Survival Job vs. Bridge Job

I hate the term “Survival Job.”

It sounds so dramatic. Like you’re lying in a gutter grasping for a crumb of bread, willing to take ANYTHING you can get. It’s hard to get excited about a survival job, because - let’s be honest - it sounds terrible!

And while there’s a reality that the position you’re applying for right now may not be your dream job (because hey, we’ve all got to pay our rent and buy food and clothes), I want you to know that it’s ok to want to do more than just survive.

And that’s why I prefer the term “Bridge Job.” 

A bridge takes you somewhere else. A bridge is not the destination (I mean, unless you’re a tourist visiting the Golden Gate or Brooklyn Bridge - totally worth doing, by the way).

A bridge is something you need right now but you won’t be stuck at forever. I’ve seen people get stuck at a survival job and it breaks my heart. So the words here are important. 

Bridge = I’m going somewhere. 

Survival = I just don’t want to die. 

See the difference?

So give up the “I’ll-do-anything-I-just-need-a-job” attitude of hunting for a Survival Job. Instead, try out the “I’ll-choose-something-good-for-me-even-if-it’s-not-forever” attitude of taking on a Bridge Job.

What do you think about the term “Bridge Job”?