Virgo Sun Pisces Moon

Can you tell me more about your experiences working in Corporate Australia?

Hmmm… I only had one main experience, though… it’s kind of obvious if anyone tries to find my LinkedIn…

I’m so curious to know what happened, what was it like, how was it? I’ve never worked in anything like that before. I can only imagine “corporate” work from TV shows, movies, and corporate social media memes…

Well… I suppose I can tell you what I liked about working where I used to work… I can tell you a little bit about that…

(Nodding) Yes, please!

The office where I worked, had a map… I think it’s called the “Indigenous Map of Australia” — it’s got all the Aboriginal names of places, and it’s divided up, not by states but by Aboriginal tribal lands and territories?

I really liked walking past that map in the hallways of that office. It always reminded me, “We are working on Aboriginal land…” — I don’t know why, I found it very grounding. I liked having that reminder. I was impressed that we had that map hung up in that office. And the hallway was very specifically in a direction that you have to walk past that map before you go into the big boardroom for the “big boardroom meetings” — I liked it. I feel like it was humbling for everybody.

(Smiling, listening)

There was a really lovely Receptionist. She was always cheerful, always greeting me with a smile. Over time, I got to know about her children, her grandchildren — she’s a very lovely lady. Easy to talk to. And she organised the Christmas party. She helped organise people’s birthdays. She helped organise the CHEESE BOARDS — oh my gosh, there is a lot of cheese boards.

Cheese boards?!

Charcuterie boards. There’s lots and lots and LOTS of charcuterie boards in Corporate Australia! (In my experiences, LOL…)

Why are there so many charcuterie boards?

I don’t know. Sometimes we are even working through our “lunch breaks” and a cheese board appears out of nowhere to keep us fed.

(Laughing) Cheese boards and wine?!

No, no, no — no alcohol during work hours. Lots of coffee. Too much coffee… I definitely developed caffeine anxiety.

Alcohol after work hours?

I didn’t really hang out with my co-workers like that. Some people did, but I didn’t.

And no, I wasn’t drinking alcohol at home by myself or anything like that. I think I just tried to unwind with hours and hours of mindless Tik Tok scrolling…?!

(Nodding, listening)…

We had a… Christmas tree decorating competition… that was a bit of fun…

(Chuckles) Tell me more about that?

It was… there was a theme — also provided by the Receptionist lady, I think? I’m not sure now. But I think she was the organiser. And then, each department, has to decorate their Christmas tree for their department area. And it was a competition. The CEO and Receptionist lady would then come around and give points. The most points win. You are the best Christmas tree decorating department for the year!!!

(Laughing) What do you get if you win?

I can’t remember… something like a group dinner with your department or something. I think my department didn’t win so that’s also why I don’t remember… (LOL)

What else can you tell me? Also this seems to be… inspired by, but not 100% factual, it’s still fictionalized?

Yes… Let’s keep it at that… inspired by my real experiences, but also fictionalized… for entertainment for my readers…

Okay, well… we had a Corporate Studio…

A Corporate Studio?

Yes, I was a Podcast Producer.

A PODCAST PRODUCER?! (Genuinely — didn’t know, even though — it’s not hard to dig for this info on LinkedIn)

Yes, just for a few episodes, it wasn’t that long of a sprint. Everything behind the scenes of those episodes on that company website, I did it.

Wow… impressive! I can’t wait to talk to you more about this in person because obviously there’s other parts to this that you don’t want to divulge on a public blog…

Yes… and other than producing podcasts, I also worked on videos and photography… of company products, company storytelling. I had to storyboard a lot of campaigns… I had to storyboard horizontal and vertical videos… I had to go back and forth between many departments, graphic designers, lawyers, and scientists — lots of different people’s opinions on the final videos… but I loved the studio.

The studio was my favourite place in the office. Sometimes, I would tell my co-workers, “Hey I’m just going into the Studio” — and then I’ve got my laptop there, zooming in with them on a meeting. They can see the studio in my background whilst they’re either in their own cubicles or working from home.

What did you like about the studio?

It was sound-proof. It was quiet. It was like a cocoon. I could hear my own thoughts… I didn’t enjoy being in the cubicles. I didn’t mind working from home, either. But when I had to have my office days, the studio was my quiet place of Solitude. I loved that studio…

Sounds like you didn’t like being around your co-workers at all?!

(Chuckles) No, it’s not like that! I loved sharing cheese boards… and decorating Christmas trees together… it’s just… other times… work is work…

Anything else?

Well… in that particular office building, we also had a lab…

A lab?!

Yes. A Laboratory. With chemists, scientists, micro-biologists… they had their test tubes, and beakers, and other machines and many, many fridges.

Many fridges?

Yes… all set at different temperatures, for testing… It always felt like a cool little field trip to go “down to the dungeons” to see them. The chemistry nerds in the lab…

Chemistry nerds… did you date any of them?!

NO! It was nothing like that!!! We just had to go visit to create content for social media… it was all part of the company storytelling…

It was cool, though. Like I don’t think I would’ve had that “sneak peak” into a laboratory like that in any other scenario. It was cool to experience that in person.

Test tubes and beakers… mad scientists…

(Chuckles) Yeah… something like that… you can use your imagination… though it was probably more boring than mad… there’s very mundane routines and checklists. Lots, and lots, and lots of checklists… constant ticking off things from a checklist…!

(Smiles) What else???

Hmmm… we had live music at our Corporate Christmas party?

Oh? How was that?

I forgot her name… she was an aspiring Brisbane artist… she played guitar… she sang some songs… I forgot who she was, but it was a good vibe…

Was she hired by the venue?

Yes. I think so… it’s not like the Receptionist organised a random live acoustic guitarist. No, she was “provided” as live music by the venue with the booking — I’m assuming? (Shrugs shoulders)

Just a singer, singing live… what kind of songs?

Just Christmas songs… for a Christmas party.

Oh, I see…

I’m trying to think of what else I enjoyed… in the kitchen/lunch room area… there were windows that could see out into a nearby pond… with ducks, and once I even saw ducklings. I enjoyed having my lunch by those windows…

There seems to be a running theme of you, being in a corporate environment — wanting to escape from it.

(LOLOLOLOLOL)… well, maybe that’s why I’m not there anymore…

But you said you wanted to be a corporate cybersecurity girlie?!

Yes! I still do… I want to be a work from home cybersecurity corporate girlie, though…

Oh, I see… so you don’t really like being in the office with other co-workers…

No, not really… I prefer working from home. It’s just… more comforting…? More comfortable, for me… personally…

Tell me more about working from home?

Well — I had my own apartment. I wasn’t even living with my parents. So I really, really loved having my own place. I decorated it myself. My friends said it was like an IKEA showroom — I don’t know about that. But I got to be full Virgo.

Full Virgo?

I was very neat, I was very clean. Everything had its place. It was… really nice and tidy.

And you’re not like this at your parents’ place.

I just have to live with their clutter, yes.

(Laughing)

What?!

I’m not a very neat guy, either! I’m messy!!!

I know, right?! What am I gonna do?!!?! I guess I’ll still have to love you, even if you’re kind of messy sometimes…

So you were saying about working from home in your apartment…

Yeah. Well. I had a standing desk. I also bought myself Meta Quest 2? I played Beat Saber at least once a week, just to feel like, I was moving… I needed to move… the apartment wasn’t that big. I bought the Billie Eillish music pack on Beat Saber. (LOL)

Was it any good?

Yes!!! I loved it. It was fun for a while… and I played this National Geographic game where you could go to Antarctica and Peru…? Machu Picchu?

Did you like it?

Yes! I want to go to Machu Picchu in real life one day… but not Antarctica. Metaverse version was fine. I don’t want to actually be stuck on an iceberg for fun…

(Chuckles)

Actually, when I had started that job, it was the Queensland lockdowns… I had interviewed for the job before any panic about Covid, and then, when I started the job, they had to organise my laptop and everything and I hadn’t even stepped foot into that office. I had to have a letter from HR just to be able to drive to the office and grab that laptop — in case police stopped my car to ask, why am I on the road during a lockdown?!

Australia was like that?! During the lockdowns?!?!

(Nodding) Yes… And I started the job feeling very good about the job — because I was working from home the whole time! (Laughing)

Then, when the lockdowns were lifted, we went back to hybrid… I had to get used to driving to that office. I had to get used to sitting in my cubicle amongst other co-workers… The Studio was my SANCTUARY from them!!! (LOL)

It’s nothing personal… I just… preferred having my own space.

You’re claustrophobic but the studio was a safe space?

YES…. Does that make any sense?

Kind of… I guess…

It was a spacious enough studio that it felt really nice to be in there.

Oh? Okay?! Luxury corporate studio?!!?

(Laughing)

Anyway… I also… actually about a week into my work at that job… I don’t know why, I was just on YouTube one night, and I think I typed in the word “dystopian” or something to then stumble upon an animation that really… changed my brain chemistry about corporate life…

What animation?

There were two main clips that have stuck with me… It’s by an artist named “Dead Sound”…

One video was called “Model Citizen” and another video was called “Being Pretty”… oh, I think I watched another one also called “Immortal Machine”…

You want me to watch those?

Only if you’re curious to watch what I’ve watched… maybe we can talk about it together one day… It’s a bit… surreal… I guess? It’s not a typical “fun and happy” animation…

I wouldn’t have expected you to recommend a “fun and happy” animation… (Chuckles)