I need advice from AF. I am really struggling with my work environment at the moment. I am the only subordinate in the office and I am struggling with this aspect of my work life. There was another guy at my firm on my level, but he recently left so it is now just “me and the boss.” I have never worked in a place where I am the only subordinate. Most of the time my boss is here, but he travels occasionally and so sometimes I am the only person in the office. I generally like to be around people (not all the time!) because I like to compete and measure myself against others. For the first time in my life I am finding it hard to get motivated. I like to have others around because they push me to do better, plus I like the company. Have any of you been in a similar situation. How do you stay motivated?
You don’t… it’s very demotivating. So you need to find some peer group outside of the office, like if there is a local CFA chapter or some other association you can join. Use networking sites (like LinkedIn) to identify peers in similar roles at other nearby firms. Reconnect with former colleagues from your previous jobs and take them out for lunch or just call them up on the phone. Set a limit for how long you plan to stay with this firm (“In two years I’ll…”). Pretend that you are a consultant contracted for a limited time period.
Good advice Mehdi…cheers. I think part of the problem is that if you are alone all day at work and then go home and study alone, you are in isolation the entire day. Anybody else have experience working alone or in isolation without much people contact?
thommo77 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Good advice Mehdi…cheers. > > I think part of the problem is that if you are > alone all day at work and then go home and study > alone, you are in isolation the entire day. > > Anybody else have experience working alone or in > isolation without much people contact? I’ve been in a similar situation the past few years, I’ve been the only one in the office probably 50% of the time. I’ve also been studying most of the time as well, so I understand the isolated feeling. I wish I has some good advice for you, but I really haven’t got any. Just gotta try and keep your head right, and stay disciplined in doing your work. I hindsight, I probably should have left earlier but hindsight is always 20/20. If you like the work, keep getting the experience until you’re ready to move into the next level. If you really can’t stand the situation, it’s probably best to look for another opportunity.
Thanks artvandalay. I do like the work, but the isolation is taking its toll. I never thought about it until recently. You are right, just got to stay disciplined and keep my head right.
^ you know artvandalay is lying since we know brianr was always in his office, though hidden from view under the table so it only looks like he’s the only one there.
I have worked in your situation, even for a time in a research lab where days could go by without my talking with a soul. I agree, too much isolation is not a good thing. Try to meet people in other areas of the company. Just having someone to email or have lunch with can make all the difference in not feeling alone. Try to bury yourself in the work and remember, you are only competing against yourself. When I was getting my BS degree, I had to work nights for a time - in a factory - and I was the ONLY one there. I used to set personal goals for myself and try to beat them. Eventually I came to greatly enjoy not having the boss around, then I graduated. It also helped me to realize this was ONLY temporary, same for you, I will bet.
sublimity Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > ^ you know artvandalay is lying since we know > brianr was always in his office, though hidden > from view under the table so it only looks like > he’s the only one there. Oh sub, we both know it’s your mom under the desk.
I worked for about a year in a situation like that, 50% of time I was the only one in the office although there was also an admin. I think if you can spend a good amount of time on conf calls or on the phone in general, it makes a difference.
Don’t know why you’re trippin, when I’m alone I usually get drunk and watch p0rn until I’m too drunk to watch anymore and it gets disorienting. Then I cab it home.
i’m in a similar situation, not alone but the only subordinate. everyone else is 10+ years older. i came from a company where we had a lot of fun people my age, and the change was certainly tough. they’re nice people and like to joke around. for some reason they’re in the “old” bucket in my head, so i keep my guard up. i can’t throw chapelle show quotes at them for example, so it’s tough. it’s definitely a consideration when i think about how long i want to stay here…
I envy you thommo. I wish I was all by myself here in the office. No yelling boss, no whining colleages, no mobbing. Either you don’t know how lucky you are, or you are simply not cut out to live a couple of hours with yourself. I have a broad here in the office who is like that. She is bored to death, cause she works full-time in a part-time job and whenever she gets a chance (I usually try to avoid her) she complains about not having someone to talk to. Well, what am I to do about that? I aint gonna hire somebody just so she can have stupid conversations and work even less. When I was in university, I also worked night and weekends in a factory. Great job! Only me and the machines humming. Just us doing our work. During breaks I read porns and ate junk food and when somebody else came along I gave him a mean look and he disappeared as quick as he could. Fond memories.
I am also in a similar situation. Even though I’m not the only person around and not the only subordinate, I am the only foreigner in a small Eastern European country and I don’t speak the language yet. Some days go by without anyone talking to me. It’s quite frustrating, so I’ve also started looking around for new jobs. I’ve been here for 2 years now and it’s taken its toll on me to a certain extent. You tend to get used to isolation and that also translates into your private life. After a while, you might not be that keen on seeing your friends anymore, or on networking. I now have to force myself to go to all sorts of networking and social events. I’ve begun calling a lot of people and setting 3-4 lunch dates a week, in order to get re-acquainted with people. My tip is to get out of there once you can. Stay long enough so you don’t have a “short-stint” on your CV and in the mean time, revive your social life by contacting people you haven’t spoken to for a while, setting lots of lunch dates and getting back into the loop in your area/indusrty.
Lara-Lilly, the only foreigner in the whole country??? And nobody speaks English?
Is it Nagorny Karabakh? But even there I expect there are some foreigners
Good advice guys…thanks very much. There are some good aspects to being the only person in the office. I can blast music, take my shoes off, scream if I want to, catch up on personal stuff…I like the idea of porn and junk food.