Job Title: Research Assistant
Location: Toronto, Canada
Submitted on: 04-Apr-03
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I don't think I've ever before (or since) been subjected to so many
egos under one roof. There was so much rivalry and office politics
that the company itself appeared to take a back seat to the whims of
the favoured few who were given free rein to delegate, authorize and
abuse with impunity.
As a lowly assistant, respect was not expected and I was not
disappointed. Advancement opportunities were dismally unavailable,
despite accepting additional responsibilities and furthering my
education.
The term "anally retentive" comes to mind when assessing the overall
culture within the office, particularly in reference to the Senior
Executives (and one other Assistant who shall remain nameless). There
was no freedom, no room for error and enough back-stabbing to make Jack
the Ripper cringe with distaste.
Before you assume that I was "asked to leave" the company and am
writing as a disgruntled ex-employee, let me assure you that I chose to
leave on my own accord and I am not particularly disgruntled. My
objective here is to warn potential candidates for employment there to
avoid being "snowed" by their promises of respect, empowerment and
financial incentives.
A very strict punctuality code was observed. It didn't matter whether
you had given them an extra 40 hours of your life every month. If you
weren't through their doors at the prescribed hour every morning, it
did not go unnoticed. Even three minutes would be cause to worry.
Their dress code was rigorously professional for those who dealt with
clients on a regular basis. For the rest, "business casual" was
sufficient; much to the dismay of some of the more senior
megalomaniacs. They were usually ignored, for the most part. "Mutual
respect" was an oxymoron within those walls.
The population was very lightly peppered by foreign nationalities. The
various cultures mingled quite well, with no definable "cliques" in
that regard. The cliques were reserved for the self-named "elite".
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