My first real job in Houston, I had an office to myself. Then, I had to share an office with someone else. Then I got a cube. Then, I was moved to a 4-person pod. Now, they intend to make things more open by cutting the walls all the way down. So, I've been progressing to less and less privacy. On the plus side, the new boss cutting down our walls will also evict all the execs from their offices and put them on the floor too. Nobody, not even the president, will have a private office. I have to respect that. Meanwhile, the building is long and narrow, with all rooms in the middle, so everybody has plenty of windows to look out of (and we can pine to be somewhere else). And, at least I'm not on the trade floor - they're packed in cheek-by-jowl. They have maybe 3 feet of desk on a row of 10 people in a giant room of long desks.
I'm actually surprised at the percentage of people in offices. I would have thought most companies had gone to an open floor plan just because its cheaper (apparently). I have a feeling that the smaller the company, the more likely you'll have an office as most large companies I've ever been in have open plans now.
How do people get an office and yet not have a job with the flexibility to come and go as you please?
Some positions require it because of the type of job. But it's mostly due to prick managers in my experience.
I don't know how those traders do it. Not only do they do it, they thrive on it. My buddy works on the Reliant trading floor and loves it. Organized chaos.
Initially, I never had the education to warrant an office or cube. And I have never worked for a large company. Finally at Frito-Lay I got to work in a cube. The cube next to me was open so I huffed and I puffed and I blew that wall down. Nobody complained so I kept that setup. Now I work from a home office that I share with me the musician, me the photographer!
I've got a corner office with two windows and a view of I-10. Share the office with my boss but he's not there that often.
