Who are the people in your neighborhood?

I've always been intrigued by the characters in my office. You know the type of people I'm talking about, people like: the tchotchke lady, the 15-smoke-breaks-a-day lady, the prints-his-resume-on-the-shared-printer guy, the overly-bubbly intern, the jargon guy (let's regroup and circle back on the deployment of the preassessment project), and my favorite the high-powered-business chic (HPBC). An HPBC can be identified by her always perfect business casual/formal business wear (her clothes are never wrinkled), her fast-paced walk through the office corridors, and the authoritative way she talks to everyone ( I mean everyone). An encounter with HPBC will result in her delegating something to you.

I've thought about writing a murder-mystery novel with my office as the backdrop, featuring some of my favorite office characters. I would trick my readers into suspecting HPBC (she is the obvious suspect) only to have the actual killer be Tchotchke lady or charms-us-all-with-his-posh-british-accent guy. I'm undecided. I it would become a best seller, because everyone wants to read about spreadsheets, office politics, and the woes of shops-on-gilt-all-day lady.

In the book, I would star as the cries-at-her-desk-frequently chic. Yup that's me! It's time I introduce the real reason for writing this blog. I hate my career and it is causing me distress. Don't get me wrong, I don't shovel mud everyday or anything like that. I have a relatively high-paying job with great benefits and total autonomy, but I can't find satisfaction or perspective. I know what you are thinking: suck it up - we all hate our jobs! Well, I won't do that. I firmly believe that I can find a career that fits my goals and interests - and I am willing to take risks and make sacrifices while I figure it out.

Perhaps I am idealistic. If that's the case, so what. I am going to find something that makes me extremely happy, every single day.

Maybe someday I can be the always-has-candy-at-her-desk executive or the enjoys-her-job-immensely lady. Both sound like a big improvement from cries-at-her-desk-frequently chic.

Ultimately, I'd like to be the always-smiling-at-work lady.