What I've Learned From Working
05.17.00

I've worked in a bunch of different jobs... type setter, food delivery guy, warehouse shipper/receiver type person, waiter, janitor, receptionist (kinda), lab consultant, bouncer, web designer, and I think I worked as a shoe salesman for about two weeks. And in all that time, through all those jobs, this is What I've Learned...

Hell has fluorescent lighting
Don't believe me? Look up.

The perfect job exists, it's just not yours.
I know there's a killer job out there. I know it, because I've been so close to having it. Great work environment, but crappy pay. Lots of freedom, but not much work. There's always something better, somewhere.

No matter how ridiculous you think your "job" is, someone else is proud that it's their "career".
I worked in a warehouse over a summer, and couldn't care less about my job. It was a joke. There was no way in hell I was going to be working in a warehouse for the rest of my life... I'd grow up and get a real job. But some of my coworkers were. And they were happy. This was their career. This was their "real job". So even if you think what you're doing is ridiculous, don't shit on it, because someone else is proud of it.

Just because someone is a great [widget maker], doesn't mean they'd make a great manager of [widget makers]
I knew an incredible web designer, interface navigation specialist, who was promoted to be a manager of other web designers and producers. Within six weeks, all her managerial responsibilities were removed. Turns out, she couldn't handle people as well as she handled her computer. And she's not the only one out there.

Just because someone is a great manager of [widget makers] doesn't mean he knows a damn thing about [making widgets]
Scott Adams said it best when he wrote the Dilbert Principle, saying (something along the lines of) the most incompetent employees will be systematically moved to the positions where they can cause the least amount of damage: Management. 'Nuff said.

If you enjoy your job, consider yourself VERY lucky
You may not realize it. Hell, I didn't realize it when I had a great job. But if you really enjoy your job, rejoice. 95% of the people out there are not happy at their job, in the least. Most of us outright fucking hate it. So consider yourself VERY lucky.

Sometimes, money isn't all that matters
Don't believe me? Read the last one.

Sometimes, money is all that matters
I'm not a materialist at heart. Really. But even in the face of a fantastic offer to work at a wonderful place, even I had to turn it down because it was too much less than I was making at the time of the offer. At the end of the day, the happy life I lead outside of work can't be continued if I can't pay for it. You can't pay for cable with a happy work environment.