Tied to the job

[joe_schmoe]

More than once I've caught myself answering my personal phone "Sports, this is Joe Schmoe." or something similar, usually to the amusement of whoever was calling when it happens.
But this week I realized I'm tied to my job more than I thought, as on my day off I was watching the Mavericks on TV. I wanted to make sure I knew exactly where they were in that standings so I grab my laptop and my homepage is Google...and proceed to type BKN. Google was no help.

I really need to step away from sports for a few months/years/decades.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

In the beginning of a couple of my jobs, I've found myself accidentally giving out my previous job's phone number, and then realizing it, sheepishly call the person back to give them the new gig's number.

 

[BDC99]

Yeah, I think we've all done the "Sports, this is .... " at one time or another.
And I worked at competing papers at different times, and I went to the new job, it took all I had to keep "from Podunk wires" from getting in instead of "from Potsville wires," ... or "Podunk staff photo" or whatever. Came really close to effing that up several times.

 

[HejiraHenry]

We've all done that.
Better: I'd just wrapped up a call with one of my college beat writers a few years back and just reflexively signed off as I would with my wife - "Love ya, honey."
Well still laugh about that.

 

[BDC99]

We've all done that.
Better: I'd just wrapped up a call with one of my college beat writers a few years back and just reflexively signed off as I would with my wife - "Love ya, honey."
Well still laugh about that.

Done that one too! And I almost did it last night, when signing off with the woman who typesets our pages. Caught myself just in time. She's a great gal, but that would have been awkward!

 

[joe_schmoe]

I've almost done that with a local women's basketball coach after a phone interview. I would have never lived that one down.

 

[KJIM]

I don't think this has anything to do with where you work. It's just force of habit.

When I worked in Detroit, from the ages of 25 to 40something, I still caught myself almost answering, "House of Pets, can I help you?" ... the job I'd worked when I was 16. (And once, while at the pet shop, one of the guys answered, "House of Plywood, can I help you" ... and there was no such place.)

In my job now -- five-plus years after leaving the Detroit job and three jobs removed, I still have to pause before I answer the phone. After 10 years of answering the phone, "Company, this is KJIM," it's still the most natural thing to do.

I also have to lock my computer screen every time I move from my desk. Not even a year and a half in at this job, I catch myself at home using the same keystrokes on my own computer when I step aside for even a minute.

In my experience, nothing to do with spending too much time at work. It's just a habit.

 

[MTM]

I'll sometimes answer my cellphone "newsroom, can I help you?" when my wife calls just to crack her up.

More than being tied to the job is the job being tied to you and being recognized frequently in public.

I don't want to be pitched stories at the supermarket or bump into a source on Sunday morning when I'm at breakfast with my family wearing a t-shirt, shorts, flip flops and a ball cap.

On the other hand, I blew away one of my son's friends when he was asking about having the mayor at his Eagle Scout ceremony and I said I'd text her and ask.

 

[DeskMonkey1]

You know, I don't really recall ever doing that, but for no reason other than the fact I've always answered "Sports (newsroom), this is Monkey, can I help you?" or "Sports (Newsroom)." I have been known to put in old passwords, though.

I did, however, when my first child was born, on her first or second night saying "You can't have people food" because I was so used to saying that to the dog.

 

[spikechiquet]

My college radio station was called "Radio X".
I took a job working for "Radio U".
Yeah, that got screwed up...a lot! Even had a caller ask me if the station switched letters.

 

[Batman]

We've all done that.
Better: I'd just wrapped up a call with one of my college beat writers a few years back and just reflexively signed off as I would with my wife - "Love ya, honey."
Well still laugh about that.

For the longest time, my wife's name was right next to one of our local football coaches in my cellphone. I have a long commute, so I'd text my wife every day when I got to work to let her know I'd made it safely -- just a simple, "Made it. Love you honey ".
Was always afraid, every day, that I was going to send that text to the coach eventually and have some explaining to do.

 

[Bronco77]

More than being tied to the job is the job being tied to you and being recognized frequently in public.

I don't want to be pitched stories at the supermarket or bump into a source on Sunday morning when I'm at breakfast with my family wearing a t-shirt, shorts, flip flops and a ball cap.

I'm not recognizable because I've been on the editing side for many years, but I do have similar conversations with friends, acquaintances and my wife's family members -- even though I'd rather not talk about anything connected with my job when I'm not working. Everybody wants to talk sports, or asks if I get free tickets (or worse, if I can supply them with free tickets). These conversations occurred even when when I was editing news and business for many years. Almost as bad, people I'm introduced to are always asking, "What do you write about?" or "What team do you cover?" I have to explain how that's not what I do.