New Job Blues

[allegrasparkle]

Okay so the title is a little misleading. I need some kind of input on this.

The story so far. I worked for Department store of over five years poured my heart and soul into everything. I worked long hard hours and went above and beyond. I got screwed over for promotions time and again. I took input and did everything they wanted finally I figured out that I was going nowhere fast and left.

I got lucky and got a better job with shoe company. Pretty much my dream job. What I'm facing is this, I don't go above and beyond there, I do my job to the best of my ability and go home, I do my nine hours and leave. I don't work on my days off. I guess I feel bad and feel that they are not getting the best of me. Any advice?

[Gurndigarn]

I don't go above and beyond there, I do my job to the best of my ability and go home, I do my nine hours and leave. I don't work on my days off. I guess I feel bad and feel that they are not getting the best of me. Any advice?

About the guilt: don't worry. You're giving an honest day's work for what is hopefully fair renumeration. Therefore, you are doing your job. And that's what your employer wants you to do.

Um, perhaps if I put it this way: a cutting-edge employer pushes their employees as hard as they can. But there's a problem with cutting edges: you can bleed on them. Eventually, you don't have the strength to go on; or you get too cynical; or you snap, grab a gun, and go retail on the place.

Cutting edge employers, in short, waste good employees by burning them out. It's foolish, because the odds of finding the really good employees isn't all that high.

A wise employer, by contrast, paces his employees. He gets a proper and fair amount of work out of them. He gives good employees a fair wage, and doesn't push them too hard without adequate reason... and does what he can to make sure that the adequate reasons don't show up on a regular basis. He listens to employee suggestions (and really listens, not prattles back company dogma when they say something), but doesn't just jump and follow everything said blindly without decent consideration first. Wise employers, by the way, are reasonably rare. So enjoy the fact that you have one, and keep this feeling in mind when some bozo at your corporate office does something really stupid.

[marasbaras]

If you are putting in all of the time requested and scheduled AND you're doing honest work while there, don't feel guilty. Work is not life.

You work to fund life. Not live to work.

[allegrasparkle]

Thank you to both of you who replied. It made me feel alot better and gave me a good prespective!!:)

[Sableonblonde]

What I'm facing is this, I don't go above and beyond there, I do my job to the best of my ability and go home, I do my nine hours and leave. I don't work on my days off. I guess I feel bad and feel that they are not getting the best of me. Any advice?

Wow, I have to admit I am a bit awed and impressed by that attitude. I have always been on the complete opposite end of the scale...after working around four or five hours I start to get cranky, and no amount of money or cajoling could get me to work on one of my days off.

I worked for Department store of over five years poured my heart and soul into everything. I worked long hard hours and went above and beyond. I got screwed over for promotions time and again.

In my experience, a lot of the time it isn't the hardest workers who get the promotions - it's the people who are friends with management/supervisors. They probably took you for granted, or else they realized what a dutiful, committed worker they had and didn't want to lose you to a higher position. Kind of like that saying goes (something like) "Don't be irreplacable. If you're irreplacable then you won't be promoted."

Don't feel so bad. And leave work at work! Go in, do your thing, enjoy it as much as you can, but once you have done your shift go home (or out to dinner or wherever) and just relax and enjoy yourself :-)

[Crazeyal]

The trouble with "putting forth effort" is that both the employer and yourself can get immune to it, and then it's part of everyday life. Just keep your eyes open. It doesn't sound like you NEED to abuse yourself to be part of this company. Communicate your feelings and desires to your supervisor. Keeping the lines of communication open will make sure there are no surprises, and hopefully you can keep the job you like as long as you want to.