My Reaffirmation That I'm In The Wrong Business

There could be more give-and-take than is currently the norm in the employer/employee relationship, however. They aren't being charitable by giving us jobs. It's an exchange of services for compensation. We have certain rights and enforcement of those rights is highly spotty.

I realize unions aren't the Employee Holy Grail and it's not a debate I particularly want to start with the pros and cons of them, but employers have done nothing but benefit from the loss of a strong worker-advocate voice as they've become less and less common.

ETA: Admittedly this is kind of neither here-nor-there, as bonuses shouldn't be a "right" for any employee.

 

I wouldn't quit if I were Frederick. I'd work the 40 and make them fire you. At least then you'd get unemployment.

And Frederick, I think I told you this once before, but if you're putting in the 60-70 hours, at least do something constructive with it. Take a PT job, if there are any available, so you at least get paid something for your time, or take a couple of classes in something for a new profession. At least, when your bosses bitch that you aren't working the unpaid OT, you have a second excuse, besides that they aren't paying you for the extra time anyways.

 

Not completely true. The economy is forcing a lot of people to stay where they are, because other options have been eliminated.

And because of that fact, everyone with a steady job should appreciate it, even if they don't appreciate all of the aspects of their job. A lot of people out there would love to work terrible hours for horrible pay these days.

 

There are *always* options. They may not be options people like, but there are always options.

 

I keep reading about how terrible the economy is, but I've watched talented people flee our shop for other jobs left and right for the last year.

I think we are just so beaten down in our miserable industry that we think it's hopeless.

 

I don't know; why aren't some of you looking harder as well? I think you get caught in the routine of working your fucking ass off day to day and find it difficult to map out a new career path. I think like many of you lurkers or posters I am secretly hoping they do fire me to force me to get my future together. I don't think there's a future in this business anymore. To the person who hasn't had a raise in 12 years ... my gosh. Why aren't you all jumping on him telling him to quit?? That is fucking disgraceful as well.

 

It has nothing to do with the routine you're in.

The fact is that you're not looking harder for something else because you are -- catch this -- not really looking for something else.

You also do not really want -- secretly, or otherwise -- to get fired, and you are not hoping for that.

You are just venting. We've all done it. And, in this business, it rarely means anything. It really is just a release, in the same way that people curse when they smash their finger with a hammer, or something...We all like to talk shop, and that's what we're doing, just, with warts and all, that's all.

Also, it is generally much easier to stick with the status quo -- as bad as it may be -- than it is to make wholesale changes in mid-stream, and it is human nature to take the easier, more familiar and less fearful way -- the path of least resistance -- whenever possible.

 

Just remember, there's a life outside this business. If you're staying because the economy is so bad that you don't think there are opportunities elsewhere that are worth your while, then that's understandable. If you're staying because you somehow, consciously or subconsciously, think it's noble or honorable or enjoy being a martyr of, worse yet, have let them lower your self-worth to the degree that you feel like this is all you can do and all you can deserve, then that's the absolute wrong reason. I know it's cheesy, but shoot for the stars. How many of us could have been brain surgeons if only we'd taken that path instead, you know?

 

Some, but not that many.

 

Yeah, I'd highly doubt any of you would want me to perform surgery on your brains.

 

Touching on a tangential point that I've been pondering:

Assuming we had a reliable standard of measuring general intelligence, where would journalism end up on a continuum of college majors?