Do you feel imprisoned at your job?
I was preparing a tax return and the client asked me if I could work for the IRS. I said, “I could, but why would I want too?” His response “They have great benefits.”
I quickly replied, “Prison has better benefits.”
Prison benefits:
- Free housing
- Free food
- Free exercise equipment
- Free medical care
- Free cable
- Free education
When I first graduated college I had a “great” job at Ford Motor in Dearborn Michigan. I have been a Ford fan ever since I can remember. 12 of the 18 vehicles I have purchased have been Fords. I was getting to work for my favorite car company!!!
The pay was great for a fresh grad. The benefits were even better. I really liked how the upper management would focus on things they could fix (Which is why they didn’t go bankrupt and get a bailout).
But…. I hated my job. After just 5 weeks I was so frustrated driving to work one morning; realizing I just didn’t want to be there. After an attempt by some awesome finance managers to transfer me to a more fulfilling position (halted by bureaucratic HR people); I resigned after just 3 months and 1 day on the job.
I still like Ford, and believe it is a well-run company. I just didn’t fit in that environment. I had to let them know “It is not you, it is me.” I am not one who will let golden handcuffs keep me in a job I hate.
Some people like Golden Handcuffs.
That experience was a great step in defining what type of organization I work with the best. It was not a bad experience, quite on the contrary it was wonderful. It taught me about me. It is a major contributing factor as to why, I know I won’t enjoy working for the IRS.
The benefits of a job do not matter to me when making a decision where to work. This doesn’t mean they should not matter to you. Our first responsibility is to be responsible adults and provide for our family’s needs. I make choices to forgo certain luxuries at this stage of life, so I can be free from the “grey walls of a prison.”
Are great benefits “golden handcuffs” keeping you in a job you detest?
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