From “This Pays My Rent” to “I Actually Like This”

It’s story time, babes and ghouls.

The other night, I was on the phone with a friend — live, synchronous communication instead of our usual voice-note exchange. We talked about the Toronto Transit Commission, tretinoin, GI distress and, of course - work. Having been friends since college, we’ve seen each other through multiple career paths. We reminisced about all the jobs that got us to where we are today — catering, reception, teaching opera. And that’s not even half of them. These days, we’re both in different chapters of our Second Careers™. A lot of those in-between jobs were settle jobs: the jobs you take because you need money to do things like, you know, survive.

A lot of people are working settle jobs.

A settle job can look different for everyone. For some, it’s the stable 9-to-5 that funds the real passion — filmmaking, music, ceramics, competitive birding, whatever keeps the soul alive after hours. What looks like a “traditional career” from the outside might actually just be the thing paying the bills while someone chases their dream of becoming a session guitar player.

And honestly? For some people, that setup f***ing rules. The day job is simply there to support the life they want to live.

But for others, the goal is different. They want to enjoy the thing they spend 40+ hours a week doing. They want work that feels meaningful, sustainable, or even exciting. In an economy where it feels nearly impossible to get any job…how exactly do you move from a settle job to a career you genuinely love?

The answer is simple…

…you hang the hell on to that settle job and just keep applying for those jobs you really want.

That’s it. That’s the answer. Don’t stop believin’ or whatever they said on that musical theatre show.

Listen kittens, we’ve gotta do what we’ve gotta do to survive in 2026. Take the job that pays your bills right now. Taking a settle job is not “giving up.” It’s not proof that you failed your dream career. It’s survival. Sometimes, the most radical thing you can do is stabilize your life enough to keep going.

I applied to 486 jobs in 2023 before I found one I genuinely liked. And then, when that job stopped fitting my life, I stayed there until I found something a little closer to what I needed. Career growth is rarely a clean upward line. Most of the time it’s a zig-zag path of “This will do for now” jobs, lucky breaks, burnout pivots, identity crises, uncontrollable sobs here and there.

And, because we are us, the RSD goblin might try to convince you that every rejection email is a grand statement about your worth. That’s when you look that damn goblin right in its face and tell it, “The job market is messy right now, you little twerp - a rejection is data, not a decree.” Then, take yourself to Ren Faire and hit the Naughty Bar.

The frustrating part is that there isn’t really a magic shortcut through all of it. It’s persistence. It’s continuing to apply even after getting ghosted. It’s revising your résumé for the 40th time. It’s letting yourself want something better while also being practical enough to keep the lights on in the meantime.

I know that you know this, but I’m gonna say it anyway - your job does not define your worth. Whether your work is your passion or the thing that pays for the groceries, it does not determine how valuable, interesting, creative, or lovable you are.

A career, while a nice-to-have, is only a part of you and your life.

And, of course, should you need us…you can find us here 🪩