I was laid off from my job after a little less than a year. I was strangely ecstatic about this fact. I literally called that it was going to happen and was looking for another job so I could comfortably quit when it happened. I was surprised to learn that I would also receive 1 week of severance pay…with a catch. I would have to sign a gag order and never say anything negative about Company 5, their holding company or anyone that has ever worked there or Company 5 could sue me. I asked if the agreement could be edited and the head of HR ignored me until I was able to confront her in person. I was told she could not edit the agreement. So I told her I would not be signing anything. She looked surprised. Continue reading “Integrity > Money”
Category: Jobs
I Refuse
I look around and see no one with the life I want. I refuse to live 45 years of my life like this. Following the instructions of a faceless company and an alarm clock. Having my company tell me when and how often I can see my family. Having a certain number of days when I do not have to be in a cubicle. Feeling stress over creating ads no one wants to see. Attending award shows created by the people who want to win the awards – a circlejerk. Pretending I care if a spam email deployed a day later than we said it would. Feeling stress that this ‘mistake’ will reflect poorly on me – even for a second. Pretending any of this matters: title, social status, perceived wealth.
I refuse for this to be my life. So I’m changing it.
Why I Want to Retire
I want retire because my life is working (workdays) and recovering from working (weeknights and weekends). There is no room in that cycle for the life I want. And perhaps it is my fault for choosing a career where I interact with people all day that completely drains my introverted core – and at rare times invigorates me with creativity. But it’s also what I’m good at. It’s well paid work that doesn’t involve extra schooling or skills.
So I want to retire. I want to see what I can get up to when my life is not a cycle of drain and recovery. That’s all.
How Quickly We Forget
I was recently on vacation for Thanksgiving. I took a whopping two days off and tacked it onto the long weekend we were given for the holiday. Usually it takes me about a week to decompress from work – even not particularly stressful work (or as not particularly stressful as Ad Agencies can be anyway). In that time I have to remember how to relax and what I enjoy and by the time I do the vacation is over. Continue reading “How Quickly We Forget”
Last Day of Work, First Day of Funemployment
It’s official: I’ve quit my job and given my apartment notice. As of right now I have no job and will no longer be welcome in my apartment at the end of this month. We are moving across the country to a city my partner has never visited. The only place on the West Coast he has been was San Diego, CA which is the southern tip of the West Coast while Seattle is the northern tip. Continue reading “Last Day of Work, First Day of Funemployment”
The Perfect Job: Still Not Enough
Since I joined the workforce I’ve kept lists of what I enjoy and don’t enjoy in each job I’ve had. From these lists I’ve created the profile of what I thought would be my ideal job in advertising: flexible, constantly challenging with a boss I love and limited human interaction. I now have that job. I have had it for almost a year. And I am still not satisfied. I don’t know what it is about work that makes me analyze my satisfaction with it at every turn. Maybe because the general public seem to think ‘work’ is what you do for 40-50 years of your life. Other parts of life do not last that long: high school, college – all previous steps were 4 years long. Now that 4 has turned into 40. Continue reading “The Perfect Job: Still Not Enough”
4 Months Notice
I told my boss I’m leaving. It was a nerve-wracking experience. I didn’t really sleep and I threw up the night before. I ran into her in the elevator and was the only other person in the car. I was debating when to tell her that day and on the ride up to our floor she mentioned Seattle – a city I’d never heard her talk about before. So I took that as a hint and as soon as we got to our desks I asked if I could talk to her. The look on her face was worrisome, so I told her not to worry. And then I said my speech. She did not have any of the reactions I had practiced. Before saying anything she hugged me and said she was excited for me. I was shocked and excited. Continue reading “4 Months Notice”
Promotions: The Biggest Lie in History
My mother taught me another important lesson from her work experience: Promotions have nothing to do with actual work. They have nothing to do with accomplishing tasks and little to do with how effective or pleasant your peers think you are. Promotions are the biggest lie in corporate america and possible in history (yes I’m being a little dramatic). Continue reading “Promotions: The Biggest Lie in History”