RimRod was complaining that his
mom complains about his use of standard
geek work clothes (ie, jeans and a t-shirt).
RimRod, this isn't an isolated experience, but it's a symptom of the fact that your parents generally don't understand the
new economy or any of its implications.
I guess it's not a big surprise. Those baby boomers grew up when jobs were relatively scarce, but were forever. So you wore your suit and tie or pantyhose, showed up at 8 on the dot every morning, and the company would take care of you in your old age. If you hand most baby boomers the cluetrain mainifesto they say, "what a load of crap!"
As a result, my parents don't understand that a bizarre mix of job impermanence and ageism on the part of the company makes it wise to appear young and carefree at work. Especially if you are.
They don't get that the Silicon Valley is currently experiencing a boomtown that puts the gold rush to shame. And they definitely don't understand that wearing pantyhose to work would instantly mark me as someone who was too insecure to know what she's doing.
Here's a list of other things your parents probably don't understand about the new geek economy:
- longevity at a single company is detrimental. A resume with more than 2 years at a job implies lack of ambition.
- cooking is not a life skill anymore, it's a hobby.
- dressing up for work once may be whimsy, or it may be fear. Do it twice in any month without a mandate from your supervisor, and somone will start looking for what you're trying to hide
- As companies get more desperate -- and ship date gets closer -- employees get more spoiled. Company-sponsored Friday beer busts are not uncommon; nor are roving office massage therapists. I just heard of a company that gives every employee a $400 monthly car payment allowance.
- The number of years experience you have in your field is roughly the number of jobs there are for every person with your qualifications.
Mix up "Its" and "it's" once in this writeup, and I get called illiterate in soft-linking? Boy, this is a tough crowd.