Take my job, please

cardsofchange.com

When I was growing up my father changed jobs a lot in order to advance his career. After he would leave a job, he would alter a business card from that job and draw on it as if it was stamped with such sayings as “canceled,” “expired,” or “you can take this job and shove it,” etc. Over the years he developed quite a collection of business cards and would frame them in a shadow box and hang it in the family room for all us to be reminded that it’s only a job and you can’t take things too seriously.

My father took no shame in broadcasting his experiences and his failures in his 40 year corporate career. He was proud of it. He liked to make fun of the corporate drama and even loved to be part of it. It wasn’t hard for him to get laid off or just walk out and land on his feet a month later. He always knew he would do better at the next stop in his career.

I took a different approach to my career and was at my one and only serious job for 12 years. I didn’t want to change as often as my father and liked where I was. When I was laid off, I threw my cards out and wished I hadn’t. I would have stamped my cards with something clever like, “I should have followed my dad.” Not only would I have framed it, but would have handed them out on the street.

cardsofchange.com