I've been at my company seventeen years and had an interview last week. If they offer it, I'll take it. I think my company would describe be as indispensable, but the problem is I don't discuss my frustrations with the company, I discuss them with three people. Those are the people who could take some action. When I leave, those are the three people who will shrug, go through a hiring process, and deflect work that can't get done without me. The company will keep going. When it eventually comes time for me to resign, I'm curious what the reaction will be. The CEO knows who I am and the senior VP knows me fairly well (though he's a phenomenal people person), but not enough to say "are you happy here," and not enough to review our employee surveys results (which are poor for my group) or if he is, he doesn't care. I think a lot of people will be surprised because they assume high quality enthusiastic work means I'm happy with work. A different long term employee left recently under undisclosed terms. I had assumed it was something medical e.g. a very sick loved one, but I heard she landed a new job immediately. She had more time than me and is probably in her 50s.There's never been a time I was not sure I was totally indispensable to the company... right up to the moment I got fired.
Oof. "When it comes time for me to resign..." There's just so much in that little short sentence, isn't there? I was at this swanky executive club last night having drinks and socializing with some heavy-hitters, and one of them has recently retired. Bought himself a $2.8m beach house to celebrate, and we threw a little party there a couple weeks ago. Last night he tells me, "Retire as soon as you fucking can. There's nothing better. Most energizing, focusing thing I've ever done. It refocuses your entire life and energy, and helps you understand what is really important to you. Get out of the water... stop treading water... and watch the stream flow for a bit. THEN you will know what you want to do with the rest of your life." My Mom retired years and years ago... and has more work now as a garden designer than she ever had running the western region of the US Chamber of Commerce. And she LOVES her work. And her clients. And her gardens and plants. So I try to put myself in this frame of mind... if I retired tomorrow, what would I do on Monday? Blank slate. No To Do List. Just... open possibilities. And I have NO FUCKING IDEA. I graduated from high school - where I worked after school at numerous jobs - and went to work full time. I don't really know anything other than working for a company... setting an alarm... making sure I am available during business hours as a resource for other people in the company... just... what the heck would I do? And why? Right now, it is just a fun thought experiment. But yeah... the retirement thing was never something I thought I would ever be able to do, because I didn't follow the prescribed career path and climb the corporate ladder. So it's an interesting exercise to think about......
I think I'd be great at being retired. I'd do the things I do now outside of work during the day and have evenings to relax. Go swim at 8 am when the pool is less busy with the morning swimmers off to work. Stop at a coffee shop for coffee and a scone, then go out for a 2-3 hour bike ride. Have a lunch and a nap, then go for a walk before dinner. After, read for a bit or watch a movie and head to bed. Or on other days, drive to any of a number of nature areas and hike all morning. Or as long as I can, run the trails. I'd be great at being retired, but none of the things I do would earn extra money. It would be all cash out on gym memberships and bikes and cars and gas. I'd love to travel again to hike when the pandemic is more under control.
We went out to lunch for a coworker who was leaving. She was terrible at her job and was probably leaving before she got fired. She should have been fired long before. It was a pretty awkward lunch with people wishing her well but nobody saying they'd miss her.
The last jobby-job I had, I was let go from after they decided they'd rather burn the high-end business than have a single point of failure (me). So they let me know on Monday I was outta there Friday. Everyone told me to have a going away party at this one bar, so I told everyone to be there. My girlfriend and I sat there, alone, for half an hour.