But what's that? You didn't realize the film has substance as well as comedy? Or that it contained nuggets of advice for the job seeker? Good thing you decided to take a coffee break and read a blog today!
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Remember, trying too hard can actually undermine your efforts. Remember how Peter's career took off once he stopped caring? Bagging meetings and skipping functions made him seem too busy and important to be bothered with all the day-to-day; and while that's obviously something that we've all probably seen at one time or another, it's certainly not recommended for career advancement in most cases. Nevertheless, think about all those interviews you spent hours and hours preparing for that fell apart when it turned out the company was in a hiring freeze all along. Keep a balanced perspective so you don't fall into the trap of caring too much - at least not until the time is right...
If your best career advice is coming from a mullet-wearing wacko, it's time to rethink things. Remember Lawrence's advice to Peter through the wall about "not wanting you to [mess] up my life, too"? (On top of his advice for what Peter should watch out for when he goes to PMITA prison?) If slacker weirdos are giving you advice on your job and it's starting to sound good, you may be in the wrong line of work.
Never underestimate the power of little things to affect people greatly. Who knew a red stapler would not only become something obsessive for a fictional coworker but go on to carry so much meaning as an inside joke to anyone who ever saw a movie?
If you have a "case of the Mondays," just deal with it. No more need be said here.
Everybody hates office equipment. Remember the scene where the trio exacts its revenge on the printer for all its frustrating jams? The scene's been parodied countless times, even on Fox's Family Guy. Take some comfort that you're not alone...
Honesty is still the best policy when it comes to interviews. Look how well Peter did after his frank talk with the Bobs! Some up-front honesty & no-holds-barred discussion got him a promotion and supervisory responsibilities. Granted, one of the Bobs was "Paul" from Cheers and the other went on to play the psychotic Dr. Cox on Scrubs, but that's Hollywood and this is real life, so what can we tell you...
Learn to rise above the day-to-day. Sure, planning elaborate schemes for revenge can be fun, but trying to translate them into action - as Peter did - can get you into unbelievable trouble. (And don't expect a mumbling office associate to cover your backside by burning things - see the above mention of Hollywood vs. real life.) And speaking of mumbling office weirdos -
Always watch the quiet ones. Remember how Milton was finally pushed too far when they put his desk in the boiler room? Taking his beloved stapler was bad enough, but that was the last straw. Now, think back to any news report you've ever seen on a serial killer. Didn't they all have those phrases like, "kept to himself mostly" and "loner" included in them? (Side note: These are words you never want to see beneath your own photo in the paper, by the way...) Just some food for thought here - you don't want people thinking of Milton when you show up for your interview and start quietly stumbling through reasons why you should be hired...
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