How A Stapler Can Change Your Career
As technology changes, the way we complete tasks in the office also evolves. We have pushed aside typewriters for laptops, smart phones and other mobile devices. We are no longer bound to our desks confined by the limitations of office technology.
While many things have changed to make our lives easier at work, we tend to overlook the technology that has remained unchanged throughout the years. Those typical office supplies such as pens, paperclips or tape are often not given much thought throughout the workday.
While on a hunt for something in storage at the office a few weeks ago, I came across a box of old staplers. While this may not seem exciting to most, this discovery gave me pause long enough to make note of the different types of staplers in the box.
Most were the ordinary black stapler found on many desks in the modern day office. There was nothing remarkable or noteworthy about these staplers with a familiar design created for functional purposes. Sure, they can staple paper together without much effort, but from a visual standpoint they did not offer much in the way of excitement for the senses.
As I rummage through the box, one stapler in particular caught my eye. A stunning Swingline 333 stood out in contrast against a collection of ordinary staplers, as if it was a Cadillac up against a row of utilitarian station wagons. While admiring the stapler, I wondered why anyone would pack it away in exchange for something with less curves and not as much visual interest.
Something about this stapler made me think about how we often take comfort in the ordinary, in the safe and in the usual. To me this stapler represents how we tend to fall back on functionality versus flash. We have chosen to pass off a stylish stapler for an ordinary one because it is safe, functional or perhaps because it does not fall in line on our desk next to our conventional tape dispenser.
The same concept applies to our careers. Maybe people stick with a job they find dull or unfulfilling because they feel safe in that environment. People can often take such comfort in the familiar, that they take dreams of a career filled with exciting challenges and tuck them away in box out of fear of veering away from ordinary.
As you think about our own career, give thought to how it relates back to this stapler. Have you played it safe with an ordinary job? Or did you take risks to chase what interests you without packing those dreams away in a box? In the future, I hope you will not look back at your career and wonder why you exchanged excitement for ordinary.
A Drake & Company Staffing Solutions recruiter can help you rekindle those dreams with a new job in Madison, Wisconsin. Contact a recruiter at (608) 257-2411 to find out how we can assist with your job search and help you find a new challenge.
Stephanie Beirne Leuer is the Marketing Coordinator at Drake & Company Staffing Solutions, a staffing firm based in Madison, Wisconsin. Drake & Company specializes in temporary, temp-to-hire, and direct hire administrative, clerical and legal placements. Since 1978, Drake has reached beyond skills and qualifications to match candidate personalities with a company’s culture. You can connect with Stephanie by , and you can find Drake & Company on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram and Pinterest.