Yes, I admit it, I am pro-corporate. All you people who hate “the man” and are “anti-establishment” probably think I’m insane.
The thing is, I don’t think I really am. See, I’m a person who likes structure. I tell everyone, “I can think outside the box, but I need a box.” Part of my jobs over the past few years have all included taking things beyond the established boundaries. Boxes are like challenges for me. I don’t feel confined to certain boundaries…instead, I usually put on my bull horns and say, “Oh, yeah?”
Some of us need to work for someone else. That’s just a fact. I actually like bosses. They help provide structure and give you direction. You can focus on certain tasks instead of having to be everything to everyone. If you’re lucky, and you end up with an amazing boss, then it’s even better. Things could be going crazy around you, but that amazing boss is going to do his or her best to steer the ship in the right direction.
Were you that person who ALWAYS needed to go to the library to study? You couldn’t actually study in your dorm room or lounge? Well, the distractions don’t go away when you’re out of school. Some days, you really need to just get work done! And sometimes, an office or cube is going to be the best place to be. If you’re fortunate, and you have a home office, that might minimize distraction. I know for me, I spend my time in both places. I can get a balance between my creative self and my operational self.
And I love that I have (for the most part) an idea of my working hours. There may be weeks that I feel like I work around the clock, but it’s usually for a pretty important deliverable. I know we’re accomplishing something instead of banging our heads against a wall. But back to working hours. I’m an early bird, and I do work with teams in Europe, so starting at 7:00am fits for me. And then I also know that I’m allowed to end my day. I don’t have to be on call 24hrs. Having the ability to end my day job means I can spend time on the Life part of the Work/Life balance.
Finally, I trust the system. Sure, there are going to be crappy bosses, bad salary packages, frustrating working conditions, and bumps along the way. You’re going to find that no matter what (corporate or not). But there are some companies out there employing hundreds of thousands of people. Not everyone can have the start up or self-employed life, and not everyone wants it…And as we make a turn in this economy, we have to keep giving corporate life a chance.
So if you’re with me, let me hear you!
Emily,
Interesting post. I have mostly worked in non-corporate settings, which has been great, but honestly I am like you. I like to have a box that I can break out of, unfortunately this isn’t always the case with the corporate environment. A lot of people that work in corporate are forced into the daily grind and are allowed little freedom to explore. Then again, a lot of my non-corporate work experience ends up the same way.
Either way, I am pro-corporate as well, but I am also pro- a good working environment, corporate or not.
Teresa
Hi Teresa, I’m with you. There have been other roles where I had to actually keep the box boundaries in tact. When you’re in those situations, I find that having something else that helps with the creative side keeps you sane. Like I do volunteer work where I get to test out new ideas that I know I can’t execute in the office.
Plus, pro-good working environment is important. You can work for a crappy boss with bad coworkers and a draining culture anywhere, it’s not limited to the corporate world. Thanks Teresa!
Emily,
I agree. I do my best work in a structured environment. I like to know what is coming, plan for it, and execute on those plans. This is probable why a “To Do” list is my best friend. This doesn’t mean I can’t handle a change in priorities or direction – It is just a matter of preference.
As Teresa mentioned, not everyone is allowed the flexibility that you have. I think that is what can really make the difference. If you feel that you have control over your work day, in a corporate setting or not, you will be happier in your job.
Thanks for speaking your mind!
Amanda
Hi Amanda, not all of us get flexibility. I had a conversation with someone last night about how you have to earn it. And sure, in some cases, it’s being a minion and paying your dues. In my case, it was a lot of hard work with excellent results. I’ve told many people, never give someone reason to think you can’t do something. If you don’t like a role, don’t quit on the job and turn out bad results. Rock the job better than anyone before you.
Control is another thing. Sometimes it’s imagined, sometimes you might actually have some. I did work for myself for a little while, and well, it felt like I was overwhelmed all the time. Now, I’m happy being part of a machine, not the machine, repairman, and manufacturer all in one. Thanks Amanda!
That’s the best answer by far! Thanks for cotnniburitg.
Great post! I agree that the corporate world is NOT all that bad, and I’m often perturbed that it gets so much slack. Other opportunities can be just as challenging and disappointing. Glad someone is speaking up for the corporate world!
Thanks Rebecca, like generalizations across the board, there are always exceptions. But if the corporate world has been successful for many (Google’s a corporation for goodness’ sake), then there are positive’s on the other end of other negatives. Thanks for sharing the same spirit!
Found this through Rebecca, and I’m glad I did.
I agree – I think Gen Y is (and will continue to) re-defining the corporate culture so that it’s not all evil. But, we’re also well aware that there is no longer a ‘safe-bet’ when it comes to work. Working for ‘the man’ is fraught with as many risks as trying to make it on your own. The trick is to figure where you’re most challenged, comfortable, and contributing. That’s where you’ll be happiest (IMO).
And, best of all, you can go and in and out of the corporate world many times in your career, learning something valuable each time.
Sam, you bring up a great point: Stability has a new definition. You can’t start and retire are the same companies anymore. I also love that you brought up that we’ll all be getting a variety of experiences, through different companies, startups, public jobs, etc. I know for me, how I feel about my own corporate situation changed as I moved through different jobs. My opinion was often based on my role at the time, and after four roles, I found that each opinion is a little different. Thanks for stopping in, and awesomeness to Rebecca for pointing you in this direction!
These are the types of posts we need to hear Emily. There’s so much idealistic “you should never work a nine to five” posts out there that I’m glad there are some who are speaking up about this. Note: I have a very sour taste in my mouth from the corporate world, but that is not at all to say that I don’t see the benefits of the environment and know there is a lot to be learned with that “structure”.
I prefer the idea of “being my own boss” but I’m not opposed to a “nine to five” – Corporate or not, I just want something that, as Teresa mentioned, is just a “good fit” and allows me to be me, not a lesser version of me that’s held back.
Hi Matt, I can say I agree with you 100%. Each experience you have is going to shape how you feel about the whole. While I really hate working for myself, it really was a B2C sales job. What if I worked for myself and did B2B? Who knows? What if I go from my corporate environment that is still flexible to a banking structure that is very rigid? What I do know is that I do thrive in some forms of certainty (like working hours, locations, who my boss is, etc.). I think if we all think in that respect, you might be surprised that you can find those attributes in all kinds of environments. It’s finding your fit. Thanks Matt, you’re insight is always amazing!
Hi Emily,
First off, congrats for being featured in Matt’s “Friday Quick Hits.”
Second, I’m glad you’re “coming out” and exploring the benefits of working in the corporate world. It’s quite “un-Gen-Y,” but I love it!
My perspective is a bit different, and I think you touched on that when you talked about bosses. Your manager and your boss really paves the path to whether your experience at a corporate, private, nonprofit, startup, etc. job will be. I’ve had my share of good bosses who challenged and inspired me. Those are the jobs that I look back on and remember what an amazing organization it was. And then I’ve had bosses who seemed like the only existed to put up obstacles and declare those were challenges. It was “sink or swim” but they weren’t too excited about teaching me the right way to cross the lake.
It sounds like you’ve been very fortunate in your corporate work life and I’m glad that you’re proud of it! Thanks for sharing.
Laura, thanks for the congrats! I’m always excited when included in something from Matt, he’s awesome.
And yes, it feels like I’m “coming out” if you will. But I kept hearing from others how they were scared to say “I need corporate structure!” So I guess I decided to be the one who stands up.
Bosses can make or break it. I think that’s true no matter where you are. I was watching Grey’s where there was some very clear “paying your dues” and hazing going on. Do people learn from that? Who knows. If you really teach, I know you do. If you hope people learn from punishment, well, there’s research on that.
I think we should celebrate when people do find a great environment for them, instead of being so against what we may have had one bad experience with. Thanks for stopping in!
This is a good post Emily! I like hearing all sides of the fence in the workplace.
I work at a startup – the opposite of corporate. I have always worked at small businesses, startups and non-profits. I really enjoy it and I don’t think I will ever venture corporate. It’s too rigid, systematic and often doesn’t let you expand the mind like a startup does (disclaimer: I know, generalizations). However, that doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy many the same things you do in this post.
-Having a boss: For now, I love having a boss and inspiring management team. They are entrepreneurs, VPs, etc. with varied backgrounds and everyday, they teach me so much. It’s as though I’m enrolled in an MBA course.
-Schedule/Working Hours: I know I can count on my weekdays. I have a schedule and I can change up what I do on weekends and weeknights, but it’s good for me to feel balanced.
-Working Focused/With People: My boss used to work for a huge corporation (Sun Microsystems) and the last five years he was there, he worked from home, in his basement. He said it was lonely. He loves working with people, collaborating and coming into an office filled with smart people.
So you see, startup world although may be a little more risky, fast-paced and changing has very similar ideals to what you spoke about in this corporate post.
I also think of Jenny Blake’s great post (that I loved/agreed with) 10 Reasons I Love My Cubicle: (http://www.lifeaftercollege.org/blog/2010/01/10/i-love-my-cubicle/)
Grace, when I was thinking about this post, I know I was probably walking straight into the world of generalizations. Most of us do. It’s funny, even in my company, there’s offices that look like they house law firms instead of the Marketing department, then we have offices that have pool tables and cafes. So even in the same company, there’s a culture difference based on location.
I really liked Jenny’s post about cubicle life. She points out that even a giant company can give you some start-up culture, and that you can still have fun at your job! A cube doesn’t mean you’re staring at mindless spreadsheets all day.
As a number of comments are showing, it’s about finding the situation that works for you. And positivity is something we should all not only try to find, but also contribute. We don’t need to make a problem worse if we see one. Thanks Grace!!
Totally agree. I also don’t need to knock the corporate world – like you said, find what works for you and often times that is going case-by-case for each job opportunity. One corporate company will be different than another corporate company.
My biggest point with my comment was that I experience the same joys from my startup job that you experience with your corporate job. As an umbrella overreaching point, there are many similarities when it comes to individual fulfillment (at least the points you brought up and to my experience). Great thinking here, Emily!
Thanks Graca, always appreciate your insight!
This is a most useful couitibntron to the debate
Great post, Emily. You seem to be happy with your job and that’s awesome and sometimes rare for Gen Y 🙂 I currently work at a corporation, but have worked at a small company and am pretty involved in the startup community in my city too, so I see all perspectives. I agree with a lot of what you said. I went corporate after getting completely burnt out at an ad agency – crazy pay, ridiculous hours – so it’s been nice to get a little more “balance” in my life (although I must say I don’t like that phrase). Yes, the stability of the job, having a steady paycheck, great benefits and set hours/duties are nice, but there are certainly challenges that come along with the territory. Politics, resistance to change, the “pecking order” – all can frustrating. But I’m fortunate enough to have a boss who allows me to be creative, have a voice, manage my own marketing programs and have a flexible schedule – all which are very important to me, so it works.
It all comes down to what makes us happy and I think that can change based on a number of different wants, needs and circumstances we will have throughout our lives. You’re completely right in that not everyone wants to form a startup company. Personally, I’d be lying if I said I haven’t considered jumping ship and doing my own thing, but at this point in my life it just isn’t feasible. So instead, I take some of the great concepts from the entrepreneurial mindset/approach – such as innovation, collaboration and risk-taking – and try to bring them into my job/company and encourage others to start thinking the same way.
Thanks for starting this discussion on such a hot topic! It was great to hear your perspective.
Hi Sara, I know that the major message I’ve been hearing from people about this topic is that there will be good and bad in most scenarios, but you find the one that works for you. I love my boss right now. That’s really making a huge difference in my work life. But trust me, I will probably still bang my head against the wall sometime each week 🙂
I do want to keep broadening my experiences. I’m in services now, and I really want to go somewhere that does manufacturing. I’d like to try out a small start up as well, but while I may love entrepreneurial spirit, I do know that I’d like to follow someone for the time before going on my own. But who knows what the future will hold. Thanks for chiming in!
I really like your post Emily. And I agree with Matt. With all the pro-entrpreneurship posts out there, it’s easy to bash the good old corporate job.
However, my opinion is a little on the lines of the way Laura thinks. Unfortunately, unless you’re extremely political and strategic with business relationships (which a lot of us take years to get good at), your success in an organization is largely dependent on your boss / manager. Given that you’re a great contributor, your boss’s ability to gauge your potential and mentor + push you to move within the company solely determines your success as a professional in an org. That to me is something deeply uncomfortable.
Which is why personally, I want to do both. Work for a good 10 years in a company. Do as much as I can. Experiment, make mistakes, and then start my own company and do it my way. Hope I get there!
Sabera, sounds like you have a plan! I know a lot of my own ability to stay sane has been going about my own “rotational” program. I was lucky to have bosses support me as I applied for other positions in the company each year. While some might think that’s a lot of hopping, the skills from role #1 still help me today in role #4. If you find yourself in an environment like that, take advantage.
I promised you an anti-corporate response, but I really can’t bring myself to do that. The thing is, corporate life isn’t for me. But just like you’ve said, corporate life IS for some people. Everyone has a different idea of work and a different work-style. We go to school for 18 years of our lives being told where to be when and what to do, and a lot of people need the same structure when they get out of school and go into the workforce. They wouldn’t know what to do if they weren’t given a schedule and direction.
But for me… I thrive on change, changing schedules, working at night when there are little distractions. I grew up with in a family of entrepreneurs. Mom was a freelance designer. Dad started his own company when I was in the 5th grade. Grandparents owned a business together for 15 years. I grew up questioning every single rule if it didn’t make sense to me or didn’t work with my lifestyle. And I don’t like bosses–I like mentors. It all worked out pretty well for me in life until I hit the corporate world. We clashed. Some relationships just don’t work out.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Girl, I’m going to have that song in my head all day…
It’s so interesting to hear how people interpret change and where they find stability. For you, you’ve been surrounded by professional change growing up. For me, it was all location (and the upendedness that comes from that). I’m in my 12th location now, and I almost think that I get enough change from that to last me sometimes. But then I switch roles each time, throw in some monkey wrenches, and I like having a little structure. I admit it, I like routine to balance out the self-inflicted craziness.
I bet you that some of the great lessons you’ve learned and amazing people who inspire you are going to be valuable no matter where you are. And I can tell that you know that. In writing this post, I have noticed that there are many of us who know what it means to be great, whether you’re a suit in a 9-5, a freelancer, or entrepreneur. The question is: at what point to people forget? We’ve been surrounded by people who just don’t care about being great anymore. I’ll be interested to see how our generation continues to evolve knowing what has happened before us.
Thanks Carlee!!
I’m a boomer with over 30 years of business experience. My kids are of your generation. The Gen-Y perspective fascinates me because you too have the chance at influencing the world just like my generation has beginning back in the 60’s.
So, what is corporate? The term has become synonymous with all that is bad in business, but unless you are truly an independent you are corporate. Even if you can characterize yourself as independent you depend on the corporate world for customers. Like it or not, we all are corporate.
The notion that working in a start-up company is not corporate is laughable. I’ve run start-up companies and while you do more by yourself they’re pretty much the same. In fact, my whole career has been spent in companies less than 100 employees with the exception of one, that being right out of business school. I would say that is corporate, but some of your readers may not. What was the difference? Larger campus, took longer to walk to a meeting, more people vying for the same promotion, more procedures and harder to get things done. Whether 10 or 100,000 employees the only real difference is one of magnitude. Same decisions, same issues, same oh, same oh.
Is Google “the man”? You bet it is. But every Gen-Yer I know would likely jump at the chance to work for them. How about Facebook? Uh, huh. Twitter? Yep. IBM…? Um, well that is different. It is? Why? Well, my dad worked there. Oh, I see. The point is resist trying to differential what is cool from what is corporate. We all are corporate at some level.
I admire you Emily for standing up and wearing the corporate tag. It’s not the name tag that’s important anyway. It is the fulfillment that comes from working with a team to make a world a better place.
Hi Mike, after working with a team at my organization who wrote a book on generations, I found that the biggest reason there may be misunderstandings will be because we have different definitions. I know the people I speak with may define corporate culture in some negative light, but they’ve pulled out start-ups and non-profits as being totally different. Google seems to end up in a category by itself. As everyone says above, it’s about finding the fit for you. Thanks for the comment!
[…] I may be pretty pro-corporate now, I can tell you I had a lot of entrepreneurial spirit as a kid. I’d make crafts to sell, help […]
I like how working in a corporate environment allows new grads to ‘stand on the shoulders of giants’ and quickly help to have an impact on global issues, corporations and brands.
Thanks for the thought-provoking post and offering a rare written perspective in the often scrappy, entrepreneurial blogosphere.
Hi Adam, I think there’s a lot to be said about gaining experience. I think we can’t rule any out, but that seems so easy for young employees. The peer pressure makes it seem like they shouldn’t want to work for established corporate entities. Surprisingly, as you saw here, I wasn’t alone in my thoughts. We just need to keep communicating across the perspectives.
Great post. I’m really moody when it comes to the box. I like the structure some times, and other times, it’s suffocating.
[…] why I enjoyed my time in the corporate world. Sure, there were days that are a little frustrating, but that’s how it is everywhere. […]