My 25th Work Anniversary and the Mystery of a Happy Corporate Life

How to solve the puzzle and make it to silver.

Erik P.M. Vermeulen, PhD
4 min readOct 6, 2023

Photo courtesy of author

“Should you have any more questions, please let me know.”

It was Thursday, October 1, 1998 — my first workday as a junior lawyer at a multinational electronics company.

My new colleague left me in an empty office. There was a grey desk, a black office chair, a small round office table with two chairs, and a low-maintenance office plant. The painting decorating the wall was from an art rental company.

I was happy to be left alone that Thursday afternoon. It was a welcome break after the overwhelming first impressions of the morning. The new colleagues (and their names I couldn’t remember). The briefing on office policies and practices. The “photo shoot” for the company ID badge.

Everything seemed appropriately formal and, thinking back, slightly stiff.

I opened the vertical blinds to let some light in and, ever so slightly, loosened my tie. After my new Dell Latitude c610 was booted up, I followed the instructions to reset my password and made a to-do list for the coming days. Collect my new badge and return the visitor’s one I was currently using. Attend a meeting regarding my first project. Look at the case filing system…

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Erik P.M. Vermeulen, PhD
Erik P.M. Vermeulen, PhD

Written by Erik P.M. Vermeulen, PhD

Where Gen X memories meet today’s struggles.

Responses (3)

What are your thoughts?

Congrats Erik! Fully agree that most people identify themselves with their careers, with the result that they are led by their ego. Perceiving your (corporate) job beyond form, as you call it platform, is a good way to find yourself and liberate from social expectations!

Hey Erik! 🎉 Congratulations on your 25th work anniversary! Your article truly resonated with me. It's fascinating to see how the work environment and expectations have evolved over the years. Your journey from your first day at work to now is…

Congratulations Eric on your 25th work anniversary. Your article/contents are mind blowing and very engaging. A very big congratulations 🎉

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