Comments on: The More You Decorate, The More There Is To Pack

By: Riley

Riley — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 02:55:32 +0000

I got laid off from my first job outta ad school last year by phone two days before New Years while I was outta town on holiday. The first week of the new year I got sick and didn’t make it into the office to retrieve my things. When I came in the next week I discovered my cubicle had been completely emptied. They threw out everything, including a notebook I had been using for over five years to write ideas, lines and nuggets I thought might be useful later. To add insult to injury they called me the day before to make sure I intended to return my laptop. It seemed like appropriate end.

By: Paul Schauder

Paul Schauder — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:59:25 +0000

When I left HHCC about 12 years ago. I just got up and left. Didn’t pack a thing. Left all my annuals, all my toys, all my posters exactly as they were and just walked out.

Why, cause i thought it was funny. Miss some of that stuff.

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:07:30 +0000

I’ve always struggled to decorate my cubicle, and I know it was a concious decision NOT to vette myself in a workplace. Despite this, I find myself at the ripe “old” age of 36 struggling to define myself beyond my work.

By: rich

rich — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 08:08:27 +0000

never forget taking a job @ MVBMS Euro rscg… i never even bothered to fill out the form for my business cards though i did decorate my office. when i left that job i had my stuff outta’ there in a day. lucky (i guess) they had my stuff moved to my new office.
funny though…
i rem. @ my first job out of school a talented copywriter told me to get a little box that all my shit would fit in & to put that box under my desk. oh, another thing… i once painted my office walls pink before i left. that was funny to leave behind.

By: Kevin Mackey

Kevin Mackey — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:10:24 +0000

Great post. One solution to the decorating conundrum is to deliver work that is worthy of wall art. Great work is beautiful to look at and serves as a wonderful conversation starter. And, when it’s time to move on, these decorations can (and should) be left behind.

By: fabgeekling

fabgeekling — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 02:18:36 +0000

The last company I worked for was a small company where we all had huge desks in a big loft type office. We were only allowed 1 personal item on the desk, 1 pen, 1 neat stack of papers on the current project and our computers.

It took me 5 min to get out of there after getting laid off. =)

By: bechappell

bechappell — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:57:41 +0000

As a freelancer I adopted a “mobile” work-style so the only things that speak of my individuality would be my messenger bag, coffee travel mug and my laptop.

[The latter of which I have had to resist the urge to pepper with colorful trendy stickers.]

This way I can pack what I need for when I need it – and can leave Godzilla and the Sock Monkey Puppet Slippers at home. Clients are happy and I only require net access, a coffee maker and a clear workspace.

It’s a beginning for this new high tech transient lifestyle of mine.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:09:03 +0000

I don’t feel like this is something unique to ad agencies in particular.

It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in. As long as we’re cog-like and measurable, we’ll be replaced.

I’ve seen folks with really “lived in” cubes get let go without even enough time to pack all of their things. They just get walked out by security and their stuff gets shipped to them later.

As nice as it is to have a comfortable work environment, it’s just no fun to have to worry getting all your stuff back.

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:09:41 +0000

I currently work at a small agency. It’s been my first foray into the ad agency world and I’ve been at my position close to three years. I too have never “personalized” my space. Interestingly enough, I’ve never been laid off or had any past experiences that would influence my decision to stay sparse. I just never really saw the point in it, possibly because it’s hard to think of any employment as permanent these days. I guess I came into the ad agency world with the assumption that we were all gears, so it’s really no surprise. I wonder if this sweeping recession has left us all jaded, always envisioning how we’ll pack up our boxes when the day comes. It seems the point is, don’t make your job your life, it’s your job, leave your home at home.

By: Stephen Macklin

Stephen Macklin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:32:56 +0000

I had done enough favors for the right people that I knew a few days in advance that I was getting axed. I just started bringing my stuff home.

When the day came what was left fit in one box and took five minutes to pack.

Now I’m working out of a home office and most of that stuff is still in the boxes. I don’t think I will ever be making another home away from home in an office again. I’ve done a few in-house freelance jobs and I resist the urge to change preferences on their computer.