To be irrationally and stupidly a bit jealous?

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

Well I know IABU but I would just like it to be confirmed and render me a jolly good kick up the arse.

About five years ago I used to work with this young girl who came to our admin office from a bar job. She was cute and flirty but we got on fine. Then she started flirting her way round the managers and being given the good contracts. Then she managed to convince our manager that she should have the case I was working on, which I loved and knew inside out. He duly gave it to her and when I complained that it was mine I was told tough, you're only part time, you'll work on what I say you'll work on. Yet she was given whatever she asked for. I kid you not, if she wanted it, she got it. It was like being back at school with teachers pet. Then because she was full time, she got offered the assistant managers job. I applied for it but because I was part time I couldn't have it. The last straw was when I came into work one day to find that she had switched our desks around. Not just moved the furniture, but literally gone through my desk emptying all my drawers and cupboards and swapping all my stuff for hers. Because she liked where I sat. I'm afraid to say I walked out. She just didn't understand the rudeness of what she'd done and I just couldn't argue anymore.

Anyway, if you've got this far well done. I now see she's started up her own business, has ten people working for her, is director of the company and has just won some award for being ruthless new businesswoman or something.

I don't know why I'm jealous. I don't want her life. I'm a comfortably off sahm with a nice home, a lovely dh and gorgeous dc's. So why do I feel so pissed off when I read in the local paper how well she's doing? Why do I care? She hasn't got any children. She's not married. Her life is nothing like mine. Aaarrgh! I don't get it.

[NotYouNaanBread]

I agree with stickingattwo. She got the job with zero qualifications & has worked hard to get where she is now. The desk thing is bloody presumptuous, but other than that she hasn't done anything wrong.

So she flirted with male colleagues, right? How is that different from ambitious male employees going out for pints etc with their bosses & doing the whole pub networking thing? You use the tools you have & she didn't have an MBA or a rock solid cv to get her ahead, so she used what was available to her and it worked.

It can be irritating when you a) don't like the person anyway and b) don't have access to/the desire to use (or didn't think of) the approach somebody else used, but you shouldn't let it get to you, when you didn't even want her career path in the first place.