Blog Dis
Not without your smile
2025-12-09
The day will come, like all events that carry with them a sense of trepidation, when you'll have to make the emotional commitment and stick your neck on the line. I'm referring to the promotion of yourself and your skills, to include your resume, s snapshot that spells out to potential employers how you're the cat's meow, and why any organization would be a fool not to hire you.
We all know what's out there in the world: politics and more politics plus a dash of taking advantage of employees, to include a smidgen of lies throw in for good measure. Work is simply this: work, a place where you're expected to work, and not spend time playing, unless it's part of the day's curriculum. And given the time of year, now into the second week of December, few companies if any, and this includes Governments, whether federal or municipal, are hardly focused on hiring, though you might be surprised by the number that hire, right before their budgets are approved before the next calenda year. They want to spend the balance of what's been left in their budget, before potential cuts. And where I work, the first and second week of January are hot periods when new hires come onto the scene, all those cherub faces, looking somewhat blinded by the new environment, and ready to prove that they are worth the risk.
My father always said, when it comes to work, "You're not there to make friends," which is precisely how I've approached my work endeavours all my life. I'm drawn to that need to be agreeable in spirit, if not in approach, at least when it comes to assigning work and in working as a team player. In a work career that has lasted since I was 18 years old, when I had worked my first full-time role, over the summer, I've seen more than my fair share of idiots who rise to the top and then systematically demonstrate to those underneath new levels of incompetence. There's an HR term in this modern age and it's called 'Failing Upward.' I never quite understood what this odd label meant until the prior company where I worked had hired a sales professional without vision or one ounce of marketing savvy but who was particularly adept at stealing commissions from other active sales agents. We even had a nickname for her and it began with the letter 'c' but damnitalltohell if the higher ups didn't want to see the truth that she was failing upward.
You should never expect your work environment to be a walk in the park. Rather, expect it to challenge you in more ways than you care to be challenged. It's not called work for nothing. But as I've stated in previous posts, I can't envision myself subsisting on peanuts doled out by some form of employment assistance. Based on my long working history, and on the rare occasions when I was out of work, rarely lasting beyond six months, I had always made sure that I had fallback money to support me, in the event I had to rely on the Government to cover my expenses, which is to say, they're quite adept at dragging their feet, to investigate a claim, and to take their bloody good time to do so, before circling back, to advise you that your claim has been denied.
And so, we are approaching a new year, a new period of growth. Allow me a moment to express my best wishes to those who'll start a new role, like new hires coming into the firm where I work, who've accepted a one-month co-op term or potentially up to three months, all for the sake of gaining invaluable work experience, particularly during a time of year when for many corporations their first quarter aim is to achieve awesome results. Not just OK results. So, their pace is feverish, and their goal is to make a lot of money.
Canada's minimum wage was increased on April 1, 2025 to $17.50, and yet where I work they'll be paid somewhere in the range of $24 per hour, given that these individuals are deeply immersed in business administration programs, some with majors in business commerce too, to enable them to land a plum position when all their University years are behind them. I will take the new hire photos in January, and I actually look forward to chatting with these young people, because they're truly eager like busy little beavers to get at it.
A word of caution, however. If you're one of the few, the lucky new hires in whichever company you've been hired, go easy on the alcohol when attending holiday receptions, which are quickly rolling out in December. On the surface, it may appear to you that everyone is having a good time, and that no one is going to notice, but they'll remember your conduct. It will be observed by the Executives in attendance. So instead of wearing lampshades on your head, and going way over the top in consuming spirits, bring your best smile, and fancy clothes, show off your bright side, and maintain some form of decorum. You can always rent a room in the hotel, if this is where your event is being held, and later in the privacy of your hotel room, you can go wild.
Come the beginning of the work week, I can guarantee you that you'll be expected to roll up your sleeves and earn your keep.
We all know what's out there in the world: politics and more politics plus a dash of taking advantage of employees, to include a smidgen of lies throw in for good measure. Work is simply this: work, a place where you're expected to work, and not spend time playing, unless it's part of the day's curriculum. And given the time of year, now into the second week of December, few companies if any, and this includes Governments, whether federal or municipal, are hardly focused on hiring, though you might be surprised by the number that hire, right before their budgets are approved before the next calenda year. They want to spend the balance of what's been left in their budget, before potential cuts. And where I work, the first and second week of January are hot periods when new hires come onto the scene, all those cherub faces, looking somewhat blinded by the new environment, and ready to prove that they are worth the risk.
My father always said, when it comes to work, "You're not there to make friends," which is precisely how I've approached my work endeavours all my life. I'm drawn to that need to be agreeable in spirit, if not in approach, at least when it comes to assigning work and in working as a team player. In a work career that has lasted since I was 18 years old, when I had worked my first full-time role, over the summer, I've seen more than my fair share of idiots who rise to the top and then systematically demonstrate to those underneath new levels of incompetence. There's an HR term in this modern age and it's called 'Failing Upward.' I never quite understood what this odd label meant until the prior company where I worked had hired a sales professional without vision or one ounce of marketing savvy but who was particularly adept at stealing commissions from other active sales agents. We even had a nickname for her and it began with the letter 'c' but damnitalltohell if the higher ups didn't want to see the truth that she was failing upward.
You should never expect your work environment to be a walk in the park. Rather, expect it to challenge you in more ways than you care to be challenged. It's not called work for nothing. But as I've stated in previous posts, I can't envision myself subsisting on peanuts doled out by some form of employment assistance. Based on my long working history, and on the rare occasions when I was out of work, rarely lasting beyond six months, I had always made sure that I had fallback money to support me, in the event I had to rely on the Government to cover my expenses, which is to say, they're quite adept at dragging their feet, to investigate a claim, and to take their bloody good time to do so, before circling back, to advise you that your claim has been denied.
And so, we are approaching a new year, a new period of growth. Allow me a moment to express my best wishes to those who'll start a new role, like new hires coming into the firm where I work, who've accepted a one-month co-op term or potentially up to three months, all for the sake of gaining invaluable work experience, particularly during a time of year when for many corporations their first quarter aim is to achieve awesome results. Not just OK results. So, their pace is feverish, and their goal is to make a lot of money.
Canada's minimum wage was increased on April 1, 2025 to $17.50, and yet where I work they'll be paid somewhere in the range of $24 per hour, given that these individuals are deeply immersed in business administration programs, some with majors in business commerce too, to enable them to land a plum position when all their University years are behind them. I will take the new hire photos in January, and I actually look forward to chatting with these young people, because they're truly eager like busy little beavers to get at it.
A word of caution, however. If you're one of the few, the lucky new hires in whichever company you've been hired, go easy on the alcohol when attending holiday receptions, which are quickly rolling out in December. On the surface, it may appear to you that everyone is having a good time, and that no one is going to notice, but they'll remember your conduct. It will be observed by the Executives in attendance. So instead of wearing lampshades on your head, and going way over the top in consuming spirits, bring your best smile, and fancy clothes, show off your bright side, and maintain some form of decorum. You can always rent a room in the hotel, if this is where your event is being held, and later in the privacy of your hotel room, you can go wild.
Come the beginning of the work week, I can guarantee you that you'll be expected to roll up your sleeves and earn your keep.
