The Devils Don’t Always Wear Prada
Have you read The Devil Wears Prada? It’s a novel written by Lauren Weisberger. When I first read it, I was impressed. It was a brilliant novel portraying the reality of work life from the eye of a naive and idealistic fresh-grad. I could easily relate to it since I’ve had several jobs where I imagined perfect plots to murder my bosses. Imaginary plots, of course.
In the book, the protagonist, Andrea goes through a personal change of character; when she first starts working, she loathes the job, ridicules the fashion world (she works in a fashion magazine, in the book it is thought to be in the same calibre as Vogue), and she absolutely despises her boss, Miranda Priestly, with passion. It seems as if Miranda exists to make the life of every single person who work for her, including Andrea’s, a living hell.
What amazes me the most is the fact that how rare it is to find a solid, real-honest-to-God good bosses; the one that you can really look up to. Most of the time, we hear people complaining about their bosses; they’re mean, bitchy, unreasonable, selfish, immature, manipulative, unhappy, moody and I’m sure there are many other adjectives that you can think of, based on your own personal experiences with your bosses.
Funny, considering that these bosses used to be in our position, surely they must know how it feels like to be a fresh-grad, to be young, to be working for someone who is so evil, to loathe the person whom you’re working for; so why, oh why, do they end up being the person they used to hate?
It’s like a never-ending cycle.
It makes me think though; do people, somewhere along the way, change, as they move up on their careers? If so, what does? Is it the money? The pressure? The lack of time spent with their family as they get more responsibility heaved on their shoulders? I mean, I can totally relate to that. But can those things really turn a good person into a horrible person that they’d hate themselves if they were in their subordinates’ position?
In The Devil Wears Prada, Andrea eventually learns the ropes of working in a fashion magazine. She improves herself day by day and Miranda the boss starts to appreciate her more, until she trusts Andrea enough to accompany her in the fashion show in Paris, which is a big deal because Andrea gets to sit at the front row seats at the fashion shows and wear couture and gets made up by professional make up artists and most importantly, keeps all the clothes and accessories she wears – which, to people who are passionate about fashion is practically heaven coming true. Unfortunately, Andrea’s love life undergoes a major fall as she spends more time working longer hours, going out and running errands for Miranda, and neglecting her boyfriend and even forgetting his birthday.
I guess Peter Parker’s uncle must be right; Big power comes with big responsibility. Just because you get promoted and get more bonus either in salary or perks, it doesn’t mean that your life gets easier. People think that having a good career and salary must be sweet, but we forget about the things that they have to sacrifice in order to achieve those things; quality time with their loved ones, or children, in which they can never get back, the stress and worry that affect their phisyque (most often than we realize, health problems are caused by stress), the lonely feeling of being on top. I mean, be honest; you don’t exactly look forward to sit at the same table with your boss during lunch time, do you?
In Andrea’s case, the Devil wears Prada. In any other cases, the Devils wear themselves out in reaching for the top and realizing that it is a lonely place.
6 comments
Well, it depends on that person itself Thery. Automatically when you be in the ‘head’ position, there are several responsibilites which is totally different compare when you’re just a staff. But it doesn’t mean you have to change. It depends on your value, are you willing to sacrifice your children or your own time, it depends on the person itself.
For the ambitious people, they will sacrifice anything to be on the top, even if they have to stab their best friend in the back, they will do that.
But yes, big power comes with big responsibility, but how we manage it, without sacrficing our lifes, is something that we must stand for, or something that we must be able to manage.
Oh btw, every monday, I have to sit with my boss during lunch time *wink..wink*
Last but not least, this is the value that I got when I was with Citibank. The management at that time were value the life balancing of their employee. For them, working long hours means that you can not manage your work. For them, it’s important for their employee to have other life outside Citibank.
And start from that day .. I keep that value ..
tere616´s last [type] ..For Once In My Life
Great post, like it
The big question for everyone is how do you prepare yourself before you reach the top? I mean, how to keep your humble attitude, your nice behaviour, and not to change yourself into a devil?
IMO, getting a better position in career means nothing if it change you into a worse person. Even if it brings more money, will it also bring more happiness?
By the way, I love ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ too. Have you read ‘Remember Me?’. It’s a nice book to, about how a clumsy junior clerk suddenly find herself become a devil boss for all her office mates. Funny yet very touching.
riawibisono´s last [type] ..Tips dan Trik Mendongeng untuk Anak
thanks God I’ve never seen my bosses act like yours
@Juin: Exactly! If you’re still in the office working after working hours are over then you’re not very good with time-management! Luckily the people at work are not like that; although they do put pressures on other things and the boss can be very moody sometimes *sigh*
We have sit-down lunches with the bosses too, every Monday but I can tell you one thing; the employees are not keen sitting near the BIG boss although he’s actually quite nice, nicer than the small boss
@Ria: Yes! I have read “Remember Me”, it’s written by Sophie Kinsella, right? Funny book… it sums up quite nicely the feeling of ‘being lonely on top”, doesn’t it? I don’t know how people can change once they become bosses… perhaps it’s one of those “you’ll never know until you get there” experiences!
@Boy: Wow… but if your bosses are all nice, then why did you keep changing jobs??
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Transportation´s last [type] ..Transportation