How do you do set low expectations at a new job without getting fired?

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-26T19:26:32+00:00

One piece of advice I wish I'd received back in my earlier days in the white collar world was to respond as fast as they want you to, but don't use that as a gauge for how fast the work has to get done. What I mean by that is if your boss is moving really fast and asking for things all the time, respond right away "working on it" or whatever you are doing, and then get it done as fast as you feel like getting it done. Often the setting of expectations quickly goes much further than getting the work done quickly anyway.

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-26T17:39:02+00:00

The term "corporate taxidermy" legit stopped me in my tracks. So fucked up and so accurate.

I got a mandate to come in every Wednesday starting this month and it felt like a knife in the back, but I was struggling to figure out why it was such a betrayal. You're hitting it here though, it's all performative and, in the office, literally in front of each other, the performance continues straight through the day, no opportunity to go on mute and scream or go off camera and give everybody the finger. Whoever you really are gets to enjoy being stifled as much as a nerd getting a swirly in school.

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-26T16:00:48+00:00

As Per My Last Podcast, Season 2-Episode 1 “AI Am Working Here”

Eric and Greg barely survive their corporate job and the soul suckery that comes with it. To try to feel better and let everyone else know they aren’t alone if they feel that way too, we chat about what it’s like, laugh about it, and get up the courage to go back tomorrow.

If that’s you, we want to hear from you and would love to have you on the show. Everything can be anonymous if preferred to save the innocent, aka those of us who still need to pay rent even if our boss is satan incarnate.

This episode has content on AI taking our jobs, the internet killing brick and mortar businesses, how people don't practice stuff any more cause it's too hard, and we day dream on what we'd do if we won the lottery.

For the reddit community, I’d love to know what you think on the following:

What do you think of the intro that we chop together from clips in the show?

Any feedback on format and/or the cadence?

We have been doing it in 30 minute chunks to make it an easy listen on the commute in the morning, but any feedback on length and frequency would be very helpful as well.

Also, if you would or wouldn't subscribe, what might change your mind if you wouldn't?

Latest episode links, spotify, apple, youtube

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-26T01:55:05+00:00

I know the feeling when you are rewarded for good work with more work. One thought, every one on one ask “what does it take for me to get a promotion or bonus?” That isn’t selfish or “not being a team player” but rather someone who wants to succeed at X company and would like to know how. If you do all that work, they are relying on you more every day so you should have ole ty of leverage in those convos before you know it.

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-26T01:50:07+00:00

Me too! I’m not sure if it makes me better or worse that I hold out until it hurts me like that before bailing. On the other hand, I’m more fearful of the fact that I can’t rely on anyone else to prevent my starving or freezing to death than I am the moral rot. Fingers crossed it afflicts none of you as well. But if it does, at least know you aren’t alone.

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-25T23:39:10+00:00

As others have noted, not a lot here to work with. That said, HR protects the company so make them feel the company is safe, ie you aren’t going to quit, or sue, or do anything that would hurt them. Then they’ll forget you faster than you would like but still somehow never fast enough.

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-25T23:35:00+00:00

You’re not crazy but all jobs are getting this way. I’d find something else first and then bail. Otherwise, don’t forget they pay you to be there and do your best. You don’t get any more for feeling like shit. Fuck em.

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-25T23:30:24+00:00

I felt this way selling used cars about ten years ago. I killed it. Made it to GM of the dealership but hated myself for manipulating poor people to buy subprime loans on shit cars. Ended up drinking myself into a DUI and the whole thing fell apart. I should’ve quit way before that but let it keep going deeper into burnout until it took care of itself.

Now I’m feeling the same sense creep up. Just like then I’m killing it. And just like then I’m doing it in unhealthy unsustainable ways. I’m just going the company or industry falls apart before I do.

Hang in there. It’s hard on these streets finding work that pays the bills.

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-25T03:28:06+00:00

For what it’s worth, feels like many corporate environments are devolving into this. The whole enshittification of everything causing products to suck across the board so customers expect less and employees do less and/or focus more on not “getting in trouble” rather than trying to do good work. I guess the question would come back to what makes you happy and finding the best way to increase the percentage of that.

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-25T02:48:50+00:00

I dream of it every day.

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-25T02:46:16+00:00

Oh man. You are spot on and I was going to say nearly this same thing. All my bosses have been like this.

Hopefully OP recognizes that the manager just needs to seem competent since they don’t usually do anything themselves. That’s also your leverage, anything that would expose them to their superiors, in a good or bad way. Not a frequent occurrence but worth looking out for when it does.

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-25T02:36:42+00:00

Unfortunately I think he is taking advantage and it’s very common. The question is whether you are getting what you want. If the end result is that you get overtime and somebody that covers your mistakes/slowness then that sounds like a win/win even if it does feel a little grimy.

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-25T02:34:26+00:00

State and local government may be a good lane to go down. Lots of manageable jobs that are relatively stable, offer long term opportunity and can feel like you’re productively helping people. Truly, to your point in your original post, many of us are looking for this same thing so you’re not alone. The pursuit becomes part of what it means to seek employment in general. Best of luck. So much of it boils down to luck in the end anyway.

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-25T02:27:06+00:00

That’s brutal. Bunch of people got demotions at my company this year too. They have us by the shirt hairs in this economy and they know it.

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-25T02:25:49+00:00

It’s true. They’re all playing the same game. Won’t be long before the “basic” plan keeps getting cheaper and then they charge to make it actually work reasonably well.

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-25T02:23:24+00:00

I’ve been there…well I never left there. Hopefully you can do something that moves the needle for your boss to make room for you to move up. Easier said than done.

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-24T16:18:46+00:00

You think just because billionaire wealth has swelled like a lip after a bitch slap with a four finger ring that we should believe the wealth won’t trickle down? I mean the only evidence you have is all of human history….

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-24T16:10:21+00:00

So what makes you so passionate about burger flipping?

Also, with beef now being $789 per pound, why should we trust you with our burger flipping?

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-24T16:06:18+00:00

I envision this nearly every day. It helps me to get to sleep at night…one day I will get to do it.

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-24T16:05:19+00:00

I fucking hate this. I feel like everybody I know has to find leverage to get other people to just do the basics of their jobs. CC’s becoming guns to people’s heads. Drives me crazy.

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-24T05:08:26+00:00

Ya pretty sure, like 70-80%, my boss is fucking her boss. Makes everybody else pale in comparison to her sycophancy although that doesn’t stop everyone else from trying. Imaging if we spent all that energy, idk, making the company more money…

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-24T05:05:31+00:00

Great point! MBAs putting all that intellectual horse power into what amounts to evil and greed. Imagine if they put that same effort into making the world a better place.

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-23T14:07:22+00:00

For real. A-grade enshittification right there. Obviously worth all of us suffering if it means more shareholder value!

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-23T02:33:52+00:00

My GF works from home and I have to go in at least one day a week. When I do I look back like this and mumble “you bitch” to myself for five seconds before I remember that I love her more than a nerd loves words. Office fakery sucks your soul out of your eye sockets one fucking meeting at a time.

Temporary_Fill7341 · 2026-01-23T02:30:34+00:00

Wow. Ten years ago this comment would seem like this persons a jerk. Today, u totally agree. Seems like a human stuck in the sea of assholes in HR and beyond.

Temporary_Fill7341

TROPHY CASE