FT.com | Dear Lucy | I’m bored at work, I’m tempted to take three-hour lunches and learn the salsa

I’m bored at work, I’m tempted to take three-hour lunches and learn the salsa

October 9, 2008

I work in corporate finance and for the past four years have slogged my guts out, routinely doing 14-hour days. In the past month work has dried up and we are all sitting around pretending to be busy and failing to drum up business. I am finding the boredom far more stressful than I ever found the work. I don’t know how I should behave. Do I have to just sit there and wait? I’m tempted to take three-hour lunches with friends, and go home early to learn salsa dancing. But would that be begging to be first in line when the axe inevitably falls?
Investment banker, male, 27

Lucy’s answer

Being bored at work is painful; being bored as a prelude to being fired is torture.

You ask what the work etiquette is for this situation. You already know the answer: if everyone else is sitting at their desks bored witless, pretending to work, the etiquette demands that you do so too.

What is interesting in your case is that the penalties for ignoring etiquette are lower than normal. This period of boredom will end with the fall of the axe and you will probably be fired, but so, probably, will they. Unless your bank is even less wise than the competition, it will not decide who to keep on the basis of who was best at faking industriousness when there was nothing to do.

So some slacking is safe, but I don’t think you can ignore the political game altogether. In normal times office politics is a part-time sport slotted in around work. But now that there is no work, your colleagues will be doing politics full-time. If I were you I would set out to play this game sparingly but efficiently. Be in the office long enough to find out what people are saying. Otherwise leave your jacket on the back of your chair and make it seem as if you are at meetings. Skive intelligently.

As you hate emptiness, I suggest you write a plan to get through the days. Allocate time for looking busy, time for picking up the gossip and time for your own affairs.

I should warn you of one thing. As you have always worked 14-hour days, you’ll be a skiving virgin, and constitutionally may not be cut out for it. The first salsa lesson on office time, like the first few three-hour lunches, may give you a thrill but after that you may find they start to pall. But then you can always devote yourself to what you really should be doing now: finding a career with better prospects.

October 9th, 2008 in Uncategorised | Permalink

66 Responses to “I’m bored at work, I’m tempted to take three-hour lunches and learn the salsa”

Comments

If and when the axe falls, it would not be very selective due to current circumstances. Besides, axe-selection would/should be based on your past performance. If you haven’t been slacking these past 4 years, you might have a fighting chance. So go - enjoy your life. No point being stuck in the office and being bored out of your mind. Of course, the 3-hour lunch may be too obvious, 2 hours would work, but leave early for those salsa lessons.
Posted by: Vicky | October 9th, 2008 at 2:37 am | Report this comment
Why not use the time to look elsewhere for new opportunities?

Let’s face it, corporate finance isn’t going to drowning in dealflow - you’re looking at a minimum 12 months of boredom (pitching pitching pitching) with no prospect of bonuses.

Why not do an MBA? Start your own business? Learn a language? Travel?

There are several ways to use the next couple of years profitably - don’t sit at the same desk wasting your time.

Long lunches and salsa lessons aren’t good enough. Be proactive and think about your next five to ten years, now that you have time to think.
Posted by: Benjamin, 25, Investment Banker | October 9th, 2008 at 3:19 am | Report this comment
This question cannot be answered in a theoretical way – the answer has to be grounded in the particular culture of your organisation. If you work somewhere where “face time” and being seen to do the right thing are important, then by rejecting those values just when the bank is most vulnerable you make yourself vulnerable. If, however, the bank has always had a policy that it is up to you to manage your time and they don’t care what time you get in or what time you leave as long as the work gets done, then allowing yourself to be more flexible in your hours should not be a problem.

Whatever time you do spend at your desk, I would advise you to use it productively – both personally and professionally. Professionally, although deals may be thin on the ground right now, you can develop skills and ideas which may help you to get business later on. Perhaps you can identify a sector that you think will recover quickly or be a source of business via take-overs and consolidations as the economy recovers. Do some research and write a strategy paper. You will look pro-active (which will in turn make an early exit every day look OK). On the personal front, there are all kinds of courses and information online. Learn Serbo-Croat, brush up on your financial analysis or credit skills, start networking online with people who are either fun or who may be useful contacts when things recover. Even if you are not doing “real” work, management would prefer to see you sitting at your desk using your time productively (and not spending idle hours spreading poisonous gossip at the water cooler as I’m sure others do). It sends the right message that you are self-starting and motivated, even in difficult times, and that you have the sort of mind that is always hungry to learn new things and will find something to keep it busy.

Only the boring get bored.
Posted by: Anthony, Banker, 44 | October 9th, 2008 at 8:27 am | Report this comment
Why not start polishing your CV, looks like you’ll be needing it very soon.
Posted by: Max | October 9th, 2008 at 8:51 am | Report this comment
Some book I once read called on its readers to ask themselves the question:

“If you got fired tomorrow, would you see it as a set-back or an opportunity?”
Posted by: Samec, 30 | October 9th, 2008 at 9:36 am | Report this comment
Why work a 14-hour day?

Do 8 hours & go home early. Learn salsa or some other skill in the evenings.
Posted by: Anthony Blacker | October 9th, 2008 at 9:51 am | Report this comment
If everyone is sitting around pretending to be busy you might as well do the same. In situations like this, you ought to keep up with the Joneses. In particular, you ought to do what your boss does. Does he continue to spend long hours at work pretending to be busy? If yes, do the same. There are a lot of things you can do from your office PC anyways these days. www.winnowed.blogspot.com

Lawyer, 33, Male, London
Posted by: Vinod Joseph | October 9th, 2008 at 10:23 am | Report this comment
your MD had been a junior staffer too; he or she is not as clueless as you think and you may already be first in line to be cut. Instead of long lunches and pretend-work, attend your firm’s continuing education program, ask to rotate to other departments to expand your skills, take a writing course at your local college, etc. any initiative will make you a more desirable candidate, for your current employer or for the next.

Banker, male, 51
Posted by: Sagiv | October 9th, 2008 at 1:55 pm | Report this comment
At 27 if you realize that you are wasting your talent act on that premise. Don’t think that because you are in investment banking and work 14 hour days that you are in the zone. Hot dog vendors work 14 hour days so that’s nothing. Have you considered investing your loose time in advance degrees, skill sets or other career enhancing pursuits?(Does your firm have a tuition reimbursement program that you can use for some of this?) Added to that, if you know the axe is going to fall but you don’t know when, isn’t it prudent to let the powers that be get a sense of your taking these steps towards personal(thus career) advancement? Maybe at the very least it will push you to the back of the chopping line for a while longer, while giving you a chance to grow up some more!!

Allan, 40, Male, Manager
Posted by: Allan Howell | October 9th, 2008 at 2:08 pm | Report this comment
If you’ve been working 14-hour days in corporate finance for the past four years, it’s clear that your situation is hopeless. That sort of underperformance is the first thing I look for when deciding who to sack. The good news is that you can resign (ok, pun intended) yourself to the fact that this is really happening and take those long lunches. I recommend Murano. After that start looking for new jobs. With your work ethic, I think private equity is a more suitable place. I predict better times for raiders. I’m thinking of switching myself.
Posted by: Stellan Sjögreen, Banker 39 | October 9th, 2008 at 2:24 pm | Report this comment
How about thinking and acting on behalf of others? You could donate labor hours to a local food bank. Who knows, you might be able to drum up new clients in the soup line.
Posted by: Brian | October 9th, 2008 at 2:28 pm | Report this comment
I had this exact situation once. And instead of doing what you suggest (3-hour lunches and leaving early), for six months I sat faithfully at my desk worried sick. The axe fell anyway and looking back on it, I felt stupid for not using the free-time more productively (by relaxing more). And truthfully, I think my presence caused stress on my employer since it was a daily reminder that(i) they couldn’t keep me busy and (ii) they were paying me too much to stare out the window. So I say do it, make yourself scarce–take the time off.
Posted by: Mark, Lawyer | October 9th, 2008 at 2:45 pm | Report this comment
Congratulations on your pragmatism: while others might desperately plead for career advice from total strangers, you’ve focused your attention on the here and now.

I don’t think taking three-hour lunches will move you to the front of the line–your fate is mostly decided by now. Try to remember that you boss enjoys the process less than you, and does not relish the prospect of meeting with his condemned subordinates all day long.

A long lunch with your colleagues is an excellent way to discuss what you want to do after the inevitable happens.
Posted by: Investor, male, 51 | October 9th, 2008 at 5:43 pm | Report this comment
Once you’ve done all the obvious things that you put on one side while working 14-hour days like reading all the relevant emails and office circulars and deleting/binning the rest, ‘phoning all those “contacts” that you didn’t bother to ‘phone when you didn’t have time because they weren’t part of the current project, your 2005 expenses claim etc, you should start catching up with background reading on your sector and corporate finance in general. The IFRS booklet has over 2000 pages and will keep you occupied and bored for weeks but reading it will help you avoid some of the execrable blunders commonly committed by corporate finance hacks.
The better equipped you are (and seen to be) to do your job, the more likely you are to keep it or get another one after being declared redundant.
If you fancy Salsa dancing, feel free to take lessons in the evening (and you might find someone as well as something interesting by doing so) but you don’t need to leave early to get to lessons unless they are intended for OAPs and three-hour lunches are an invitation to sack you without paying.
John, 62, Consultant
Posted by: John | October 9th, 2008 at 5:47 pm | Report this comment
I would suggest that you should go ahead to pursue the dance class and long hour lunch. After 4 years of 14 hours day, they are the treatments you deserve. How many 4 years do you have in your youth? Just treat it as a vacation and enjoy it. It is weird that the strangers give you career advice unless you asked for it. You know better!

My suggestion is : Be happy, don’t worry.
Posted by: Z, male, 30 | October 9th, 2008 at 7:18 pm | Report this comment
I recommend the 14 x 14 strategy.

1. Continue working fourteen hours per day for the next fourteen years.

2. Make lots of money but at 41 find that you can no longer communicate with anyone about topics other than work.

3. Start dating a model 16 years your junior.

4. Read the previous week’s column for advice on why this situation may not be desirable.

Work-life balance doesn’t have mean you need to have a perfect balance of work and “life” every week. On the other hand the traditional way - 25 years hard study followed by 35 years hard work followed by 15 years free time is much too long a period to spread it out. The “settlement day” by which you should close out your long and short positions on learning, relaxation and work could be every three to five years.

At the moment if work is hard to come by then take the opportunity to relax and learn. You can go at it hard again later.

I left the City six years ago and just did a bit of work in a field I found interesting and wanted to learn more about. After three years I was ready to ramp up the work side again and set up my own business, again in the field I had found interesting. Three years later I am making far more money than I got in the City despite being in a much poorer country in Eastern Europe and despite working shorter hours than in the City (although not massively shorter anymore). I probably couldn’t have done it without the three years out - I needed to get back into the black in terms of mental energy and positive energy.
Posted by: Samec, 30 | October 9th, 2008 at 7:53 pm | Report this comment
Eat, dance and be happy, since you have no clear evidence what tomorrow potentially could bring. Start an organic garden. We all know that investment bankers who live by adage “eat what you plant” are healthier than their colleagues. Most importantly, eat lots of chocolate since the way to paradise is paved with the stuff.
Posted by: Investor, male, 51 | October 9th, 2008 at 8:08 pm | Report this comment
Do something constructive with your time, you might look back and regret. I am feel to be in the same situation as you. Recently, I have downloaded all the ‘classic’ trading books, and I just finished New Market Wizards this afternoon.

Trick: If you want to search for pdf books online, just type this code in the google search bar:

filetype:pdf

eg: snowball filetype:pdf, and tahda, you will have Warren’s new book!

Try it.
Posted by: Mita F | October 9th, 2008 at 8:44 pm | Report this comment
You are a very lucky person. You have transferrable skills, youth and clearly an inquistive mind.

First thing is to set yourself up for redundancy, make noises to the right people and ensure you avoid any client pitches, take 4 hour lunches and leave early. Once thats sealed take the cash and run(make sure it is cash because our friends at Lehman discovered any funky redundancy package could end in you getting nothing).

Next step is to take 6 months out. Go sit on a beach in Cambodia and get yourself a good tan. In about 3 months you will be bored mindless. Pick up your rucksack and head for Hong Kong/Shanghai/Tokyo. Meet lots of old contacts for coffee and contemplate various job offers, maybe even do a Mandarin course. After a few months you will realise that this is fun but not the place to be right now.

So finally, pack up and move to the US west coast where there will be ample opportunity for you to apply your skills in restructuring seriously distressed companies, where you will make huge amounts of money.

Once all the cream has been skimmed head back east (or west in the case of the US) and invest wisely throughout Asia.

In fact, even if you do not have any great success you could be back at your old desk in few years working 14 hours a day on what will probably be a better negotiated package. This really is your time to shine, so go and be a star.
Posted by: Mr T, VIP, London | October 10th, 2008 at 2:49 am | Report this comment
May I suggest Mandarin or Hindi classes in the afternoon rather than the salsa ? Go East young man, the rest of the world is disintegrating rather fast……look for career opportunities in the Middle East and Asia and relocate.
Posted by: Out of the box, 45, Male | October 10th, 2008 at 8:50 am | Report this comment
I think you’re actually in a much stronger position than you realise (certainly better than many of your colleagues), in that you’re still young, have some good working experience under your belt, you presumably have no great ties or family responsibilities, and no massive mortgage repayments or school fees to fund.

I would suggest that you take the advice posted by ‘Mr T’ and ‘Out of the Box’. Good luck!
Posted by: GLH, female, 30, manager | October 10th, 2008 at 10:12 am | Report this comment
You are 27. Not 47. You have been working 14 hour days since you were 23 and now you find yourself in a situation that leave you with loads of free time on your hands and you are bored.
You can either sit there and further your career, chew your nails, worry and get totally stressed - or you can go out, live a little and claim back a bit of your youth.
If I were you I’d claim back a bit of your youth, cash in some money, hit the road and chill out - you sound like you deserve it…. 14 hours a day at 23 is crazy!
Posted by: Mel | October 10th, 2008 at 10:39 am | Report this comment
Huge amount of sensible advice posted so far and I am sure Lucy will summarise superbly from her agony aunt helicopter.

My own 2 cents: if you want to be a corporate survivor then the only tried and trusted strategy is to have friends in high places.

Secondly, as in any crisis, you need better intelligence. An investment of time around the coffee machine might pay dividends. What is the company likely to do? Sell your unit, close it completely, stagger on, maybe the entire company will go down the tube? Try and figure it out.

Thirdly, doing nothing is soul destroying. HR departments know this. One company I worked for in the nineties had refined this to a fine art. Being badly managed, they were always “downsizing” and they operated in highly regulated labour markets. Their tactic was to give surplus employees an office, telephone, pc, and nothing to do. After 6 months all but the insane were crawling into the HR office begging for redundancy terms. It might seem attractive to do salsa; I always dreamed of having more time to work on my golf handicap. I can assure you that working on your handicap looks attractive when you are working 14 hours a day, and distinctly less so when you have oceans of time. So unless you have a secret dream to be a professional salsa dancer, I would skip that plan.

Fourthly, use the free time to do something that will help you in the long term. Research and study are options, so is cementing some of the personal relationships you have developed in the last few years. As you get older, the skill set is not being able to work 14 hours a day - we leave that to the young turks - it is increasingly to do with who you know.

Fifthly, as long as you are being paid, keep making the calls. Good sales is at least 50% about turning up.

Chris VP Male 56
Posted by: Chris J | October 10th, 2008 at 11:04 am | Report this comment
What to do with your time? Hmmm…you could do what most provincials do in this country…nothing…

I know its a difficult notion but you could explore the great unwashed favourite passtime, that of laying about and generally being fat.

Then you could get involved in their second favourite passtime, complaining that the government hasn’t saved them from threir own stupidity.

Lastly you could join the Islintonites…or semi-intelligencia in complaining that its the City’s fault for forcing them to adorn every wall of their grotty little council flat in 50 inch plasma televisions.
Posted by: AJSG | October 10th, 2008 at 2:30 pm | Report this comment
Greetings global citizens,

Our young investment banker is asking us a question concerning etiquette: before the axes of evil fall, is it appropriate to feast and dance? He is apparently uninterested in a career as an axe bearer after making a pilgrimage to Cambodia.

He also seems to understand that he is about to undergo a life-changing ritual and simply wants advice on local customs– “I don’t know how I should behave,” he notes.

It is a barbaric and bloody rite of passage, but a necessary one to keep our universe in order—lord only knows how our system would function without blood in the streets–the sun might otherwise fail to set in the west.

Feast, young man, and dance. The rest of us can only wait and hope.
Posted by: Investor, male, 51 | October 10th, 2008 at 4:26 pm | Report this comment
Stellan

How would you like to hire me? Im 19, I can work 18-20 hour days and I do not complain as half as much as some of the highly educated, incompetent people that seek advice on this board. Im after a ‘proper banker’ such as yourself to work for and learn from and feel that I would add some value to you as I can do all these so called ‘Investment Bankers’ jobs far better then they are doing it. Let me know if you are interested and we can sort something out.

Mr A, 19, Student looking for an Internship.
Posted by: Stellan Wannabee | October 10th, 2008 at 11:17 pm | Report this comment
Ladies & Gentlemen, I present to you why we are in a recession…The axe is about to fall and people in the banking & finance industry are getting sacked left right and centre…and this plonker wants to know if its alright if he takes salsa lessons, now with investment bankers like that, why do we need recessions…Its this low level of common sense and ilack of intelligence that contributed to the fact that we are in a recession… In all honesty, if I was you I would start either look for another job or try keeping the one you have…End of the day day they are not going to sack everyone, they will keep some staff on and you may be one of them at the moment… Why ruin things by doing silly things?

Andrew Smythe, Investment Banker(Vice President), 31, Male
Posted by: Outraged!!!! | October 12th, 2008 at 2:20 am | Report this comment
“Dare to live.” Try doing your work in Hong Kong for a couple of years if your circumstances allow it. The work there may be more interesting and busier. A lifestyle change will be fascinating too. Cheap taxis, beaches, hikes, thin people, safe place to live, convenient hub for regional travel. By coincidence, I was 27 when I moved to HK from London, a great decision. It has disadvantages too of course, e.g. not seeing family & friends enough. By comparison, salsa lessons and long lunches sounds dull, but it indicates that you are just starting to act on your desire for a more interesting experience.
Posted by: T, Male, 30 | October 13th, 2008 at 2:01 am | Report this comment
I agree with the people who say you should go abroad Whether you go to another financial centre or like me to a place insulated from the financial crash by virtue of its not having a financial centre will depend on what job you want to do.

The only thing I would suggest is to apply yourself fully to learning the language of the place you go to. If you do it half-heartedly then you won’t learn it. If you don’t speak the language then you will always be an outsider in your new base.

This is slightly off-topic, but a bit of distance from London helps you see what is going on there for the herd-thinking that it is. I have had my pension (sipp) in higher-rated corporate bonds for the last three years because I could see there were problems coming. This week I am moving back into shares because I can see that the market will be higher in 3 years than it is now.
Posted by: Samec, 30 | October 13th, 2008 at 5:57 am | Report this comment
Wasn’t the salsa invented in a country where most young people live with their parents?

An erotic dance for people without erotica in their real lives.
Posted by: Samec, 30 | October 13th, 2008 at 3:53 pm | Report this comment
Personally I would advise the middle way, which is also what I would do: Use 8 hours a day to work, learn new things, search for opportunities, make your own business plan… then go dancing. Also, take 3 hours lunches but … in the meantime…make sure you leave your jacket on your desk not to give any ground to your coworkers and keep your blackberry with you…if anything new and urgent comes up, you still want to be there.
You see the spirit…
Posted by: Agnes | October 13th, 2008 at 5:45 pm | Report this comment
Do not wait around for direction, take action and do other work related things as mentioned by other respondents. That is, if the job interests you. If not, make plans to move on.

Do not work excessive hours. Pass on dull work to office juniors.

Also, have a read of a book titled ‘Boreout’ by Philippe Rothlin & Peter Werder. It describes what you experience now and also what I also experience from time to time. The difference I have is that I do not know what I want to do and at 31 years of age, that is frustrating.
Posted by: Patrick 31, Male, Sales | October 13th, 2008 at 8:09 pm | Report this comment
I recommend reading

“The joy of not working” by Zelinski, which now seems to be marketed at retired people but the actual book gives excellent advice for anyone on how to plan their free time, and

“Your money or your life” by Dominguez and Robin is a bit new-agey, but excellent for how to cut spending and also change your value set to find out who your are, not what you do.
Posted by: Samec, 30 | October 14th, 2008 at 6:20 am | Report this comment
Wow! I’ve bumped into this article as everyone here, lured by a strong sense of identification with the boringness of having to perform tasks above your brain capacity, and what do I found? A great set of answers that, together, show us different perspectives of reality, which allow us to get to interesting philosophical conclusions about our period of human development.
First of all, the situation our friend has to deal with is and can be lived by anyone who has to deal with a work/environment that does not allow him to allocate all his brain capacity. Free mental time allows thinking, which is usually served with a bit of suffering.
So, the huge paradox of our time is that, although we’ve become more and more talented, productive and creative we still have to deal with jobs and tasks that don’t allow us to actually use our capacities at a minimum level to guarantee a minimum satisfaction. Well, I could actually write a book if I continued, but making it short: organizations nowadays will have to face the challenge of changing at a faster pace. Adapting to the environment is a matter of survival. And the most crucial component in this system is organizations’ major source of energy: people. The companies that will survive will be those that become able to learn how to use creative and rational people like our friend to get the most of his skills set and creativity. The one that know that a worker that does his salsa dancing twice a week will become happier and better motivated to bear sitting long hours of number crunching in front of a pc..

ps: Id be glad to exchange ideas with anyone, so be free to write me at menezan@gmail.com
Posted by: Andre Menezes, 25, A brazilian ex-investment banker that moved from Sao Paulo to Barcelona and had plenty idle mental time while working as a waiter..Currently a financial analyst. | October 15th, 2008 at 11:19 am | Report this comment
come to ibiza and blow last year’s bonus

money comes and goes, but life doesn’t..
Posted by: vijay, 37, male, unemployed hedge fund manager.. | October 15th, 2008 at 11:30 am | Report this comment
come to ibiza and blow last year’s bonus

money comes and goes, but life doesn’t…
Posted by: vijay, 37, male, unemployed hedge fund manager.. | October 15th, 2008 at 11:31 am | Report this comment
Mr Sjogreen,

our chap is not working in a northern country, hence his boss is probably not into understanding working past 6pm as a sign of inefficiency… Keep firing your work addicts and paying your 50%+ taxes, but let’s try to give advice suited to each one’s reality. All the best and good luck with the coming winter…
Posted by: Guillaume | October 15th, 2008 at 11:58 am | Report this comment
Try to get used to being bored, anxious, under-utilised and mindful of the axe

It will hold you in good stead when you get to 50
Posted by: Phil | October 15th, 2008 at 1:12 pm | Report this comment
I want to learn salsa too… I am in corporate finance and totally know what you mean… are you single? Maybe we should learn together…
Posted by: ab | October 15th, 2008 at 1:46 pm | Report this comment
Really? Let’s go.. maybe we can get robert peston as well? He likes to spice things up!
Posted by: Luke | October 15th, 2008 at 2:10 pm | Report this comment
Threesome?
Posted by: Farida | October 15th, 2008 at 2:13 pm | Report this comment
Has anyone heard from Ironybrew? He/she used to write such insightful comments.. almost to rival LK herself!
Posted by: Allie, female, 27, corporate lawyer | October 15th, 2008 at 2:55 pm | Report this comment
I am Ironybrew, I recently changed my username.

Indeed, I was once insightful, inspiring, interesting, then I became a banker.
Posted by: Farida | October 15th, 2008 at 3:02 pm | Report this comment
Interesting one from Andre Menezes.

The Czechs have an expression, “He who does not develop his mind will later have to work with his hands.”

We were all told similar things growing up in our respective countries. The tragedy is that that the implied second line “He who develops his mind will later get to work with it” isn’t true. The real second line for most people reads “He who develops his mind will later get to wear a suit, and be educated enough to be aware that nobody cares what he does or what he thinks.”
Posted by: Samec, 30 | October 15th, 2008 at 3:04 pm | Report this comment
<>

I rather think the person who wrote that ought to be looking for work now.
Posted by: Bob, Self Employed | October 15th, 2008 at 3:50 pm | Report this comment
“Some book I once read called on its readers to ask themselves the question:

“If you got fired tomorrow, would you see it as a set-back or an opportunity?””

I rather think the person who wrote that ought to be looking for work now
Posted by: Bob, Self Employed | October 15th, 2008 at 3:55 pm | Report this comment
Ask for a year’s unpaidleave of absence to go and investigate something worthwhile.

Then when the axe falls you might be missed off the Axe list -because you are not a cost and are not there.

On your return you will have your old job back.
Posted by: Michael Reid | October 15th, 2008 at 4:11 pm | Report this comment
Thank you Farida. In fact i did work as a waiter so that i could rise up some money, considering the real vs. euro exchange is about to 2,50 to 1,00, so my savings weren´t enough for an international experience. Honestly, being a waiter thaught me more about myself and working environments than any other experience. For us that wear suits, can almost be considere a “chinese torture” if you know about any economic notions like opportunity costs or even profit. The fact that you are rose in the brazilian -hate this term- “elite” and never had washed a dish before, and suddenly find yourself holding a tray while nobody in the room looks at your face because you are a man in black can be quite chocking. Good thing is that after going thru all that you learn to analyse people´s behavior much better and easily perceive what´s going on. Fact is that in most coroporations nowadays you have loads of ego centered maniacs that only care about satisfying their status needs in order to make any sense in their existance.
Posted by: Andre Menezes, 25, brazilian | October 15th, 2008 at 4:19 pm | Report this comment
why not jack the job and set up an on-line social networking website - oh Lucy’s done that already ….

if you can’t find something useful to do, maybe you are not trying hard enough - there is always something useful to do. They might be the tasks you keep putting off or jobs that you don’t get recognition for. Or is that the reason you are quiet - the tasks that need doing, you don’t bother with as no one gives you the kudos?

of course there is always making new friends in ibiza … hunts for passport and a credit card with some spend left on it … is easijet still in business?
Posted by: Stuart, 43, Assistant Director, London | October 15th, 2008 at 5:22 pm | Report this comment
Ummmm Andre, I’m guessing you took the correct orders when you were a waiter, so you maybe want to reply to the correct post as I have no idea what i) you are saying ii) what your reply means in relation to my post…
Posted by: farida | October 15th, 2008 at 5:27 pm | Report this comment
Andre, couldn’t have said it better myself. Clear, well structured argument.
Posted by: Farida | October 15th, 2008 at 5:27 pm | Report this comment
Ab - let’s salsa!!!
salsa salsa! That’s if your offer extends to me
Posted by: christoph | October 15th, 2008 at 5:39 pm | Report this comment
Interesting chain of discussion. I observe the odd analyst taking the mickey too - clearly shows there are some out there with little to do!
Posted by: Robert, IB Director | October 15th, 2008 at 5:43 pm | Report this comment
well little to do since a director like you doesn’t originate
Posted by: Luke | October 15th, 2008 at 5:47 pm | Report this comment
Very interesting discussion indeed. My own view is that the market gods are demanding their due and ritual actions need to be taken–Salsa is an excellent way to start for the young at heart.

Good luck to everyone!
Posted by: Investor, male, 51 | October 15th, 2008 at 9:50 pm | Report this comment
You should quit. Time is far more precious than cash and you’re wasting it. Do you have some savings? How great to be 27 and in your position. Travel, learn, find a new, more interesting, but perhaps less well paid job. Do things now only because you find them interesting. You’ll meet very different sorts of people and be challenged in unexpected ways. You know you can always go back to banking when things pick up. But if you hang around waiting for the axe to drop - you’ll only regret it when times are good again and you’ve lost all your options for a bit of flexibility and some extra-ordinary experiences.
Posted by: S. | October 16th, 2008 at 1:20 am | Report this comment
I think Andre was replying to my post. This often happens because people look at the name at the start not the end of the post.
Posted by: Samec, 30 | October 16th, 2008 at 6:40 am | Report this comment
Yes, Samec is right.. Hope i was clear. Its just that i found this topic very interestng and decided to analyse it thru the macro perspective. My big point is that the guy cant be seen as the wrong side of the story. The whole situation is bizarre, and people got used to accept insane situations as if they were normal.
If i were him i´d use the time to study other things, ask my job if i could attend some language classes twice a week, at 19pm and would go to the salsa classes..my job wouldnt test my german level Be pragmatic.
A sabathical time is always very useful so you can free yourself from the herd behavior. In fact ive quit a job to spend 45 days in ibiza =D greatest thing ive ever done, met lots of interesting people. Great beaches..
Posted by: Andre Menezes, 25, brazilian | October 16th, 2008 at 8:27 am | Report this comment
I have always puzzled how it is possible to be bored at work - means your heart is not there and your mind is not active or you are not able to learn. It appears that, for you to be busy, you depend on others to tell you what to do! Did your job require someone who can work independently and is a self-starter? If you have any brains, with an ability and will to learn, there is always something work related to do - make sure you learn new skills, understand what other departments do, plan and improve work processes, research and study on companies in your sector… the list is endless. But granted, no need to do 14 hours when that is not required, but signing your paycheck whilst plainly skiving is indecent and dishonest.
Posted by: Jo, female, 44, strategy director | October 16th, 2008 at 12:48 pm | Report this comment
Have you considered private equity?
Posted by: M Woolf | October 17th, 2008 at 11:11 am | Report this comment
Leave! Now! I assume you have some money in the bank. Take two years out. Spend one travelling and maybe doing something worthwhile in the developing world - use that business expertise you’ve studied for all those years positively. Then study for a year (preferably abroad) and re-enter the job market at 29 a more rounded, relaxed and experienced person. Until you go though, just do 8hrs of sod-all a day rather than 14 - I can see why it’s driving you mad.
Posted by: Mike | October 17th, 2008 at 11:53 am | Report this comment
Obviously you’ve been a slave to work. This is your chance to break the chains of toil and learn to live again. As a dedicated workaholic, I never knew the joy of taking a brisk walk when boredom threatened, or the sheer ecstacy of watching my family relax or at vigorous play. Work was all there was. All the extra hours, the holidays never taken, the lunches grabbed on the run, the jabs in the chest ignored for the sake of the job — all teamed up to put me in the hospital with a career-shortening heart attack and assorted related ills. That was three years ago. I proved at last to be a quick learner; suddenly life embraced me as I embraced it to the fullest. No career should ever cause you to work so far beyond the norm that it is a threat to your health, your sanity or your family.
Posted by: Wes Pedersen, Washington, DC | October 18th, 2008 at 1:34 am | Report this comment
I give my best cumpliments to Wes Pedersen, who finally summarized the whole point of this discussion, in my opinion. Thank you for your post!
Posted by: Andre, 25 | October 20th, 2008 at 10:51 am | Report this comment
What a defeatist attitude. How about finding out some way to make - or more realistically, save - money in this environment? Why do so many employees only think of saving their own arse whilst doing as little as possible to help the company, which ironically results in them being *more* not less likely to get fired?

Here’s a tip - imagine you are the CEO, or better still *founder* of the company you work at. What would you most want from employees right now? What would really help you out? Find 3 or 4 things that would be most useful and valuable, then do them, and make sure your boss and his boss, and if necessary the CEO/COO/board know about it. Keep them updated if you have some success, no matter how small. I guarantee this will make you stand out from the other 99% of people at your company, and you will be the last person from the rank & file to be fired. Even if you do get fired, you will get a great reference, and may well be hired when the top management start another company or move elsewhere in a year or two.

To summarize - stop being such a lazy get and actually make yourself useful. Start *earning* your salary instead of leeching it by just sticking your bum on your seat every day.

To Lucy - shame on you for such a typical defeatist attitude. Nelson didn’t win at Trafalgar by thinking that way.
Posted by: R.Sole | October 20th, 2008 at 11:42 pm | Report this comment
how about 6 hours salsa and 1 hour lunch break…., good exercise.
Posted by: Banker | November 3rd, 2008 at 2:44 pm | Report this comment
All very useful advice, but why has no-one suggested starting up a salsa club in The City, from the comments there must be huge demand. If you don’t do it Austin Healey will beat you to it!!
Posted by: Wayne Kerr. 45. Director | November 19th, 2008 at 9:49 am | Report this comment