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    Is your job a pressure cooker? Consider getting out before you have to hit the exit chute

    August 10, 2010 · 9 Comments

    If you follow the career advice tweeters and bloggers, you can’t help but know that Steven Slater (38), a flight attendant for JetBlue, “unleashed a profanity-laden tirade on the public address system, pulled the emergency-exit chute, slid off the plane and fled Kennedy International Airport” (per The New York Times) yesterday. Reportedly, the tirade was in response to a passenger who defied instructions to remain seated and wound up striking Slater in the head with luggage he was not allowed to be retrieving. Instead of apologizing, the passenger cursed at Slater, which seems to have been what set off his reaction.

    Many of my colleagues noted that this was certainly a dramatic way to quit a job. (Have you ever fantasized about making a dramatic exit — whatever the equivalent of opening the exit chute and sliding off might be?)

    One post I read mentioned that Slater had clearly thought about doing this before it happened. He supposedly grabbed two beers before sliding out of the plane. Clearly, the pressure cooker of his job finally got to him — this obnoxious passenger was probably the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. While he may get a lot of notoriety (some say he will wind up on the Letterman show and making the rounds of the talk shows as a vigilante hero), his situation is not one to cheer on or emulate.

    What can you do to avoid a similar situation? If things are getting so bad at work that you are about to blow a gasket and open an exit hatch, instead of fantasizing about how to make a great escape that leaves you without a job, recommendations or choices, instead, focus your time thinking about making a clean break. Some ideas:

    • Plan (fantasize) about a new, better job. What would you be doing? What type of company might it be? Maybe you want to work for yourself?
    • Think about what you need to do to make your new fantasy a reality. Do you need additional training? Is it time to start networking? Do you have a LinkedIn profile (at the very least) and have you been keeping up-to-date with social networking opportunities that expand your circle of friends?
    • Do you know how to look for a job today? (If it has been awhile?) Do you even have a resume ready to use if you saw an opportunity or someone told you to apply for something, but the deadline is “tomorrow?” I know you “don’t have time,” but you need to make the time if you want to make a change. Start to read up about making a change (my blog roll is a great place to start). Consider hiring a coach to help you land a dream job.
    • Keep your eyes on the prize. If you are taking steps to change directions, you may be able to diffuse some of that negativity. Think about it — if you know you are moving away from a bad situation, it may be a lot easier to put up with your job. Focus on the present as a short-term scenario and save your energy for getting out — on your own terms.

    Another thing that really struck me about this scenario is the fact that The New York Times used photos from Slater’s MySpace page and researched him using his LinkedIn account. An interesting topic for the next post!

    What have you done to bide your time while waiting to get out of a job you hated?

    photo by comedynose

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    Article by Miriam Salpeter

    Miriam Salpeter, author of Social Networking for Career Success, is a CNN-named "top 10 job tweeter" and contributor to U.S. News & World Report's "On Careers" column. Quoted in major media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and NBC news for her cutting-edge career advice, Miriam is an in-demand writer and speaker regarding job search and social media. She offers custom packages for job seekers and business owners, including transforming resumes and creating social media profiles/personal websites for clients. Keppie Careers has you covered. Let's get started!

    • http://AvidCareerist.com Donna Svei

      Is it wrong that I think that Steven gets massive style points?

      • http://www.keppiecareers.com Miriam Salpeter

        Donna -
        :-) Style points – well, not everyone trends on Yahoo and social media sites when they quit a job. Assuming he doesn’t wind up in jail, it would be interesting to hear him interviewed to find out if this was a pre-meditated escape, as it certainly seemed choreographed!

    • http://AvidCareerist.com Donna Svei

      It sounds as though Steven, and his passenger, had each been on one too many flights this summer. Context has a huge impact on individual behavior. I’m concerned that we’re going to see increasing levels of over the top, or down the chute (in this case), behavior unless people step away from overly stressful workplaces in, as you suggest, a more careful and deliberate manner.

      • http://www.keppiecareers.com Miriam Salpeter

        Donna – I would agree – there is a lot of pent-up stress on both sides. I think it’s important to try to see everything in the grand scheme of things. It helps to focus on what is really important. In NYC recently, I witnessed a passenger in a taxi have a screaming fit at the driver. Loud enough to attract attention in a very busy Times Square. I have no idea what set him off, but I am certainly glad the driver didn’t decide to run someone over to release his frustrations at being on the receiving end of the angry driver. Many people are under stress, and it is important to find good releases that don’t involve amplifying the problems. Thanks for your comments!

    • http://www.theresumechick.com Karen F.

      Not sure I agree with how Steven acted in this case…there were better ways to do it without attracting the attention he has received as of late. But it does provide a clearer picture of how bad it can get in a job you slowly start to build a disliking for (when it was never there before).

      On the other hand, I am happy no one got hurt in his tirade…and no shots were fired (at him or anyone else).

      Karen, The Resume Chick (on Google or Twitter for questions, comments or violent reactions)

      • http://www.keppiecareers.com Miriam Salpeter

        Karen – True – this could have been worse. Hopefully, discussing this situation may help some people see that there are other, better alternatives. Thanks for stopping by!

    • http://www.talentculture.com/founder/ Meghan M. Biro

      I enjoyed this valuable post Miriam. You share constructive ideas so people avoid blowing the dreaded gasket! Certainly Steven’s behavior is not one to emulate – agree with this line of thought. Planning + Fantasizing *can* work harmoniously as long as there is a healthy balance between thinking + actually tackling the often tedious tasks on the job search. Extricating oneself out of an unsatisfying career is ideally done on one’s “own terms”. Unf, often times, reality dictates this not to be the case (i.e. layoffs, etc) – but it is certainly the wisest tack if possible for career seekers. The key phrase: Empower yourself.

      • http://www.keppiecareers.com Miriam Salpeter

        Meghan – “Empower yourself” is great advice for all careerists. I believe that we all can impact our futures, and doing so from a position of strength is key. Thanks for your comment!

    • Nic

      Yeah… I must admit, this guy was my hero for a few hours. There have been days where I’ve hatched plots to do something similar. They mostly involved interfering with the wireless router, which isn’t quite as exciting but I still had the sense not to do it. Obviously, if I had, it wouldn’t become the internet hit that this story has, as it wouldn’t be anywhere near as public. But uncomfortable as it is, you’re always going to need a reference from your previous employer.

      And in the case of this guy, I suspect that he’s going to find any future job search very difficult indeed. I deeply sympathize with him but as angry as you get, you should always aim for a little foresight. Just two seconds can often stop you from doing something really stupid.

      Take that woman Trina Thompson, the one who sued her college because she wasn’t getting interviews for any graduate jobs. Who’s going to employ her now? The story was always going to be huge, people were going to blog about it, it was going to be all over the internet. All you have to do is google “Trina Thompson”. What happens if an employer does?

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