blog write writer vegan activist lucylooellis the honest whisper laptop lap top track pad computer technology work working habit habits

Our Working Habits

1. In The Work Field

Many employees blame their employers for their unhappiness. If you have a full-time commitment to something, it is likely to influence your quality of life. Therefore, also influences the company/corporation strength that we work for. Our work/employment habits pass on to their surroundings and to future generations. With this in mind, I would like to discuss common habits and how to challenge them. Challenging our previous habits may present an opportunity for creating more equality, independence, and change. If you think you have strong values or ethics, are you willing to stand up for them? To what extent? Sure, it can be a difficult thing to do, with potential pressure from society and the economy. The way I see it is, something can’t improve if it cannot change. To develop and implement these changes we have to know how to handle industrialization, money, and ourselves. Hopefully, this post will help provide some guidance to understanding our social responsibility and awareness of our daily actions. I hope to encourage personal growth and confidence in our daily actions.

2. Reinventing The Employment Process

As a potential job candidate, taking the time to analyze employers before accepting a job offer from them is more beneficial than we may have previously deemed. I would like to see us take our employment considerations a step further. The majority of my experiences during job interviews have been significantly one-sided by employers. As a strong supporter of equality, I would expect an employer to share this value with me, especially if I am considering working with them. During a company’s conducted phone interview, I had been asked what I knew about their company; I didn’t know much, but I answered truthfully and without notes or internet searching. I had been applying to a handful of companies and different positions to try to land a job.  I was unsettled when they had to go searching for my resume (in the middle of our interview) in order to answer their own question that I returned to them: As a potential job candidate, what do you know about me? Reflecting on this moment, I now wonder: Do they know whom they’re initiating a phone interview with? Why do they have this expectation of me but not themselves? Are companies, like this, even worth our time if they cannot treat us equally from the start? I was told that they go through many applicants and it was unrealistic for them to know this information about a candidate. However, do they not realize I go through many companies and applications? And in which I do not get paid to do? In reality, most employers have this mindset, and, this strategy. We live in a time where we cannot trust easily. Corporations do not always have our best interests in mind, like they may lead us to believe.

Create a Cheat Sheet!

Make your own, or check out some questions I came up with to get you started:

  1. Are there career growth opportunities with this position? What are they?
  2. How long would you expect someone in this position to achieve a promotion or career growth?
  3. What is the most difficult part of this position?
  4. What is the most rewarding part of this position?
  5. What issues do you predict or are concerned about if I were to accept a potential offer for this position?

If you need inspiration for more questions check out my full list of interview questions here: www.thehonestwhisper.ca/interview-questions

3. The Illusion of Branding or Advertising

Employers make a significant effort to look attractive to society. Money can buy various promotions, advertisements, recruiters, self-funded research studies, and considerable charitable contributions. Profit is often very important, if not the most important thing for businesses. That seems fine and dandy; besides the fact that the negatives about this type of system, or the company priorities, are not always as transparent to the public. It is up to us to find out information and use our best discretion before investing our time into these companies, or anything for that matter! Even if you are self-employed, unemployed, or maybe you are a volunteer, everyone has the potential to participate. If you can find the motivation and heighten your awareness (or willingness) to do the work, you will see the value in the outcomes that it produces.

4. Industrialization

Past generations did not have this much debt and financial worries. In my opinion, we have a far greater responsibility to correct this. I think most people can relate to this or observe this in a developed society. If you don’t believe me go outside and talk to people or do a simple Google search about it. Okay, firstly, we have to determine the root cause of this state. Humans can become greedy. This can create problems for others who do not possess the possibility to be greedy. I am not saying they should. But specifically, why are certain individuals given this opportunity in the first place? I believe it started with industrialization. Industrialization created a lot of new lifestyles and materials for humans. Materialism can be an issue for people, emotionally speaking. Industries also created profit for individuals who possessed money. Money and materials can easily make humans into selfish materialistic beings. Whether we are aware of it or not, we have created a society that we can’t handle. We are so focused on money and materials that we are losing sight of the negative impact it has on the environment and fellow animals (basically all life on earth). It is difficult for people with no money to create change and those with the money to make a change, don’t want to.

5. Humans, More than a Working Machine.

As much as companies would like us to be more robotic and competent, we are more than a machine. We make mistakes, have emotions, and we are living. We have to make the most of this fact before technology replaces us. Maybe it already has for you, if that is the case, I am sorry. Technology is great, as long as we are prepared to handle its power. Power can be used for good or for bad, what do you want it to be used for? Being proactive about this approaching power will create your opportunity to help pave a path you would like technology to use.

6. You are Valuable.

An individual can become a candidate for many companies and corporations. I just hope individuals are as smart as they say they are. By this, I mean, do they know whom they are working for? What are they contributing to? We have to spend a lot of years (and a lot of money that we usually don’t have) studying and training for a career. However, what are we, as a society, really gaining from it?

7. Let’s Talk Money.

The majority of us spend money; money that we don’t have sometimes. We typically use this money to continue our education in hopes of gaining a high-paying career (financially/emotionally). I have spent so many sleepless nights studying and stressing about my next project, lab, test, or exam. In fact, I have spent the majority of my life trying to keep up with society’s demands of me. I am not the only one who experiences this. Twenty years later, I finally complete my schooling, and I am not about to give myself up very easily.

8. Research the company before dedicating your life to them.

Working or not working for them, this is something everyone should do. Requiring your own thought and information that may not be readily available to you. If you are working in healthcare/research for patients who only need that help because of their environmental choices, it could be viewed that you are enabling them and the choices they were given. Is this job/company trying to put a band-aid on a bullet wound? If you are passionate about your work, it might be worth your time to go straight to the root cause instead of a temporary solution to the problem. Corporations, that only have profit in mind, can create many problems for the rest of the society and environment.

How do we find a company suitable for us?

A critical component to finding out if a company is worth your time is making sure you are prepared for the initial interview. I feel like people are so desperate for a job, they forget to prioritize their self. Myself included. I want to redefine the purpose of job interviews. We are taught in school that the purpose of a job interview is to impress the employer and self themselves. This may be true, but also the purpose of an interview is to get to know the company and your role for them. It is an opportunity to review if you are compatible with the company. If the company has decided to interview you, then you have already met their basic requirements for the position. Therefore, the interview process should be treated equally by the employer and the candidate. So next time an employer asks if we have any questions, we better say yes.

How we can impact a change for the world.

It is our responsibility to put our money and time towards things that align with our values and morals. If you are going to participate in society and consumerism, you deserve to know what you are supporting with your money and what you are promoting. When you go shopping and give a company your money for creating a product, you should ask yourself some questions such as…

  1. Was it produced ethically?
  2. Is the company ethical?
  3. Is it environmentally friendly?
  4. Is it local?
  5. Basically, is this the best option?

Knowing the Answers.

The answers can be found fairly easily through research, the internet, and even phone applications (Buycott or Bunny Free). Try to familiarize yourself with the companies you want to invest your money and support. Promote the companies, which you fully support. Remember, a lot goes on behind closed doors that you may not realize. I hope to challenge this by creating more transparency and glass doors in our shared world. If you love animals, don’t support animal testing or companies that support their mistreatment. If you love the environment, support a natural lifestyle and companies that are local or environment-friendly. Every day you have a choice to keep your loyalty to your values. Don’t give up on them.

Leave a Reply

Show your support for animal rights when you shop online with us.
All profits we make from our sales are donated towards the efforts of the animal liberation movement.
Contact Us

2255 Queen St E B PO Box #117 Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4E 1G3

info@thehonestwhisper.com