Don’t let your ego trick you!
In 2020, I was about to make that giant leap: leaving my managerial job.
We’ve all been there, right?
The emotional rollercoaster of farewells, the awkward hugs (when it’s allowed from HR), and the promises of ‘Let’s keep in touch!’
But do people actually mean it?
Let me take you on a little journey through my time at PwC, where I learned some hard truths about workplace friendships.
When I was at PwC, I genuinely thought my coworkers were my friends.
We spent so much time together on engagements, usually working side-by-side from 8 AM to 7 PM. We laughed over coffee breaks, cried over an a**hole client & ridiculous deadlines, and shared inside jokes; we sometimes even spent our Saturdays together.
My ego was soaring; I felt like going to the office was the best thing ever, just hanging out with my buddies.
But was I in for a reality check when I left the firm? Oh, yes!
I left PwC because I was burned out to my bones, and suddenly, the phone went silent.
No texts, no calls, not even an Instagram like!
It was as if I had vanished into thin air.
My ego took a hit, and I started questioning my self-worth.
‘Didn’t they care about me at all?’
‘Weren’t we friends?’
‘Did I misread the signs?’
I had to accept the fact that we’re all replaceable in the grand scheme of things.
Two weeks after I left, a new person filled my seat, and life at PwC went on as usual.
My so-called ‘friends” had moved on, and I was nothing but a distant memory.
The only thing that reminded them of our time together was an awkward LinkedIn post that popped up on their feed.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Some genuine people check in with you and care about how you’re doing.
But let’s face it, they’re the exception, not the rule.
I missed my ‘friends’. It felt like a break-up. Multiplied.
I reached out to some of them; we promised to get together.
And guess what?
We never did.
It was a tough pill to swallow, but my colleagues weren’t your friends.
They’re people I worked with, and that’s it.
Your real friends are the ones who check in on you, who care about your well-being, and who stick by you through thick and thin.
What’s the takeaway here?
Don’t invest emotionally in workplace friendships.
Keep it professional and cordial, but don’t expect your coworkers to be your BFFs. Save that emotional bandwidth for the people who truly deserve it — your real friends.
In the end, we’re all just passing through, playing our roles in the grand theatre of work life.
Accept it, embrace it, and move on because the people who are meant to be in your life will find a way to stay, job or no job.
So, the next time you’re about to leave a job and find yourself wondering, ‘Will they miss me?’ remember my story.
Chances are, they won’t.
And that’s perfectly fine. Don’t worry about them, just do you!
Life’s too short to worry about who’s missing you at the office water cooler.