The WSOP or my job?

[Tyler Durden]

I got fired from work today b/c they made me choose between the job and playing the WSOP seat that I won on Sunday night. I chose the seat. They didn't like that I was taking seven days off work after having worked there for only three months. It wasn't a tough decision.

The job paid ~$45K. I was doing sales/consulting for an ergonomics company. I didn't like it much. I'm 23 years old. I went to college.

It wasn't part of a career. I didn't see myself working there a year from now.


Your thoughts?

[Vehn]

My life is my career.

[toots]

Well, that's certainly the sort of thing that's a lot easier to do when you're 23, still starting out in a career (still not sure whether what you're doing for a living even constitutes part of a career), and even easier if you don't have a family or mortgage.

In 10 years, you'll probably be glad you did, just to have the memory. In the shorter term, it could provide some hardship.

[Tyler Durden]

Hey Vehn, feel like explaining that?

[Vehn]

Its a quote from your movie.

As a 28 year old unemployed man I am likely the last person you'd want to take career advice from.

[Homer]

Your thoughts?

I would have made it a four-day weekend, taking off Friday and Monday. If I bust out on or before Day 3, I make it back to work on Tuesday. If I make it to Day 4 on Tuesday, I call in sick. If I make it to Day 5 on Wednesday I'm going to make about a year's salary, so I call in and quit before they can fire me, which they will probably do if I call in sick again.

You should have consulted me. /images/graemlins/shocked.gif

-- Homer

[Mike Gallo]

Good decision.

Where I work, the owner would have tried to get a piece of your action /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[Mike Gallo]

As a 28 year old unemployed man I am likely the last person you'd want to take career advice from.

You fail to realize that in my Bizarro world, that fact makes you my hero /images/graemlins/cool.gif

At 36 I have to go to work and pretend to actually work every day. /images/graemlins/shocked.gif

[Yeknom58]

My thoughts exactly!!!! You have to learn how to play the office game of chess.

[sleepyjoeyt]

23 years old?

throw-away job at average $?

chance to play in the biggest poker tournament in the world and f with a couple of pros?

If you didn't quit your job and play in the WSOP I'd have to ask you to leave this forum and never return.

[daryn]

like sam l. jackson would say,

good motherfucking choice motherfucker!

good luck in the big dance.

[Diplomat]

If they fired you for taking a week off, you should have quit a long time ago.

-Diplomat

[ArchAngel71857]

I am going to go ahead and say hindsight is 20/20. We won't know until after you finish in the WSOP. If you finish and win $45,001 or more, then write your boss an e-mail with a big middle finger in it. If you finish with less. Just show up at work. Pretend like nothing happened. When he brings it up say "poker, what's that? do you guys play every week or something? sounds like fun can I come?"

Seriously, under the circumstances, you made the right choice. The only hardship is going to be finding the next job, because if they contact your previous employer and he says "he wanted to take a week off to go gamble in Vegas," it may have some negative connotation. After you land your next one, you will be set.

Actually, if you knock out Phil Hellmuth and/or win, i will give you a damn job.


-AA

[MaxPower]

Good decision for a 23 year-old.

[Mike Gallo]

The only hardship is going to be finding the next job, because if they contact your previous employer and he says "he wanted to take a week off to go gamble in Vegas," it may have some negative connotation. After you land your next one, you will be set.

Tyler shouldnt even put it on a resume. He only worked there three months.

[ QUOTE ]
I was doing sales/consulting..

[/ QUOTE ]

You're a professional sales/consultant, and you couldn't "sell" your former employers on the free advertising you'd be able to provide them during those long interview segments they do covering each player who's able to make the final table?

Did you forget to mention that if you didn't get to the final table, that there's a really good chance that you'd only need two or three days off?

[Gramps]

[ QUOTE ]
At 36 I have to go to work and pretend to actually work every day.

[/ QUOTE ]

That reminds me of a scene in my favorite movie (documentary) of all time, Office Space:

"If you would, would you walk us through a typical day, for you?"

"Well, I generally come in at least fifteen minutes late, ah, I use the side door--that way Lumbergh can't see me, heh--after that I sorta space out for an hour."

"Space out?"


"Yeah, I just stare at my desk, but it looks like I'm working. I do that for probably another hour after lunch too, I'd say in a given week I probably only do about fifteen minutes of real, actual, work."

P.S. Ever play Tetris while eating Cheetos at work??

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

You made your decision based on a reasonable analysis of what you want out of your job. As long as you don't starve in the meantime, you can always find another job after the WSOP.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

The only hardship is going to be finding the next job, because if they contact your previous employer and he says "he wanted to take a week off to go gamble in Vegas,"

They legally can't say that in many states. If they did and he got turned down for the job, he'd have grounds for a lawsuit. I know many employers who will only verify dates of employment, they won't even answer "would you hire him again."

This is America, the litigation capital of the galaxy. It's a minefield out there.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

so I call in and quit before they can fire me, which they will probably do if I call in sick again.

At least up here in RI & MA, you can't be fired for calling in sick. In fact, they can't even ask for a doctor's not until you call in for 3 consecutive days.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

At 36 I have to go to work and pretend to actually work every day.

Ugh. Don't remind me. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[PokerBabe(aka)]

NOt even close. Jobs are a dime a dozen. The WSOP only happens once a year. At your age, you can quit several jobs and still be successful at something by the time you are 40.

Good Luck and LGPG,

Babe /images/graemlins/heart.gif

[B Dids]

[ QUOTE ]
23 years old?

throw-away job at average $?

chance to play in the biggest poker tournament in the world and f with a couple of pros?

If you didn't quit your job and play in the WSOP I'd have to ask you to leave this forum and never return.

[/ QUOTE ]

You know, there's lot of whole for whome 45K/year is way more than average money.

btw- I agree with Vehn. Jobs are what we do to fund the parts of our life that makes us happy. If they ever get in the way, move on. Once in a lifetime chance vs. working for somebody who doesn't treat their employees right, easy call.

[Andy B]

Yes, but you're self-unemployed.

[jedi]

[ QUOTE ]

I didn't like it much.

[/ QUOTE ]

Tells me all I need to know. Good call.

[Vehn]

I like that, I think I'll use that.

[Mike Gallo]

[ QUOTE ]
The only hardship is going to be finding the next job, because if they contact your previous employer and he says "he wanted to take a week off to go gamble in Vegas,"

I wanted to post that, however I do not like to give poor legal advice.

When employers ask for references, we have a policy of only giving dates of hire and will not say anything negative.

We want them to get the job so we can stop paying unemployment. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

They legally can't say that in many states. If they did and he got turned down for the job, he'd have grounds for a lawsuit. I know many employers who will only verify dates of employment, they won't even answer "would you hire him again."

This is America, the litigation capital of the galaxy. It's a minefield out there.

[/ QUOTE ]

[tpir90036]

[ QUOTE ]
they made me choose between the job and playing the WSOP seat that I won

[/ QUOTE ]
sounds like a no-brainer... let's count why:

[ QUOTE ]
I didn't like it much.

[/ QUOTE ]
one

[ QUOTE ]
I'm 23 years old.

[/ QUOTE ]
two

[ QUOTE ]
I went to college.

[/ QUOTE ]
three

[ QUOTE ]
It wasn't part of a career.

[/ QUOTE ]
four

[ QUOTE ]
I chose the seat....It wasn't a tough decision.

[/ QUOTE ]
i should think not.

good luck.

[southerndog]

Nice reply mike.

[Porcupine]

I think you have your answer already, but I'll throw out another vote for WSOP. Given the facts presented, there was no choice!

Good point by Homer. I think I would have tried to hedge, but that is not knowing the details of your plans/situation.

[codewarrior]

"Not right now... I've got a meeting with the Bobs"

[mike l.]

"Your thoughts?"

+EV. working for other people sucks.

[B Dids]

Is New York a "right to work" state. I know Washington is, which means that it's not legal to give a bad reference.