Comments on: Penelope Trunk’s Career Tips Don’t Always Apply

By: randomph

randomph — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 15:21:43 +0000

Basically it boils down to one thing: observe the culture around you, and adapt.

By: Luke

Luke — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 02:00:01 +0000

I usually have a difficult time with Trunk’s pieces…This one is a bit more palatable..I am amazed that Yahoo! promotes and retains her with some of the insane stuff she writes…This article has some really off-the-wall stuff, but not close others….

I enjoyed the breakdown of this new article and the disagreements you had…It’s nice to know that her recommendations aren’t accepted by others without some scrutiny…

The one that stuck out like a sore thumb was simply ‘taking off work’ as if YOU run the business…Of course it depends on the situation and job you are at, but suggesting a general ‘take off when you feel like it’ leads you on a path to no-wheresville.

Who wants to promote a worker that shows they don’t care enough to stick around the required time? Other folks stick around and work 40-hours, but you think you only need to work 35-hours like France does? It’s a surefire way to get bosses and co-workers angry.

Just taking off work without the proper context leads me to think if you want to come in on Tuesday at noon when you are supposed to be in at 8:30, just send an e-mail and expect no consequences…I don’t get that one bit…It’s far to general and if everyone did that, we wouldn’t be the great country we are. Have some drive and being an adulkt means you have to do things you might not want to do.

With that said, she seems to actually promote anti-social behavior as well….Keep headphones on and just take off whatever hours you want? Color me confused.

I like what golbguru stated about saying ‘No’…I think being wishy washy and working weekends with a frown or simply always saying yes is a BAD thing. You only get ONE walk through the garden and if you have family or other things to do, I don’t think having to work the weekends to keep up is worth it for everyone. Now saying ‘no’ to EXTRA work is one thing, but bailing when you feel like it is another.

Just say no to tasks that fall outside of your title if you don’t want to do them. I think for certain folks, that’s a good thing.

By: Amy

Amy — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 18:58:11 +0000

I completely agree about not wanting to work at home – I’m technically on call 24/7, but I only get a call about once every 6 months or so.

I can understand if someone is excited about a certain project and wants to work more on it themselves, but in general I’m a firm believer of maintaning a home/work balance. :)

By: Golbguru

Golbguru — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 18:29:13 +0000

Strongly agree on the last two points. I consider myself to be a Gen-Y specimen – and I *absolutely hate* working on weekends. My boss (who is about two generations older than me) is at the other end of the spectrum; probably his family members don’t let me sit at home or something.

Anyways, I had to express my *unwillingness* to work on weekends to make him stop calling me for work.

This eases me into the next point. Learn to say NO. Sure, be nice and polite, but learn to say NO … or get used to being taken for granted. :)

By: tinyhands

tinyhands — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:52:17 +0000

With all due respect, I didn’t see anything in that article about ditching the exit interview, wearing headphones at your desk, Facebooking your boss, or setting your own work/away schedule.

Where did those examples come from? I think those suggestions are going to be outside the mainstream for quite a while.

By: Penelope Trunk

Penelope Trunk — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 13:11:48 +0000

Flexo, thank you for writing about my column on Yahoo. Even though you disagree with me, it’s always nice to have an intelligent discussion.

I think the business community is responding to workplace change at a faster, wider rate than people realize. In last week’s Economist there was an article about how the old-school accounting firms like Deloitte and Ernst&Young are leading the way in making changes to accommodate the new workforce.

http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9507322

By: Exick

Exick — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 04:53:18 +0000

Wow, that list is interesting. On the one hand, much of what she says I find perfectly acceptable. On the other, the things I disagree with border on sociopathy.

By: MS

MS — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 19:30:57 +0000

I ran across Penelope’s list earlier today and had the same impression.
I like the way she challenges some of the assumptions we have about how to manage our careers. At times, though, the recommendations don’t hold up in the “normal” workplace.

By: Modern Worker

Modern Worker — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 19:01:39 +0000

Taking time off without asking anyone? Even in the most professional of environments, this can easily lead to getting FIRED.

By: tinyhands

tinyhands — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 17:57:45 +0000

I think I agree with your assessment. Some of Trunk’s suggestions sound like they’re not only aimed at GenY employees, but GenY companies as well, the type of tiny internet startups that hire hoards of no-degree web designers. I don’t think many of those suggestions would fly at a “real” company.