Big Job - Big Tears in Restroom (or in private space during WFH)

 "Most important reason for WFH: No need to cry in toilets." - Post on Fishbowl Big Law, September 27, 2022. Here is the thread.

In order to make it in those big jobs (or at least well-paying ones for junior professionals) you have to exhibit swagger. Yes, presence. Solid confidence. Otherwise the "they" (ranging from management to colleagues to subordiantes) will eat you alive. 

However, the story of the interior life of those professionals is usually filled with moments or longer than moments of soul-withering fear, self-doubt, and expectations of being forced out. About the latter, in that world of secret agendas and stealth power moves, you never really know what your fate is. To wring as much work out of you, sure, they heap praise on you. 

But the undertow in such workplaces ranging from Wall Street to Big Law to the Fortune 50 is that the "tap on the shoulder" could come at any time. When employed full-time in multi-national corporations I was always braced for being called in to some office with a closed door. The ethos was and probably is: Don't get too comfortable. 

When the dynamics of that lively inner life burst through to what can be observed, usually refuge is taken in the organization's rest room. Tears are shed, with an attempt to keep the sound on-mute. During WFH the only twist on that frequent ritual is that it can be conducted in one's private facilities and it could rip as loud as necessary. 

A good cry provides release and relief. That's could be its evolutionary function. In addition, it can signal the self that maybe this career path isn't a good fit. Action can be taken. That's exactly why professionals contact me about intuitive career coaching. Of course, there are tears in the beginning of the session. But I limit those in order for the paid consultation to be efficient and effective. 

For what it's worth, this is what I have observed: The less well-paying the postion, the less glam, and less ornate the offices the less the probability of restroom-time for sobbing. Instead there is a need to simply sort out the usual developments in the workplace. 

None of those kinds of clients experience the drama of losing so much control of a professional self-concept. Think of it as operating in a 30-story building. In a crisis they only tumble 3 or 4 floors and because of the limits on the fall it is not all that hard to scramble back up. 

No, that doesn't mean not going for the the real money, influence, power, and prestige. The issue is: Can the professional handle "it." The "it" seems totally at odds for what human beings are wired to absorb in stress. 

Meanwhile, the leadership and management are trying to reduce unnecessary overwhelm. That's good. 

For example, in an interview with Bloomberg Law, chairman of prominent law firm Paul Weiss Brad Karp explicitly reported the organization was focusing on curbing extreme overwork. There was also the nudge to take vacation time. Last August all employees at Paul Weiss were allowed total WFH. No commuting. And privacy when a professional sense of self unravels.

It has become a roaring platitude: "Success" in America has to be re-thought. 

You may need to change jobs, careers, or from being a worker to entrepreneurship. You are not alone. So many are at a crossroads. Complimentary consultation for coaching, job-search materials, and interviewing. The menu of services includes Tarot readings, both spreads and one-card pulls. Please contact janegenova374@gmail.com or text 203-468-8579.