#lazygirljob is all over the internet.
It’s the latest TikTok trend – as I write this #lazygirljob has had 17.8m views and all media channels are covering it! So let’s explore the lazy girl job trend.
Is it as negative as it sounds?
The phrase doesn’t suggest something to aspire to. ‘Lazy’ is not a positive character description, and for a driven career individual, a role which is actively describing you as being lazy doesn’t suggest competency, ambition or much intelligence.
However this trend has more to it.
What is a lazy girl job anyway?
This is a job that requries minimal effort, it covers your cost of living but there’s true flexiblity (working from home), and the work does not feel stressful or pressured.
What’s positive about having a lazy girl job?
Well actually, there’s a lot to be said for this sort of job. Whilst many of us may have been brought up to believe that hard work is the only way to success, why shouldn’t we be challenging this?
For someone who is struggling to juggle work and homelife, or to manage work-based stress and anxiety then this may be exactly what they’re looking for.
Single parents, people with Carer responsibilities, people with health conditions that limit how much work they are able to do may already be in these sorts of roles – and it’s nothing to do with them being lazy. This is about a job where the level of demand / stress on an individual is compatible with the other responsibilities they are juggling.
It may be about having time to explore hobbies or personal projects that are fulfilling, creative and purposeful. For those suffering from career fatigue, this may well appeal as a possible solution. Having a better balance of work with more purpose-driven activities may be exactly what many people need to get the right balance in life and to make them a more rounded, happier and healthier person.
And why wouldn’t we be looking at ways to be happier and healthier?
Where has the lazy girl job trend come from?
American TikTok user Gabrielle Judge (@gabrielle_judge) is credited with having coined the phrase originally. She describes a lazy girl job as one where you can quiet quit. i.e. where you can just do the bear minimum work needed in return for a secure job that covers your cost of living and you have the flexibility to “truly exercise work-life balance”. She gives examples of the sorts of roles being Marketing Associate, Account Manager, Customer Success Manager.
Gabrielle describes these roles as being ones where you can earn $60-80K.
Is there a downside to lazy girl jobs?
There’s the obvious downside of having a role who’s main benefit is around what it gives you outside rather than inside of the job – i.e. the job itself is nothing special. However it comes with 3 key drawbacks that do need consideration:
1. This sort of work will not provide growth and development. Staying motivated and happy during working hours therefore may be difficult.
Workaround: if your self-development and growth doesn’t come from your job, where else might you get it? For example, are you actively pursuing creative outlets, or have you identified other ways to learn (e.g. study, a side hustle) and experience growth and self-development?
2. If the job requires little effort, it may also provide little security. Your job therefore may be something that could be outsourced / offshored to someone who can do the work at lower cost than you, or ultimately given to AI to deliver instead.
Strategy: Longer term if you’re in this sort of role, then you may need to either accept that the role carries a risk that you may not be needed for too long – or you could look to find ways that you can add further value to your employer and therefore prove a reason to keep you in place.
3. Working from home without full engagement with your colleagues means that you won’t get the social benefit associated with work.
Consider: where is your social connection coming from? You may need to give focus to engaging with your local community in other ways to ensure that you still feel connected to others.
Inspired?
Want a #lazygirljob? Want to get out of your #lazygirljob? Or maybe don’t know what you want?
Well I’ve got a new course launching soon which is called ‘Create the Career You Really Want’. It’s great for people who want to get more out of their career but don’t feel confident in how to move forwards. Contact me if you’re interested!