Office work

Scratchin a Letter

I dropped out of university just over a year ago, and was unemployed, living at home and sponging from my pissed off parents for the best part of four months.

Eventually I swallowed my pride and got a bog-standard office job, and as boring as it was, at least I was earning and putting ye olde brain to good use. I'm somewhere else now and it's slightly more enjoyable, secure and better paid, but I'm still unsure about what I want to do with my life. I'm only 20, but I feel the exact same way as I did when I was 15.

Like Byrnzie said, a job's a job. It's a job while you're looking for another job. And even if not, that's what beer is for I know exactly how you feel, Che, I know there's so much shit to think about. Just don't think you're alone 'cos we've all been there.

Riot_Rain

I fell into an office job when I moved country 3 years ago. The pay is okay, the work not too boring. I stuck with it, while I got my life sorted. About a year ago I decided I didn't want to stay in this country and I decided to keep this job until the next move. The work we do is very important to the radio part of a very large broadcasting corporation, but no one realises. We get blamed, but never praised. Our team consists of 6 people, the average age is 31.67. We are all talented, but lack self esteem. Some of us are ambitious, others are not (the other day, my colleague said "I quite fancy staying here, the pension is good and I've only got 24 years left to go"). I would say that all office comedies apply to us, but only in a bad way

I will move country again in August. I know exactly what I want to do and I will make sure I will do it. About office life I can only say "Never, ever, ever again."

But then again, never say never.

Sorry, bit of office humour there

gue_barium

I think Cheguevara6 could be someone who would have an appreciation for a job in one of the fields of Biology.

Also, if you've never heard of the Nature Conservancy, it's one of those great (IMO) organizations that continue to do incredible work, even in the face of all the doom and gloom. They make a difference.


http://www.nature.org/careers/index.html

pickupyourwill

Cheguevara6 wrote:

I am a big fan of movies like Clerks or Reality Bites, Office Space as well, movies that seem to critique modern society and modern jobs and how almost useless they are.

For anyone who has worked at an office or for an investment bank or some other place, are these portrayals accurate?

Here's my 2 cents....for what its worth anyway.

The 9-5 working world is a facade. 40 hr/ wk. office and factory jobs are not useless because they are necessary to keep the world running. However, I will always believe in the motto "all in moderation". These people invest 40 hrs each week to their job and many times take them on as another family----but then what happens to their personal life and family at home? Many people have alot of trouble trying to balance work life with the home life and in many cases, it just doesn't work. Unless of course your girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse works with you or you've worked out some way to include the family in your work.

I feel that many people can get burnt out on the traditional standards of a work week. It may have worked for our grandparents--- but they also still valued the importance of the housewife to help alleviate the stress of the husband----a notion that is unfortunately overlooked in this day and age. Most couples are so concerned with maintaining a 2-income family to gain more money, that they lose sight of their quality of life---meaning that they never have enough time for everything and everyone is always too stressed out. The little important things get overlooked and their children get neglected in many subtle ways.

So, I guess what I'm getting at is that you should try to build a career that is flexible--like working from home or being your own boss or put two different part time jobs together. This is what I've found to work for me so far. Good luck to ya, Cheguevara6.

Riot_Rain

pickupyourwill wrote:

The 9-5 working world is a facade. 40 hr/ wk. office and factory jobs are not useless because they are necessary to keep the world running. However, I will always believe in the motto "all in moderation". These people invest 40 hrs each week to their job and many times take them on as another family----but then what happens to their personal life and family at home? Many people have alot of trouble trying to balance work life with the home life and in many cases, it just doesn't work. Unless of course your girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse works with you or you've worked out some way to include the family in your work.

You are so right. I work 40 hours a week which is enough to kill most of my brain cells eventually. On top of that, there's the commuting, so make that a 55 hour week. My partner is a teacher, and has to do a lot of work at home. It's far from great. So that's why we're moving. To a place where the hours will be better and life nicer. Also I'm going to make sure my work will make a difference. Pushing paper is not my life ambition

soulsinging

Riot_Rain wrote:

You are so right. I work 40 hours a week which is enough to kill most of my brain cells eventually. On top of that, there's the commuting, so make that a 55 hour week. My partner is a teacher, and has to do a lot of work at home. It's far from great. So that's why we're moving. To a place where the hours will be better and life nicer. Also I'm going to make sure my work will make a difference. Pushing paper is not my life ambition

man, 55 hours sounds so nice to me. im going to be a lawyer. lawyers at firms in chicago put in a minimum of 60 per week, oftentimes getting up to 80. im not going to last long.

miller8966

Riot_Rain wrote:

You are so right. I work 40 hours a week which is enough to kill most of my brain cells eventually. On top of that, there's the commuting, so make that a 55 hour week. My partner is a teacher, and has to do a lot of work at home. It's far from great. So that's why we're moving. To a place where the hours will be better and life nicer. Also I'm going to make sure my work will make a difference. Pushing paper is not my life ambition

im 24 and work 45 hrs a week in a cubicle. I dont mind it but when friday is here im ready to throw a victory party that i made it through the week.

mammasan

Cheguevara6 wrote:

I am a big fan of movies like Clerks or Reality Bites, Office Space as well, movies that seem to critique modern society and modern jobs and how almost useless they are.

For anyone who has worked at an office or for an investment bank or some other place, are these portrayals accurate?

I worked for Metlife for about 2 years and we where located in one of those corporate parks. It exactly like on Office Space. We had a Ruby Tuesday's across the street and a TGI Fridays down the street. The interior of the office complex was the same. One giant space divided into little cubicals.All that was missing was the water feeder in each cube so that we could look exactly like hamsters scurring along in our cage. I didn't have a boss like Bill Lumberg, but I was Peter Gibbons.

cincybearcat

sponger wrote:

I had a job earlier this year in a dept. with a bunch of mid-20's fresh college grads. After about a couple of weeks, I was asked about my age. I was asked 2-3 more times by other people in the dept. over the next couple of months.

A few weeks later, the manager that hired me walked from her office down the hall and into the dept I was in just to say, "You're 29? I thought you were 26."

I actually never lived my age down until I was fired for made up bullshit reasons a few months later. I forgot to mention that a couple of months before I was fired, a guy in my dept. who was 31 and just out of the army was getting the same treatment.

Before I found that job, I had been to interviews at 4 different firms. Each interviewer asked me how old I was. To them, it's a matter of some guy who finally got his degree at age 28 vs. a fired up youngin' who has been focused on his goals since day 1. It was the interviewer who assumed my age rather than asking about it that decided I was worth hiring.

At the job I have now, I've been asked my age by two different people and I've only been working there for a few weeks.

So, I wouldn't say that I use my age as a crutch. If I had things my way, it would never be brought up. I don't believe my age has anything to do with my abilities, but the problem is that I'm apparently the only person who thinks that.

Just so you know, it's actually illegal for an interviewer to ask you your age.

cincybearcat

soulsinging wrote:

man, 55 hours sounds so nice to me. im going to be a lawyer. lawyers at firms in chicago put in a minimum of 60 per week, oftentimes getting up to 80. im not going to last long.

That's a lot of work.

I work about 50 hours a week normally, sometimes a little less, sometimes a little more. If you include my short travel time to and from as the last person did it goes to about 54 hours a week at least.

I don't consider that a ton, 60-80 hours would be a lot. The most I can do regualrly is about 55 hours a week, I start to get way underproductive after too lnog anyhow.

soulsinging

cincybearcat wrote:

That's a lot of work.

I work about 50 hours a week normally, sometimes a little less, sometimes a little more. If you include my short travel time to and from as the last person did it goes to about 54 hours a week at least.

I don't consider that a ton, 60-80 hours would be a lot. The most I can do regualrly is about 55 hours a week, I start to get way underproductive after too lnog anyhow.

i wish the partners at law firms understood that. i hear their goal is to essentially break the associates. the ones that survive make partner, the ones that dont develop drinking problems, get fired, or commit suicide. i plan to work it for a few years for the money, pay off the debt i incurred at this school. then im hopping ship on the whole firm thing. unless i find one that's cool with hiring lazy sons of bitches like me

know1

pickupyourwill wrote:

Here's my 2 cents....for what its worth anyway.

The 9-5 working world is a facade. 40 hr/ wk. office and factory jobs are not useless because they are necessary to keep the world running. However, I will always believe in the motto "all in moderation". These people invest 40 hrs each week to their job and many times take them on as another family----but then what happens to their personal life and family at home? Many people have alot of trouble trying to balance work life with the home life and in many cases, it just doesn't work. Unless of course your girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse works with you or you've worked out some way to include the family in your work.

I feel that many people can get burnt out on the traditional standards of a work week. It may have worked for our grandparents--- but they also still valued the importance of the housewife to help alleviate the stress of the husband----a notion that is unfortunately overlooked in this day and age. Most couples are so concerned with maintaining a 2-income family to gain more money, that they lose sight of their quality of life---meaning that they never have enough time for everything and everyone is always too stressed out. The little important things get overlooked and their children get neglected in many subtle ways.

So, I guess what I'm getting at is that you should try to build a career that is flexible--like working from home or being your own boss or put two different part time jobs together. This is what I've found to work for me so far. Good luck to ya, Cheguevara6.

40 hours per week really isn't a ton of hours per week to work.

Abookamongstthemany

know1 wrote:

40 hours per week really isn't a ton of hours per week to work.

40 hours a week is a huge chunk of time!

sponger

cincybearcat wrote:

Just so you know, it's actually illegal for an interviewer to ask you your age.

...not in the great state of California. I looked it up after the second time it happened.

know1

Abookamongstthemany wrote:

40 hours a week is a huge chunk of time!

It's significant, but I think it's a decent amount to work. It certainly not this huge burden some people make it out to be. I find the ones who do think it's too much are the ones that waste hours and hours a day watching TV or movies.

bootlegger10

Cheguevara6 wrote:

I am a student, getting ready to figure out what I want to do in life.
For me, it all seems so absurd. My generation has this to look forward to as we step into the workplace:
Rising U.S. debt in the trillions
Global warming
Minimum wage
War
No future

And office jobs are the problem? Are you going to school in a cardboard box? What about all the social programs you want? Won't you need office folks to administer them? How about for the government to get those funds to pay for social programs. Won't you need tax preparers to prepare those returns? To manufacture all of the goods you want to give to poor people, won't you need office administrators for those manufacturers. For all the health care you want to provide for free, aren't you going to need administrators for those?


I really think you are a very depressed individual, and you blame political and social problems, when really, it is a problem with you and your personal life. When you start blaming office jobs on the problems of the world, you are running out of excuses.

bootlegger10

Abookamongstthemany wrote:

40 hours a week is a huge chunk of time!

I think 80% of the country would kill for a 40 hour a week job.

bootlegger10

pickupyourwill wrote:

I feel that many people can get burnt out on the traditional standards of a work week. It may have worked for our grandparents--- but they also still valued the importance of the housewife to help alleviate the stress of the husband----a notion that is unfortunately overlooked in this day and age.

Don't you know housewives are worthless? Come on dude, it is 2006. Raising respectable children to make a positive contribution? That is totally secondary to bringing in a few extra bucks.

ryan198

Che - for the people giving you a hard time about what you are thinking just say fuck 'em. You obviously have your head in the right place when you are thinking about things other than yourself. If you go through this thread you can see that the people siding with you are generally those who care about others, and those who are critiquing you are doing so by calling you an individual failure - which I find quite funny since you are a college grad or are going to be one anyway.

From the time I was 14 through 22 I worked several different jobs, from newspaper boy, to summer children's disability camp, to little league groundskeeper, to golf course ranger, to pita pit delivery driver, to cubicle office worker, to employee for Major League Baseball International. In other words I have seen the gambit of low paying, low benefit jobs, to relatively high paying (for my age and experience) benefit jobs, and guess what...they all sucked - especially the office jobs. There comes a point when you are working 40/50/60 hrs a week when you realize that you are only doing this to make a small percentage of people in this world more wealthy - in this case the owner of the place.

As a person who cared about more people than my CEO I decided that office work wasn't for me, and have gone on to graduate school. I am ABD (all but dissertation) now, and with a little luck (and for those of you who care hard work), I should have my PhD in 1 1/2-2 years. With that little certificate I will have a job that allows me to teach at a university on my own schedule, allowing me to actually join groups (perhaps even lead them) that can make changes to prevent those terrible things about America that you so perceptively pointed out. I guess what I am suggesting here is that while for an increasing majority in America the disparity in wealth, and the desirability of an office job is no good, there are options. The only problem with the option I presented is that you will have more school loans...thanks W.

bootlegger10

ryan198 wrote:

Che - for the people giving you a hard time about what you are thinking just say fuck 'em. You obviously have your head in the right place when you are thinking about things other than yourself. If you go through this thread you can see that the people siding with you are generally those who care about others, and those who are critiquing you are doing so by calling you an individual failure - which I find quite funny since you are a college grad or are going to be one anyway.

The kid said in another thread that he started that the one Pearl Jam concert he went to was the only thing that put a smile on his face because he was so depressed about the world. There is something wrong there. That's all I am saying. I bet even the most anti-Bush, anti-corporate people on this board smile every day, and enjoy the friends and family around them.

And the point of this thread is that office jobs are part of this big problem, and that they are meaningless. People are disagreeing with that because it is pure idiocy. Yeah, there are problems with the world. Because I'm an accountant and work in an office, that makes me part of it? Gimme a break.