A rant and a promise. (Read me!)

[Evil Hobgoblin]

I've officially had it.

Tonight was another shift from hell. One of my coworkers couldn't come in for a closing shift. One of my coworkers had to go to the doctor (she couldn't reschedule and she has high blood pressure, but I still had to work while she was out). And the third coworker who was there is our single worst employee, who barely works at all and when she does work, it's just little piddling things that get done. She's old, so she can't do anything overly physical, and she's Indian, so she can't speak English well to be competent at communicating, and the register confuses her. I basically did almost all the work tonight, and I am freaking tired.

And I'm tired for another reason. I've been at this crummy place for four years this April, and I am sick and tired of wasting my time at this puny little dead-end job making peanuts. Tonight was it. I have had enough.

No more. I intend to get something white collar that I can wear nice clothes to, where I can have a regular schedule, where there are people who are not so dismally incompetent to work with, and where I can MAKE MONEY!!!

I have resolved to get a different job by the end of June, and I have sworn to myself to keep this promise. And I keep all my promises, no matter how long it takes. Just ask Eve.

I don't know how this will affect my inclination to RP, but I am driven on this matter, so it likely will have some impact. I also know many of you can understand and sympathize with this goal, so I hope you will be willing to be patient with regards to RPs I have to catch up on during this time. I don't know if I will succeed by June, but I WILL continue trying until I have something else.

Thanks and see ya when I see ya.

[Shawn]

No more. I intend to get something white collar that I can wear nice clothes to, where I can have a regular schedule, where there are people who are not so dismally incompetent to work with, and where I can MAKE MONEY!!!Yeah, let me know how that goes. I've been looking for several months now.

[Inu]

Dang man, where'd you work before? That sounds as bad as my old jobs at Blimpie and McDonalds.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

sounds like BB to me...*growls at her store*

[Dae Jinn]

Good luck, I hope you find something you like more.

I have a sucky job too, but hopefully will be moving to a place with more job ops.

[Stardust]

Sounds like Walmart, but I hope that will change in October..

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Sounds like....all the sucky jobs ever!

I hope you find a good one soon. :) Good luck and..*huggles!*

[Helenias Evenstar]

No more. I intend to get something white collar that I can wear nice clothes to, where I can have a regular schedule, where there are people who are not so dismally incompetent to work with, and where I can MAKE MONEY!!!

Hate to say this, but it gets no better - maybe even worse. The money makes it fun for a while, but there isn't much to gain in quality of life. I wish it wasn't so - Especially at HP, me a "humble" but not so lowly Executive Assistant. That title means I get the pleasure of putting up with an office full of HP consultants, keeping baying customers in check, running around being secretary for three different Division Managers, keeping them in line, then if I can getting to the project management work I'm supposed to do?

I'd admit, I'm earning some pretty hefty dollars (over the 55K per year). But is it worth it in the end? I'm not so sure. My eyes are red and sore, I dont get enough sleep.... that's what you get when you want to go upwards.

Or maybe there is Mark. So good at what he did, he could be hired out by the places he worked for, for over $160 p/h. Yet shafted, stressed out, exhausted, burnt out. There are idiots in all places your going to work. There isn't such a thing as a regular schedule, not unless you want to exist in lower levels. And money isn't going to buy happiness.

Dear oh dear, I sound like a bitter woman, re-reading my post before I click reply. But, there is a bright spot. If you find something rewarding and something you like, the idiots, the hassles and the stress just doesn't seem to exist.

Re-reading again, I think I don't sound bitter, I am bitter! Work sucks, full stop!

Oh and as for timeliness of posting - not like I would have cause to complain, my reply speed doesn't set records. even if you were slower, you would still probably be quicker than I am normally :D

Good luck in what you do and I hope you get a job you enjoy.

[Sejah Haversh]

I too need a better job. If I don't get the big raise I've basically been promised, I'm going to quit.

I work for diddle, do lots of other people's work, and I already am stressed out. It can't get worse if I went to a higher-paying stress job, I assure you.

[ReaperFett]

Gofor it! Good luck!

[Javier Enfer]

Take it easy Hobbers

(Kelt ) :)

[imported_Eve]

Bri - you know what I do. You know how I am.

You need money, and more money is good to have the things you want. I think they key to happiness, as most people have jobs they're not entirely happy with, is to have a hobby you love, and a place to come home to that you love. Don't bank on loving your job, but more money will make it better for building your home-life.

I could tear my hair out every day, but I love to come home, and do a website, or work on building my new home. I cherish being with my friends. None of them love their jobs, but we're all just making it. Gotta have those things.

You just have to get out there and look. Fill out apps; turn in resumes. Get on Monster.com or something. Don't say you're gonna do it; DO IT.

Good luck there.

[Alpha]

Good luck Hobs. :)

[Beldarine]

Good Luck, Hobs :) ::huggles::

It's going to be tough.. and in today's world I wouldn't set a time limit. When I worked for hellspawn, I was stressed out as well. I wasn't making nearly enough, working way too many hours, and dealing with idiots for customers. I quit May 2001.

Since I lived in Daytona, the only worthwhile job I could get was bartending. Yes, I made pretty decent money.. my life was stress free.. and I enjoyed it.. But that's not what I got a degree for. When we moved to Orlando, I was set on finding what I call a "real job."

Well. It's March. Three full months of nothing. Orlando firms are either laying their people off, or just not hiring. I must have personally distributed 500 resumes, and sent many more out online. I was a member of Monster, HotJobs, Dice, HCareers, Employment 911, and a few more. I have my resume on the web. But out of all those, I went on about 4 interviews.

One was for a company whose idea of marketing was telemarketing, another company who cleverly branded door to door sales as "advertising," one was through an employment agency who wanted to charge me $6000 to get me a $26000 / year job (up front of course), and the other was a pitch to try to get me into a pyramid scheme.

Hob.. I guess what I'm saying is that... You probably will get the door slammed in your face, you will get disappointed, frustrated, angry.. But don't let it get you down. The economy sucks right now, and everyone who does have a job is lucky. I have a degree in marketing, and you know what I'm going to do?

Teach. High School Math. In April I have to go in and take a certification test that tests my ability to do calculus. Now granted, I did take up through Calc IV (Diffy Q, if you don't know.. don't ask).. But it's been over four years since I've even glared at a math textbook. It's scary how much I've forgotten. I'm going into teaching for self-preservation. Because if I don't get a job and soon, I don't know what I'll do. And in Florida, they have a huge demand for teachers...

I guess my point is, good luck. Hopefully you will do better than I.. Don't let it get you down, ok?

and last of all.. ::huggles::

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Wow, what a response! Thanks guys. Some of you out there truly aren't happy with the way your lives have turned out, methinks, but it's great to know that my plight is understood.

I'm gonna ramble a bit, responding to points as I think of them.

A man who was once trying to sell me something told me that the key to happiness is not having a good job, but living life the way you want. The context he put it in was completely and totally incorrect, but that statement was true as I've ever seen. And I don't have that. I'm sick of not having that. I'm sick of all the crap I put up with day in and day out just to not have anything. You are exactly right, Sonja, when you say that a better home-life makes things more bearable and by corollary a bad home life just makes things worse. I do know what you do, and I do know how you are.

Honestly, the reason I haven't been more of a success before now is because I haven't set any goals or deadlines for myself. I realized last semester that if I write up a weekly schedule, then I follow it and get things done. I now think that the same goes for my goals. If I don't set any, or give myself forever to finish something, then it will take forever to start. Even if I don't find a job by June (which I would not be surprised about should it happen) I will have set myself that goal and moved towards it. I approached my dad last night about helping me with writing a resume- he just got hired by a different company, and he knows one or two things about successful presentation of oneself. So I am already moving on this.

And the thing about it is that I'm not really expecting work to get better at all. Nor am I expecting to immediately succeed. But in the 24 hours I've been thinking about this, I've already come up with two places to submit a resume to just locally. And if I can work up enough cash to be able to go out and hang with friends or get my car repaired, or get a decent computer, or take piano lessons, or whatever, then I will be better off. Whatever I do along these lines will be better than sitting where I am. I am determined. I will not fail in this!!!

Word to the wise: never get in the way of a determined Taurus. You will get figuratively gored. :)

Well, I've finished rambling for the moment. Thanks for your support everyone. With a little hope and a little luck, I will succeed at leaving Ukrops' Grocery Stores for something better. If any of you can offer advice or tips beyond what's been stated, I'd very much appreciate it.

This sounds a hell of a lot like a farewell letter to me, and I suppose in a way it is. I'm only gonna RP on the weekends now, or on days off where I literally have a clean schedule. I will post ooc stuff during the week, chat a little, maybe throw out a quick blaster shot here and there, but if I keep my current RP schedule, I'm gonna fail in this as surely as if I'd never tried.

*Hugs and kisses and fond, caring wishes.*

[Calvin]

In the great words of Calvin...

"Why should I have to WORK for something? It's like I don't deserve it..."

But good luck there :)

[Figrin D'an]

My reply comes a bit late, but I'll throw it into the mix anyway...

I graduated from college in May, 2001. It's now closing in on April, 2003, nearly 2 years later. Do I have a job that I really like? No. Hell, my job is barely relevent to my degree. I searched for a year before I found anything, and even now, I continue to look for something different. It's hard right now, as can be attested to by many others in this thread. The job market sucks. Companies are downsizing, or on hiring freezes. Getting an interview is a major accomplishment.

Having well-defined goals and deadlines for yourself is a good way to approach it... if it motivates you, that's great. Just don't be disappointed if you don't find something by your deadline. As cheesy as this may sound, outline a series of milestones, or smaller goals, along the way that you can check off as you go. It's a good way to document, for your own validation, that you are moving forward and are indeed acomplishing something. It will help to keep you sane on the issue.

I hope you find something you'll enjoy. I really do. Jobs like that are becoming increasingly more rare, simply because of the money factor. But, like others have said... it's better to be able to enjoy life outside of your job. That's the main reason why I'm continuing to look for something different.

Good luck.

[Saccharine Jones]

Someone told me once that if you find a Job doing what you love it never becomes "work." That's my advice to you... find someone to pay you for what you enjoy doing. It may not happen soon, but it will happen. What turns your crank? What do you get all excited about? What do you waste hours doing without even noticing? Take your hobbies and get really, really good at them, then market yourself towards people who need your services.

:)

[Marcus Telcontar]

I havent worked full time for nearly six months. I'm flat out broke. It's embarassing sometimes to be at home. It hasn't done my self esteem much good. But...


And if I can work up enough cash to be able to go out and hang with friends or get my car repaired, or get a decent computer, or take piano lessons, or whatever, then I will be better off. Whatever I do along these lines will be better than sitting where I am. I am determined. I will not fail in this!!!

You know, int he long lonely hours of the night, when Helen's sleeping and I'm sitting in my study, staring out the window into the night sky, when all the world is dark in the small hours, when nothing moves and you wonder why your alive. I hear words like that ringing in my head..

If only I had this...

If only I had that...

If only I had money to pay for food

If only I had money so I can buy bits for the car

If only I had money to pay the rates

If only I have money to pay the Internet bill...

If only....

Then one of my cats decides my lap looks nice and jumps up onto me. Then I spend the next hour thinking how wonderful this cat that I love, that I feed, that I'm now scratching behind the ears has come into my life and made it just that bit better. I go to the bedroom and listen to my wife's quiet breathing as she sleeps. I look outside at the stars and wonder how they go t there and how wonderful it all looks.

Brian, you and Helen are remarkably alike. Sometimes what you say could have come from her. That what I quote is almost word for word what she said to me. When I read your posts in this thread, I see her own words and actions. That makes me smile with pleasure, cause reading what you posted makes me think of her.

If only...


You need money, and more money is good to have the things you want.

Maybe that's true, I dont know - I do know that in the deep night I'm blessed to be alive, the cat purrs, sleeping on my lap, happy and content. Such a simple thing. Such a deeply profound thing too, for it's an answer.

what do we really need? What is it we truly need, deep down? My cat may not understand, but when he's sleeping on my lap and dawn is breaking, the answer is clear.

What we all really need is love. Not jobs, not things, not... stuff. Love.

Me, I dont have much. I'm not even particularly clued on. But I know when I walk out the door today and do the three hour walk I want to do, I know I'm loved in ways I cant imagine.

Just like the cat.

Where is this going and what does it mean? Well, it's going nowhere and it means what you want. It's only what I think and feel right now as someone trying to work out what's really going on, trying to struggle along in a world so geared to money we are trapped and enslaved to it. There isn't an escape to the need for dollars, cause that's how the society we are in works.

do what you love doing Brian, that's the truth. If your lucky to get paid for doing it, then that's even better.

Me, I'm looking at things differently now - that's just me tho. It's not the right way and it's not the wrong way. It's just my way. I'll go outside, feel the sunshine, taste the air and step out one step at a time. And know, deep down, I'm loved in ways I can hardly understand.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Coffee and bagel shop on the shore of some far away beach. :D

*dreams*

[Droo]

It's a comfort, albeit a rather selfish one, to know thet you aren't the only person who has these problems and that there are many out there, myself included, who are engaging in a little soul searching of their own. When you strip an issue or problem down to the basics, you find that we are all concerned with the same thing; in one way or another we want to improve the quality of our lives. It's a matter of survival I imagine, genetic even.

Instead of providing you with pearls of wisdom and words of advice on the future-defining odyssey on which you have embarked, I'll simply share my own experiences and feelings which relate to your dilemma. Perhaps in some unpremeditated way it will help.

Right now I work in a supermarket, located on the main road of shops in my area. It can range from unbearably busy to unspeakably quiet, depending on the day and the time. My job involves working behind a counter, serving customers with liquor, tobacco and lottery tickets or in other, morbid words, I sell people discounts on life expectancy. The work involves filling shelves with said products; retrieving, wrapping and bagging them, opperating a checkout and if I'm lucky I have the opportunity to venture out onto the shop floor and fill the wine and beer shelves. Of course, the daily flood of people qualify from one end to the next on the Customer Rating Scale; some are angels and others shouldn't be allowed out in public.

To bring an overblown job description to an end; the work requires painstakingly repetitve labour, minimal (civilised) communication skills, unflattering brain excercise and I loathe it. There was a time when I was a full-time worker there but over-exposure tended to turn me into an unpleasant person. Now with no more than twenty hours a week I intend to start my own job hunt complete with horses and hounds and trumpets, oh my! It's either that or look into research for "The application of electronic muscle-stimulating devices in order to promote cerebral activity."

Thinking afterall is one of my more memorable past-times.

Personally, I'd prefer a job which requires me to sit behind a desk and go over paperwork dealing with interesting material. Ideally, my goal is to one day be a barrister but we'll see how that goes - look forward to annual updates! - either that or bread-winning writing. I don't know what's more difficult, becoming a lawyer or an accomplished writer. I love to write but I love to argue too, decisions decisions. In any case, I'm interested in the results of next weeks hunt, juggling two jobs could be a nuisance but if's better than counting thirty-nine hours of your life away each week.

It's curious how one can conciously allow themselves to waste precious hours in the day, being fully aware that he or she could be doing far more interesting and fruitful things to fill it and instead carry on regardless. I have been one of those people but time is such a terrible thing to waste and I'm tired of wallowing in the deepest rut in my life, in all honesty I can't help but feel once I overcome this the rest will be downhill. Motivation to me is what the concept of peace is to Hussein;it doesn't exist. When I try to motivate myself these days I tend to look at other people and ask: "Why aren't I where they are right now?" or "How do they do what they do?"

My conclusion is that people go places by different routes, I just haven't found mine yet. But I do know that it will be what I want to do, what I will be happy doing and what I will want to happy doing for the rest of my life. Does that sort of future and work exist? Who is to say. I'd like to think that if you chase your stars, keep wishing and trying you will one day get what you want or at least deserve. That's fate for you though and it is randomly biased.

One piece of advice I can offer for motivation would be to ask yourself: "Where do you want to be five/ten years from now and at your current rate, how close to achieving that will you be?" My answer to which I don't like and it's one of the key sources of inspiration and drive for me to get a move on. It's the metamophorical bomb ticking away on my derriere.

To round up, keeping chasing your stars and hope fate deals you a good one. You have my support.

[FireKat]

I'm finally getting into the phase of my life where I have to (gasp) find a real job. I've been piddling around between little jobs in the summertime, to make ends meet for school expenses. Even this is a struggle, especially in Tuscaloosa, which is hell on earth to find a job in. However, I did snag an interview at Phifer Wire (where Akrabbim works). This is excellent news. Even if I don't get that job, I've set aside my entire spring break to go pass out resumes. And yet, this is all aside from my "REAL" job hunt. I feel your pain.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Nah, Mark. It's not about the money, though money is a byproduct. It's about being a personal and professional success. Each drives the other.

I am a sound, charming, healthy, talented, intelligent human being. I'm 23 years old. And what have I done? Where has my time gone? Yes, I've been at school and working, but I could've done more. I know that. I'm honest enough with myself and with all of you to admit it.

See, I am loved! The sheer response I got off this proves that! In fact, I'm 95% confident that I've made every RPer on these boards smile and laugh over the past couple of years at something I've written, be it OOC or IC.

But I'm not living my life the way I want. I'm not meeting my own expectations of myself. I could be so much more than what I now am!

It's up to me to change that. Step one is to move forward in my professional life. And one day, I might be able to do what I want the way I want and have no regrets.

Thanks again, everybody, for your support. You have been truly awesome to me on this.

[Oriadin]

This is a really interesting subject of conversation, and one I think a lot more people than we realise can sympathise with. The number of people on this board who feel the same is unbelivable.

Ive always thought my life has just been a series of set backs. I never really settled as a child because my Mum and Dad used to run pubs which is very unstable work. We would simply move anywhere in the country where the work was. My schooling suffered from it I think but I loved my parents and they loved me and we did things for the good of all of us. If we could have stayed in one place then im sure we would have done.

Now, when I finished school I wanted to stay on and do further education. If im honest it wasnt because I wanted to develop my education it was more because I had no idea what I wanted to work as and I wasnt ready to grow up and start looking for work. As it happens I couldnt do the subjects I wanted to take because the times clashed so I was semi forced to leave my schooling days.

So, from there I decided to chase the fact I love computers. I went to a Computer training college where I studied word processing and spreadsheets and stuff. Since id been messing on computers for a few years it was all very very simple and I finished that course very easily. Then I had no idea what I was going to do. The training college was supposed to help you find a job but it was a no go. I had no interviews or anything.

I then heard a Programming course had started up at the same place and so asked if I could join it. They usually give you an apptitude test but since I was late starting and I got very high recomendations from the tutors who did the IT course, I got on. First test came at the end of the week and I failed misserably. My tutor told me basically if I couldnt cut the course I would have to be taken off it. He gave me a week to prove myself.

Well, going home completely disapointed in myself I studied practucally non stop until it finally clicked. I returned the next week showing my tutor all the work id done over the weekend and he was very impressed. By the end of the course I finished second top of the class. Youve got to remember I was only 16 at the time and I was surrounded by people with years of working experience and some peoplee had degrees. Did the next level programming course and again finished second top of the class. For that we were put into groups of about 4 with mixed levels of ability to try and make each group fair. Well, two of my four quite after a week and me and this other guy battled on by ourselves. Then we got put into another group since we were falling behing (having only half the team members!). The other members of the team looked to me for leadership since I was probably the best programmer in the group and so it went.

Comes to the end of the course, cant get a job. Other people in my group managed to get jobs (not all of them but some) simply because they had more qualifications and more experience. That didnt seem right to me, but what can you do?

Eventually I find a crappy job at an excellent company. I get a promotion after 2 years but now I feel stuck again. Im working in the admin dept of the company and I hate it. I really hate it. Its just worse knowing that im capable of so much more and im just being held back due to a lack of experience or qualifications.

Ive just started working towards gaining a degree through working at home but I have to say its tough. Come home after a crappy day at the office and you have to work for another 3-4 hours in the evening. Since its for my future though im not going to fail. Im going to keep gunning away until I get there.

A few weeks ago though, I find a couple of programming jobs going where they say that experience isnt nessesary. Great! I start thinking. Must be in with a chance at least. Nope. Not even an interview. Its been a while since I felt that gutted about something. I really started to wonder if I'll ever get anywhere. To not even get an interview when it seems as if the advert was MADE for you is a real kick in the teeth.

With a lot of thanks to Eve, I managed to pick myself back up and again keep battling on. Ive still got things to work towards and ways to improve myself.

My advice to you is to never give up. No matter what happens never stop fighting for what you want. If you fight long and hard enough it will come. You are a popular person on the board and you have many friends who will offer you support when you need it. You just have to keep your faith in yourself and keep fighting on. I wish you the very best of luck :)

Now, ive been talking far to long. I just hate anything to do with job hunting. It always seems to me that companies have no faith in people any more. No one wants to train anyone up, they all just want to take a short cut and get someone from another company who they know is going to deliver. Jobs suck. Always remember though, work to live, not live to work.