Anna

Hello everyone, it’s great that we have the chance to listen, read and talk about work as a source of satisfaction, especially personal. Today I was visited by Anna, an extremely talented on many levels, a young person who, instead of following the crowd, decided to follow her heart – but, maybe from the beginning!

Hello Anna!

Hi, thank you very much for inviting me! It’s nice that I have the opportunity to share my experiences.

Could you bring your situation closer until recently? I’m talking about working in a corporation, did you mention that it was tiring and not suited to your personality?

Yes. In fact, it was 5 years ago that I had contact with a corporation. This was my first job that I was very happy about. Unfortunately, after 2 years, I encountered mobbing and left. I made a decision that I would never work for others. I just don’t want this. And that’s how my business started and it’s still going on.

Quite recently, at the beginning of this year, I received a proposal from a good friend and business partner to co-create a large project. Again a corporation… but I saw a lot of added value in it and at the same time a place to build and co-create a business with the greatest. I was also happy that I would be able to learn from them and improve my skills in running the company.

Unfortunately, after a month of work, I began to notice that my daily duties and expectations for me are completely different from the conversations at the beginning.

Every day work was more and more tiring for me. I performed duties that I did not like, which were often pointless, even … absurd. And I didn’t feel like I was developing there.

Did you like the people you worked with? Did you feel that you share common values?

Mostly, yes. I say most because not everyone in my company feels good and at ease, and friends who know me know that I am open and love people. Sometimes I even had the impression that I was emanating a hostile attitude from my colleagues. I am talking mainly about the women I have worked with. I know they say the corporation is the “rat race” but I had a hard time believing it.

I have always been oriented towards teamwork and joint building of value.

However, I have found that to be true. Despite my sincere intentions, I felt more and more that I was being pushed aside. I also felt competition from others, and this was manifested, for example, by criticism for every initiative I proposed.

Did your company respect you and your time? The so-called work-life balance? Did they pay for overtime? Could you count on benefits? Do you think they compensated for the disadvantages of this job?

From the perspective of the changing approach to work, its form and hourly flexibility, I believe that it is not. Oftentimes, work could be done much faster than I was required to be at work. From my perspective, it was a waste of time knowing I could do a lot of other things at the same time.

I dedicated myself to working in a corporation, putting aside the responsibilities of my own company. Of course, there were benefits for employees in the form of medical care or a sports card. But it was absolutely not a compensation. And what I value most is mental comfort and acting in harmony with your interior.

Has your company been involved in social movements? For example, supported women after maternity leaves or took care of the environment?

The company dealt with connecting entrepreneurs. There was no need to take care of the environment, but I have met with waste more than once. The company itself was not socially involved, but entrepreneurs belonging to the organization were.

I did not come across a preferential approach to pregnant women either, but maybe I was too short.

Are you glad you don’t work there anymore? Was it a change for the better? What do you intend now? Own business?

Yeah! I am very happy! I have a lot more time to do things that brings me joy, like spending time with my family and friends. I am returning to my company at top speed, and I am also getting ready to open another company.

Now, having experience in working both in a corporation and in a small company, looking through the prism of our main topic – i.e. job satisfaction, what would you advise yourself then, working in the previous company, taking into account your own happiness? “Run away”? 🙂

I would say “run away” and ASAP! I have absolutely confirmed that the corporation is not the place for me. But I guess that’s what I needed – convince myself that I want to act on my own.

Working in a corporation may pay off. It is a good solution for many people, but if you have energy and creativity, create, act! It requires a lot of work and dedication, not once support and motivation, but it’s WORTH! It’s worth taking a risk and doing what you love.

What would you advise someone who gets tired of their current job, but stays in “reasonably”? Where to start and where to look?

The greatest difficulty in achieving the desired goals is not the idea but the way, that is, the way of reaching the goal.

There are many sources of learning about running your own business, but it is very difficult to find sources from which to learn how to do it. It was the hardest for me. More than once, I “wandered in the dark”, returned to the starting point or had failures, from which I tried to draw conclusions and draw experience.

I believe a great resource is watching and learning from others and talking. If someone does not know where and how to start, they can use many sources. Business incubators are becoming more and more popular, where you can verify your idea, find an investor or use the support of mentors.

Another solution is to use grants to open a business, but in every situation you should take care of appropriate legal security, because in the end it is the most important thing. There are also many networking groups where you can draw and learn from more experienced entrepreneurs, as well as obtain recommendations. However, the most important thing is to act with passion, in harmony with yourself and self-realization. Professional ethics, acting honestly and being yourself are also important. A lot of attention is paid to this. If it is, the rest will follow. 🙂

Wow, that’s a lot of information and tips!

Well, I was trying haha

In fact, on behalf of all of them, thank you very much and good luck in your future career!

Thank you and I wish you courage in your decisions!