I HATE MY JOB

fuck that, i DONT have a job right now and i appear to be happier than two thirds of the people who do in this world. i dont want A job, i want THE job, the one thats gonna take me into my 30s relatively happy and with a good degree of comfort, opportunities and prospective development, a foxy receptionist wouldnt go amiss either. i am doing this and that to try and get this job but i am lazy and slack and just not quite doing enough but i like to think i'll get there sooner rather than later. can someone kick my arse now please?

I think that must be a bad attitude, though.

Obviously your boss is a brilliant manager and absolute tops at increasing his workers' productivity.

Sorry kate.

Just calm down, don't cry, don't let it get to you. It's how it is. You can fuck around and do things, but NOT when someone says to you "I need this right now".

1) By the time he came back over, I agreed, yes, I was out of order, and I would do it NOW NOW NOW. It took THREE TIMES AS LONG to take me outside and reprimand me than I wasted finishing my email.

2) As it turned out, what he asked me to do was NOT so urgent. He wanted me to look through over 100 booked invoices for a query invoice which HE HAD CLEARLY LOST. It was fucking busywork, like everything else I'd been doing all day.

3) His excuse for why I shouldn't be on email was "Oh, I don't care if you do it, but the OTHER BOSSES will notice" - i.e. that HE will look bad. You know what? I HAVE NOTHING TO DO. This is his responsibility as boss, not my responsibility as new, underling employee.

4) The way that he treated me, i.e. like a child who needed to be repremanded, has now made me surly, unproductive, and it has made me resolve to GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE AS QUICKLY AS I CAN. Really productive.

They do not pay me enough for the amount of work that they expect. This is the fundamental root of the problem. They have hired a data entry operator, I will do the job of a data entry operator, and no more.

For 2) you should maybe suggest that making random unimportant things seem urgent to keep you on your toes will just reduce the impact when something actually urgent comes through. The boy who cried wolf and so on. Though you should check beforehand that he shares your view on how urgent it actually was.

3) is why office structure is the curse of the devil and anyone who thinks it a natural arrangement should DIE DIE DIE. see also The Office.

and that is exactly why people who are nice and generally care about people are never managers, at least for not that long anyways.

But the only thing worse than the thought of being trapped in that place, is the thought that I could be fired. It's such a "frying pan or fire" damned if you do damned if you don't situation that it makes me burst into tears with the powerlessness of it all.

Maybe I could talk to them about some sort of situation where I temp or freelance - they call me in when they have work, pay me an hourly work, I don't fuck around, and then when it's done I GO HOME AND LIVE MY OWN LIFE.

It's getting worse cause they've bought more desks but no more space, so we're even MORE on top of each other now.

I do realise that I'm very lucky there - I have worked in several offices before, and this is the first time I could say much of this, let alone all of it. I don't say this to try to claim offices are great, as they generally aren't, but just to point out that they can be okay. (And by the way, I'm posting this from home.)

I think it's a total myth, by the way, that nice people cannot be managers. "Mean" is not the necessary skillset, and taking Kate specially aside is just plain stupid. He's not a very good manager - a good manager would've had Kate do it immediately, then waited til she was done to tell her off, once she brought the paperwork to his office (sorry Kate, not to beat on you or anything, you're the only example here though).

If it makes you feel any better, Kate, at least you've got lots of enthusiastic job lovers there. Contrary to what you might think, it does seem to help you get more used to the situation. You could be here, where everyone actively loathes their lot in life and says things out loud like "As soon as the job market picks up at all, I'm walking out, without even notice". In my experience it puts you more on edge...

If everyone LOVES LOVES LOVES their job, it makes me feel like a freaking mutant for not being grateful for working there.

I know that it's not an ideal situation. Every day that I am there is just another kick in the teeth remembeing that I have given up £10K in pay and seven years of experience JUST TO HAVE A PAYCHECK. So it is really hard to feel enthuasiastic about it to start with. :-(

I'm not saying that they can't be, just they don't tend to last as long. I used to love my job until last June, when my boss in Chicago was basically let go because of politics/not wanting to move to Charlotte or NYC. My new boss is a total and udder dud, and has NO ABILITY to motivate people, to understand their motivations, and to figure out what it is she should actually do. Since I moved to NYC in October, only 2 of the 6 people who were here pre-my new boss are still here (and that includes me).

I put that on my last job application, don't ya know.

(NOT really...)

kate, have hope...someday you will be free....

if i were a manager i would grant any request (yo g, can i have 5 months off to go travelling round spain? yeah, sure, take 6!). i would lose my job within 2 weeks when my boss would say "gareth, where are all your staff?"

i'm glad not to have the responsibility!

"Let them have their TARTAR SAUCE!"

I used to always be worried about getting in trouble for spending too much time on the Internet at work. But now since I don't work anywhere near a computer the only thing I have to worry about is getting fired for cursing at or striking children. (which is a very real fear. . .)

The best is the fat pig managers who used to be buff! Who will flirt with you and recount their glory days in University! Feel sad for them! I do! I'm enjoying this thread far too much.

In any kind of job, especially temporary, the worst thing to do is burst into tears or make like you give a shit if you're being carpeted. Turn it around, tell them what's what and leave them to it. 99 out of 100 bosses will back down and leave you alone in the future. The other strategy is to do the urgent stuff quickly, but not too quickly, and then doss for the rest of the time. The danger here is that if you're too efficient, you'll get more work to do.

Problem is though - you can't expect me-time as a right since they're paying, you have to learn strategies to get it. Don't let it get you down.

The only time I ever abuse is it when there is NOTHING ELSE TO DO. As far as I'm concerned, that is my boss's responsibility to make sure that there is enough work to keep me occupied. If I finish something ahead of schedule, bonus for me.

I don't know if this is an isolated snit over one incident (no, it's not because it's not the first time I've been taken to task over my email use) of if it's a deep and glaring sign that this is NOT THE JOB FOR ME. We shall see. I'm kinda dreading going in today.

And BTW, No, it is *NOT* temporary. This is a permanent position. But theyve' sure as hell guaranteed that I won't be in it permanently.

This is what, in my experience, a lot of managers, especially those presiding over understimulated Excel-monkeys like what I used to be, do not ever seem to understand. It does seem like, annoying as it might have been for Kate to carry on emailing when he'd asked her to do something, he is clearly fucking terrible at man-management.

Actually, this thread has made me realise how lucky I am... my boss is quite relaxed about everything that goes on in the office provided the job gets done, and in my job it is screamingly obvious to everyone in the company when I've been working hard. So if it is a slow news day no one cares if I sit here looking at ILX for a while.

Other than that I think that Ally is OTM upthread.

He means he knows someone who makes 1.5 times what he is making.

Yeah, that's what I meant. Thanks, Dan.

Still fucking sucks.

Absentee bosses. Neither are in the office more than 2 days a week.

this seems like a good thing to me

The last couple of times my boss wasn't in the office we photographed various dogs sitting in her chair.

you have various dogs in your office?? sign me up.

I have quit this job, just working out my notice but I seem to be living in a Dilbert strip. I spent my journey into work emailing back and forth on the blackberry about why it would be nice if the developer stopped adding features to a product that we should have shipped a month ago so we can actually test it before we throw it in a box and send it out.

this seems like a good thing to me

it would be a good thing if you didn't have to face the fact that this person gets paid a ridiculously amount more than you while working half the hours.

my last two projects have had the same problem except its the business making the developers add shit which we then have to add to testing and then, of course, the business wants to know why our projects are 5 weeks overdue

xp to ed

tza..something to aspire to no??

Ed, congrats on moving on!

I hate my job less than in the recent past as my other has now lost his. My emancipation waits in the future but, for now, stability is a good thing.

I'm pretty amazed this thread went for 3 years undisturbed.

alksdfj aklsdjfklasdj flaksdj fk4wefio jzxf vklawe4 fjidajwersfasl;kdfjawkle fmlvj;lsdfkj;aklwjefm,nxcv;klasjdfmkl;aweslfkj klacv;slkerjlaskdfjl;kwhalth

That is some serious home row abuse.

It's like bebop jazz for a QWERTY keyboard...

QWEbop

This thread makes me absolutely adore my current boss.

He does not care when or how stuff gets done, so long as it gets done. He treats his colleagues like, well, *colleagues* - human beings, not cattle - and we respect him and don't take the piss. My department is so great.

(too bad about the rest of the company.)

Aye, well. It was bound to happen eventually.

thought that the only (thing) worse than my crappy job was being fired and being unemployed again.

HMMMMM

I can hardly stand my job anymore. Each week I have the moment where I tell myself "this is the worst day I've ever had at work", and then a few days later I break the record again. I feel so, so irrelevant. And, worse, I feel like I'm becoming a bad person. Like, I'm snapping at people, I'm rolling my eyes, I'm totally debbie downer. It's not just affecting my life outside of work, it's subsuming it. I FEEL LIKE A SHELL OF A MAN. I FEEL LIKE REFERENCING AWFUL CLICHES. I FEEL LIKE SAYING 'I HATE MY JOB'

but it's a steady job. In fact, I couldn't lose it if I wanted to. I would have to physically assault someone or be insubordinate for so long that someone would actually have to do something about it, fill out a bunch of paperwork, have that person fill out paperwork, go through some sort of review, wait 8 months, etc. And it pays pretty well. I'm now paying for my beyonce's living expenses while she goes to grad school for 3 years. I can't afford to quit at this point. what the fuck do I do? am I supposed to just man up and act like it's the 1950s and suffer through it? the way that most people at work seem to deal with it is just to...not actually work? and gradually lose all responsibilities? but keep getting real paid, and shake heads in astonishment when some young whippersnapper comes in from straight from grad school and actually wants to do stuff? this shit is like brazil, i can't cope

Dear all full-time ILX0rs how can any of you hate your jobs so much when you get to spend all day on ILX? Just askin'-I wish I could. ZS I feel for you tho you seem like one of the more talented people on the planet and your kind should blossom not suffer under fools or foolish systems.

zs is a transfer possible? stay paid, move to somewhere a little less soul-draining? i feel you though man, been there. at least you're doing some good for the girl, there's that.

jesus this isn't the fifties.....

that sucks ZS. my only suggestion is to try and make your home life as good as possible? use your job to finance some pursuits or hobbies? like me, part of the reason I'm sticking with my job is to finance my photography hobby. I dunno. wish I could be of more help. \(o_O)/

haha, thanks for the advice, which would be helpful if I would have the guts to follow it! I watched the beginning of Joe Vs. the Volcano last night and it felt like an accurate portrayal of my work environment. I thought I had a pretty high tolerance for total bullshit at work but here I am a year and a half in and I feel like my life is over, totally over.

I have to get out, but I can't afford to leave now...everyday I scan for other jobs that I think I would have a chance at in the area, but everything says "5-7 years experience in the area of -insert vague area I'm working in-", and I'm left with the thought of "ok I guess I should stick it out here for another 4-6 years and then I'll be ready to apply for this other job and then-"

but yeah it sounds like your situation totally sucks. my mom has been working as an accountant for 20 years now, has another 10 to go before she can retire. she really hates it, finds it monotonous and full of drudgery, but she sticks with it for the paycheck and the stability.

I used to think five years was a really long time until I got older. It's like nothing. I don't think it's fair though that people think they can judge based on your lack of experience.

i don't know, 5 years may be nothing, but 5 or 6 more nothings and I'm in the zone where I'm a few nothings away from dying. I can't stand the thought of wittling away the years where I can still climb a few flights of stairs without whining to everyone within shouting distance staring at the computer, working on version two billion of some stupid contract proposal that is a waste of time and money for everyone.

or sitting through meetings where the main topic is that we're not spending money FAST ENOUGH.

couple thoughts

• job suckage is always magnified by suckage or at least boredom in other spheres of yr life. u a creative dude, get a project and devote your energy to it. make sure you go out a lot, even just on a walk or whatever, so u dont feel like youre spending all of ur time doing something you hate.

• u should apply to those 5-7 yrs experience jobs anyway. cause why not?

• i quit a job i hated almost exactly a year ago with no real plan and am now doing something pretty close to what i would like to do. i got really, REALLY lucky, at least twice, in that year but... its possible to quit the job and live the dream. less so if u got responsiblities but.

those are really good thoughts.

on that third bullet, you got really luck, at least twice, but was it the result of applying to jobs you thought you had no chance at? i'm thinking i need to stop being such a weenie and at least put my hat in the ring for some of these jobs. thanks for the good advice.

um, the luck i had was both about getting jobs i wanted, but less applying to stuff i didnt think i had a chance at and more the luck of being in the right place at the right time? but the thing is, there are things you can do to put yourself in "the right place" like let word get around that youre looking for something else, and, yeah, putting your hat in the ring

zs, what about looking at startups? it seems like your field (energy iirc?) would have lots of new businesses popping up, and hopefully they'd be less about 5-7 yrs and more about ENTHUSIASM? set up google alerts not for job listings but for press releases in your field and your geo location, and then cover letter the fuck out of them, tell em why ur #1. you might just hit it off with ppl that are not only in the same field but also of the same age/mentality.

i <3 how max's advice in multiple threads is 'take walks.' srsly.

also, u are the most gifted gifmaker i have ever seen. not like this is a future job, but blog w/those 3x a week abt current events and then someone picks it up and who knows where that leads. it sounds silly but u have a talent so why not put it out there beyond ilx? zs gifs>>>>hipster puppies imo

i think i give that advice a lot because i wish i took it more often

One day this will stop being my life.

But at least in this job, if I say "can I just finish this email first...?" my boss (who is A++++ star magnificent and the only reason I stay) just shrugs and says "yeah, no problem, so long as it gets done."

My only job hatred at the minute involves the wife of our founder, who in the past couple of years has wandered from her empty nest into the office, been given a directorship by her husband, and now spends her days micromanaging people 1/3 to 1/2 her age while invoking the idea that we're all a family together. To be at the mercy of the whims of a bosswife who thinks she's Anita Roddick 2.0 but is demonstrably self-absorbed and undermining of other people's children is just galling.

..otherwise I love my job and am genuinely pleased with the work I've done this year, bosswife's husband is a good boss for a guy my mom's age, and my working relationship with him is fine.

can hardly stand my job anymore. Each week I have the moment where I tell myself "this is the worst day I've ever had at work", and then a few days later I break the record again. I feel so, so irrelevant. And, worse, I feel like I'm becoming a bad person. Like, I'm snapping at people, I'm rolling my eyes, I'm totally debbie downer. It's not just affecting my life outside of work, it's subsuming it. I FEEL LIKE A SHELL OF A MAN. I FEEL LIKE REFERENCING AWFUL CLICHES. I FEEL LIKE SAYING 'I HATE MY JOB'
― Z S, Wednesday, September 1, 2010 12:40 AM (2 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

ZS-two-years-ago, are you me-right-now? how did this play out, did you quit?

if you break it down I cd have the best job in the world: well paid, stable, little responsibility, little micromanaging, my own boss, unltd internet access, super easy work, 9-5, coffee and chat breaks on the reg

but it's just so dull and unfulfilling and I'm surrounded by super-entitled private-school gold-club-member rugby-playing dweebs and there's no challenge, prospects or training

tempted to just chuck and go cycle round scotland, then europe, selling coffee from the back of my bike

golf*

i'm...still there. in fact, today is my 4 year anniversary of starting the job. there are still days/weeks that are just completely awful. record breakers. i guess the difference is that now i can take it because there's a tangible end in sight. next spring i'm going to be leaving (moving to wherever my gf decides to go for her phd).

there are times when I remember that bit in Secretary where Maggie Gyllenhaal brings a "sewing kit" with razors to work, and i think, that's not a bad idea

fuck my job

If I had to work in this job for the next thirty five years and there was no way I could get another then I would take my own life

*suicide cult high five*

just google zombies spark plugs and vampires and you're all set!!!!

god, suzy's initial post itt sounds like such a nightmare.

my job is actually pretty good, because it's very easy to check out, wfh and do other things, and face no consequences for it. which is pretty ideal. but there is constant tension between doing nothing and pretending like i'm doing something that takes effort to process, and that stress gets to me.

the larger issue is that i hate my career or field or whatever you want to call it. i'm attending a conference today and tomorrow. that is, i'm supposed to be. i went to the first session this morning and i could not get out of there fast enough. it was "communications skills for records and information managers." the presenter wasn't bad or anything. but like, as an illustration of the fundamental disconnect i face with my career, at one point we broke out into "teams" and were assigned the task of describing to a "normal person" why records management is important in six words or less. the response in my head was "compared to everything else, it isn't". i hate records management, i hate the rule-focused people who do it, i hate all the things that apparently motivate the people who do it, i hate the government and i hate working for it. and today i'm asking myself, how the fuck did i get here? i think i just picked a path before i understood who i really was. to be fair, that path was archives, which is slightly different than records management, but it's still not a great fit for my strengths and motivations.

so i'm back to facing the fact that i need to work on a career switch, which is where i was two years ago before i landed this job (which i desperately needed). the field i arrived that then was copywriting. i still think it would be a better fit than what i'm doing now. maybe technical writing. but i'm really not motivated to do anything about it until .. the end of summer maybe? even thinking about it is a challenge.

grant writing?

can be rewarding, and very slightly creative

hmm maybe

do you do it? if so what do you like about it?

fuck going to this conference again, i'm calling in sick tomorrow.

also, hilton will only let you use microsoft edge on their event wifi. fuck you hilton.

Problems of the privileged, but I am applying for a promotion kind’ve out of resentment, I’ve done a lot of good shit and watched people who are good at checking the boxes sprint past me. Anyway the process is highly corrosive to the soul, talking myself up with fingers in ears at the shrieking void of all the ways I want to negate and contradict what I’m writing. And the end result is being evaluated by the climbers and glib self-congratulators I despise. That’s what you get when you’re managed by academics I guess. At least my boss is a good guy and my senior colleague mentoring me is one of the good people, her elevation was pure merit and hard work so that helps.
Anyway, it’s an expression of loathing at the job, and good to remind myself I live in a privilege bubble.