The Behavior Patterns of the Great North American Dillhole

Dear Earthjustice Office Manager,

Thank you for your rejection letter. While I know it isn’t from you, I still take it rather personally and I think we need to have a talk, sweetcheeks. Can I call you that? Sweetcheeks?

From one office manager to another, I know what it is like to be managed by everyone in the office, whether they’re your direct supervisor or not. I know what it is like to be referred to the “receptionist” and to watch day after day as the interns are treated better. I know what it is like to be given the title, but none of the power or respect that unjamming the copier should command. You think I don’t get ignored when I greet the people who’ve been here for months and have never once acknowledged my existence? EVERY FUCKING MORNING, that’s when. You think I don’t get harassed by telemarketers who accuse me of not getting laid when I ask to be removed from their call list? Tell me I’ve never had to refill the hand soap bottles, because my time is worth less than the cost of buying a huge container of liquid soap and manually refilling 24 bottles. Babycakes, I’m right there with you.

And yet, you followed the orders of your superiors, and kept a fellow desk jockey down, without even letting them through for an interview for a position that could be the only thing standing between them and a bottle of pills tonight. For no other reason that some other fuck who applied had a degree from Brown and a few summers of sucking ass at the NRDC. Or so I’m guessing. I’ve been deemed “unqualified” a lot of people much like your HR department, so you’ll have to forgive my bitterness, sweetcheeks.

You ought to know what it is like, 5 years temping your way through college only to end up at the bottom again after 5 years in a shit industry that nearly killed you followed by a career change after you got laid off. Or are you just another wannabe stand-up comedian who just wants a day job and stumbled upon this saving-the-earth gig? I mean, even if you are just doing this for the steady pay and benefits, you should still understand that other people have dreams and aspirations too.

Why didn’t you revolt? Say no to your boss. Put through candidates you want to work with, who seem interesting on paper and make the management talk to “nontraditional” applicants. “Accidentally” send out an invitation to me, get me in the office and at least let me have some facetime with an interviewer who can see that I’m not an idiot despite not having done the exact fucking job as described.

I have work experience, and volunteer experience, not to mention a die-hard environmental commitment. I rewash Ziplock baggies, for fuck’s sake. Last summer I interned with a “green” organization when I was laid off. I’m sorry I can’t afford to buy a master’s from Columbia, but the kitty’s a little low these days, what with the recession and my shit pay and my retarded need to not be homeless and hungry. Your organization would be getting a bargain, because I am not entry-level but hell, I’m offering to work for entry level pay if it means getting out of the hellhole job I’m in now.

Come on, why didn’t you go rogue? Do you identify with your oppressors? Stockholm syndrome and all that. You think that if you play the game, you’ll get a promotion, from Office Manager to maybe Program Assistant then Program Associate, then maybe even, Director of Sustainable Tristate Waterways Fucking Policy, and then you’ll get to do the Real Work of saving the World ™. Yeah, well I’ve got news for you assface. It don’t happen that way. They see you as an office manager, barely able to handle the Staples order, never-mind that you may have a whole secret inner world full of ideas, thoughts, plans, proposals, independent research and self-education. They’re amazed that you’re even able to make it to work wearing pants. Ya ain’t goin’ nowhere, kid, trust me. From one office manager to another.

Office Managers of the world should unite. We should get drunk and motherfucking riot. Burn this city down. Tar, toner and feather the upper management. Lemon juice and paper cuts for all. We’d have a blast, and if we got the other downtrodden pink collars (medical secretaries, personal assistants, cleaning ladies) on our side, we could easily shut Manhattan down. Yeah, but it won’t happen because of assholes. like. you.

They say you should behave as those behave in the position you aspire to. Clearly, asshole, you are middle-management material if I ever saw it.

I’ve sent your number to all my friends, so if you get a lot of calls asking about the plight of the Great North American Dillhole, just thank me. We know you’re not an endangered species.

Sincerely,

*******

Tags: depression, humor, interviewing, job, just not that into you, labor, not really funny, philosophy, random, rejection, snark, so fucking what, why bother, work, worker