Work

[bandage]

Just had an incident in work today where I thought what the fook am I doing here.

My boss asked to speak to me and told me his boss had asked him to have a word with me. I was told I needed to display more drive, zest and enthusiasm as 'it's the way here'. I asked was there a problem with my work. He said no, they are very happy with how I'm performing but they just want me give off an extra positive vibe making it apparent that I'm extremely eager for the role I'm doing. I said I appreciate that they have such a culture but that surely there's room for individual styles too. I said I do my work in a quiet, understated way and to the best of my ability and seek more when I complete everything I've been given and I can't see the issue in that. He emphasised again that my work was not in question but underlined the importance of perception in the firm and having the reputation of being enthusiastic and driven as it's imperative for future career progression in the company more than anything else. I said just because I don't make a scene in the office, shouting self importantly across the building at people and bounding around and being loud and in everyone's face doesn't mean I don't have drive and personal pride in my work. I said I didn't really see the need to be haring around the place with a big cheesy grin on my face and making sure the head man sees me at least ten times a day. He picked up on that and said that it might well be worthwhile to make that extra effort with the head man (the guy that asked him to have a word) and to call into him with questions even if I know the answers just to display my eagerness and interest and to portray it clearly to him. I said I appreciate your advice but the way I work is the way I am and I'm not interested in office politics because that's why I left my last job. I repeated that as my work was of a high standard I didn't really see the point of the conversation and given how hard I've been working I was a bit taken aback and annoyed by it. My boss then began to worry and I could see that so I wondered aloud whether I was suited to the role and maybe whether I should investigate other jobs because 'I turned down other roles before I took this one that were higher paid to be honest'. The conversation then changed to how great I am, how I've done exceptionally well even though I've been thrown in at the deep end and not to dwell on the conversation at all because it was just a tiny observation and nothing of significance at all.

This was followed by his boss riding me all afternoon telling me how great I am. I was like 'yeah you're shitting yourselves now that I'll walk out before the year-end (September) and leave you in the lurch so you're trying to ride me. You'd hate to have to advertise, interview, hire and train someone in all over again, wouldn't you? You stupid fook.'

I was thinking about it there and I'm not sure if my course of action was right. What I said has obviously gone back to the head man so I don't know if I'm making unnecessary enemies though he seems to have taken a disliking to me already even though my direct boss (who had the actual chat) thinks I'm the man. Equally it might put the wind up them and give me more bargaining power when my probation period is up seeing as I got in the line about turning down other jobs and that seemed to throw him a good bit. Apologies for the long rant but any thoughts?

As an aside can anyone honestly say they are happy in their role?

I regret terribly not doing a journalism degree which would have allowed me to get into sport journalism or even something to get me into sport broadcasting. Any of us would be better than some of the plebs that crop up on sport programmes in one form or another in RTE and some of the excuses for journalists writing about a variety of sports from Cathal Dervan to Roy Curtis to Gerry McDermott. I could go on and on and on some more.

The question is do I have the balls to go back now and do something that I like and am passionate about but that would entail going back to college and having little, if any, cash or will I just sit here in a job that, while not depressing me, is just something I do to get by? It's going to be the latter but fook it annoys me.

That incident today really pissed me off. There's just such a load of ass licking and cock sucking in work environments these days and I have no interest at all in it. Honestly I don't.

[lyonsee]

Echo a lot of your sentiments there Bandage. Was told to improve the perception of me in my performance review this year. Much like you I'm not one for kissing ass or legging it around the office as if the world will stop turning if I don't get signoff asap. (Actually considered doing the whole rushing around thing for a day before study leave just for the laugh but decided I was too lazy). That's not to say I don't take pride in my work, I do. On somewhat of a tangent, I was really pissed off in my performance review that because a high profile engagement went badly , my performance on it, which I considered excellent, was brushed over. I also absolutely hate these geebags that come in on a Sunday or are in late at night and invent a reason to email the manager/director/partner just to let them know they're working late. Fook that. I ain't gonna change either despite being told to. I'll still stroll around the office, stop at somebody's desk if I have something to say to them and not make a meal of doing overtime. And I won't do overtime just for the sake of it either.

Am I happy in my current role? Absolutely not. Nothing fulfilling about it at all and it's worse that it's getting. As you yourself once said Bandage,

"I used to audit in a free role. Now I feel constrained to a boring, rigid, Chelsea-type 4-5-1".

Your point regarding whether you should change direction or not is very interesting as I've been contemplating doing the same for some time now. The problem with me is that I have no concrete idea of what I want to do. You don't have that issue. I think you should give very serious consideration to sports journalism/broadcasting as I reckon you're made for it (particularly the journalism, the broadcasting not so much - you speak too slowly and say "as in" too much ;D ). You're 24 (I think) - what's 2 or 3 years of relative poverty followed by doing something you love and getting paid for it verus 40 years of doing something you don't enjoy at all? I say take the plunge. I'm sure you'd rather regret doing something than not doing something, plus accounting can always be a fallback if things go awry.

[iamthelaw]

well you know i hate this place bandage. had to excuse myself this evening when another forum member started selling our place to a summer student so as not to come out with some bitter/honest comment.

although our opinions on some topics differ, your opinions are invariably worth reading. one of the lads i was in college with - gav cummiskey, don't see any harm in giving the name - did a one year journalism thing after his orts degree, and a few years later he's alll over the Times sports' pages. (despite imo not being invariably worth reading!) You know my opinion on this too bandage, if you don't try it now when will you??

[therock67]

First of all happy to say that I don't get any of that nonsense in my current place of employment. I keep a very low profile but I've only ever had very positive reviews, with the exception of a "joking" reference to my failure to shave more than once a week/fortnight. I think the culture here is very different to other employers I've experienced - expected to do your job but you'd be laughed at if you tried to create a profile. Nobody's overly interested in that.

Having said that it's still the same profession and as you well know I'd far rather be a sports journalist - hence the creation of this site in the first place. I have in the past looked into doing a night course in journalism but never found any that were recommended by anyone so I've left it slide.

On a side note I'm also in the process of recreating the other website (satireland). I'm redoing it in a blog like format. Got talking to a guy a couple of weeks ago who writes professionally and is on the radio too - seemed like a bit of a dick but he was well interested in setting up some sort of venture. Really got me interested in doing the site again so I've spent a bit of time converting it into a blog type format - for ease of updating.

Anyway FWIW I think you played the situation correctly with the bosses - no point in creating a mask so early in your career there which you are bound to follow. As I said to you before you've done your articles you are effectively a professional contractor now. If they don't want you or if you don't want them there are plenty of places interested. I'm sure cully will be doing interviews soon so find out where they are and try and gazump him.

[steamboatsam]

Bandage with you it all comes down to laziness - you know what you want to do and that you would be good at it, yet you're too fooking lazy to get the finger out and go and do it. (as an aside by all means do sports journalism, but you're way to fat & ugly for sports broadcasting - no offence, just being honest!) A mingbag who used to work with me went back to do journalism last summer and she got a part time job with some magazine, then a few months later she got one with the sunday business post so the money shouldn't be your biggest concern.

In the same boat as lyonsee myself - haven't a clue what I want to do but I know it's not banking. The problem is I'm not passionate enough about anything at the moment to go back to college. Had intended looking a new job in april after I got my bonus, then thought fook it no point in starting a new job coming up to the world cup, then thought no point in doing interviews etc until after the world cup, then thought no point in doing anything stressful in this fine weather. Then finally thought what's the point in getting a similar job to end up in the same situation in 6 months - same shit, different office.

Did consider becoming a professional gambler but the extreme lows I experienced after losing all those sneaky fivers during the world cup convinced me I don't have the correct mentality for it

[briantinnion]

Was on the receiving end of a similar comment myself during my year end 'talk'. I always work hard as it's the way I was brought up, my work during the year was excellent and overall my superiors were happy with my performance but I was told to appear more positive. I just don't see the point in pretending to like your job when you don't. I openly admit to my superiors that I don't like my job so I suppose that's where the encouragement to exhibit a more positive attitude comes from. I couldn't care less anyway, 1.5 more years and I'm free.

In your case Bandage I really think you should take the plunge, you could get a part time accounting job to pay the bills. Would love to do something I'm passionate about but I just don't know what I want. Tried my hand at trading on Betfair over study leave but a lack of discipline cost me 250euro within 10mins of starting, so that f**ks that as a career.

Life's too short Bandage, go for it, this time 3years you could be writing the "Sideline Cut" column in the Wexford People.

[timofte]

I'd like to reiterate the comments above, take the plunge Bandage. I have also received similar comments about increasing my profile, among the higher echelons of the firm, in my annual reviews. Fook off I ain't going to brown nose as I have no interest in progressing in this concentration camp. You are definitely lucky that you have an idea of what you want to do. I thought my current employment might shed some light on what I might do as a career but all it has helped me in deciding is what I definitely don't want to do. You should definitely do some research into what courses are available in Sports Journalism, maybe even in the UK as there is probably a good part-time course or 1 year diploma or something like that. As Lyonsee said you always have the accounting to fall back on if it all goes pete thong!

[whyohwhy]

bandage said:

Just had an incident in work today where I thought what the fook am I doing here.

My boss asked to speak to me and told me his boss had asked him to have a word with me. I was told I needed to display more drive, zest and enthusiasm as 'it's the way here'. I asked was there a problem with my work. He said no, they are very happy with how I'm performing but they just want me give off an extra positive vibe making it apparent that I'm extremely eager for the role I'm doing. I said I appreciate that they have such a culture but that surely there's room for individual styles too. I said I do my work in a quiet, understated way and to the best of my ability and seek more when I complete everything I've been given and I can't see the issue in that. He emphasised again that my work was not in question but underlined the importance of perception in the firm and having the reputation of being enthusiastic and driven as it's imperative for future career progression in the company more than anything else. I said just because I don't make a scene in the office, shouting self importantly across the building at people and bounding around and being loud and in everyone's face doesn't mean I don't have drive and personal pride in my work. I said I didn't really see the need to be haring around the place with a big cheesy grin on my face and making sure the head man sees me at least ten times a day. He picked up on that and said that it might well be worthwhile to make that extra effort with the head man (the guy that asked him to have a word) and to call into him with questions even if I know the answers just to display my eagerness and interest and to portray it clearly to him. I said I appreciate your advice but the way I work is the way I am and I'm not interested in office politics because that's why I left my last job. I repeated that as my work was of a high standard I didn't really see the point of the conversation and given how hard I've been working I was a bit taken aback and annoyed by it. My boss then began to worry and I could see that so I wondered aloud whether I was suited to the role and maybe whether I should investigate other jobs because 'I turned down other roles before I took this one that were higher paid to be honest'. The conversation then changed to how great I am, how I've done exceptionally well even though I've been thrown in at the deep end and not to dwell on the conversation at all because it was just a tiny observation and nothing of significance at all.

This was followed by his boss riding me all afternoon telling me how great I am. I was like 'yeah you're shitting yourselves now that I'll walk out before the year-end (September) and leave you in the lurch so you're trying to ride me. You'd hate to have to advertise, interview, hire and train someone in all over again, wouldn't you? You stupid fook.'

I was thinking about it there and I'm not sure if my course of action was right. What I said has obviously gone back to the head man so I don't know if I'm making unnecessary enemies though he seems to have taken a disliking to me already even though my direct boss (who had the actual chat) thinks I'm the man. Equally it might put the wind up them and give me more bargaining power when my probation period is up seeing as I got in the line about turning down other jobs and that seemed to throw him a good bit. Apologies for the long rant but any thoughts?

As an aside can anyone honestly say they are happy in their role?

I regret terribly not doing a journalism degree which would have allowed me to get into sport journalism or even something to get me into sport broadcasting. Any of us would be better than some of the plebs that crop up on sport programmes in one form or another in RTE and some of the excuses for journalists writing about a variety of sports from Cathal Dervan to Roy Curtis to Gerry McDermott. I could go on and on and on some more.

The question is do I have the balls to go back now and do something that I like and am passionate about but that would entail going back to college and having little, if any, cash or will I just sit here in a job that, while not depressing me, is just something I do to get by? It's going to be the latter but fook it annoys me.

That incident today really pissed me off. There's just such a load of ass licking and cock sucking in work environments these days and I have no interest at all in it. Honestly I don't.

Think you answered your own question there bandage.

Think you might have to calm down your blatant Wexford bias at times tho, unless you stay in Wexford journalism circles, or you'll end up like Stpehen Jones or even Sam Allardyce (hilarious article by him too).

[corleone]

Infidel,
I could not agree with your boss more. You anti-Bush people disgust me (I know you are anti "Bush" by your comments on the Home and Away girly girly thread). Yes you are correct, banking just does not suit you, however there is a similarly spelt profession (starting with "W") that you'd be great at, possibly setting world records. Give us that picture of Quinny beside my posts on the website and I'll consider (and only consider!) ignoring your anti-Munster constant rhetoric. Still bitter about that, sorry dude but can't just let that go...

[preshy]

it crossed my mind once or twice about accountancy, but now after reading what you have all said, im defo thinking against it....

[steamboatsam]

ten to five. i've stopped working hours ago but now it's time to leave.