I was just let go from my job two weeks ago (work as a copywriter for an ad agency that services automotive clients and they blamed it on the Trump tariffs) after dedicating more late nights and weekends to my company than I care to count. I see the massive turnover and burnout that is endemic to my industry, and after a while, I've learned to stop taking it so personally. Unfortunately, creative is what ad agencies sell, and ironically, we're treated like garbage and we're the first to go when layoffs are imminent. My predicament is tough to talk about with some friends and family because they've invested themselves in their careers and because of their success, have an incredibly warped and idealistic vision of what capitalism is and what it's doing to society.
Here's what I've learned that has helped me get through this stuff:
- Treat work as a means to an end, and find fulfillment in hobbies, people, and passions.
- Most white-collar work is glorified paper-pushing, so I don't need to derive a sense of self-worth through it.
- Most companies are managed incompetently and care more about short-term profits and self-preservation than providing a quality product or service. Getting laid off is not necessarily indicative of your performance; you could be a random line-item scratch from detached leadership looking to hit an earnings goal.
- A lot of corporate culture rewards sycophancy and office politics before it will reward performance and competency. In many instances, you will be punished for being good at your job.
- People who invest in their careers (at least the ones I know) do not have much else going on in their lives, have sublimated their personalities into their companies and positions, or are willing to debase themselves for a paycheck and job status.
You’re still the guy that clawed out of poverty into stability. That attribute never leaves you, even if you’re not at that job anymore. It will be put to use and drive your success in whatever you do next.
Providence is telling you to focus on your incredible writing talent and not waste it in a shitty job. Told me that too and I’m happier. Never liked my job anyway. it was only for money.
It’s a scary time to be unemployed. I feel like the jobs numbers are just bs because everyone I know is either worried about layoffs or has been laid off and that includes a bunch of people that don’t even work in tech or entertainment. I hope you find something good soon PJ.
I’ve found most work to be a sort of proxy-debt slave to my bosses which becomes dehumanizing and humiliating.
Meaning my boss is millions of dollars in debt and therefor he has to maximize my labour so he can service his debt, although I do not hold the debt balance directly I am still effected day to day by the proverbial wolves at the door.
Good stuff. Last year, I had to sit my wife down and tell her that my business of 10 years was failing, and I was going to have to liquidate it and get a normal 9-5 job. Luckily I have a supportive and loving wife. I had the privilege of being there for her when she got laid off years ago and now she gets to return the favor. I got a good job almost immediately and we can see the light at the end of the financial tunnel.
You know, a lot of men tend to define ourselves by our jobs.
You have to get a job to get money. I will not minimize the difficulty of that.
But think about it. There are men born rich, who don't have to work. Are they superior because of that?
There are men who will never work again. Would you tell them to lay down and give up?
My point is, the equation of a man with his job is imposed from outside. It is difficult, but you don't *actually* have to accept their frame. Self-worth is subjective--unlike the melting point of water or the color of the sky, you can believe anything about it you want to. So why not just say, "fuck it, I need money for a while", and do whatever you have to get another one?
Fuck masculinity--it's just a way they get us to burn ourselves out for their machine and die in their wars. You take as much as you can from them and give them as little as you can get away with. Save the heart for your friends and family, or if you have none, for yourself.
You need money. Your worth is up to *you* to define. Don't let these shits take that away from you.
You gotta love where you came from. My extended family is all solidly upper middle class, but our European cousins who didn’t get on the boat to Ellis Island are middle-middle. Sometimes I like to think there’s an alternate reality where the great grandparents didn’t emigrate and in that alternate reality I have a big SCANIA cabover with my name on it. “Your Name Trucking GmbH” or something. I ply the autostrade, never missing a speed camera. Might be happier than where I am now, tbh.
I was fired from my job; It was my fault in reaction to implausible circumstances put against me. There is no hard feelings between me and the company — in fact, I still chill with one of my coworkers — but it was painful to be fired.
I have become to quite like unemployment; I wake up each day and spend 10-12 hours working on software projects that I enjoy. I just miss those workplace conversations and getting up and out of the apartment. I have never been a social creature; I like to think because most people bore me and I them. It is hard to find a social environment that is as positive for me than the programmer shop.
I don’t want to hate the job market because I can hardly imagine what I’d do if I posted an application and got 100s of resumes, but I can’t help but feel frustrated with it. Doesn’t help that job sites are the worst and fakest thing ever to be made.
Tbh, I want to be the boss, not because I think I will do “things right”, but so that I could be tyrannical in my own particular way, a way that I would find acceptable. I don’t want to beg and wait for others to give me promotions; bosses don’t beg, they negotiate.
I was just let go from my job two weeks ago (work as a copywriter for an ad agency that services automotive clients and they blamed it on the Trump tariffs) after dedicating more late nights and weekends to my company than I care to count. I see the massive turnover and burnout that is endemic to my industry, and after a while, I've learned to stop taking it so personally. Unfortunately, creative is what ad agencies sell, and ironically, we're treated like garbage and we're the first to go when layoffs are imminent. My predicament is tough to talk about with some friends and family because they've invested themselves in their careers and because of their success, have an incredibly warped and idealistic vision of what capitalism is and what it's doing to society.
Here's what I've learned that has helped me get through this stuff:
- Treat work as a means to an end, and find fulfillment in hobbies, people, and passions.
- Most white-collar work is glorified paper-pushing, so I don't need to derive a sense of self-worth through it.
- Most companies are managed incompetently and care more about short-term profits and self-preservation than providing a quality product or service. Getting laid off is not necessarily indicative of your performance; you could be a random line-item scratch from detached leadership looking to hit an earnings goal.
- A lot of corporate culture rewards sycophancy and office politics before it will reward performance and competency. In many instances, you will be punished for being good at your job.
- People who invest in their careers (at least the ones I know) do not have much else going on in their lives, have sublimated their personalities into their companies and positions, or are willing to debase themselves for a paycheck and job status.
You’re still the guy that clawed out of poverty into stability. That attribute never leaves you, even if you’re not at that job anymore. It will be put to use and drive your success in whatever you do next.
Providence is telling you to focus on your incredible writing talent and not waste it in a shitty job. Told me that too and I’m happier. Never liked my job anyway. it was only for money.
It’s a scary time to be unemployed. I feel like the jobs numbers are just bs because everyone I know is either worried about layoffs or has been laid off and that includes a bunch of people that don’t even work in tech or entertainment. I hope you find something good soon PJ.
I’ve found most work to be a sort of proxy-debt slave to my bosses which becomes dehumanizing and humiliating.
Meaning my boss is millions of dollars in debt and therefor he has to maximize my labour so he can service his debt, although I do not hold the debt balance directly I am still effected day to day by the proverbial wolves at the door.
Reminds me of some lawyer talk. "Women are human beings, men are human doings." The task a man performs is his definition, for better and worse.
Then maybe we need to ask ourselves why we let them convince us of that.
Good stuff. Last year, I had to sit my wife down and tell her that my business of 10 years was failing, and I was going to have to liquidate it and get a normal 9-5 job. Luckily I have a supportive and loving wife. I had the privilege of being there for her when she got laid off years ago and now she gets to return the favor. I got a good job almost immediately and we can see the light at the end of the financial tunnel.
You know, a lot of men tend to define ourselves by our jobs.
You have to get a job to get money. I will not minimize the difficulty of that.
But think about it. There are men born rich, who don't have to work. Are they superior because of that?
There are men who will never work again. Would you tell them to lay down and give up?
My point is, the equation of a man with his job is imposed from outside. It is difficult, but you don't *actually* have to accept their frame. Self-worth is subjective--unlike the melting point of water or the color of the sky, you can believe anything about it you want to. So why not just say, "fuck it, I need money for a while", and do whatever you have to get another one?
Fuck masculinity--it's just a way they get us to burn ourselves out for their machine and die in their wars. You take as much as you can from them and give them as little as you can get away with. Save the heart for your friends and family, or if you have none, for yourself.
You need money. Your worth is up to *you* to define. Don't let these shits take that away from you.
You gotta love where you came from. My extended family is all solidly upper middle class, but our European cousins who didn’t get on the boat to Ellis Island are middle-middle. Sometimes I like to think there’s an alternate reality where the great grandparents didn’t emigrate and in that alternate reality I have a big SCANIA cabover with my name on it. “Your Name Trucking GmbH” or something. I ply the autostrade, never missing a speed camera. Might be happier than where I am now, tbh.
The only way to deal with corporations is to make sure you're in a position where you can be as apathetic about the relationship as they are.
Why is Substack pushing this into my timeline now…….I don’t feel so good man
I was fired without notice from my reporting job.
I still think about that Friday years ago.
It's an open wound.
I was fired from my job; It was my fault in reaction to implausible circumstances put against me. There is no hard feelings between me and the company — in fact, I still chill with one of my coworkers — but it was painful to be fired.
I have become to quite like unemployment; I wake up each day and spend 10-12 hours working on software projects that I enjoy. I just miss those workplace conversations and getting up and out of the apartment. I have never been a social creature; I like to think because most people bore me and I them. It is hard to find a social environment that is as positive for me than the programmer shop.
I don’t want to hate the job market because I can hardly imagine what I’d do if I posted an application and got 100s of resumes, but I can’t help but feel frustrated with it. Doesn’t help that job sites are the worst and fakest thing ever to be made.
Tbh, I want to be the boss, not because I think I will do “things right”, but so that I could be tyrannical in my own particular way, a way that I would find acceptable. I don’t want to beg and wait for others to give me promotions; bosses don’t beg, they negotiate.