Showing posts with label being aggressive in the workplace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label being aggressive in the workplace. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Have you ever burned a bridge at work?

I haven't, and I'm starting to think that might not be such a good thing. People who look out for themselves seem to be the ones who get ahead quicker. A few months after I lost my job, I got a freelance gig in the research department at a wedding magazine. I knew the work would be tedious, but with no other prospects in sight, I happily accepted it. About two weeks later, I got an email from an editor at a newspaper offering me a full-time freelance job that basically required playing matchmaker to all the singles in NYC. Hello, fun job! I was bursting with excitement until I realized, shit, I already had a job. 


I tried to figure out a way to do both, but it just wasn't working out. And even though I didn't sign a contract with the first job, I just couldn't find it in myself to quit after I had already started. Is everyone thinking I'm a total idiot right now? Probably. I went from having to choose between two jobs to not even having ONE. Sweet. Will being a nice, honest person ever get me anywhere? It doesn't feel like it. But, I just don't know how to be anything or anyone other than who I am. For better or worse. 

It's hard for me not to look back and wish I had made a different decision. However, I do believe in all the cliches about how everything happens for a reason, so I'm just gonna go with that. What choice do I have anyway? Plus, if I had taken the second job, I probably wouldn't be here writing to all of YOU on this very blog. 

So be honest here: Do you think I made the wrong decision? Have you ever been in a similar situation? And have you ever burned a bridge at work?