It felt like a crime scene most days. Disgruntled, overworked and underpaid employees, endless berating emails, meetings about meetings about meetings, putting out fires constantly, guns to the head every day to fill positions, hiring managers swarming around my desk, a cubicle with bad fluorescent lighting, gossip and venting in the lunch room–A day in my life as a corporate recruiter.
Somedays I would catch a glimpse of myself in the bathroom mirror at work and really wonder who I was to engage in such a circus. The reality is, I never belonged in a corporate environment. I don’t have a poker face for one, so “playing the game” didn’t work for me. Besides that, climbing any kind of ladder never intrigued me. I wasn’t sold on the soul-sucking race to get to the top, nor what the actual reality would be once I got there. I don’t do well with bosses either–especially when they lack empathy or channel their inner sociopath. Oh, and microwaved food and elevators always freaked me out. It was inevitable that my time in the 9-5 world would be short-lived.
Don’t get me wrong, recruitment served a very big purpose in my career for quite a while. It worked well for me until it didn’t. I’ve always had a fascination with people and understanding them better–their motivation in life and work. It’s these special parts that make us unique and who we are.
Working close to the masterminds and decision makers gave me perspective on what drives key decisions in corporations–the good, the bad and the really ugly. Arguably, more insight than most MBA programs offer. I pondered the behavior of the narcissistic, egotistical and entitled–and felt the pain of the mistreated, undervalued and stuck. I also developed a bond with the honest and driven whose untapped talents would motivate the plot of their next escape.
I came to realize there might always be parts of our job that we don’t like. There is no perfect. But if we do something every day for 10 hours a day, we better enjoy it–because time is our most precious commodity.
Understanding who we are is everything. Our life energy is worth more than any dollar amount or promotion. And quite honestly, the world doesn’t need any more “successful” people. The world needs more people who are fulfilled in their work and engaged in their lives.
Most of all, making a living should not be the death of us.