realized that there are many good people throughout his industry. He’s one of them. He enjoys his work. Ron helps companies succeed and he does it by being empathetic and a good listener. With these revelations, Ron decided to return to a company he had worked with in the past. The people had always been amazing. They shared his values.
Jim taught Ron to work where the culture’s good and prioritize that above all else—including the corporate ladder. Ron’s decision to return to a company that he had already worked for wasn’t something that his past self would even have considered. In his own words, Jim reoriented him on what’s important in life. He’s the happiest he has ever been in his life because of it.
*All names have been changed to protect the privacy of clients.
Article by Sinead Mulhern
Jim Beqaj
I’m the founder of an international recruitment agency and I’ve worked on Toronto’s Bay Street for years, but most importantly, I’m a career performance coach. I make people better.
I’ve written a book called True Fit, and my podcast Be You, The World Will Adjust releases every Monday.