I know I shouldn’t even really give this issue the time of day, but its really bugging me. See, I lost my previous job in November because of really stupid reasons, but I know this girl I used to work with played a large role in getting me fired. She hated me for some reason. I could never figure it out. When I started working at this place, I really tried my best to be kind, sincere and to participate in the office culture. I would even join this particular person and another workmate for sushi lunches on fridays. Everything seemed fine, I thought I was getting along with everybody. There were no signs of trouble. This went on for my first three months. Well, I had a standard job review near the end of my probation, only to find out that she had nothing nice to say about me (alot of it simply making mountains out of mole-hills). In fact, my manager said that he “never heard so many negative comments about a single person in his entire 14-years” working there. I was flabbergasted.
All my life, people have always gotten along with me very well. At previous jobs, ppl always loved me, said I was one of the best things to happen to their departments, etc. etc. All glowing remarks.
And then, WHAM! out of nowhere, all of a sudden I’m such a terrible person to work with?!
I know I’m naturally a very quiet and reserved person but this was taken as being ‘snobby’ and ‘you act like you’re too good for us’ bla bla bla. Wow, maybe they might have thought… the quiet geek has trouble fitting in socially? No, not at all. Its easier to peg me as being a snob. Go figure.
I mean, I’ve always been a socially akward. Understandably so. I’m the kid who upon entering kindergarten had such a heavy spanish accent that nobody could understand. So they threw me into speech therapy with the ‘special’ kids. Hrmm. Wouldn’t you be socially akward too?
Whatever, I tried to put up with it. I bent over backwards to try and ‘correct’ all these ‘problems’ I was having, just to make this silly girl happy so she would just leave me alone. I constantly asked for her feedback, shared design resources with her, we were even fb friends and would play scrabulous together on occasion. I went out of my way to try to be nice to her. Quietly, she still hated me. Anyhow, the long and short of it is that she was a super-big brown-noser who constantly flirted with management and the most two-faced person I have ever known. And I still believe to this day that she is the primary reason why my employer decided to fire me. “You’re not a good fit for the team” bulls**t.
So, this brings me to my urge to post …. Since getting my new job, I’ve realized that my last job was some sort of strange twilight-zone and currently, I actually feel sane again. The first time in years. And, since I’ve moved on, I’ve met some really great people. However, the design community in my city is pretty small and well… you guessed it … “she”s part of it too. So, in poking around fb today, I’ve found that she is also friends with all of my designer fb friends and I felt this terror run through me.
Oh my god. How do they know her? Has she said anything to them about me? Do they know what a two-faced and hurtful person she can be? How is she going to affect my career? Its really scary.
The thought even crossed my mind that “geez, maybe I should think about moving to another province.”
I just don’t understand how people can be such bullies. I mean, we’re grown-ups now, and people still behave like they’re in freaking junior high. Its sick sick sick.
I guess I’ll just have to try to be myself and stay kind to people no matter what. Its just scary to think that some people have so much power to potentially affect the rest of your life. :/
