Hawthorne Press Tribune
The Weekly Newspaper of Hawthorne
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 63, No. 41 - October 14, 2021
Congratulations to Our Hawthorne Students
For Working Towards a Brighter Future
We are so proud of our Hawthorne High School of Manufacturing & Engineering students who completed the industry-recognized South Bay Workforce Investment Board - SBWIB Aero Flex Pre-Apprenticeship Program. These dedicated students are now prepared for an
aerospace program in college or proceeding directly into an aerospace career after graduating high school. Photo courtesy Centinela Valley Union High School District.
Your Neighborhood Therapist
Dear Neighborhood Therapist,
I know I need to apply for a new job. I
have been here a long time, and I am well
respected by my bosses and colleague, but
it’s not taking me anywhere in terms of my
career or my earnings needs and potential. I
have wanted to change jobs for a long time,
but now I am getting older and it feels more
“urgent” and I have reached my limit. There
are two problems that I am constantly running
into: first, I feel like maybe I have stayed in
my job too long. Every time I look at a job
description for something that looks similar
to what I do, I see this long list of qualifications
that I do not have, and I get intimidated,
and I end up not applying. Second, I think,
“what if I get the job, and I don’t like it at
all and I’m stuck there?” I believe that you
are supposed to stick it out in a job, even if
you don’t like it very much, and so I end up
not applying. This all makes me feel even
more stuck, and more horrible about myself.
Is it possible to break this cycle?
– Stuck in a Job Rut, El Segundo
Dear Stuck,
Yes, it is possible to break the cycle; once
you break the cycle, I suspect you will start
to feel much better. First, let’s have a quick
look at power in the employer/employee
relationship.
We live in a culture that teaches us to be
submissive to employers, and you, like all
of us, have been subject to this your whole
life. Employers, of course, support this idea
because they benefit from it: if you feel lucky
to have a job, you won’t complain so much
about your salary or working conditions.
To further increase this sense of power
imbalance, employers may use language
and terminology that sounds corporate and
intimidating. Sometimes, “generate and analyze
financial reports” really means, “click
the ‘create report’ button and tell your boss
if the number is higher or lower than the
last time you clicked the button.”
That all sounds scary, but remember that
if an employer is posting a job, it’s because
they also have a need. As someone who has
stayed in your job a long time, thus proving
that you are responsible enough to hold and
thrive in the job, you are already steps ahead
of many, many candidates.
So apply anyway, whether or not you feel
you are an exact match. I promise you that
people far less qualified than you are going for
the same jobs. Employers do not encourage
this, but they do expect it. Employers rarely
require an exact match, but your consistency
will certainly be appealing. And if they say
no, well, that could be for dozens of reasons
that have absolutely nothing to do with you.
You have a point about your fear of not
liking a new job. It’s possible! You might
have jumped out of the frying pan and into
See Therapist, page 7
your business YOUR NAME
your dreams
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