Do your work colleagues really know you?

Norbert666

Norbert666

Norbert666

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OK. So no more age old jokes from me, spiriously changed from Irish to blonde (for a few hours at least)!

I had a thought whilst on my daily commute this morning.

I'm an Associate at one of the top property companies in London and hoping to become Partner this year or next.

I wear a poncy suit to work. And have fancy shiny shoes.

I get on quite well with the guys at work, but I have always tended to keep my personal life very separate. Yes we go out and get drunk quite a lot, but I always try to keep myself detatched from them. I don;t particularly want people knowing what I'm really like.

When I get home, I ditch my suit (can't imagine many people wearing one round the house!) and throw on some casual gear - kindof baggy look and trainers for me.

I've seen my mates on the train, or walking through town sometimes and they never recognise me. When they do see me in my suit, they are always really strange around me. The still just can't get to grips that during the day I'm a sensible, professional. To be honest I struggle with the idea sometimes!

In my spare time I'm into motocross and snowboarding. I used to ride BMX and did skateboarding at a failry high standard. Now none of these hobbies are bad things, but I don't think my colleagues really "get it", and I would never really go into the lifestyle that goes with it.

Furthermore, I was brought up in Holland which had it's life experiences...

Anyway, whilst on the train, listeneing to a combination of Slipknot, hard Drum and Bass, techno and old hippy tunes I just had the thought that none of these guys actually know me, and what woudl they think if the did know me?

Anyone else in a similar situation?
 
As a contractor I don't get too friendly with the people at work anyway. I'll have a chat with them, yes, but personal details are few and far between. In the office I'm at today, the guys around me know my age and roughly where I live. Nothing else (unless they've hired a PI to watch me).

They're all nice enough people, I'd have no opportunity to see them outside work so why should we exchange personal information that's of no relevance to our jobs?
 
Well working with my brother he knows me fairly well. I'm the same at work as I am arround my friends and at home, don't think I change from one instance to another. More than happy to talk about my personnel situations as are most other people in the office, I'm the youngest person in the company so it's nice I can relate and talk to people older (or much order) than myself.

If asked I would guess most people who I work with could guess my life style fairly well without any major supprises.
 
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I talk to about 3 people in my work place, i never go out drinking with them, as at my place, no one goes out with anyone, it's in at 09:00, out at 17:00 and thats that.

Even at the christmas party most people don't turn up, don't really know why as my last job people really were close and socialise out of work, ever friday night with out fail the whole department would have a big night out, i'm not sure which i prefer but i'm happy as things are at the moment..

As for people "really" knowing me, i guess they don't, they know i have a child and i live close to work and that's about it..

Just remembered that me and another guy from work, more or less same age as me go out together every few months to a rock gig or concert, i guess hes the one who knows me best, just not enough to really know who i am.
 
I think most people are too busy trying to get attention rather than scrutinising others or caring what they do when they're not immediately in front of them...

The people I work with are diverse, and I either go climbing, diving or work on music with a few of them so between them they have an idea.
 
Do your work colleagues really know me?

I hope not.

I really, really hope note.

And I don't want to know them.

Last time I "got to know" one of them, I married her, and she would be more than a little miffed if I "got to know" anyone else.
 
There can be advantages to talking to people in work and getting to know them a bit. One of my very best friends was met through work, and even though she's now in a different job in a different city, we're still as close as we ever were. As silly as it may sound I'm glad she's in my life and I'm glad I made the effort to speak to her and get to know her. There are also a small number of people I work with who I trust and would talk to about personal problems, as I know they do the same with me.

I think it really depends on the people you work with though. You can meet great people in every area of life if you actually give yourself the opportunity.
 
Our office is only teeny (4 people).

Am quite good mates with the guy who I share an office with, been out quite a few times for beers etc, we have similar interests (sports, women, beer) so get on pretty well.

I'd say I'm not hugely different when it comes to work, when not dealing with clients anyway. Obviously when talking to clients or when in court it changes a bit as it's more formal, but when doing the office stuff I'm pretty much the same, at least I think so! :)
 
our office is similarly small - 6 of us in total and I'm the only girl!

So yes, they know some stuff about me, but as it's a 'male dominated environment' that i work in, it's generally kept to chit chat. We are all going to the England game next week though (company jolly :D) and out for St Paddy's night, so I guess we'll know each other a bit better after that :eek:
 
I've only been at this job a week, so no, not yet.

At other jobs though I'm pretty open, I talk far too much anyway, so people tend to constantly know what I'm thinking about whether they like it or not, and no doubt lots of stuff about who I am comes out in that :D
 
im really good friends with a lot of people i work with. there's a lot of interesting people here, and they're all really different to people i'd normally socialise with, so it's good to get to know them. plus i dont mind what people know about me. i have nothing to hide.
 
Do your mates really know you either?

I spend half my waking day in suits leading IT projects around the country, the other half i'm in jeans and t-shirt, on WoW and watching crap on TV / Watching the Mrs watch even worse crap on TV.

I have a few friends from Uni, one of my closest is an assistant manager at a bar where we studied, he hasn't changed much from uni (the lucky sod!), and he thinks its strange and messed up if i ever turn up at his place in work clothes, i have 2 completly different lives, but in the end they are both me.
 
Like others I prefer to keep work and my time seperate, one of the reasons I refuse to buy a mobile phone as well. I like to relax when I'm at home so having contact with work colleagues during that time just reminds me more of the hastle at work I can look forward to the next day. Same reason why I don't socialize with students anymore as they keep asking about problems they've had during the day.
 
I know the guys at work faily well. It's a team of 5 + a manager. We all started at the same time and for 4 months were out every friday night after work. We don't bother much anymore but we take an interest in each others lives. They know me very well as I like complaining about whatever crap I'm currently dealing with in my private life.
 
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my life is easy.. i dont have all the problems most people seem to get themselves into ... and as such im pretty open... so anyone that i have actually gotten to know at the uni where i work knows me pretty well i would think
 
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