Corporate "Professionalism"

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Well here is a big fat DUH!.

I just realized that in a corporate environment, that behaving professionally further complicates the problems with reading social information. A person can hate the sound of your breathing and want you dead, but to your face they will show, nay, are REQUIRED to show, professional decorum. In its worst incarnation, these people are actually nice to your face and will behind your back impede your career.. This has caused me no end to confusion and hurt my professional advancement. Corporate social rules are like a second layer of rules on top of the already labyrinthine morass of day to day social rules.

No wonder I hate office politics so much.

I totally agree. I can't understand office politics, I don't know what's going on, I don't know who I'm not supposed to talk to, etc.

Office politics is by it's very nature an exercise in obscuring true intentions.

I can't even traverse the obstacles required to begin that so-called "professional" life.

I got a degree in mechanical engineering, but I can't trudge thru the rigmarole of interviews and recommendations.
I can't perceive which professors th*t well of me, nor which employers would favor me.
True to tradition, they all wear subtly complacent smiles on the front of their head,
which could just as well be plasticine shells, and reveal as much to me.

That's why I'm studying ART now. My impression from all the artists I've known, is that they live by embellishing their personality,
not suppressing it; an advantageous characteristic for coworkers who I would need to interpret and cooperate with.

Being at work is just like being in high school from my experience. (been in an office/work environment now for 31 years) The people are different but the games are the same. I simply do NOT engage in the "politics" part of work and just focus on my work. That said, I actually have made some nice accquaintences in my years in the professional world. Not ALL people are bad people in the office.

One nice thing about offices, especially if you are in a field that requires more intelligence like computers or engineering, is that there is less pressure than normal social life (school, bars, parties) to discuss useless junk like television, sports, the latest fashions, celebrity gossip, etc. You can get by focusing almost all your conversations on work alone. I think that makes it nicer than normal social life.

On the other hand, I know someone who had a job that recruited from the bottom of society's barrel. Low paid, no college degrees, some program where they hired folks on welfare and the government paid the wages, etc. That was described as high school hell all over again, with people running to the boss to tattle just like they ran to the teacher or principal.

I too try to keep to myself at work. I work as an administrator for real estate agents, but not everyone in the office. I'm an independent contractor so I choose who I work with. I see it to be a very competitive environment, because a lot of the times, whoever gets themselves to a client first is the one to represent them. I do advertising for the agents, so I'm part of getting them there first. I don't want to share what I do with others, because it's what keeps ME employed. But the other agents expect you to be social and share your work stories, which eventually leads to them asking me questions about what I do for others.

The other administrators I also try to avoid, especially the few I work near and can hear talking. They say rude things about agents and others, and then talk very nice to their faces. I've been offended a number of times from their remarks about the appearances of others. (Heck, what do they say about me when I'm not there?) All they want to talk about is exercising and clothes - just not my thing.

Of course, there are nice people at work too. They genuinely care about others and they are the ones I make a point to say hello to throughout the day.

I could rarely get past the interview. I was usually eliminated at that stage. The questions they ask you are so stupid.

i have always hated when people use the word "professional" to describe their by and large normal jobs. i dont see it necessary to describe one's skill or pay level or job title as professional. you're a f*****g human being first, not a professional. and yes there is too much ego and stupid petty office politics in every corporate building. Just because you wear a suit and tie or a skirt and blouse every f*****g day doesnt make you professional. you are a worker for the working man and you work for the man/woman. everyone tells you to be an ass kisser and for you to develop a professional self. its another made up word for the corporate people. sure be proud of your work, your company, what you do. but to call it professional is such f*****g asinine over rated corporate talk BS. i think when people finally make that good money, their brains disappear right up their ass and it pads their ego more than anything.

thats why true science and art are such a treasure to me.

I'm both amused and disheartened by the use of the word " professional" here.

Professional =
lying to someones face and stabbing them in the back.
manipulating them to do your work for you
Sucking up to the boss
Delegating and abdicating responsibility
Wearing unobtrusive boring, and uncomfortable clothing, lest people suspect you have a personality.
Passing the buc k
Denying the truth
Giving the promotion to your mate , or your bosses son, or the cute guy ,cause the other candidate didn't smile enough, was female, coloured, or disabled.

And if you dare complain about it, you are "unprofessional"

^ You are right, some are actually sincere. But I always found them to be few and far between.

Fakers. Liars and fakers. That's what a "professional" behavior really is. Never say what you really mean and never have a strong opinion on anything. And if you see a project headed for a train wreck, let it crash rather than say something. Any peg sticking out will be hammered back down promptly.

Google image search:

http://www.google.com/images?q=corporate+professional

LOL yes I work with those losers.