Ang Kape Ni LaTtEX

Have you ever been fired because of boredom?

I have, and I’m not proud of it, and that’s a story that I’d talk about some other day. But I can relate with these Japanese guys who have been reprimanded for contributing to Gundam’s wikipedia entry. 260 times. Using the Japanese ministry of agriculture’s computers.

Reminds me of the memo the DENR issued to their employees. The subject? Accessing Friendster during office hours.

Fortunately sometimes both sci-fi and Friendster have their legitimate uses in business. Some businesses actually use Friendster (or more commonly, MySpace, and more recently, Facebook) to market their products. And a guy actually used his obsession for Star Wars costumes to get a job:

I rode to the 6th floor and the doors opened. An Epic Games employee stood there, mouth agape. My trooper voice said, “‘Scuse me sir, ~click-shht~,” and I headed down the nearest hall, looking for any open office door. Another employee appeared and the trooper asked, “Which way to Epic Games.” It wasn’t a question. I was telling him to direct me. Because by now the sweat from my forehead brought on by the humid 95 degree weather was stinging my eyes and I needed to get this done. With a big smile he asks, “Oh cool! Are you here for the meeting?!”

[...]

I told him I was there to deliver a portfolio for Chris Bartlett. You see I wasn’t Chris Bartlett anymore. I was Trooper TK409 on a very important mission. I talked about Mr. Bartlett in the third person. It seemed like a good idea, but sounds kind of geeky now that I write that. He said, “OH, You should talk to our Creative Director! He’s right down here, let me introduce you.” So the CD was just coming down the hall coincidentally and I shook his hand, to which he said, “This is… awesome.” I told him I was there to deliver a portfolio for Chris Bartlett and I thrust the tiny trooper with the web address at him.

He says, “Oh, Chris Bartlett, yes I know his work, he’s a graphic designer and animator, yeah, I like his work.” Then he thought for a second and said…”Are you Chris Bartlett?”

Again, uncomfortable? Yes. But honesty is, after all, the best policy. I paused to consider the ramifications of being revealed as the world’s biggest nerd. And then I confessed, “Yes…….. clik-chht.”

[...]

So, they tell me I moved to the top of the pile from that point on. 25 interviews later (this place is like Fort Knox) I was offered the position, and today was my first day at work. [TK409.com]

Some people equivocate a career or a job with “something serious” where they shouldn’t have fun in, but it takes courage to admit that even your most mundane passions can be taken advantage of in your career development.

So if you’re stuck in that 8-5 job and you absolutely hate it but you’re keeping it because it pays the bills, calm down, take a deep breath, accept it, and just shout it out — I HATE MY JOB! And find a way get the job that you really, really like. You can even do something crazy like what Chris Bartlett did.

The point is, do what you really love doing and you’ll achieve much, much more.