3. Greek Goddesses Series - Athena

Athena. Goddess of war and strategy.

My job is my battlefield.

Through the years I learned that sometimes the best strategy in the corporate world is to go unnoticed, others to remain still and quiet; in the required moments, few, sometimes there is an opportunity to stand out.

The public speeches need to follow the script. You are encouraged to "think different," but not too much. Sometimes it looks like a minefield more than a battlefield.

And sometimes there is too much pressure in this "to be or not to be" game. If you go outside the field, so sorry - Game Over. If you play by the book, but without offering anything differential "you are staying within your comfort area."

It is not easy. However, it is my environment. I don't know another place. Sometimes I would like to get to teaching, to work for the public sector, an NGO or another field, but the transition would not be easy, and I am not sure if it is the best decision.

I also learned that it is not the best place to make friends. And that "families" are not your family. And that work is not home. And that loyalty does not abound.

When I started my career, I learned that few people can be trusted. And that even though code of conduct or ethics that exist, there is another unwritten code, which is more useful for survival than the others.

And also, in my flesh and in my mind I learned that there are companies that make you sick, or contribute to make you sick to a large extent, and in some cases discard you later.

I know that I have a pessimistic vision, perhaps too negative, due to my experiences. I try not to pass my prejudices or biases to the new generations, because my experiences are not transferable.

With joy I learn that more and more companies are more aware and responsible in situations

related to workplace and sexual harassment and extreme pressure environments. And that 

the legislation tends to protect workers in these aspects. This may help some barbarian 

bosses understand that their behavior is not something they can be proud of, but that they are

flirting with the illegal and constitute crimes punishable by the penal code. And they are no

longer observed with admiration ("So and so was a Mother f*****, but thanks to that him/her I

learned a lot"), but with disdain.

Luckily we live in a different world than the one I lived in my early twenties. Now, in my thirties,

I still owe myself the career I dreamed with when I entered the world of work, in excitement. 

But I have the peace of mind of a work environment that is not toxic, and where I can, from

time to time, be myself and even smile.