Category: Work

So I probably should just shut up and be grateful I have a job. This isn’t a humble brag as I know there are many that are not in the same fortunate circumstance.

I’ve worked my way through a fair share of hospitality and retail roles. Some have really sucked, some were ok and some were great. At the end of the day, the purpose of working is to earn money. After all, money doesn’t grow on trees but it makes the world go around. 

That was my old life and now I’m supposed to be professional? You know…after graduating, you are elevated to career life. I’m still in the early phase but like choosing university electives, it takes some time to figure out the best fit. I’m still in the trial and error phase. 

How invested does one have to be?

In retail, you had to be motivated enough to do your job and sell goods – meeting the all important KPIs. But at the end of the day, there was no carry over to the next day, and you were paid for the work. Purely the work output. It sure helps that your co-workers are friendly and easy to work with but that wasn’t the point. You weren’t there to necessarily make lifelong friends, kiss each others’ arses, constantly contribute to team discussions or made to participate in forced attempts for bonding.  

There is now an intense focus on customer service and fostering culture. Customer service is everything these days. Businesses going out of the way to please every customer and the consumer’s entitlement of perfection. Otherwise the unhealthy power imbalance results in a negative review online, leading to a  boycotted business. Extreme example but possibly could happen. And let me say, we should also take from the French that the customer is not always right. 

Workplace culture is the phrase that gets thrown around as well by Human Resources. Oh sorry, People and Culture. Just like new Coke, the change is surface level. How apt. 

A friend of mine stepped out of a settlements role at a mortgage lender. To be fair it was perceived as a risky move given the climate with no job lined up. But kudos to sticking to her gut feelings. Not many would brave a chance like that. She paused for a bit before re-emerging as a contractor for a lending firm and is also now switching to another contract role. 

So, job security or job flexibility? 

Wouldn’t most of us want to have our cake and eat it too. Much like 99.9% of people in this country, I have been encumbered with debt which I believe is an actual rite of passage these days. Are you even human if you don’t have some form of debt? I don’t condone it but it is hard to evade in modern society. 

While some days my friend is bored out of her mind such as educating staff the right click function on a laptop trackpad (that is not her role by the way), she enjoys not being anchored by politics and characters. Politics being the office kind and characters being the people in said office. 

How nice would that feeling be. Knowing your time is only temporary and detached from office politics and disingenuous positivity.  And to not feel any form of guilt of browsing for the next thing to try your hand at. Even if it’s on a whim. God I’m sounding like a Sagittarius. Oh wait…Obviously that’s the rose tinted angle. The limitations and ever increasing reliance on welfare due to the casualisation of almost a quarter of total employees in Australia’s workforce has been recently thrust in the media spotlight. 

The crux of having having this choice goes deeper

While the choice may be yours, making that known may cause repercussions especially while in an ongoing employment. While it ultimately shouldn’t matter if job obligations are still met, it can be perceived as disloyal. Which is a little bit of the pot calling the kettle black  if you ask me. Besides, job loyalty doesn’t necessarily carry the same cachet nowadays. 

Job Loyalty Is Dead, And It’s Better That Way

You Don’t Owe Your Company Undying Loyalty

Sometimes, a job is just a job. No hidden agenda or attachments. It’s a means to live your life. So how does one diplomatically convey “I’m here to do my work, get paid and take my leave?” without sounding insincere or be labelled as divergent? I still haven’t the foggiest clue. Please let me know.