It was late 2000, during my MBA studies at the Duxx Duxx Graduate School of Business Leadership, when I first heard this phrase. It instantly gave words to my career trajectory. Wally Olins, the renowned branding expert and my professor at the time, shared his story over an intimate dinner with just four of us at the visiting faculty residence.
"The problem I had was every boss I had was a blithering idiot. And I had a habit of telling them so," Olins confessed with his characteristic directness. "Of course, I kept getting sacked. I was sure that my wife would leave me."
His words struck a chord. I reflected on my own experiences with authority figures - they weren't all idiots, or at least not all the time, but they certainly had their moments of blathering. And like Olins, I found myself compelled to point this out, though perhaps not quite as habitually.
"I realized I was utterly unemployable. So, I had to figure something else out."
For Olins, that 'something else' meant becoming an entrepreneur - he would be his own boss, the only one he could tolerate. This informal talk on entrepreneurship was his origin story. His journey from being 'unemployable' led him to co-found Wolff Olins, channeling his communications expertise into one of the world's most influential brand consultancies. A master wordsmith and designer, he went on to become and pioneer in corporate identity, earning recognition as the 'father of territory branding.’
At age 31, those two words - "utterly unemployable" - gave me a name for what I had been experiencing. Though in my case, "utterly" might have been an overstatement. I wasn't always fired; sometimes I was merely demoted, given fewer shifts, or chose to quit myself.
Like Olins, I chose entrepreneurship. (Or did entrepreneurship choose me?) Though I frequently second-guessed this path - pursuing traditional job hunting during my MBA and a few times since - each attempt became increasingly half-hearted, ultimately reaffirming my entrepreneurial nature.
What makes a good mentor is having the right relevant experiences and the language to express them. Olins provided both. He helped me understand that being "unemployable" often meant being "unreasonable" - and that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
As George Bernard Shaw observed, "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man." This captured what Olins had demonstrated through his own journey - sometimes being "unreasonable" drives innovation and change.
Today, I find myself consciously maintaining my "unemployability" - whether through keeping my long hair that grew during COVID, creating posts that challenge HR conventions, or questioning popular corporate initiatives. These aren't acts of rebellion so much as statements of authenticity.
(BTW: Authenticity – FARM)
The entrepreneurial journey often starts with being a misfit in traditional structures. For both Olins and myself, what seemed like a career liability - being 'utterly unemployable' - became the catalyst for creating something new. Whether it's pioneering territory branding or challenging HR conventions, our 'unreasonableness' serves a purpose: pushing boundaries and driving change. Sometimes, not fitting in is the first step to finding where you truly belong.
Wally’s personal branding logo: