When Work Is Fun

Hey, I can relate to this, so I’m going to write about it. Through the years, I’ve had lots of boring jobs. For me, they tended to get boring once I stopped learning about them.

Do this. Do that. Do the other thing.

Done.

Now, I’m bored. Essentially, they weren’t challenging enough for me. Many times, the jobs I had were with folks who had been around for a while.

As the new person at work, nobody trusts you, nor should they. It takes at least a couple of months, with you showing up every day, not coming in drunk, and being responsible, before anybody is going to look at you twice. My husband had a job where they used business cards with a blank line for the person’s name. They called them the dumb new guy cards. Then, after the person had been on the job for a couple of months, they got business cards with their name printed on them.

Something else with a new job is that you should find somebody who will mentor you, and if not that, at least help you occasionally. Networking within the company is important. Also, volunteering for stuff is important. People get burdened with large tasks all the time. You know how to help people, right? If your supervisor is okay with it, and you can still get your own work done, go for it.

What you want is for your name to come up and for the supervisors to talk about you. The same thing can happen if you don’t do your job, so it can be a thin line. Just help out, and you’ll be fine.

What you’re angling for is a promotion, or at least to know more about what goes on in your company. If there are a lot of people, then there is more opportunity for advancement. Especially if you are known for being close-mouthed, loyal, responsible, and willing to help.

What’s going to happen is that you will be the first person they think of to sub for somebody who has to take some time off.

This is not a boring job at all.

Why even bother if all you want to do is gather with your friends after work and party? Well, you’ve got a point there. Eventually, you will learn that life isn’t about partying. At least, it won’t be the older you get.

You’d think people would know how to be in a job, but that’s not something that gets taught to young people. It’s on-the-job training, and the sooner you see what you can do to keep your job interesting, to be asked to shoulder more responsibilities, and eventually to get promoted, well, you’ll be in the mail room when you are 55 years old.

Oh, and here’s something that used to make me crawl up the walls once I was a supervisor. It was people who were constantly on their telephones, just like they were at home. There is nothing more irritating to me than having a conversation with somebody who can’t keep their eyes off their phone. Often, I just stand back and wait to see if they want to rejoin the conversation. Often enough, they don’t. That’s when I think of two things. One that they are rude, and the other that I must be as dull as old dishwater. If it happens to me in retirement, I will decide I won’t be as available to them the next time they want something. If it happens at work, then I will have something to say about that employee.

Oh, and don’t gossip at work. I know it happens, but you never know what secret alliances there are, and whatever ill will you are talking about will eventually get back to the person in question. Worse, word will get back to the higher-ups that you are discontented and like to gossip.

Now, if you see malfeasance, please report it to your supervisor. I can remember being told by someone in human resources that people who handled money should be required to take two consecutive weeks off every year. Two weeks where they would not come to work, not even on the weekends. The reason for this is two-fold. If there is something funny going on, it will turn up during the two weeks they are gone. Either it is innocent enough, and the person has forgotten or ignored the current job requirements, or they are siphoning off money, or leaning into an advantage that nobody is supposed to get.

How do you find this out? You look at the amounts of the bank deposits and see if that is varying in any way. You see the number of bank deposits. Our rule was that money did not sit at the sites waiting to be sent to the bank. Deposits were to be taken to the bank every day.

You’d also be aware of any favors being given that aren’t part of the rules. Like a customer showing up to have work done, expecting the friends and family discount, when that isn’t actually offered. Or people disappearing for long lunches just because it’s what they’ve been doing for the previous couple of years.

If someone has something to protect, they will not want to go on vacation.

I remember one of our managers could spot a thief right away, and if we were puzzled about something going on, we could always count on him to be both discreet and offer suggestions as to why something wasn’t quite right.

That last job I had? Well, that was the one. I was there for over 20 years. It went from me being a dumb-new-guy to being a supervisor. So, I do know what I’m talking about.

If any of that can help somebody who is in the trenches right now, then I’d be happy about it. Don’t cut any corners. Be honest. Be willing to help. You’ll be fine.

Oh, and one last thought. The thing about work being fun? That's actually a life lesson for you. Nobody is responsible for your happiness. Only you are responsible for that. So, if you want to have fun at work? You need to learn how to have fun with the job.

Thanks for reading.

Pauline Evanosky