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A career fallacy has been circulating around our society for quite some time. It goes something like this: “By its very nature, work sucks and is unpleasant. You can’t go off and just do whatever makes you happy. No, there comes a time when we have to face the music and settle into a career that is no fun but pays the bills.” This fallacy is perpetuated by people who don’t love what they do but rather drink from the bitter cup on a daily basis to pay the bills. End result: they become bitter.

I would like to propose a few things in response to this sorry, self-fulfilling worldview: 1) work is challenging, even exhausting, but it should also be satisfying and enriching; 2) doing what you love for work is essential to career excellence; and 3) the world has changed, and having a career that you love and paying the bills can go together.

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Bosses have a way of rubbing us the wrong way. As nice as it would be to open a can of Jedi punishment on them, most of us usually take the more civilized route, which usually involves continuing to laugh at their unfunny jokes, kiss their butts, and gripe about them to our co-workers.

In this video, the Emperor’s latest Sith apprentice Herbert, a lowly, socially challenged programmer, goes to the Dark Side when his boss goes too far. Boss haters throughout the world, this one’s for you. (Note: don’t read into this too much; we love our boss

If for some reason you cannot see the video below, go here: Star Wars Office Humor

Remember on Lost (the TV show, I mean) when they were in the Hatch and they had to keep entering the same numbers into that computer every 120 minutes, but they really didn’t know why they were doing it or how it all worked. Well, that’s how I feel about job search sites like Monster, Careerbuilder, and Hotjobs.

After faithfully searching for jobs and submitting resumes for the last four years without a single substantial result to speak of, I feel more than a little cheated. I feel a lot cheated, darn it! Duped. Bamboozled. Misled. I mean, the way the whole thing is set up is just cruel. It’s easy to find interesting jobs, they take you directly to a customized page and you can just apply right there. You download your resume, answer a few questions, click the ‘Send’ button, and then… well, and then, who knows what happens. For all we know it gets printed up in Yeti’s lair in the far reaches of Tibet to be used as T.P. for the hairy guy. Or perhaps it gets put into a time capsule and launched into space to the Alpha Centauri system to show our galactic neighbors how naïve and foolish humans are. For all we know, it goes to this big digital drainpipe on the outskirts of the internet where it falls into the black void and disappears completely.

In all seriousness, as easy as they make it to apply, they really only increase the degrees of separation between you and hiring managers. You can’t call them, write them, or even email them. Assuming the resumes actually get to them, they only grab the top few, leaving you with no chance to plead your case or show them your shining personality. You have no way to control the process or sway it in your favor.

So, as of today, I’m swearing off job search sites. I refuse to be led captive by their friendly design, their deceptive offers to help. I’m saying, “Take a hike, Monster. And take your weird creature thing with you. No thanks, Careerbuilder. You’re not building here. Get lost, Hotjobs. This relationship has gone cold.” I’m blazing my own path of face-to-face communication, networking, and sending things via the postal service. If you’re sick and tired of useless job search sites, join with me in ranting. Tell us about your failed relationship with those deadbeat job sites…

You’ve probably heard people talk about going green as of late. It has become quite the fashionable phrase to throw out during newscasts, parties, and presidential campaign speeches. If you want to appear progressive, trendy, or world-wise, you talk a lot about going green. Companies who want to shed the typical capitalistic, earth-pillaging corporate image are jumping on the green bandwagon.

For the uninitiated, ‘going green’ refers to reducing or eliminating your use of non-eco-friendly materials. That means petroleum-based products, especially plastics and harmful chemicals, are out. Recycled or organic products are in. Fueled by rising fears of global warming, going green represents an important shift in thinking toward being more responsible in the way we use our resources.

Going green, however, also means that things will change. Some of the comforts we are used to may fall by the wayside. Even at the workplace, employees will be feeling a dramatic difference. If your company is going green, here are some of the disadvantages to look forward to (and just remember: it’s worth it!):

1. Recycled toilet paper – One word: ouch! Recycled paper will never be as refined and soft as regular paper. Unfortunately, this goes for toilet paper, too. Employees at green companies are in for a rough ride when they visit the restroom.

2. Organic cafeteria – For those who like their steaks thick, juicy, and as enhanced as possible, the company cafeteria is about to become a bit less appealing. Use of growth hormones and other food-enhancing chemicals is becoming an endangered practice, viewed as bad for people and bad for the environment. Start bringing your lunch or get used to tofu.

3. Rain-water cooler – The blue bottle/central gathering place may soon be replaced by a faucet from a tank that collects rainwater. The rainwater is filtered, of course, but that familiar sterilized taste will likely be gone. The thought of drinking rainwater may be unsettling to some, especially if you live in an area known for air pollution. Just gulp down the bugs and the taste of exhaust with a smile, knowing you are doing your part to save the planet.

4. Bamboo office chairs – Most of today’s well-supported, well-cushioned office chairs are composed of plastics and other synthetic materials. Look for companies to ditch those for more plant-based materials. Bamboo is popular but not very friendly to backsides. You might have grounds to get your boss to provide an on-site chiropractor.

5. Biodegradable food containers – Plastics tend to overstay their welcome in the environment, hanging around for several millennia. To remedy this, companies are providing food containers made from sugar cane waste in their cafeterias and break rooms. The problem: these containers break down (within 90 days) considerably faster than their plastic counterparts. The result: don’t be surprised if your leftovers from the company Christmas party suddenly collapse into a pile of mush.

Which green changes are you dreading? Which ones are you looking forward to? Tell us about it below…