#8: Crucial Career Lessons From Your Favorite Fall TV Shows 📺
Watching TV counts as job research, right?
Laid Off Life is a place of respite for the weary workforce. Whether you’re unemployed, on strike or just trying to make it through the workday, let this be your 5-minute mental break from the grind of late-stage capitalism.
In this weekly newsletter, you’ll find musings and insights about work and life, things I’m finding useful (or useless) in my job search, gems from my DMs, and recs about worthy ways to waste time - from articles to TV shows and podcasts and beyond.
Worthy Time Wasters: The “I’m Behind/I’m Ahead” Fall(ish) TV Edition
Here are my weekly recs to combat doom scrolling.
As I wait for my Etsy Dream Job Spell to take effect and continue to inch forward with my existential crisis portfolio, there’s plenty of fall TV watching that needs doing. If you can vicariously glean career lessons by plopping in front of the TV, does that count as job research?
Of course, it does!
Here is my job search/fall TV mashup:
SHOW: Selling the OC (Netflix)
CAREER LESSON: There’s so much to be learned from this show. Like, the best way to get ahead is by stepping on your coworkers. Or, if you are going to make out with a coworker in the office, make sure you’re not you are caught on camera. The most important being: If these idiots can earn a living, so can you!
SHOW: Suits (Netflix)
CAREER LESSON: I know, I know, Suits is an old show. But how did it become one of the most watched shows on Netflix this summer? I had to find out for myself. I’m on Season 3 now and it’s giving House vibes but with lawyers. In an uncertain world, there’s nothing quite as comforting as a procedural where the protagonist wins every time. If only life were really like that.The most important thing is that it’s about a fake lawyer who stumbles into becoming a real one. The show’s premise holds the key to the best-kept secret in workforce. Don’t stress too much about being qualified for your job! There are plenty of successful people who aren’t.
SHOW: The Bear (Hulu)
CAREER LESSON: This was a summer show, technically. But Season 2 of The Bear was my favorite TV of the year and I continue to think about it regularly. The second season tackled generational trauma and how it dovetails with your life choices in a deep, raw and compelling way. If we learned anything important from Carmy and his crew, it’s that if you don’t deal with your shit, it will follow you to work.
SHOW: The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City (Peacock)
CAREER LESSON: Want to be rich? This show teaches us that we have many options to wealth with very little hard work. Legal or illegal. Choose your own adventure! (Outstanding question. If running a fraudulent business will land you in jail where you may end up becoming besties with Elizabeth Holmes how come being the leader of a religious cult will not?) Anyhow, from running a Medispa, to peddling tequila, to making baby swaddles— almost anything can turn your life into a permanent luxury retreat at a natural hot springs resort!
SHOW: Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
CAREER LESSON: On this show any random person can have a successful true crime podcast. When the podcast literally lands on your doorstep three seasons in a row, it’s a sign. Sometimes, the job finds YOU.
SHOW: Telemarketers (Max)
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CAREER LESSON: There is so much to take away from this wild docuseries about the corruption on which the telemarketing industry is built. But the thing that really blew my head off is how much we’ve all been underestimating the skill sets of ex-cons and crack heads. We have A LOT to learn from them about sales.
SHOW: Drops of God (Apple TV+)
CAREER LESSON: It’s fiiinnnneee to drink on the job. In this show, wine IS the job. AND you can drink wine while watching the characters drink wine. Very meta.
SHOW: Welcome to Wrexham (Hulu)
CAREER LESSON: This isn’t a show I ever thought I’d like because…sports. I got sucked in rooting for the underdog and then I was hooked. But are you really an underdog if one of the most famous actors in Hollywood is championing your success? Probably not, but what I know for sure is that you truly can achieve anything at all if you’re funded by Ryan Reynolds. Ryan, call me! I’ve got ideas.
SHOW: 90 Day:The Last Resort (Max)
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CAREER LESSON: To all you 90 Day heads out there, I’ve had to skip most of the spinoffs because there are truly too many. This one caught my attention though. Last Resort is like if Couples Retreat and Couples Therapy had a love child. Big Ed is back and as doofussy as ever. But this time we get to the root of his issues when we witness him getting a past life regression. Whatever dark place you are in, remember, things could be worse. You could be a carnival performer in the Middle Ages.
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