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Ah, another exciting day in the corporate world! I'm sure you live for waking up at 7 a.m., drinking mediocre office coffee and engaging in small talk with colleagues whose names you don’t know. And lucky for you, you get to do it all again tomorrow!

If you’re a cog in the corporate machine, you know all too well what it’s like to spend your days sitting at a desk and reading cringey posts on LinkedIn. And if you’re interested in checking out some hilarious memes about this experience, you’ve come to the right place! Below, you’ll find some of our favorite posts from the Surfing Corporate Instagram account. So enjoy scrolling through them while pretending to work, and keep reading to find conversations with the creator of Surfing Corporate, Aileen Merciel, and Ellen Venkrbcova, Marketing Manager at Femme Palette!

More info: Website | Podcast

To learn more about this clever Instagram page and find out how it all started in the first place, we reached out to Aileen A. Merciel, Surfing Corporate creator, Editor-in-Chief and podcast host. Aileen was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and explain where the vision for Surfing Corporate came from.

"The original idea began in 2017 after I had just undergone a life-threatening surgery due to intense work-related stress," the creator shared. "I was forced to press pause and ask myself some hard questions: 'Why did I allow work to jeopardize my physical and mental health? Why didn’t I set boundaries? Why hadn’t I been able to handle the stress better?'"

"My way to process this was writing about it through a humorous lens, my go-to coping mechanism," Aileen explained. "I started jotting down some of my 'corporate wisdom' tidbits here and there, then I started diving deeper into broader topics about corporate life and writing personal stories of my most embarrassing moments at work."

"Before I knew it, I had what looked like a decent manuscript. I titled it 'Surfing Corporate: An Insider’s Guide to the Corporate World,'" Aileen shared. "But when I began to research the publishing process and how to submit queries, I discovered that publishing companies don’t bother reading new authors’ proposals if they don't have a strong social media following. Total bummer, because the only thing I had was a personal private account with a few close friends."

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"Social media was not my thing, and I didn’t have the faintest idea of how to build a brand or community, but since I had already invested so much time in the Surfing Corporate idea, I decided to give it a try," the creator continued. "I never expected the Instagram account to take off like it eventually did, or the subsequent podcast I co-host with Glenda Pacanins (my former colleague), which was nominated for a 2024 Ambie Award!"

We also asked Aileen why she believes working in the corporate world is so difficult. "There’s so much pressure in corporate environments to be 'successful' (whatever that means), to climb the ladder, to be noticed, and to get that promotion before someone else does," she told Bored Panda.

"You’re in a constant competition, and that leads to people being guarded at all times, in offense mode, and taking themselves way too seriously. In many corporate settings, politics and optics are more important than the work itself, which is exhausting for people like me who don’t have a 'Succession' or 'Game of Thrones' mentality," Aileen added.

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Aileen also shared that she's had a wide range of corporate jobs because she's worked in several different countries (Venezuela, Mexico, and the US). "I’ve worked for medium-sized media companies, global media companies, start-ups, and more, experiencing very different work cultures," she noted. "I’m lucky to have worked for awesome companies where living up to the brand values and driving innovation was more important than individual egos."

"I’ve also been part of companies driven by personal agendas, which is very hard to navigate," the creator added. "Of course, there are always going to be coworkers and bosses you don’t vibe with, or politics you don’t agree with. Learning to navigate tricky, uncomfortable situations and challenging personalities is a skill you can apply to all types of scenarios, not just work."

We also asked Aileen for her top pieces of advice for anyone who wants to enter the corporate world. First, she says listen, listen, and listen! "In the first few months at a new job, the more you listen and let others talk, the better," she noted. "That’s how you learn about people’s motivations and frustrations, about power dynamics, and you also learn a lot about the unwritten office rules that aren’t in the handbook."

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Next, Aileen recommends making sure you find your tribe. "For me, that was people with a sense of humor who didn’t take themselves too seriously. I would seek opportunities to make a random weird observation or a joke just to see who would smile back, who would give me a judgmental side glance, and who didn’t get it at all," she explained. "Finding your tribe is essential for building support and camaraderie at work, and I’ve made incredible friends this way."

Aileen says it's wise to evaluate the pros and cons at your corporate job as well. "Every company has its positives and negatives. No workplace is perfect. As long as the positives outweigh the negatives, and you’re still learning and gaining something valuable from your job, you’re in a good place," she shared. "However, if the pendulum swings mostly to negative outcomes and your mental and physical health are constantly affected, it’s not worth it, no matter how much you’re being paid."

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M O'Connell
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They will all remember, for Patricia was full of s**t and the attendees nodded in silence.

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Aileen also believes that humor is the most important tool for surviving a corporate job. "I think the reason someone like me (a creative person who didn’t have strong innate political skills) got so high up the corporate ladder was partly because of my sense of humor. People tend to feel less threatened if you’re funny and self-deprecating, and humor also helps you build trust with your direct reports as well as with upward management," she explained.

"Corporate life can be soul-crushing, so it’s up to you to decide how you’re going to face hard times or handle challenging people. You can choose to escalate something with an insult, or de-escalate it with a joke. Getting a group of people to laugh during a tense work meeting is a great high for me," the creator shared.

#8

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Sky Render
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Could try a data entry job that lets you listen to your own music. It's pretty nice, spending all day doing mindless typing while rockin' it out to your favorite tunes.

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Finally, Aileen wanted to give a huge thanks to the community that follows Surfing Corporate on Instagram and to their podcast listeners. "We’re currently on a hiatus, but we have 45 cool episodes and we’re currently working on new ones. Stay tuned!"

And if you'd like to hear more wise words about navigating the corporate world, be sure to check out Surfing Corporate's blog!

#9

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Mimi La Souris
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’m pretty optimistic about this. Over time, diversity will climb the pyramid. At my job, all the directors were white men. Now it's almost 50% men 50% women and 4 different ethnic groups. Dinosaurs are disappearing (even if some survive and take pretty colorful feathers), young people are making a difference because they do not let themselves be pushed around like my generation.

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To learn even more about what it’s like to be in the corporate world, we also got in touch with Ellen Venkrbcova, Marketing Manager at Femme Palette. Femme Palette is a mentoring platform and community helping individuals and companies thrive through a personalized approach to career development, and lucky for us, Ellen was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda about some of the pros and cons of having a corporate job. “In today's world of work, I'd say that a major advantage of choosing a corporate career is the fact that it offers relative security,” she shared.

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Mike m
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Upper management makes one decision, goes home at 10am and is at the beach by 11. Meanwhile you're working until 9pm and still can't get caught up and you make 1/10th their salary if you're lucky.

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“As long as you're doing a good job, you likely will be needed, and a large corporation won't disappear from the market anytime soon,” Ellen explained. “Corporate companies also typically take good care of their employees in the form of various benefits and perks, meaning you'll save on expenses like meals, gym memberships, or even therapy.”

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Annik Perrot
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There's always going to be one that doesn't, too fond of the sound of their own voice.

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But working in the corporate world isn’t for everyone. “On the flip side, if you're someone who thrives in fast-paced environments with constant change, you may find corporate processes a bit stiff and slow for your liking,” Ellen told Bored Panda. “Hierarchy is firmly set, so as a junior or mid-level employee, you probably won't be having 1:1 chats with the CEO. On top of that, competition in corporate settings can be fierce.”

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Papa
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For some reason that reminds me of something I saw recently; "If at first you don't succeed, try doing it the way I told you to."

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We also asked the career expert for some advice for women interested in entering the corporate world. “Be prepared to put conscious effort into being visible. Three things I'd recommend focusing on would be building a strong personal brand, building confidence to speak up in meetings, and working on your negotiation skills,” Ellen says.

“As women, we can feel apprehensive in these areas for fear of being labeled as ‘pushy’ or ‘aggressive,’ but if you want to grow in a corporation, you can't afford to blend with the crowd. Find your strengths and put them forward confidently,” she noted.

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Maintaining a healthy work-life balance can also be tricky for corporate employees, but Ellen says it's all about setting boundaries and letting others know you have them. “Setting your Slack/Teams status to ‘Personal Time’ or ‘Vacationing’ or blocking personal time in your work calendar so your coworkers can see you're not available are a couple ways of doing that,” she noted. 

#21

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Jill Rhodry
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5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yas - my 'how's it going week' soulmate! Mondays = horrid, but you know it's going to be horrid so you're prepared - Wednesday = humpday, not bad; Thursday = nearly Friday, we're getting there; FRIYAY! So Tuesdays = it's already been a long week and it's only Tuesday, absolutely horrific 😨

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Ellen also shared that it’s absolutely fine to say 'no' when you simply cannot fit a task or favor into your schedule. “In fact, the key to standing out in a company isn't working harder, but smarter,” she pointed out. “Take on fewer projects, but choose them wisely, always thinking about how they will impact your learning and growth.”

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Pandemonium
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's more satisfying to leave that first draft text in white font on a white background

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But just because you have a corporate job doesn’t mean you have to be 100% serious all the time. “I love workplace memes - they show us that we're not alone and that so many people are going through similar challenges,” Ellen says. “Humor makes us relatable and can be hugely beneficial in building workplace relationships.”

“One thing I'd advise though is always tapping into your emotional intelligence and being empathetic,” the expert added. “An inappropriate joke can be hurtful, embarrassing, and ultimately even damaging to team dynamics.”

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Finally, the career expert added that in order to grow professionally, and not only in the corporate world, you should be continuously learning. “Read, sign up for workshops (even outside your area of expertise), look into finding a mentor or a career coach, and attend educational events or conferences,” Ellen told Bored Panda. “Stay curious and hungry for new experiences!”

And if you’d like to hear more wise words about career growth from Femme Palette, be sure to visit their website,  LinkedIn or Instagram!

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Fabian Bernard
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

''I don't think I have enough overlook yet and appropriate skills acquired on that situation to achieve and manage that task with a satisfying efficiency'' was my words when I felt I was assignated a s****y task ( edit : I'm just a gardener 😁)

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Yvonne Dauwalder Balsiger
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5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yearly feedback from the teams: communication from management could be improved because it is often unclear, contradictory and incomplete - Reaction from management: we all (minus management) had to do a day long communication training - but hey, there was free food!

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We hope you’re enjoying scrolling through these work memes, pandas! Whether you hate your desk job with a passion or you’re actually happy to be in the corporate world, keep upvoting the pics you find most relatable. Then, if you’d like to check out even more funny memes about working that Bored Panda has shared in the past, look no further than right here!

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General Anaesthesia
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Then you post the answer and less than ten seconds later the rest pile on with their "but, but ,butts".

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Mike m
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've learned, get it overwith now and you will be happy for the rest of the day. Learning to deal head on with conflict has so many benefits.

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WhatEvenIsLife
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I once started a job and, after not much time, realized the person before me had been doing it wrong for YEARS (a form of data entry). I brought it to my supervisor's attention and was told that I was NOT ALLOWED to do it correctly until management approved the change, and that I should keep doing it incorrectly until they did. That job was an endless nightmare of frustration and unsurprisingly, I left as soon as I could. My job and the database I managed were utterly useless because of how screwed up it had gotten, and they could not have cared less, even though that meant they were wasting tens of thousands of dollars every year over it. Their response every time it got brought up? "We haven't been sued yet *shrug*."

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ElfVibratorGlitter
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5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've started going to chat gbt and type in, "reply to email 'xyz', but make it sound like I'm not an a-hole." Just make sure you get rid of "sure, you could reply with :" because I did that this week, and didn't remove it. 😎

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Me. Just Me.
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Here's a tip. Hit reply. Immediately delete out all recipient email addresses so there is no longer a recipient listed. Type out exactly what you want to say, include your "Regards", "Thank you", "Kiss my a***", or whatever. Then go onto something else. Come back 30 minutes later and actually reply. Delete your "draft" email.

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LooseSeal's $10 Banana
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A great environment for personal growth and abundant opportunities to make meaningful impacts on the world.

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BS Detector
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Turn off LinkedIn, until you're looking for a new job. It's the only time it has any use.

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Bec
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is where we need to develop an AI tool, ok you were close but you missed a capital letter, that was your old password - you just changed it yesterday, your right hand was off by a column of keys. Just give us some hints!

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Ace
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

*Twitch*. My wife does this. I cannot begin to explain just how much it bothers me.

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Trillian
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Really I don't care what he does as long as he doesn''t want to move back home. I've turned his room into an office and it is MY room now.

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BROmanicus85
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Or just repeating "mhm" every 15 seconds, so they don't ask you anything! :))

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Michael Largey
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Work meetings are the last place where you want to start handing out ice picks.

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censorshipsucks
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

*triggggggggered* omg omg I literally have nightmares about this happening

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Mimi La Souris
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

mine : !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Tabitha
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, keep us updated and let us know when you’ve finally had it, so we can get the Party Planning Committee started planning your going away party.

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Mike m
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just wait until you hear about leverage, synergy, and low hanging fruit

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Science Nerd
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The only thing I got out of LinkedIn was an infinite series of requests asking me to write technical articles for free. Killed my account years ago and have never missed it.

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Tabitha
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It were not going to specify the next year of WHAT year.

#68

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#69

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Matt Richardson
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My promotion at work had me managing people, it was a very trying time. Thankfully after a merger they reduced my responsibilities and gave me a raise. Or maybe I got demoted, either way, I got a decent raise.

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Fire Singer
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ok, maybe I'm overreacting to this, but I have a co-worker who gets so irritated when the major Jewish holidays hit and we can't get a hold of any of them. But, she loves when we're out for a week for Christmas and they're working. Like...you realize the entire world doesn't celebrate the same holidays or take the same days off right? In fact, crazy thing here, some people don't get holidays off at all no matter their beliefs! Crazy I know!

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ConstantlyJon
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have my computer muted at all times and we aren't allowed to have Teams on our phone due to confidentiality issues. I've no idea what this sounds like.... but I still don't look like these people. Bummer.

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Bored Birgit
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Off topic: The single tooth under his nose. Can't watch films in cinema with him because of this.

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Papa
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Back before I learned how to set my phone to Do Not Disturb, a coworker sent me a TEXT that should have been an email, at around 2:00 am, and it woke me up. I'm afraid I spoke harshly to him about it the next day, but to be fair, he never did it again.

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