Tuesday, October 17, 2006

The road not taken?

I haven’t been that regular with my posts for the last month or so because I have had a lot on my plate.

A series of slip-ups and major bust-ups with the immediate boss, who wont accept that some of the slip-ups were caused by his failure to fully grasp what the assignments from above required, over the last 10 months have led to a situation where the office has been a truly nasty place for yours truly for the last few weeks.

After thinking long and hard, with the help of some intelligence gathered through my mole in the higher echelons of this organisation, I made the very difficult decision to tender my resignation letter and give in my notice.

After 3 weeks of pushing and shoving it was inevitably going to come down to a choice of who should leave, the boss or me. I realised that was one decision that was more than likely not going to favour my black ass so I made the pre-emptive move. This way I wont have a record of ever being fired.

I am beginning to think I did the right thing, under the circumstances, because everybody is falling over himself or herself to tell me that they will have my back should I need any positive recommendations in the future. To me this means they were going to fire me regardless of the merits of my defence and my resignation gave them an easy and guiltless way out of the problem.

I am not saying I am totally blameless but considering most of the time I was operating under some very misguided instructions, I should have been cut some major slack.

All this has me wondering how different my life would have ended up had I taken up my calling to become a broadcast journalist.

As a MassComm student I developed an interest in radio and TV broadcasting (I was looking for options with no written examinations) and under the initial tutelage of a chap called Murray Oliver I started churning out some pretty impressive assignments. In those days we didn’t even have a campus radio stations and editing suites, like the Countryboyi has, to help grasp the practical elements better. You do not know difficulty until you have attempted to edit a radio skit with only a microphone and a boombox with two tape decks

While still at university I worked for a while at a, now defunct, TV news agency. I liked the work but because I wasn’t being paid I quickly took my uncle’s offer for a job that I found uninspiring.

He had a PR consultancy firm and he had just won a really big job, which required him to get some extra staff. He wanted an assistant and since I was studying mass communication he figured I would do just fine. He also knew that he could pay me peanuts and I’d be happy.

It was the allure of a salary no matter how small (it was actually quite a sum for a university student) that started me on my journey down the “wrong” path. For once I had money to spend and since I was being paid weekly, had no real expenses to talk about, I found I was above the average income level of my classmates.

Almost a year later, after our finals, I was selected by my head of department for a 4 month internship with WBS which would almost certainly lead to fulltime employment. Being the myopic person I was, I turned the internship down. Why? Because I had just received a slight increase in pay and I didn’t see myself quitting what I had to work for 4 months without pay.

As with all consultancy work, the big juicy assignment was soon done and my uncle’s company found it hard to get any new contracts (at least none as good as the previous one). Company went broke after a while and I found myself doing all sorts of dull short-term research gigs, until I got my current job, which is (or was) also largely routine and administrative in nature.

As I sit here charting the carriers of my old team from the broadcast class, many of whom have gone on to better (more interesting at any rate) things, I can’t help but wonder what it might have been like had I stuck to what I liked.

But then again, maybe knowing I am going to be on the street in 28 days has me seeing things from an unhealthy perspective.

12 comments:

Cheri said...

Jay, i got yo back...morally! u'll be ok. Boss' gonna rot in hell!

Look on the bright side, u still have 28 days! by the end of it, u shd have some prospects!

Uganda Tourism Press Journalists said...

Going by the intelligence you display on this forum, i know you are going on for better things. Being out of work in 28 days doesn't mean zilch. For someone else, maybe they can cry and feel sorry for themselves. But you? You are going to inherit the world.

Minty said...

you were brave to resign. i admire that. There's more out there and it's all yours for the taking.

Juju said...

Sometimes a step such as this might steer you in the right break. Tough choices... BUT it only makes u stronger... All the best man!

Jay said...

Thanks people. I am yet to see how i fare out there.

Darlkom said...

I wish you the best Jay, you seem like you deserve it. Does this mean no more rock night for you?

Baz said...

WBS used to hired people who know English?


I'm not worried, Jay. Destiny. You will kick the future's ass.

Klara said...

Tough Choice indeed!!bt u seem to be destined for greater things..Juz lip dat spirit!

Savage said...

I am sorry to spam, but ya'll need to Watch this Invisible Children music video

Kenyanchick said...

You'll definitely be OK. And if anyone gives you grief, you have a whole blogging community that can kick ass and take names.

Cheri said...

@Jay, 28days ran out on the 14th of November! Where are u?

We need to have a little something for u by then....

Show up!

Dennis D. Muhumuza said...

Hey Jay [i like the rhyme], sure you are on the crossroads. The journey you're about to take in 28 days is definately the least traversed. But remember that might make all the difference afterall! Good luck!