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Topic: Burning Bridges
| Author | Message |
| Jen480 | Posted – 1/22/2008 8:37:58 PM | show profile I guess nowadays you can still get a job even if you burn a bridge. I was reading Media Bistro's Revolving Door and the girl who got caught selling beauty samples while working at Allure a couple years ago got hired as an AE at Defamer.com. So there is such a thing as second chances... |
| seeattleme | Posted – 1/22/2008 11:41:40 PM | show profile Read the profile in Mens Journal about Keith Olberman. His ESPN bosses say of him, "He didn't just burn bridges, he nepalmed them." Look at him now. |
| chucho | Posted – 1/23/2008 4:22:48 AM | show profile There's nothing wrong with burning bridges. Sometimes a boss or a job is so disagreeable that it makes no difference. But burning the wrong bridges . . . that's another thing. |
| FeaturesGal | Posted – 1/23/2008 10:46:35 AM | show profile I think some people, myself included, have made bad choices that could be considered "burning bridges." The best thing that could happen-- for the Allure girl as example-- is to learn from your mistakes and don't repeat them. |
| hawkmail | Posted – 1/23/2008 11:13:39 AM | show profile Do you think Nick Denton cares? It's all about the page views at Gawker Media. I doubt you would see someone who got caught selling samples at Allure move to InStyle or Bazaar, for example, and I would guess the Conde Nast bridge was torched. And, look at the name of the blog..... |
| Jen480 | Posted – 1/24/2008 12:31:40 AM | show profile You make a good point, Hawkmail. I bet Gawker had a good 'ol time blogging about the Allure "incident." I agree that she'd probably have trouble getting hired at any pub that has a fashion closet, but that doesn't mean that Defamer shouldn't hesitate about putting a lock on their supply cabinet. (sorry couldn't resist!) |
| FeaturesGal | Posted – 1/24/2008 11:23:29 AM | show profile I wouldn't be surprised if she got hired elsewhere. If there's been enough time and distance between the incident and she's done work...it could happen. Besides, after THAT happening, do you think she'd try that one again? I'm a big believer in learning from your mistakes and moving on, though, still I do understand why employers would have reservations. |
| Lula | Posted – 1/25/2008 4:23:42 AM | show profile I think Chucho's made an important point?some bridges *should* be burned. And I also think there's more than one way to burn a bridge?I've cut off clients in ways I thought would have been burning bridges who have ended up referring more clients to me. |
| Magazine Mania | Posted – 1/25/2008 6:38:20 PM | show profile For those of you reading this post, what's the biggest mistake you've made (career-wise) and were you able to rectify the situation...or was it just another lesson learned? |
| worldofnatasha | Posted – 1/26/2008 4:02:01 AM | show profile I've been fired off of feature films, said bitter angry things, and later (a couple years later) had the same guy who fired me ask me to write a different script for him. was essentially blackballed at a studio, then a year later they brought me in for a million meetings. All of these burning bridges have been personality conflicts; nothing illegal or unethical, though. so maybe in this case it's more a matter of time heals all wounds. (on the other hand, I will carry a grudge until the day I die, so woe to the person who burns their bridge with me...) |
| worldofnatasha | Posted – 1/26/2008 4:02:04 AM | show profile I've been fired off of feature films, said bitter angry things, and later (a couple years later) had the same guy who fired me ask me to write a different script for him. was essentially blackballed at a studio, then a year later they brought me in for a million meetings. All of these burning bridges have been personality conflicts; nothing illegal or unethical, though. so maybe in this case it's more a matter of time heals all wounds. (on the other hand, I will carry a grudge until the day I die, so woe to the person who burns their bridge with me...) |
| ConfidentDesigner | Posted – 1/26/2008 1:39:17 PM | show profile I agree with the poster who said that if the boss is so incredibly diagreeable...I've had bosses who were horrible. One in particular that was such a witch and a miserable human being. She treated me horribly, loved it when I made the occasional mistake so she could ostracize me in front of the whole staff, etc. I really didn't care after I left that magazine staff what she thought of me...it was that bad! Turns out later on she was at a conference with my new boss and she spoke very highly of me to her. Who knows what people will do. Especially the ones with a chip on their shoulder in the first place. |
| seeattleme | Posted – 1/26/2008 3:12:02 PM | show profile I say good things about people I know are probably trashing me. I think trashing anyone to someone you barely know, in a professional situation, makes you look petty and classless. I'll give professional criticism if asked, but I don't start trashing someone just because his/her name comes up. Though I know people do this all the time. I've heard it, and I've heard about it when someone's done it to me. And when I hear about it, i usually just roll my eyes and shrug. Say soemthing like, "We had our issues, but good lord..." If you trash someone, you can bet on it: That person will hear about it--and probably hear a nastier version of what you said. I think people who know they've treated you badly say good things about you as a way of, I don't know, apologizing. Or just looking like the beter person in case you've trashed them. |
| foodlit | Posted – 1/26/2008 8:52:48 PM | show profile My mother gave me great advice years ago, that still holds true today. Never say something to someone else that you wouldn't mind repeated publicly. Makes you think twice about what you say. You never know who is connected to someone else...also reminds me of the old saying, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it." Of course that immediately reminded me of the Dorothy Parker saying, "If you don't have anything nice to say, come sit next to me!" |
| nandy | Posted – 1/27/2008 6:26:47 PM | show profile I burned a big bridge in an exit interview once. And I've never regretted it. I have no inclination to ever work at that business again, or for that person. In fact, I hope a copy of my letter was placed in their "permanent folder". The person was a total waste of a human, with absolutely no empathy. In another situation, I inadvertently set fire to a bridge, but managed to put it out before it was consumed, and the relationship was saved. But it took a $1000 peace offering on my part. |
| Metro Writer | Posted – 1/27/2008 9:30:24 PM | show profile Some of you seem to be homogenizing burning bridges with learning from mistakes (such as that Allure staffer). It's never a good idea to burn bridges unless you're a darn good swimmer, or unless you're in a very high position, because for some reason, people at the top can screw up and get hired for more money by a competitor. I follow Mark Bowden's advice from his days at the Philly Inquirer. Do what you have to do to keep your day job at the paper, but do as much as you can to further your career elsewhere. Then when you leave, you just say, "I got an offer I couldn't refuse." Virtually everyone understands that and accepts it. |
| candylilacs | Posted – 1/28/2008 6:31:04 PM | show profile I'm not sure "burning bridges" is very defined. I mean, few of us have cursed out a boss in front of 40 people. A few of us may have sent out e-mails (myself included) that reflected badly on us later, others quit without notice when a boss was unrealistic and abusive and probably more said something about their workplace that got back to them. c. ------ http://www.mswritesguide.blogspot.com |
