Get creative. Think outside the coffin!

Published about 2 months ago • 3 min read

Alex Toth

The Reaper's Dilemma

Maybe you set your LinkedIn profile to "Open to Work" due to the current job market uncertainty. And even if you didn’t there is a way to secure a better position faster:

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"Look, you guys are overdue for an apocalypse, so you're getting an apocalypse.

I'm being nice here by letting you choose 'what kind' of apocalypse you want to deal with. Now, how do you want your world to end, mortals?"

Death reclined in his ergonomic office chair with his bony fingers twisted under his chin. The flickering fluorescent lights of the cosmic call centre cast an eerie glow on his skull. He'd been at this gig for eons, guiding souls from one realm to another.

But lately?

Things had gotten a bit... dull.

“I’m bored” he thought …

The Good Old Days

There was a time when being Death was exciting.

The Black Plague? Now - that was a party.

The World Wars? He needed to hire temps!

But lately, with all these medical advancements and peace talks, business had slowed to a trickle. Death found himself spending more time playing Minesweeper on his ancient desktop than actually reaping souls.

His scythe, once gleaming and sharp, now served as a coat rack in the corner of his cubicle. The last time he'd used it was to cut the cake at the office Christmas party three years ago.

But now as he stared at the glowing screen before him Death realized the good times were coming to an end!

The cosmic balance sheets were a mess. Too many souls lingering and not enough moving on. The afterlife was getting crowded and management was breathing down his neck.

"We need to shake things up" his boss had said in the last performance review.

"Get creative. Think outside the box... or the coffin, in your case."

So here he was. Offering choices to the mortals.

Zombies?

Alien invasion?

Good old-fashioned meteor strike?

He'd even considered throwing in a dinosaur resurrection for old times' sake.

As Death waited for the humans to make their choice he couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement. Maybe this apocalypse would bring back the thrill of the job he'd once loved.

He cracked his knuckles (quite literally) and prepared to type up the end-of-the-world memo. Whatever the mortals chose one thing was certain: Death's unemployment days were over, and business was about to boom.

You will never guess what they chose!

Or maybe you will ...

Did you say employment crisis, restructuring and layoffs?

You may be just right!

Companies not getting new contracts and being challenged to keep their employees busy. And even those who still can experience business contracting and shuffle people around.

People who are forced to do shitty jobs to keep some semblance of security of the current employment within the economic context out there.

BUT

For those looking for another job the Apocalypse is truly and really here!

Who opted for it then?

I ask You: does it really matter? The question is:

What will You do? How do you navigate the Apocalypse?

I ask my coachees this question all the time. They keep telling me they need help. And someone to talk with who can understand the particularities in the field of engineering and can support and give them advice.

Whether it's to keep a job or to find a job.

I help them through engineering career planning, professional development, CV review and interview preparation. And of course: Systems Engineering mentoring for those keen to learn this particular engineering profession.

So they get a real chance to being selected. Because they now can articulate what they bring to the table and show a plan to getting even better!