Corporate Culture

Depends on the firm and the industry, I think. I know people who say that their co-workers are just that and then they have friends outside of work whom they hang out with. I also know others whose coworkers are also their friends at the same time and they'll hang out after work as well.. go to happy hours, get drunk, etc.

When I worked in a big law firm, I found that a lot of the people I worked with did cool and interesting things in the little spare time that they had, but after spending all that time with them at work, the last thing I wanted to do was hang out with them after work. I sense that a lot of people feel the same way.

no offense, but the most likely problem is you.

Travis Bickle was fascinating, what the hell are you talking about?

Not necessarily. Some companies have great corporate culture, and some don't. Some foster understanding, creativity, respect and understand that you have a life outside of work, and some don't give a shit about you, want to use you and spit you out. It all greatly varies, so there is no one answer that can explain.

I will say this though: most companies that talk about how great their 'corporate culture' is, and always default back to mentioning it instead of talking about actual tangible items are normally shitty companies.

Company culture spans everything from incredible to a drain on your own humanity.

I went from working in a very corporate environment with a lot of interaction with government ministries. It was incredibly stifling and inauthentic. I moved to starting my own business and now share a space with a bunch of small, creative companies. It's a lot of fun and I receive way better feedback and support then I ever did.

The early part of your career is figuring out what you like to do and don't like to do. Don't be afraid to informational interviews with other companies in your industry or others to see what's out there.

Totally depends on where you work and what you do. I work in a cosmopolitan city and my work isn't too high pressure so most of my colleagues have a lot of free time and do very interesting things with it. Everyone in my office has travelled internationally and pretty much everyone enjoys arts, good food, etc.

I imagine if I worked at a bank where everyone was in the office 90 hours a week, the culture would be pretty damn different, as it would be if I was working in a midwestern city where most of my coworkers weekends would be dedicated to watching the Bengals play or shopping at Target.

lol they have consultants for err'thang

My immediate co-workers think I'm this ultra quiet guy - the see flashes of personality when I come in 3 hours late hung over or travel to Dubai/Germany/Zurich to visit friends on a whim. Not to mention my style. Otherwise I keep to myself and rarely chat about personal stuff. However, others in other offices know my personal/fun/whoring side. Still quiet, but always ready for a good time. I suspect this is similar in many offices. Most people know better than to reveal too much to co-workers. OF course, I have worked with my fair share of tools and creeps.

I've only worked in one corporation, and the culture was insanity. They trained at the "Disney School of Business" in manufacturing a facade. It worked from the outside, but the inside was hell.

Sorry dude, but what he described had absolutely nothing to do with corporate culture. Did this company suddenly turn a bunch of otherwise normal people into "wet blankets" and social "outcasts" on the verge of violent breakdowns? I mean if he's working at a KFC or an AT&T call center or something then yes it's likely he's not working with the world's towering intellects but that'd sort of be his own issue too.

Look, it's not like corporate culture can't affect people's home life to some extent, or that work environments can't eventually get pretty self-selecting under the right circumstances, but accusing everyone around him of being a "Travis Bickle" is a pretty thing to say.

I am not sure that I would define what you are talking about as "corporate culture". I work in a 100 year old family owned business, where the average staff turnover in a year is about 1%, where we have dozens of people who have been here for more than 30 years, and the average person in the company came to the company right after school. we have a very strong corporate culture - we have ways of doing things and those ways are very well understood and internalized.

that said, we have almost no socializing outside of work hours - a couple of sports teams, bowling,, softball and soccer, and that is about it. an annual picnic, retirement parties, an annual gala. that's it. I have never been in any collegues houses, and they haven't been in mine. but many of my collegues have pretty interesting hobbies - several sail, several run marathons, one owns horses, one dragon boat races. but I don't really care about any of that, frankly.