Work - The pros and the cons... - The Bear and Badger

LivDiv

@gav

Write a long list of everything you have done in work. Every task, role and responsibility.
Try to be as precise as possible, so not shelf stacking but stock management/merchandising/item cataloguing. Get proper micro on it as to pull the tasks away from the industry.

Go through that list and start to highlight the things you enjoyed and would be happy doing.

Then start looking at job positions that share those things that you highlighted. Ring around some recruitment agencies and let them know what you want.

Hodge360

I'd echo Unlikelys sentiments, these people can't do their job without people like you.

cosmicjellybean

afgavinstan wrote:

Feeling a bit lost in this job. But whatever I feel about the people, the tools we're given that fail, the constant job-based class system that follows me everywhere and makes me feel like I'm scum in front of nurses and doctors, I can't escape the fact that I simply don't earn enough to do the things I want to do, and build for the future. So I feel bad.

But then I feel worse when I think "well, what will I do?" and realise all my experience is in retail/customer service and that's a sector that's either dying or dead, despite the competition for the small amount of jobs. I don't know what I want to do any more. I just want them fat stacks lololol. Would be nice to have an occupation that didn't leave me scraping to the next payday. Its all I know.

Sigh. Tough day.

Yeah, so this was me for years too. I eventually fell into a low level IT job, turns out if you know how to randomly sort simple stuff and smile a whole lot people will pay you. Just wing the rest and watch a lot of youtube and hey presto.

I’m STILL in a low level IT job I guess, but it definitely pays much better these days, and although I most likely charge more than most I’m always told how great I am and worth the money, for two very important reasons:

I am always in on time, which of course is part and parcel with retail (usually you get three strikes then a review for consistent lateness where I came from).

And the smiling, patience, and willingness to run around and get stuff done. Basic customer service skills.

What I’m saying is, take advantage of that stuff dude. Own your customer service background, and put it towards something else. I suppose you could argue I’ve gone from one service job to another, and although this is by no means my passion (at all), I really quite like my job.

Oh and 9-5, 5 days a week. A luxury lots of people won’t understand.

Unlikely

Unlikely wrote:

Not sure this'll help, Gav, and I'm posting in a rush, but from my experience as someone who's had to take both wife and daughter to hospital more times than I'd have liked (i.e. ever) it's not the people at the top of the pay grade that I've been most appreciative of (and frankly some of the ones I've interacted with should not be in their jobs), it's the human beings that make the hospitals tick. That's people like you. The woman who worked in the reception shop in Livingston. The nurse who was so sweet at ARI. The porter chatting shit with my wife as he wheeled her down to the CT unit.

Trust me, you make a difference.

I realise you still get paid very little and so, er, that won't help with the fat stacks.

For the goddamn page turn.

yourfavouriteuncle

I worked retail (kind of) for a bit at the start of my working life. Once I realised I couldn’t work for any ginormo company that kept passing me more shit news to pass onto massively underpaid staff so as to give their shareholders an extra million a year I started looking for stuff I actually wanted to do.

Without being *too* flippant I bought a spade and a second hand van and went from there.
There’s loads of sideways jumps into other careers that can be taken and it’s fairly easy to even invent a business to employ you if that might be yer bag?
Would re-training not be an option? A trade? If you become a proper tradesman with passion for your area you could make loadsa lolla. I actually think trades are massively undervalued by many many people. To most of us it’s the stuff that the naughty kids at school are gonna end up doing and frankly that’s just bullshit. Real craft and passion and care can be taken and the conclusion of an actual finished ‘product’ is incredibly good for the working soul - it really doesn’t have to be all about the money.
Or I dunno? A ‘tache model?

afgavinstan

Thanks for the replies folks. I know I do a good job each day in there, just days like today get me properly down. As for learning something new, I'm not sure if nows the time for me to go and do that (supposed to be saving for a house with her, she's done really well, I've got fuck all, and time is passing quicker and quicker). And even if I did, I've no idea what I'd do.

Sage advice, Liv. I'll work on that when I update the CV soon.

I guess all I really want is to do a job where I'm shown a basic level of respect and understanding, and get paid what I'm worth for it. Big ask these days, I know.

Definitely feel communication is my best skill.

Thanks, again.

Tempy

I’m in the same boat Gav, so good luck with it.

MoesTavern

For what it's worth Gav my dad is a porter too and fucking despises it. You're not alone in that respect.

Hodge360

I'm not normally one for posts of inspiration but by coincidence this came up today and a couple of points have stood out to me as actions I've taken in the past. Worth a read Have and something might help steer you.

https://www.siliconrepublic.com/advice/career-pivots-change-anita-sands

P.S. It's only short and not exactly earth-shattering / life-changing but sometimes the little steps start you on the right direction.

JonB

Looks like I'm getting another book out. This time it's my PhD thesis getting published by a proper academic publisher. Quite a big step. Hopefully it'll help get me a job.

poprock

Nice! Congrats Jon.

RedDave2

Well done!

cockbeard

Hey Gav, sorry that you feel unappreciated, it's a shitty part of human nature that we are far quicker to complain than to praise, but as Unlikley's post hopefully reminds you, you are appreciated, and a vital cog even if it's easier for middle management to try to make you feel expendable

Just a note about the money thing though, try not to let that be the motivating factor. It takes a strange breed of person to actually be truly motivated by money. Easy for me to say perhaps given that my earning potential is higher than it's been since I was in sales in my early twenties. But I've only worked 4 months in the last year, and the money never gets a chance to make a difference anyway. Because my attitude towards tyhe money not the amount that there is or isn't

afgavinstan

Cheers Cocko. I'll expand a bit of my motives at a later point. Just in here sharing a latest fuckup.

So our rota gets published on a Thursday and covers the following Mon-Sun. This week I was off Thu & Fri, and was due to be nightshift sat into Sunday (today), and Sunday into Monday.

So I go into work last night to start and go take a look at the new rota that was published on Thursday. It has me in on Monday 1000-1800. Yep, so I'm supposed to finish at 6am Monday morning, then back in at 10am? So obviously, that ain't happening. But there's no bosses in at the weekend.

A colleague who was there at the time suggested I phone my boss at his house and sort it. I said not a chance. Not up to me to go chasing people, surely? On their days off? What can he do?

The supervisor who actually does a lot of the rotas was on last night, so he wanders in, I exasperatingly show him the situation and his reaction was more "whoops lol" than anything. He was finishing as I was starting so he was saying "I'll sort it" and when I ask how and when, he says (and insinuates it's my choice what happens) "well we can either get someone to cover your nightshift Sunday night and you just start the week as intended" (which will leave me owing them a day as it means I'd have worked only 4 out of 7 days on the 'old' rota), or "you take Monday off and owe us a day at the weekend" (new rota has me Mon-fri)

"right so how will I know?"
"I'll sort it tomorrow and let you know."
"How will you let me know?"
"I'll phone you."
"When I'm meant to be sleeping during the day??"

So I've woken up and there's nothing. Not a text or a phonecall. Really fucked off about this. Not only did it take two days and me coming in to notice it, the manner and tone being used towards me when I express frustration about it makes me feel like I'm absolutely not having a fuck given to me. Like I don't have a fucking life outside of work. How can I plan shit when this is what I have to deal with?

Am I right being so angry? What can I do?

(for the record, I've just decided to do my nightshift tonight and not go into work tomorrow, what will be will be, fuck them)

Unlikely

Yes you're right to be angry. My approach to slippery shits like this is to say you appreciate it'll take some time for them to sort out so and to save him the hassle of phoning you unless you hear from him by a reasonable deadline (stated) you'll assume Sensible Option 1 applies then follow it up in writing with the opening "Just to confirm our conversation earlier today...".

Not sure whether this is an option for you but it covers you and puts the onus on them to find a reasonable solution without being confrontational.

Unlikely

Sorry typing fast again as E's tea is on and deadline she agreed is fast approaching (end of Pony Sitters' Club E7).

Paul the sparky

Covering your arse with an email is standard procedure with this type of shit.

You're right to be pissed off but don't let it get you down, I'd be doing the same thing you are. Bring it up on your night shift, chances are the morning shift is covered and they've just not bothered their arse letting you know.

regmcfly

Holy shit I'm doing my first CV since 2002. Teaching jobs follow particular forms and this post wants a balls out CV. Do I just go - personal statement / skills / employment history as is standard?

afgavinstan

There's no address to email. Or at least I've never been told it.

Had to phone there just to be sure that I'm in tonight and they haven't went and covered it. Great finding out for absolute sure at 1745 that you're definitely working that evening at 2200. Just amazing.

Again, I have to chase up something as a result of their fuck up. All I ask is that the basics are done right. Letting your staff know when they're working and providing them with a framework to get that communicated to them effectively and efficiently is pretty much step one. Because, shock horror, we have lives outside of work. And we need to do certain things with our free time that needs a small bit of planning. Again, basic shit. And even that gets fucked.

Deary me. If I don't laugh I'll cry. What a life this is.

Diluted Dante

Time to get stabby.

MattyJ

regmcfly wrote:

Holy shit I'm doing my first CV since 2002. Teaching jobs follow particular forms and this post wants a balls out CV. Do I just go - personal statement / skills / employment history as is standard?

I think putting in 'key achievements' now before job history is the best way forward. It's what's on mine and the majority of 'good' cvs that come my way. State what you're most proud of or what mattered most in your roles. Not sure how it equates to your job, but I've got stuff in there about saving money for the company, setting new strategy for conducting business in better ways and so on.

Syph79

I've added up to 5 achievements alongside each role listed in my work history, with the number of examples decreasing as the jobs go further back.

tigersgogrrr

Syph79 wrote:

I've added up to 5 achievements alongside each role listed in my work history, with the number of examples decreasing as the jobs go further back.

Did you include how much gamerscore each was worth?

Syph79

afgavinstan

I feel I should apologise for coming across too angry or moany about my shift strifes up there. I know I'm in a fortunate position to even be in employment these days, and in the grand scheme of things it's not the worst that can happen (something being in a hospital will always ring true, given what you see). I still feel aggrieved by the situation but I'll try to stop myself from being this big bitter ball of anger and resentment that I find myself being sometimes when things across my whole life aren't going well, or as I expected or want them to be. This is maybe a cross-post with the MH thread too.

I don't like this time of year.

Diluted Dante

No, dont apologise, that behaviour from your bosses is utter horseshit and you shouldn't be expexted to put up with it.

afgavinstan

It is, very much, and I won't, and expect to have a chat about it tomorrow. I just mean I don't mean to sound so angry in here in front of you guys and need to keep that part of me in check a little bit as I enter a part of the year I typically don't do so well in (dad's passing anniversary, me getting symbolically older and the age-based impostor syndrome/failed potential self-sabotage my mind runs me through as a result)

Unlikely

Big weegie hugs, Gav.

ShabbyMcCrabby

Incompetent managers can get te fuck. We have a few managers that do a great job (sort out shift gaps/swaps etc ASAP, attentive to what is going on during the day, genuinely nice people putting in a smidge more than the required amount) but we also have a bunch that are fucking useless and should be fired. But of course they can't be because they're not doing anything particularly wrong. They're just useless and unreliable.
It doesn't take much to do what they do and they can't even do that. I have no time for such people. The thing that pisses me off is that everyone knows they're crap at their job but there's nothing anyone can do about it.

If the same person fucks your ROTA (aka your life) around again I'd be aiming for their manager to make some sort of complaint. If that's an option. But maybe that's just spiteful old me.

Otherwise I hope it smoothes up for you gav. Retail might seem like a "nothing" job but it gives you a fuck tonne of life experience. Experience dealing with running a business, with dealing with all kinds of people, with money handling, with stock management etc etc.
There's a lot of transferable skills in there. There's a bunch of guys I work with in ATC that only did retail before applying for this career.
I'm not sure what other industries like to train from the ground up but it might be worth looking at. For us a large part of the recruitment is in life experience, of which you have heaps.

Tempy

I’ve just had 3 days axed off my rota without any communication which sort of massively sucks, useless company.

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