Tuesday, November 18, 2008

You Know What Its Like?


Its like getting the job as the mail boy at a large well respected company that you've always loved, but knowing that you want to be the boss. You're willing to work your way up the ladder, learn the skills, get the credentials, putting overtime and killing your weekends. Because you want it that much, because being boss means that much to your life. You cut off all other part time jobs you once had to focus your time and attention on perfection. To show that you deserve the position you've got your eye on.
So a year or whatever goes back, and after all you're hard work, you get promoted and you get your position.
You're working, everyday, always on time, never calling in sick, never playing hookie, helping everyone else in the office, going beyond your tasks and duties, you're getting praise and recognition for your work. You're taking the company to places its never reached with previous bosses. Introducing the company to new associates and connecting them with your former networks. Keeping the business first and a priority, taking care of it and making sure the company is secure and safe. Investing time and money. Making sure everything's on schedule, takin it international when you need to. Taking all the advice and comments to heart and making sure everything thing runs smoothly. Revising and implementing the proper modifications. And as tough as things get, you'll stick duke it out. Because its not just about you. Its about the elevation of the company. Its no longer a chore, its exhausting and tiring but you want it that bad. You truly believe that the end will justify the means.

and then...

you get a letter saying...whatever whatever...there was a mistake of sorts...sorry things arent working out the way the company intended. The companies not ready for the direction, even if its a good direction. Theres still too much at risk and the company is not secure enough for the venture and the time, so before things get outta hand, we're gonna demote you and we're gonna send you back to mail room...


...

All my work is undone, forgotten and steered elsewhere. All my efforts and time will be forgotten and everything re-revised to the way they once were. Im supposed to head back to the mail room and be ok with it...all my benefits and rights are taken away and my job now is to just sort out mail...

Am I supposed to stay here and settle with the mail room? Am I supposed to know that I was once in a luxurious and beautiful office working amongst great and inspirational people and now Im brought down to the shitty, dark ass, miserable little mail room with lowlifes. Am I supposed to find satisfaction in this? Can I really go from the leather executive seat to the wooden stool?

Im overqualified to be a mail room boy. Sorry. I quit...

Ill find a new job...where Ill be hired and be valued based on my worth and my ethic. My experience and my attention to detail. My credentials and my reputation. Ill take that and walk. My integrity and self respect is on the line.


Ill drop you the 2 weeks notice on your desk.


...I know where I belong. I know what I deserve. I know my salary expectations and what I demand in benefits. Ill settle for no less than I request. Whatever you give me...Im still giving more.

Im a workholic...I rarely quit...I usually just wait to get fired...quitting is usually not an option. I drain myself to prove my worth...I just need to know I tried.

Id rather take the option with the high risk of failing and the slight chance of succeeding...

than to never try, and never own this memory and experience...

We all fail, but its what we do with the lessons we learned that is crucial to growth...

Stand.
Fall.
Get up.
Walk.

My heart and mind speaks nothing but honesty and truths

Dont be fooled by the smile on the surface...
A different and deeper emotion lies beneath.

This is my analogy for something else. Has nothing to do with jobs and careers. You'll figure it out if you know me and you won't if you don't.

5 comments:

Candice said...

I agree with not quitting and working hard to get where you want to be. But even you said everything happens for a reason so just take it as a positive and hope for the best. I'm sure in due time everything will fall into place and you'll have the last laugh

TheDeF said...

Maybe its just me, but I took this post as an analogy for something else, something personal to me (could be personal to you too, dunno). You may not have even meant it that way and I could be delving entirely too deep below the surface composition, but I feel your words. The overall message could be taken in any aspect of life so either way it works. Hands down, this is my favorite blog................oNe

Anonymous said...

I sat in a leather seat in that office too, my bro. Believe me. The cheques coming in were so good I didn't even have to tear the envelope to look at the digits. It was irrelevant. Straight deposit. Zero withdrawal. Luxury spending. But I know you know this, homey - I came back to the mail room. And I sat back on the stool. And I didn't coexist with lowlifes because I, like you, am not a lowlife. So I worked with whom I worked. I spoke to whomever I spoke to. And I went from making money to earning it - something that Brock taught me the difference to. And when times were hardest, and the scenario most frustrating, I realized that I was sorting the cheques of someone else who was sitting in the executive seats, enjoying the finest of suites, and eating the fruits of everyone else's labour.

But I learned an important lesson as I'm sure you will.

From their perch and with their corner office view they could never see what I was able to see now. Even from the darkness and discomfort of my position and placement, I had a visual that they could never understand. And that's the knowledge of where their money, and my money, and especially your money, wealth, happiness, and goals for that matter, had actually come from.

the most valuable thing you have beyond your talents and characteristics brother, is your choice. and sometimes a change of scenery doesn't mean you are back peddling. It just means you are broadening your view.

all the best to you, my dude.
you know where I'm at.

Anonymous said...

after our convo, i want you to read this again dude.

Anonymous said...

I had a feeling this wasn't about jobs...haha.
I swear this just happend to me two weeks ago (not with jobs either...)
and whenever I try to explain it to someone they say "Youre taking it the wrong way"

But thank god, someone gets this feeling too.

"Ill drop you the 2 weeks notice on your desk." haha.

I swear this is such a good way to put it...
Thanks for sharing.
Good Stuff.