update from the reader who hated her job and wanted to wear jeans

by Alison Green on February 17, 2013

Remember the reader in December who was wondering if she needed to thank her employer for a Christmas bonus? Or at least that’s what her direct question was, but her letter was about being bored with her job and feeling frustrated that she’d been promised flexible working hours and a casual dress code when she wasn’t being allowed to take time off when she wanted it and had been told to stop wearing jeans. Here’s her update:

You may remember my question about Christmas bonuses, which was really about how much I hated my job and how it was sucking the life out of me.  After getting your response (and seeing the comments), I decided to submit a few grad school apps in hopes to switch fields and get training in an area that holds a lot of interest for me.  I also bought some corduroy pants with my Xmas gift money, that fit like jeans but clearly are not, and which seem to garner no complaints from my bosses, as well as keep me warm during my long commute.  So it’s relatively good news all around!

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{ 17 comments }

{ 17 comments… read them below }

      1. Anonymous*

        I could probably manage to put more effort into my overall appearance if ill fitting dress pants didn’t ruin my life every morning.

        1. Esra*

          See, that’s what I miss about working from home. Any day I put on pants, period, was an A++ day. Now I have to wear pants every day, and never sweatpants, yoga pants, or my hole-y jeans. It’s a real morale-killer.

    2. VintageLydia*

      You know those pajama jeans they advertise on TV? I own a pair and no one knows they aren’t actually jeans until I tell them. Best. Invention. Ever.

      1. tangoecho5*

        I own a pair too. I can wear jeans to work so it’s no big deal to sometimes wear my pajama jeans when I want to feel even more comfortable.

  3. Elizabeth West*

    I can wear jeans at work, but they’re cold in the winter sometimes. I never even thought of corduroy pants–it’s hard to find some that are long enough. But I’m going to look for some. Yay that it worked out!

    1. Kimberlee, Esq.*

      I’m not sure how much Alison approves of buzz marketing, but I really dig Alloy.com for inseam variation. I’m short, so I’m on the opposite end, but they regularly have jeans, cords, and slacks with 37 inch inseams, and often on sale!

      2. Josh S*

        As an aside (and I’m going from observation, not as a spokesperson of official policy or anything), it seems like Alison doesn’t mind links to other places so long as they’re relevant to the conversation/comments, not spammy, and not excessive. All working URLs get suspended pending moderation (to avoid the link spam that happens as a matter of course in teh blogosphere), but I don’t know that I’ve ever seen her block a legit, related link of mine…and I’ve posted more than a handful.

        1. Sarah*

          I have a friend who swears by Land’s End and the custom hem lengths, because one of her legs is longer than the other.

  4. Bethany B*

    Ooh, boy. I don’t want to be too much of a worry-troll, but I really hope she’s read Alison’s advice about going to grad school isn’t always the best track to take right now. Seriously, it just is not the time to lose out on job experience unless the career you want absolutely requires an advanced degree. I see too many of my friends struggling way more after coming out of school because they’re “behind”, only now with insane debt.

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