STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

kenzie · Chanel

I think I'm going to walk out.

member · Hermes

Oh god, I'm so sorry Nyla - that sucks. Didn't you have interviews lined up for other jobs?

ranchera20 · Marc Jacobs

That sucks!!

Make sure you don't walk out though with out knowing you have another job to go to. I hope all goes well for you! And on your last day....tell them off!!!

honey · Gucci

can i just ask, how many people are there in your office?

kenzie · Chanel

honey wrote:

can i just ask, how many people are there in your office?

About 50-60. And there's a night custodial staff that does the cleaning (who are not employed by us, but by the corporate center we're in). This isn't a small office where everyone has to pitch in. I've worked places at internships where there were only 5-10 people in the office and even then, I was never asked to do the crap that I'm doing here.

shopchicago33, yes, I had two interviews. The one was at an agency and they are currently looking for something for me. I was very, very specific about what I do and don't want. The other job, I have the possibility of an internship, but I can't really do something like that. I'm 26, I need a job!

-- Edited by NylaBelle at 16:32, 2005-08-16

-- Edited by NylaBelle at 16:35, 2005-08-16

ayo · Coach

awwh that stinks..

but please don't do anything drastic..

1) you've got bills to pay

2) you never want to burn bridges

I'm sure you'll find something better soon..keep ya head up..

kenzie · Chanel

Can I just add that I'm the only one who's asked to do this stuff. It's like I'm the office bitch. And I also get yelled at for stupid things, like the copier not working. The copier never works.

member · Hermes

NylaBelle wrote:

shopchicago33, yes, I had two interviews. The one was at an agency and they are currently looking for something for me. I was very, very specific about what I do and don't want. The other job, I have the possibility of an internship, but I can't really do something like that. I'm 26, I need a job!-- Edited by NylaBelle at 16:32, 2005-08-16 -- Edited by NylaBelle at 16:35, 2005-08-16

try to stay positive - trust me I have been there w/one of my old jobs - I hated my boss so much I wanted to walk out everyday. But the other girls are right - you have bills to pay and you don't want to just walk out w/no other job to go to. Hopefully the agency will find something for you very soon. Keep looking too. Just know that you will not be there for ever. I'm so sorry (((hugs)))

honey · Gucci

that's what i thought. seriously don't walk out, especially since you don't have anything to fall back on right now and just started school.

imo it seems like what you're encountering are the classic pitfalls of a small office. just to offer you some perspective, i work for one of the leading immigration firms in the country, we are in a fancy-schmancy building, and have a cleaning crew... however i've routinely seen our office manager cleaning out the fridge. not that it makes it any better, but realize it's not just you.

also i've been here 4 years and am referred to as a "senior paralegal," i order food everyweek. in fact it's my job to make sure we have food for our monday meetings, and if there's no food (or they forget the smoked salmon cream cheese -- my boss' fav) it's a problem. i also get the pleasure of meeting the delivery guy every mon. and arranging the food in the conference room. in addition to ordering food, i've been called in by my boss to make passport copies (the biggest pains in the ass) even though she has two assistants. i've had to clean the microwave, i routinely change the huge poland spring water bottle, and i've had to research random s**t, like where her daughter's can find petite bateau shirts. and i get off easy compared to our dept. manager who is literally at my boss' beck & call spends hours searching the office for missing files, even though we have people who's job it is to look for files.

again not that it makes it any better. but a lot of times in small offices, that's the way it is.

kenzie · Chanel

honey wrote:

that's what i thought. seriously don't walk out, especially since you don't have anything to fall back on right now and just started school. imo it seems like what you're encountering are the classic pitfalls of a small office. just to offer you some perspective, i work for one of the leading immigration firms in the country, we are in a fancy-schmancy building, and have a cleaning crew... however i've routinely seen our office manager cleaning out the fridge. not that it makes it any better, but realize it's not just you. also i've been here 4 years and am referred to as a "senior paralegal," i order food everyweek. in fact it's my job to make sure we have food for our monday meetings, and if there's no food (or they forget the smoked salmon cream cheese -- my boss' fav) it's a problem. i also get the pleasure of meeting the delivery guy every mon. and arranging the food in the conference room. in addition to ordering food, i've been called in by my boss to make passport copies (the biggest pains in the ass) even though she has two assistants. i've had to clean the microwave, i routinely change the huge poland spring water bottle, and i've had to research random s**t, like where her daughter's can find petite bateau shirts. and i get off easy compared to our dept. manager who is literally at my boss' beck & call spends hours searching the office for missing files, even though we have people who's job it is to look for files. again not that it makes it any better. but a lot of times in small offices, that's the way it is.

Right, I understand that. But that's all I do. I understand that there's always some crap work if you're not the boss (and even then sometimes, too), but when all of the crap work gets dumped onto one person, it's not fair. And I'm better than that. I wouldn't have nearly as big a problem ordering food if I was also, say, designing the newsletter. See what I mean? This job in no way is building my resume. What am I going to put? Ordered lunch, made coffee, cleaned fridge?? That's why I'm upset.

kenzie · Chanel

Oh. My. Gosh. I just got yelled at b/c we don't a certain brochure. Not. my. fault. The printer is broken, so there is no way to print them. And they are all aware of this and have been for some time. I can't take it. I'm not the stupid little office bitch. I'm calling the employment agency who placed me here and asking for a new assignment. I can't do this anymore.

Elle · Hermes

NylaBelle wrote:

I'm calling the employment agency who placed me here and asking for a new assignment. I can't do this anymore.

If you really can't take it anymore, I think this is your best plan of action. It gets you out of there without burning any bridges. Are you going to wait until you get home to call or do it now?

miss t · Dooney & Bourke

I feel your pain, I felt like either walking out or telling my DM to shove it up her ass today (see edit to my post from last week) Call the agency to place you elsewhere, do not burn your bridges, try to be as right on your end so they can't say you were a bad temp. Good luck, I hope everything works out for you!!

bex · Chanel

NylaBelle wrote:

They just asked me clean up the fridge. I am not the janitor! So far today, I have: order lunch made dinner reservations reserved a limo arranged food in the conference room stamped 300 brochures cleaned the fridge I feel like a slave! I can't take it anymore. I swear I'm going back to retail.

nylabelle:
when i first started out and also, my best friend, who worked for one of the top pharmaceutical PR firms in NYC, we both did the same stuff that this company is making you do for about 6 months. then, they start giving you real work to do. i don't know everything about where you are now- but i just want to prepare you that you may have to do the same things, i.e. going around and picking up everyone's scissors (which is something i did) or ordering car service (which is something my best friend did) until you "prove" yourself and start to get real work. i know it sucks- but in the advertising/marketing/PR industry- it seems to be the way it is.

just hang in there and do everything with a smile... kill 'em with kindness girl!!!

kenzie · Chanel

bex wrote:

nylabelle:when i first started out and also, my best friend, who worked for one of the top pharmaceutical PR firms in NYC, we both did the same stuff that this company is making you do for about 6 months. then, they start giving you real work to do. i don't know everything about where you are now- but i just want to prepare you that you may have to do the same things, i.e. going around and picking up everyone's scissors (which is something i did) or ordering car service (which is something my best friend did) until you "prove" yourself and start to get real work. i know it sucks- but in the advertising/marketing/PR industry- it seems to be the way it is. just hang in there and do everything with a smile... kill 'em with kindness girl!!!

Bex, I'm not working in anything related to marketing or marketing/pr/advertising industry related at all. My job title is "receptionist," so no, there will be no more duties, other than admin stuff, b/c I'm also the Administrative Assistant/Assistant to the Office Manager. I'm not working in an ad agency or for as an assistant for ad department. We don't even really have an ad department, we have an outside marketing agency that does all of that work for us.

I realize that if I were in an ad agency or the like as an assistant that I would be doing things like this. I'm not completely oblivious to how the work world works. My issue is that I'm a receptionist with no where to move up to and no potential for ad work here. That's my problem. I know that you have to start at the bottom at most jobs, but I'm not even at the bottom in the field that I want to be in.

-- Edited by NylaBelle at 08:36, 2005-08-18

bex · Chanel

NylaBelle wrote:

bex wrote: nylabelle:when i first started out and also, my best friend, who worked for one of the top pharmaceutical PR firms in NYC, we both did the same stuff that this company is making you do for about 6 months. then, they start giving you real work to do. i don't know everything about where you are now- but i just want to prepare you that you may have to do the same things, i.e. going around and picking up everyone's scissors (which is something i did) or ordering car service (which is something my best friend did) until you "prove" yourself and start to get real work. i know it sucks- but in the advertising/marketing/PR industry- it seems to be the way it is. just hang in there and do everything with a smile... kill 'em with kindness girl!!! Bex, I'm not working in anything related to marketing or marketing/pr/advertising industry related at all. My job title is "receptionist," so no, there will be no more duties, other than admin stuff, b/c I'm also the Administrative Assistant/Assistant to the Office Manager. I'm not working in an ad agency or for as an assistant for ad department. We don't even really have an ad department, we have an outside marketing agency that does all of that work for us. I realize that if I were in an ad agency or the like as an assistant that I would be doing things like this. I'm not completely oblivious to how the work world works. My issue is that I'm a receptionist with no where to move up to and no potential for ad work here. That's my problem. I know that you have to start at the bottom at most jobs, but I'm not even at the bottom in the field that I want to be in. -- Edited by NylaBelle at 08:36, 2005-08-18

ahah! thought you were an admin in a marketing department. didn't realize you were the receptionist. sorry bout that! but yes, be prepared to be a "slave" when you get your foot in the door with a marketing/ad/PR agency b/c you will be sh*t on for at least the first 6 months!!!

good luck to you!!! i know you will land something eventually- its a hard field to break in to.

kenzie · Chanel

bex wrote:

ahah! thought you were an admin in a marketing department. didn't realize you were the receptionist. sorry bout that! but yes, be prepared to be a "slave" when you get your foot in the door with a marketing/ad/PR agency b/c you will be sh*t on for at least the first 6 months!!! good luck to you!!! i know you will land something eventually- its a hard field to break in to.

Yeah, that's what I thought I was supposed to be, but then it turned into something else (receptionist with no marketing stuff whatsoever). You know, I'd be fine answering phones if I was an assistant in an ad agency or marketing department. It's just that this job isn't building my resume at all.

Thanks for your advice, bex!