Welcome back to another episode of the corporate Cowboys podcast my name is Alex as always your host a little proof of life just brought off top it’s Monday June 19 2023. if you’re not familiar with the form of this podcast it’s oriented around professional development for those who are seeking to break in
Move around and get the [ __ ] out of corporate we’re in and out this is this the bne job and for what we came for out for what we got that’s it that’s it really at the end of the day we would like to think of ourselves as
Leaders within a niche space that is intent on creating leaders right so what would a corporate Cowboy do will let us tell you hopefully we’re thinking you might be taking notes and incorporating internalizing integrating some of these ideals so that when push comes to shove within
Corporate you know how to reach all the way back and put in a little bit of work all right today’s question just after just I’m gonna just dive in today’s question I’m feeling some type of way it’s coming from our slash career guidance right it’s pretty popular
Subreddit for us that we visit regularly and they’re asking here they’ve flared it for advice and they’re asking would you take less pay all right I don’t know you’re starting off bad you’re already starting off bad Alex you have to speak a little slower if you have to but enunciate your words
So that the listener is able to receive them clearly okay would you take less pay and better culture over higher pay and a bad slash toxic I don’t know a [ __ ] say toxic I’m already thinking it’s some snowflake [ __ ] and not in the sense that they’re liberal or they’re conservative
I could give two [ __ ] it’s that they’re soft they’re soft when [ __ ] say toxic just off top you you think you honestly believe that there is some form of discrimination that is existing now that [ __ ] aren’t privy to or aren’t documenting or aren’t already suing on that hasn’t been eliminated fam
I don’t know what decade what sense what Millennia what millennia the late 1900s over here I don’t know what time period folks think they are living in to really believe that this [ __ ] would fly in an era when [ __ ] are straight trigger happy for all of the wrong reasons
You you snuff them for a little bit you say damn Alex Alex changed up his hair I don’t like I don’t know I don’t like the color of his hair or some [ __ ] and and because I was rocking blue hair that day oh because uh I got blue hair and I
Identify with this alphabet group you’re discriminating dog soft as [ __ ] and if that’s toxic nah I mean toxicity comes with the territory when you sign up for this corporate War when you sign on the dotted line I get it I get it it is war All is fair in Love and
War right so yeah you could absolutely launch unfounded unsubstantiated frivolous allegations that [ __ ] discriminated harassed assaulted you created a a toxic hostile work environment and you might be able to win but you you don’t think that the corporations that exist now have either insulated which is damn near impossible because every
[ __ ] body is able to be touched is touchable you can’t [ __ ] hide there is no such thing as being impenetrable and vulnerable [ __ ] when a corporate Cowboy sets their mind on infiltrating your operation before you know it you became the corporate cowboy on the lookout for [ __ ] trying to infiltrate your operation
The [ __ ] is a mental not even a dis-ease it’s an unease and it’s a healthy unease right you want peace of mind off yourself that’s the only way you’ll get it there’s no such thing as Security in corporate everyone is entry level forever and that’s been an overarching
Theme of the podcast since it’s conception right now a corporate Cowboy would think damn more money and they got a toxic culture these [ __ ] don’t know me they don’t have a [ __ ] clue all this quote unquote bad culture and toxicity for me it’s just cover it’s just cover now figure that fine
Analogize if you will right to um to the actual field like if you’re in the trenches if if you’re if you’re at War I mean in real life not just corporate but I mean in real life if you’re you know licking shots back and forth that [ __ ] with actual canons actual hand pieces
The difference between concealment and cover right now concealment is something that hides you hides you from your opposition who’s taking a match or who wants to take a match you to take your [ __ ] head off cover on the other hand is one Step Above concealment in the sense that cover centrally Shields you
It’s temporary it might be temp it might be permanent depending on what or who in the corporate context who you take cover behind right because you’re not just going to get hired on and become CEO one day to the next if it if that happens [ __ ]
Maybe you want to reach out to us give me give you a little perspective of what to expect but everyone starts entry level and everyone remains entry level for the tenure for whatever career further for the life of their career you could be floating on cloud nine one day and knock down
Placed six feet below the next damn I don’t even I didn’t even read the body on this uh on this question I just read the headline and I took off but I feel passionate about this this this notion of toxicity this notion of a bad culture if you’re making more money and if
If you were given Alex relax what the [ __ ] are you getting mad about it’s Monday you have the rest of the week to put [ __ ] in their place you’re offered a job and the job is competitive and they’re paying competitively right so you’d be making more money but the expectations are higher
The margins are razor thin of the performance they expect the quality of work they’re expecting damn I’m not even getting my dry fire reps in but the topic is the the topic is so good it warrants it right you mean to tell me that you go to work uh I guess
The best I could acknowledge as it too is is the legal field right it’s what I know best you’re going to work for one of the top firms in the country that has a global footprint right these [ __ ] are everywhere they’re putting in work they expect top performers so they recruit
From top schools picking up students picking up quality students they might not be top students but picking up quality students there’s a difference there’s a difference between a top student and a quality student just because you can memorize and regurgitate doesn’t make equality [Laughter] makes you it makes you a top student to
Be able to uh to uh what’s the term I’m looking for to be a uh not a stenographer that to just be um scribe right because that stenographers do something but ascribe you just what taking notes memorizing and and taking notes I don’t mean a clown right I don’t mean
A clown because a lot of those positions are highly coveted and [ __ ] would do the uh most Cut Throat [ __ ] to sabotage another applicant to take their place that’s corporate that’s that that toxicity oh is is that the toxicity you mean that’s expected you should expect it because of the field you’re entering
Because of the opportunities that are available not just in terms of compensation but the professional networking but the the the knowledge and the experience for entering this sphere of influence that you will be able to learn how to navigate if you don’t know already right that it’s a additional
Opportunity to learn what you thought because you graduated school you’re done what you became complacent and you’re done you’re going to end up ascribed the rest of your life just just a transcriber there you go a transcriber yo toxicity’s off the charts fam let me let me read a little bit into
This body see if I’ve missed anything I didn’t even start they say they begin with hello all oh hi I have been at my new oh new for me I have been at my new for me role going on a year now and the culture and job have
Taken a heavy toll on my physical and mental health long story short a year ago I left the job that I was very happy with to take a higher salary I wasn’t looking but got reached out to the salary is a 20 wait the salary was a 28 increase
Okay well just a little comment they’re in a position that is taking a physical toll physical and mental pull on them think this uh it could be a lack of experience right I Gotta Give the listener a legal disclaimer right now and that is that anything that I say or my associates
Publish via the corporate Cowboys or incorporating Associates none of it should be construed to be legal advice right you want some come retain us come specially retain us otherwise this is all general advice it’s giving you added perspective to life inside corporate right for those who want to navigate through corporate otherwise otherwise
If the shoe fits you might be able to run in it right but you have to be able to walk first before you make any silent moves so they continue it has been a terrible experience due to the toxic culture of the organization here we go oh here we
Go it’s about to get juicy right fast forward to now the old job called me asking me if I’d like my old job back I don’t know if they call you more than likely you reached out or you talked to somebody at the organism if you’re using
Words like toxicity a dollar a dollar says you have kept in contact with somebody at the old job and you bitched and whined and complained about how your new job you’re making more money but it’s so [ __ ] toxic and word filtered up through the ranks and now they’re
Offering you your job back why because they know you can’t hack it incorporate I mean there’s there’s levels to the [ __ ] right there’s levels to the [ __ ] you want to move up a tax bracket expect stress you want to move up in title expect stress you want to grow
You want to develop professionally expect stress so that you learn how to handle it so that you learn how to cope with it I mean that’s probably why a lot of trolls say seeds and cope because that’s what one of the first few stages of uh of grief
And so you ultimately accept it except that you must work through it otherwise you’re gonna you’re gonna get knocked the [ __ ] down and buried left behind and nobody would give a [ __ ] nobody would give a [ __ ] if you cried and whined about it so now they fast forward to now my old
Job called me asking if I’d lock my old job back the offer is nine percent less than my current salary see that’s not bad that’s not bad either right I enjoyed everything about it including my manager my teammates and the work there is new things that have happened since
Then so I will continue to learn okay all right you see a good out you’ll continue to learn ask ask if it’s going to be a similar title whether you’ll be able to keep a similar title you’ve already been at this other job for a whole year so I don’t know if in
The future that’s going to count against you as far as a uh as far as uh uh that that Gap in employment why you chose to leave but those are uh Bridges you can cross when you get there in the future if you are interviewing if you are applying
You’ll be able to justify them one way or another it’s possible it’s possible right we’re treating this as if it were a hypothetical client mind you everything about this podcast is hypothetical and in um Not Call of Duty I was gonna say Minecraft but maybe Minecraft is the
Audience right because I’m a little older and I want my audience to be a little younger because we are cultivating the future corporate Cowboys so you know it is what it is but my train of thought was on analyzing the hypothetical clients situation relevant to where they expect to be in the future
How they expect to grow and it seems as if they’ve done a little leg work right to learn what kind of opportunity exists if they choose to go back and they write that by saying that new things have happened at their old job that means that they will continue learning yeah
They’ll take about a 10 pay cut but the opportunities it sounds like the opportunities may be better and that depends on the definition on the operative definition that this hypothetical client is using what what their definition of opportunities is right if it’s just oh to learn more and
To give more responsibility I mean if that satisfies them if that satisfies them right because ultimately we are seeking satisfaction in the work that we’re doing and they enjoyed the work that they were doing at their old job they enjoyed the team and they enjoyed the manager they’re not giving too much information
About this toxic culture at the new organization but but to a competent and capable corporate Cowboy I’m telling you that [ __ ] provides not just concealment but it provides cover because you walk into a field where [ __ ] are already in fighting with one another atomies that’s that
Smell of blood in the hallways homie I’m a hallway shark I’m I’m just corporate thugging I’m Corporate Thuggin skullduggery if I have to why because everyone is taking care of each other and I have to just worry about taking care of business and I’ve said it time and time again you
Take care of business and business will take care of you don’t go looking for none and there won’t be none right They continue they write my question my question is would you take a salary decrease for better culture or to get away from a toxic culture has anyone ever done this before let me think let me think well I guess if you’re viewing it as an investment in yourself right
Because they’re not telling us um every single detail and if we had them as a hypothetical client we would be interviewing and asking and following up with more questions about their current position as far as what it is they do the duties that they take on obligations responsibilities the level of authority
Any degree of control that they have how large the organization is the types of colleagues what departments they communicate with right and really to qualify not just quantify but not just quantify as far as I go this is a nine percent reduction and so no but I mean qualify the opportunities available right
Between one place and the other and to me it sounds like they’re already biased they’re already biased for returning to their old job because they’re against this notion of toxicity well what if one thing they haven’t taken into account that has also changed at the old job is the fact that there’s
Been some structural changes providing opportunities for more learning means that these structural changes have also been changes in personnel and titles and responsibilities and this structural change could lead to structural toxicity I gotta love you gotta love when you use the language to get at the language right this notion of toxicity
But again if they’ve done the legwork if they’ve done their due diligence and really evaluated the opportunities available to them at both places to really qualify their next move then what would they need us for what would they be asking Reddit for have you ever lived have you ever left the job oh
I mean if it counts as an investment okay me personally and folks that I’ve known we’ve left positions we’ve left positions in two instances right where we didn’t want to get caught breaking the law so that’s one right off the bat and two for something better that’s it that’s it for something better
And our definition of better is going to be more Rich opportunities it might not even be dollars on paper it might be the opportunity something something at Arm’s Reach something borderline tangible something manifestable that we don’t even have to think about we can just see and we see the next move
To get to it so moving making that move making that move is incumbent on you taking an objective look and if you are not capable of doing that because this top this toxicity is wearing you down but we’ve gotten no examples of it more than likely it’s production productivity expectations productivity
Standards or it could be a [ __ ] it could be a [ __ ] dress code but like I mentioned earlier Alex you can’t come in with blue hair you can’t come in with purple hair I need you I need you to come and looking professional right and if you can’t finesse and
Hustle your way to show up to work with the orange hair slick back or however it is that you dress it up right because you can’t walk in with Bed Head either but if you can’t hustle your manager of course you’re gonna feel oppressed because you’re not getting your way well
This is a toxic culture because I can’t I can’t take a a an hour lunch instead of a 30-minute lunch the [ __ ] out of here the [ __ ] out of here first you put up the numbers you signed up for the gig you wanted the money first
Did you read your con you see I I go back to that just just the basis of business is reading what the [ __ ] you sign on for did you read what you signed did you read what was expected of you do you know how to advocate for yourself and move
Like a corporate cowboy [Laughter] because it could just be that they’re asking you to do more than what you signed up for and that is an opportunity that’s an additional opportunity that you might be failing to identify to recognize as capitalizable for you to capitalize on opens the door to renegotiate in your
Contract making it even more money okay sure I’ll take on these responsibilities but I want X I want what comes next [Laughter] but if you get caught lacking if it’s unexpected you you just get caught by surprise all of a sudden you’re gonna be like this is oppressive
This is a [ __ ] toxic work culture Alex everybody before you has done it everybody is bent over and take it up the ass so you know this is your turn this is just par for the [ __ ] par for the course how about I read what I signed on for anything else
I’m gonna have to be compensated because it’s not my job I’m taking it all the way back to the West Coast to the Bay Area that’s not my job I don’t do that but you have to have the ability you have to be capable you have to appear capable and competent
Right not just the period but action be it you have to talk the talk and walk that talk when it comes to it otherwise you’re a pushover like the rest of them literally the rest of them you have to set yourself apart as the consummate professional someone
Who was not to be trifled with something somebody was not to have their money [ __ ] with that’s what you want but no they hang money out in front of this cat he’s in Bay lingo now they hang money out in front of this cat and this [ __ ] jumped
And where they landed they did not like surprise [Laughter] and if they’ve got no abilities to adapt that’s the term that’s the term I was looking for not just not just cope but adapt and be better if they’re not capable of adapting that’s it they’re gonna get soaked up and rinsed out
I crack myself up sometimes oh [ __ ] because I’ve seen it I’ve seen it time and time again I’ve done it to people I’ve had it done before I’ve had it done before right and that comes with experience we would take this but we would take this information down at the intake
Right if you find yourself in a position where you need some perspective you want somebody to you know [ __ ] with chop it up with if your circle isn’t helping you develop professionally that’s what we’re here for you want a console hit us up we’re on Instagram that’s at corporates Cowboys with the Z
We’re on patreon that’s the corporate Cowboys podcast there’s a couple of donation links send something if you want but this you know this 30 minute spot will be free while we’re live and kicking and if we get knocked off you’ll know why it’s because we’re rocking the boat it’s supposedly it was
Smooth sailing that’s funny supposedly they’ll tell you they’ll tell you it’s raining while they’re pissing on you from the top back they claim that [ __ ] rolls downhill but it’s [ __ ] who come up from beneath with knives and guns proving that everyone is entry level forever everybody gets caught lacking at the top
That’s why nobody remains king forever that’s the corporate War it’s the corporate War nobody remains king forever but while it’s your turn and you move righteously you’ll have a good life otherwise expect the unexpected you want to mail something to us a letter a letter I I didn’t mean to put
It say like that right you want to mail something you want to peace nail something that we can put together and use yeah I mean for sure send that too that’s PO Box 3372 Rancho Cordova California 95741 okay so let me um let me finish the rest of this this body off and
And see where that lands us we’re about 30 minutes but might as well close it out with what they wrote here they’re saying that um thank you all it’s an edit thank you all for the amazing feedback for a little background my current salary is roughly 98k and my old organization is
Offering 90k to put things into perspective I’m going to add a second to edit they say thank you again for all the responses in the comments I was up last night reading them and genuinely so appreciative of the advice of this community this morning my wife received
News that she’s gotten a 5k raise which will nearly even us out she absolutely loves her job and we’re ecstatic I really appreciate the feedback I began this job roughly a year ago after accepting the offer and was thrusted into a toxic culture come on give us some details on the toxicity
I but I get it I get it especially also notice that they brought up another fact which a lot a lot and I’m not gonna say overwhelming but a very substantial amount of individuals don’t have to deal with and that is a wife that is a family right
I’m not going to say it’s a bad thing but if you’re following in Alex’s footsteps you know a girlfriend is a girlfriend right I got a girlfriend I got a girlfriend but I don’t have to worry about what she brings in only what you know she puts out so as far as
As far as being a corporate cowboy goes I’ve only got to worry about the moves that I make and when we make them in tandem I mean then [ __ ] gotta really worry about me but until then very professional consummate even consummate professional that’s what I strive for because I want my name and
My reputation to perceive me and not in the worst of ways not yet that is always always a last resort but you have to think method you have to think militantly you have to think strategically and learn to employ logic and tact in order to move up through the ranks
Because there’s going to be a lot of [ __ ] like this hypothetical client right I’m not throwing them under the bus yet because they’re not there they’re not at the bus stop to roll them under right they’re not stopping for anyone else just yet so it seems right
Because they still want to do it moving and they’re still making moves even if they left this quote-unquote toxic culture because they couldn’t cope they could not adapt with the stress they have a family at home to worry about I got a I got a wife and kids that depend
On me I can’t rock the boat but I can’t also hack the the the the job and the responsibilities and duties that come with it right then you have to get home again we don’t know the details and if we had them in front of us we would ask okay how many
More hours a day are you there how many more responsibilities and obligations are you having to take on that you weren’t at your previous job yeah you have a family I mean should you have you know what is the optimal balance between you at work and you with like all of
That matters to the hypothetical client All That Matters to our clients All That Matters to a professional but if you don’t have them if you if if you do have them and you find that you can’t hack it move the [ __ ] out of the way before you get moved plain
And simple and that’s obvious that’s apparent it’s not obvious but it’s a parent right I’m making that inference that that’s what this person did smart I like that get the [ __ ] out of the way and let corporate Cowboys do some work let some I’m gonna say some some real corporate
Cowboys because this person is still making moves they’re making a family right granted they sound a little soft saying about oh this cool this toxic culture sounds soft as [ __ ] right but they’re still making moves they’re making a family family is for the most part righteous as long as it’s done
Honorably and with integrity right so kudos to them kudos to them but don’t for a second get caught lacking just because you got a family and and you don’t want to leave the talks the quote-unquote toxic work culture because it makes more money you’re bottlenecking it for the rest of
Us [ __ ] don’t get reminded in the worst way that everyone is entry level forever this [ __ ] is fire at will it be called fire at will right if you’re raised in the 90s like I was that shit’s always been fire at will now it’s just called at will at will employment yeah right
Take care of yourselves don’t get caught lagging I’ll catch you next time
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