anyone else just really struggle with working corporate? 5-6 years into my career, pay is pretty good could be better but I’m very comfortable. my role can be stressful sometimes but mostly pretty good balance. lately keep thinking to myself that I can’t imagine staying in corporate long and I really am starting to struggle with the idea of just being another corporate cog. feel like i was meant to do something more than just work up the corporate ladder 😅

I feel you. I don’t want to get promoted. I don’t see the point of climbing, there’s no prestige in having an empty personal life and ridiculous amounts of money that won’t give you incremental happiness.

But if you leave corporate, whatever you do, even if you love it, it will become a job because it becomes transactional and starts to feel the same. So I just stay, even when I want to leave because it doesn’t hurt to do something you’re good at and get paid well for it - even though it doesn’t bring real meaning or joy.

Yes - I’m just getting tired of spending a majority of my life working. And every time I think about how I won’t be able to retire for at least another 30some odd years, I feel exhausted.

Fully fully fully agreed. I’m miserable and I feel like I’m just watching my life pass me by. We’ve got to get out of this!

Totally feel the same. The thought of having to do this for several more decades of my life really triggers my existential dread. Humans beings didn't evolve to sit behind a computer for 8-10+ hours a day....

💯 Very little of what I do at my corporate job feels meaningful. I’m in tech, which is a second career that I only chose for the money.

After finishing grad school, I landed what was my dream job at the time working as a representative for a public official. I met with community and business leaders, briefed the official on important situations, connected folks with federal agencies and resources, facilitated collaboration between different groups, helped non-wealthy folks advocate effectively, and all sorts of other important, impactful work. The catch was that job paid less than 50k in today’s dollars and due to political pressure we didn’t even get cost of living increases the last 2 years I was there.

In 2014 I pivoted to tech. Today I make 287k total comp and actually work fewer hours. The huge downside is that my job contributes no tangible value to society. I fake it well enough, but I can’t bring myself to care about shareholder profits and company earnings.

I work in corporate as well and the higher up the ladder you get, the more stressful it becomes.

YES! I spend a lot of time thinking of ways to make a decent living other than a 9-5 that I would actually enjoy. I’m in my late 20s and I just can’t let myself sit at a desk for 40 hours per week until I’m 65 years old.

We work to live. Do your 8 hr job and do not give more of your time. We do not have to be passionate about what we do. We can be passionate in other things outside of the rat race. I used to chase the “finding a job that I’m passionate about, fulfills me and pays well”…. Only to realize it does not exist. I just do my job, do it well enough to get a yrly pay increase and not be terminated. I enjoy every moment I’m not working- because I have a 9-5.

Just here to say I switched to corporate after 7 years in highered/nonprofit and at least in corporate I’ll be able to retire - higher ed pays pennies 😅

Yes! I’ve gotten connected with some people/couples who were able to walk away from their corporate jobs in their late 20s - mid 30s. They honestly just learned how to properly build pipelines of cashflow passively. That is the key if you’re serious about not being an active employee all your life. Obviously it takes hard work but as they always say, anything worthwhile won’t come easy. It’s just a matter of proper mentorship to build the skillset and doing the work to get the results. Don’t lose hope. It is possible.

It’s because processes have improved to such a point that we don’t need to be there 5 days a week, but corporations haven’t changed that yet.

I’m struggling specifically as a woman, I had few instances when I challenged decisions by providing a different insights as a person who does it on a day to day and I get called by one of the leadership the I’m just “bitching” in few different occasions. This was mentioned in a conference call with my team in it and other employees. I had to see therapist for this. I almost quit but I realized I am not the problem here.

It is the same leadership who now had me report to his son whom I quit years ago because his son would call me while inebriated at a bar in wee hours of the night and would go AWOL in some of the days in which I would get asked last minute to fly somewhere on his behalf since he is nowhere to be found. I worked 17/20 hrs every day during the week for 2 years. It was one of the reason why I quit because I would get sick every week. When I quit, the other leadership asked for me to stay and had me report to him instead and even gave me a raise. Now I’m back to reporting to this same guy because the previous leaderships including my previous amazing boss left the company.

I think I’m too far in my life to start over and leave corporate life. Lol

20 years in fortune 10 companies here. Corporate culture, corporate speak, corporate strategies and initiatives constant resurrected every 3 years becomes exhausting. the best advice i can give is determine what is “enough” for you and your family - balance the time you have available, the energy you have after work, and the long term desires for your life. when i turned 40, i realized i have 40 years left (and that is if i am lucky). find what makes you feel fulfilled for your time here — and sometimes that is giving less energy to work, or even finding a less consuming role.

I find no real purpose in building a corporation… especially when I Innerstand my strawman. I’d rather invest in my NHERG and let my power generate my living ⚡️

What impact do you want to make on the world?

YES. The greed is real and what I am asked to do by executives on a daily basis doesn’t align with my soul (or labor laws).
People who make the $ can get away with murder. They take advantage of people who come early, stay late, and give their all— sorry no money in the budget for your raise.
The people who don’t do anything, but rub elbows with the right people and threaten to quit get raises and promotions.
And then the employees come to me and ask me if I see what’s going on and have to play plain stupid and blind.