Got a new job recently, transitioning from a landscaping job to an office job still in the ag industry. Some thoughts about the process:
-Super frustrating that I only get offered a good raise when I tell my boss that I'm leaving.
-Super frustrating that I don't just get my preferred wage at my new place, I have to go through counteroffers and advocate for myself rather than expect to be treated how I want from the beginning.
-Super frustrating that in all these situations I have relatively little power compared to the companies I work for. That's why they fear unions so much, it evens the playing field
Overall I feel pretty privileged, my work-places both before and currently are pretty chill, but they are still confined to a mechanism that prioritizes profit over people. Workplaces are not safe spaces, that's how it is, but I wish I lived in a system where my employers cared about me. That's the most important lesson to know about work, you normally exist first as 'labor', and if your lucky you might also get to be viewed as a person.