My first major dose of career advice wasn’t quite something I’d call “inspirational.”

In fact, for someone new to the job force like I was, it was downright discouraging.

“Always remember: No matter what your job is, you will always be dispensable.”

This comes as a no-brainer to anyone who has ever worked a job. There will always be someone with similar notches in their belt to take over after you leave whatever-it-is you’re doing. But it was the first time I’d really thought about dispensability. And while I knew the advice was true, it seemed to be more threatening than helpful. It offered only restrictive, cautionary guidance – not proactive, positive guidance. So I spun it. (more…)