COLUMN: All work and no play

From Jeremy Reiss', "Vegas, Baby," Fall '00 From Jeremy Reiss', "Vegas, Baby," Fall '00Over the first few weeks of this semester, my friends and I have watched the movie Office Space -- either in segments or in full -- no fewer than 27 times. But for us, a bunch of second-semester seniors, the movie is our rallying cry. And the protagonist, Peter Gibbons (played by Ron Livingston, of Swingers fame), a man who dreams of "doing nothing," is our hero. I can't seem to pinpoint exactly what draws us to the film. Maybe we get some masochistic pleasure out of thinking that we will soon be as miserable as Gibbons, for which each successive day he works is "the worst day of [his] life." Maybe it gives us hope that our future jobs could never possibly be so bad. Or it could just be the joy we get out of seeing Gibbons and his otherwise wimpy, conformist co-workers rebel against the company. Whatever it is, I'm fairly sure the film wouldn't take on the same meaning for someone further away from entering the workforce. For seniors whose job offers in I-banking and consulting are already signed and sealed, it magnifies anxieties about feeling overworked, bored and anonymous in a large corporation. For those of us still uncertain about our plans for the immediate future, the movie only further accentuates worries of never finding the job that will perfectly reflect all of our interests. Even those headed to graduate school can identify with the fear that years of study will not esult in gratifying and interesting employment. Maybe I just wish it didn't have to be this way. Up until senior year, I really thought my roommates and I were going to start a boy band, tour the world and never, ever have to set foot in an office. Sure, we're a little old for it, but with a catchy name, some grease in our hair and years of Wharton business savvy in our corner, we could have made it big. And judging from the Backstreet Boys and N*SYNC, do we really need great voices, anyway? But then they all betrayed me, interviewing at Career Services, schmoozing, accepting lucrative offers and signing bonuses and leaving me behind. Even the prospective screenwriter among us took an undoubtedly more secure job as a banker. In reality, though, who can blame him? The options presented to Penn students upon graduation give us the opportunity to find work that is both more challenging and financially rewarding than students at most other schools, even if it means working in a cubicle for a while. Maybe none of us will be in a boy band, but I don't think we'd be happy at all doing nothing, no matter how appealing Gibbons makes it sound. And all kidding aside, I actually don't dread working in an office. It's oddly reassuring to know I won't be the only one in a cubicle. That is why Gibbons' mantra -- that "human beings are not meant to sit in cubicles" -- is, while unnerving, also comforting. What, then, can we learn from our friend Peter? I think it's that while financial security is certainly important, it shouldn't define your career path. It doesn't mean your job should make you feel like a slave and give you no other reason than money to want to get up in the morning. Of course, I don't expect anyone to enjoy every day on the job, whether as a banker, lawyer or movie star. In fact, I'm sure there will be days when things are downright awful. But while the misery seen in Office Space may just be hyperbole, to me it is also a warning. If the burdens of your job make you forget the goals you once had; if your abilities are not being utilized the way they should; or if, like Gibbons, your job motivates you only to work hard enough not to get fired, then it's time to leave. Even the most ambitious and pre-professional of Penn students must realize that there isn't one particular track to map out for yourself en route to achieving your goals. So take chances. Have the courage to find more satisfying work, even if it means less security. That, in a sense, can be your own, more subtle rebellion. And Peter Gibbons would be proud.