STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

kenzie · Chanel

Any advice?

greendiamond · Marc Jacobs

NylaBelle, you are miserable at work. Who cares if they think it's weird that you are taking time off? As for the not getting paid for your days off, could book a few in one day so that you can still meet in person, but limit the number of unpaid days? I'm just uncomfortable with your asking for a phone interview.

-gd

kenzie · Chanel

greendiamond wrote:

NylaBelle, you are miserable at work. Who cares if they think it's weird that you are taking time off? As for the not getting paid for your days off, could book a few in one day so that you can still meet in person, but limit the number of unpaid days? I'm just uncomfortable with your asking for a phone interview. -gd

Yeah, for the one that's far away, I would need almost a full day for just that one (sorry, bad grammar). I'm not even sure I want that job b/c it's so far away and I would have a really, really long commute in my really, really crappy car.

Missing a whole day's pay is sucky for me, too. The only reason I'm concerned is b/c someone else has to sit at my desk and man the phone lines when I'm not here. I feel like I'm a child and I'm chained to my desk. Besides, I need the money right now and don't want anyone to decide that I shouldn't be working here.

Grrr...I don't know what to do.

kenzie · Chanel

Yeah, hi, me again. And this is somewhat unrelated, but they just keep dumping more and more awful brochure assembling and data entry crap on me. I feel like I'm going crazy here. I'm tired of doing all the crap work that no one else wants to do. I could handle doing some crap work if it was balanced out my work that actually allowed use of my brain, but that's not the case. Must. Get. Out. Now.

Luv2Shop · Kate Spade

Usually places understand that you have a current job and you can't just take off whenever. Suggest something right after typicall work hours, like 5:30 or whatever you can get to right after work. If they like you and they called you they will probably make that sacrifice to interview you after work. I have had phone interviews and don't think there is anything wrong with them. (See my post under phone interview for suggesstions on what not to do) I agree with greendiamond when she says to try to schedule a few for one day so you only have to take one non paid day off.

I am really excited for you because I know how frustrated you have been lately so I hope one of them works out and you find something you really like!! Keep us posted!!

P.S. about working far away, I know it may seem worth it, but it's not. I have and hour and a half commute and I have a nice car and lots of CD and I still get the worst road rage and feel like I want to kill someone when I get in my car to go home.

-- Edited by Luv2Shop at 12:49, 2005-08-12

kenzie · Chanel

Luv2Shop wrote:

I am really excited for you because I know how frustrated you have been lately so I hope one of them works out and you find something you really like!! Keep us posted!! P.S. about working far away, I know it may seem worth it, but it's not. I have and hour and a half commute and I have a nice car and lots of CD and I still get the worst road rage and feel like I want to kill someone when I get in my car to go home. -- Edited by Luv2Shop at 12:49, 2005-08-12

Yeah, I have had long commutes before and I'm just not interested in it!

And don't get too excited yet. I've probably had over 10 interviews since I quit my old job and nothing panned out except my current position. My thanks for you positive vibes!!

Tara · Dooney & Bourke

NylaBelle wrote:

I could handle doing some crap work if it was balanced out my work that actually allowed use of my brain, but that's not the case. Must. Get. Out. Now.

Nyla - have you gone to your boss and straight out asked for more? When I first started at my job ~2.5 years ago, I loved what I was doing...BUT I knew that I wasn't being used to my full potential. It took a lot, but I asked to have a meeting with my boss (who is a VP btw, so it was very intimidating). And I told him that I want to do more "strategic" work and that the company was not using me to my full potential. And it worked! Here I am a year later.....I JUST got promoted to a great position that challenges me everyday. And in my yearly review last month, my boss literally told me how much he respected me for coming to him and literally asking for more work.

I think it would be a great thing for you to do. You are temping now - right? If so, you literally have nothing to lose. Schedule a meeting - show them that you are more than a receptionist!!!! Good luck!

kenzie · Chanel

Tara wrote:

NylaBelle wrote: I could handle doing some crap work if it was balanced out my work that actually allowed use of my brain, but that's not the case. Must. Get. Out. Now. Nyla - have you gone to your boss and straight out asked for more? When I first started at my job ~2.5 years ago, I loved what I was doing...BUT I knew that I wasn't being used to my full potential. It took a lot, but I asked to have a meeting with my boss (who is a VP btw, so it was very intimidating). And I told him that I want to do more "strategic" work and that the company was not using me to my full potential. And it worked! Here I am a year later.....I JUST got promoted to a great position that challenges me everyday. And in my yearly review last month, my boss literally told me how much he respected me for coming to him and literally asking for more work. I think it would be a great thing for you to do. You are temping now - right? If so, you literally have nothing to lose. Schedule a meeting - show them that you are more than a receptionist!!!! Good luck!

Yeah, they know that. I've had meetings, given them resumes, shown them my portfolio. The problem is, this company doesn't offer the kind of work I'm looking for. It was misrepresented to me before I took the position. Besides, with all of the clerical work they're starting to dump on me, I'm never going to get out from under the pile of envelopes I'm stuffing.

Tara · Dooney & Bourke

Well Nyla - I hope things work out. I hope you can leave your current situation soon. There is nothing worse than being bored/frustrated at work.

NCshopper · Hermes

I'd say, if you're concerned about how much time you're taking off work, then forget the place that's far away. If you're not really interested in working there anyway, then why waste your time interviewing with them?

Also, I wouldn't be too concerned about taking time off to interview. The company you work for knows you're a temp, right? So, they can't expect you to stay there forever, esp. when you've asked for more work and they don't give it to you. I know you want to leave on your own terms and not theirs, so be discreet about it and try to schedule as many interviews as you can on 1-2 days and tell your current company you're sick or you have back problems, or your best friend's grandma's cat died, or something.

I understand how hard job hunting is. When my husband first moved to NC, he spent a year looking and in the meantime had to wait tables at a Mexican restaraunt and load boxes onto trucks at UPS. And he has a college degree. He was not a happy guy. So, I sympathize with you. We'll all keep our fingers crossed for you!

Seashells · Dooney & Bourke

I am dealing w/ almost the exact same thing! I am in a temp-to-perm position currently and I cannot stand the people I work with or the working situation. Bad side is that its doing a lot for my career and leaving could mean a job outside of my field.

I don't know what to do about the job interview issue either and whether to take days off when I am currently hourly. Heck, what do I care. The people here are awful.

Good luck to you. We should comiserate together. Let me know what you figure out.

kenzie · Chanel

Seashells wrote:

Good luck to you. We should comiserate together. Let me know what you figure out.

Yes, we should!

I decided not to go to the interview at the job that's really far away b/c the chances of me taking it would be slim to none (even though I would probably get the job b/c I know someone at the company and they chased me down for it, but I just can't commute 2 hours to work!).

Grrrr....I'm to the point where I don't care what whether I take off or not. Someone just asked me to clean the conference room. Clean!! I'm not a janitor!! We have janitors!

I hate this place with the fiery passion of 10,000 burning, blue hot suns!

Seashells · Dooney & Bourke

Ahhh! I suddenly understand how people can go crazy at work! I walk in this morning and I have to move desks. Which is fine, but what I loved even more was that I absolutely could not move ANY of my things until the other person had moved desks... uh... Its not like we have extremely confidential files or that we have millions of things that would get mixed up. Me and the other person just started! So I sat there while my boss asked me why I was not doing anything or moving anything, I had to say... oh the office manager told me I had to sit and wait until the other person was done. Helllloooo anal.

And then.... I went to baltimore on a business trip, now I am hourly so you know I am getting screwed out of pay, but nevertheless, my boss gave me $100 (cash) for expenses. Never said once that I need to get receipts. So I didn't, not thinking. I have been on business trips before, they reimburse you when you pay for stuff, i just assumed this was already expensed and for me to spend on food. I guess not. I have once again caused an uproar. I swear I think I must be the worst employee ever, because I am just not getting it!!!

Once again meaning, when I questioned why I had to punch out for a business lunch, I got a talkin' to and then I questioned whether my boss was going to give me comp time or pay me overtime for sunday...huge issue. As if someone wouldn't ask! I don't exactly work for free!

kenzie · Chanel

Seashells wrote:

Ahhh! I suddenly understand how people can go crazy at work! I walk in this morning and I have to move desks. Which is fine, but what I loved even more was that I absolutely could not move ANY of my things until the other person had moved desks... uh... Its not like we have extremely confidential files or that we have millions of things that would get mixed up. Me and the other person just started! So I sat there while my boss asked me why I was not doing anything or moving anything, I had to say... oh the office manager told me I had to sit and wait until the other person was done. Helllloooo anal. And then.... I went to baltimore on a business trip, now I am hourly so you know I am getting screwed out of pay, but nevertheless, my boss gave me $100 (cash) for expenses. Never said once that I need to get receipts. So I didn't, not thinking. I have been on business trips before, they reimburse you when you pay for stuff, i just assumed this was already expensed and for me to spend on food. I guess not. I have once again caused an uproar. I swear I think I must be the worst employee ever, because I am just not getting it!!! Once again meaning, when I questioned why I had to punch out for a business lunch, I got a talkin' to and then I questioned whether my boss was going to give me comp time or pay me overtime for sunday...huge issue. As if someone wouldn't ask! I don't exactly work for free!

Ah, that sucks. So far today, this is what I have done: cut tags off rental office chairs, cleaned conference room, ordered lunch for people in office, assembled and mailed kits...so. much. fun. I think I'll go stab my eyeballs out with pencils.

Seashells · Dooney & Bourke

Sweet! Man they really worked you today! Ha! Don't people realize that nobody wants to be a pee-on. All people should be treated with respect. I guess I could never be a manager because I have a hard time telling people to do things for me, especially when they are meaningless like cutting tags off chairs. You are probably smarter than many of those people there. Smile because those people will be doing that for the rest of their lives... You are movin' up! (Soon)

kenzie · Chanel

Seashells wrote:

Sweet! Man they really worked you today! Ha! Don't people realize that nobody wants to be a pee-on. All people should be treated with respect. I guess I could never be a manager because I have a hard time telling people to do things for me, especially when they are meaningless like cutting tags off chairs. You are probably smarter than many of those people there. Smile because those people will be doing that for the rest of their lives... You are movin' up! (Soon)

There's a difference between being a manager and telling people to do stupid things that you could do yourself. I was a manager (in retail, but still a manager) and I would empty the trash if it needed to be emptied or mop up a spill on the floor one happened. Just b/c you're a manager doesn't mean that you have to have someone who is in a lower position be your slave and wipe your butt for you. I will never, ever ask someone to do something that I am perfectly capable of doing myself (like cut tags wipe off a table, order lunch, etc). It's ridiculous!

Oh yes, I forgot to add that I also filled the fridge with diet coke b/c the people who use are too lazy to move the coke cans from the top of the mini fridge into the inside of the fridge.

-- Edited by NylaBelle at 16:08, 2005-08-15

bex · Chanel

NYLA- I know you passed on the interview that was farther away- but for future reference, I used to ask the interviewer when I was scheduling if we could do it after work do to my work schedule. They always said yes.

Good luck! I hope something pans out soon for you! I remember my days of stuffing envelopes and emailing customers with mass marketing emails. It gets monotonous after awhile!