STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

nunzi182 · Kate Spade

Confused, Sad, Upset

zeitgeist4 · Gucci

I'm sorry that you'e in a situation you don't like. I don't really have any advice, but I'm going through a less-bad version of that. I hope one of the other ST girls will have have some words of wisdom...

Not to hijack, but here's my story:
I graduated college with a BA in Communication. No one wanted to hire me b/c I didn't have any work experience, so I took the first job that hired me. After being here for a year and a few months, there is nowhere for me to go in the company (there's only 17 of us in the office). I feel underappreciated, have a pathetic salary, and don't feel like I've added much to my job skills. I do reception/admin type work, and I'm not sure how to get into another type of work. I am going to start looking for another job next week.

ILoveChoo · Hermes

zeitgeist4 wrote:

Not to hijack, but here's my story: I graduated college with a BA in Communication. No one wanted to hire me b/c I didn't have any work experience, so I took the first job that hired me. After being here for a year and a few months, there is nowhere for me to go in the company (there's only 17 of us in the office). I feel underappreciated, have a pathetic salary, and don't feel like I've added much to my job skills. I do reception/admin type work, and I'm not sure how to get into another type of work. I am going to start looking for another job next week.

Exactly my story too. I am so sick of doing admin garbage. I have a Master for God's sake! But no job= no experience and no experience=no job... I have no idea how to break out of this and into the "real world". And since I'm in a 3 person office, there is no hope for advancement here...

nunzi182 · Kate Spade

I graduated with a BA in Communications too, but I had a concentration in Graphic Design which got me exactly no where. I'm doing admin crap and it's so menializing.

Dizzy · Marc Jacobs

Ok, this is going to sound a little Pollyannaish, but honestly, I don't think you're in that bad of a spot.

Here's why: 1) So your company isn't going to advance you for four years. At least you know about it. Most companies don't announce this up front.

2) So your company will fire you if you get caught looking for another job. Again, at least you know about it. And I suspect you are clever enough to figure out how to look for another job without getting caught. Here's a hint - NETWORK! Join a professional organization, volunteer for anything, hell, take your colleagues and people in your industry out to coffee for informational interviews (it helps so much that you only have a year in - you can say you're just learning the business). Then, don't ask for a job, just keep an ear out for opportunities, and sort of start to collect people that you would like to work with in the future.

3) You are doing administrative bs, but so what. Most jobs involve quite a bit of administrative bs - when I was a food writer, about 60 percent of my time involved crap like shopping for groceries, returning emails and coordinating schedules. Not high level brainwork, but it's the stuff you have to do in order to do the fun stuff. Just find a way for it to take as little of your time as possible, look for other opportunties, and for gods sake get good at it. Being good at administrative crap is, oddly enough considering how useless it generally is, the best career promoter around. Bosses can't readily tell if you are promoting companies long term goals. but they know if you collated your reports properly. So, perhaps unfairly, they judge your competence on that.

4) It's mindless and numbing - this does kind of suck. But the situation is giving you valuable information about yourself, your likes and dislikes, and what you need in a career.

5) You said you're worried that the time you spend at this company will hold you back from finding a better job and put you behind your peers. Maybe, but I doubt it will make that much of a difference in the long run. (Maybe there is a field-specific reason why it really will, but even then, just try to get out as fast as you can). Careers jump around a lot more than you'd think, even in seemingly stable professions. Your job is to get out there and find some opportunities. Like they say in school, keep your eyes on your own paper. It doesn't matter where everyone else is. It matters that you are where you want to be, and you know why you want to be there, and why what you want makes sense for you.

6) Finally, no matter what job you took, you were going to have to figure out a way to work within the system to get what you want. Having a shittier system early on is a major plus! You get a chance to try out theories in the advanced level course, instead of beginners, and you'll learn lessons early in your career, when there so much less potential for long-term damage.

So, you have a crappy situation, but fixing it can be fun and incredibly rewardingfor the rest of your career. That's not so bad, really, is it?

Kincali · Dooney & Bourke

I'm sorry Nunzi, I understand your pain. I've even gone as far as to type up a lecture I would like to give college/high school students on what they need to do to be on the path of success after graduating. I went to a small liberal arts college that was horrible in directing me, and I feel my English Lit Major isn't worth shite. My counselor basically knew the steps to being a nurse, a teacher, or a banker. Thanks, lady, I can follow the course guide book and figure that out myself. I can't tell you how many times after saying I what I wanted to do, she would reply, "so have you thought about being a teacher?" Bangs head.

-- Edited by fairlight at 13:29, 2006-01-23

greca · BCBG

Hi guys-

I was also exactly in this same situation shortly after I graduated college (many moons ago now! :) and I hated going to work every day doing all that admin $%$^ while I felt my brian cells slowly dying and worthless because co-workers would be pleasantly surprised if you knew how to send a fax properly...

Anyway, I had graduated w/a B.A. in int'l relations and French so I decided that if that's what I wanted to pursue, I better do it...so I went to my university job bank (I'm sure you guys must all have one) and looked at the internships that were available. Yes, I said internships- I desperately needed experience so I was willing to bite the bullet. This also involved moving back home w/my parents, keeping a lean budget, etc...So, I ended up getting a great internship w/the Dept. of Commerce and Community affairs in the International Business divsion w/the State and it was the best thing I ever did- I learned so much, networked, and got some needed experience down on my resume (and yes, a part time job at night is key to have some income) I did get some honorariums here and there but the point of the internship was to get my foot in the door! And I did- my first real job after that was a direct result of the internship (meeting someone at a trade show where I was working) and the rest is history...I can't stress how important experience is, and I know alot of people are not willing to give college grads a chance- which is why you have to take some drastic measures. Join some professional organizations that are in your field, volunteer at these events whenever you can, and of course network, network, network!

Hope this helps- and never give up!

nunzi182 · Kate Spade

Dizzy, you're really good at giving advice and making a person feel better! Don't get me wrong, I'm so grateful that I have this job because without it I'd be in a lot worse shape. I understand that I have to do the boring, mundane tasks with every job and I don't mind that at all, it's just that with this job, that's ALL there is to it. It's mundane and the same stuff every single day, day in, day out. I do reporting for managers that take the credit for it, which is just the way it is here; but I want to be recognized for my good work, not pass it off to someone that doesn't really need the recognition. Also, you mentioned career. I don't look at this job as part of a career path, it's just a job to me because I feel it leads nowhere. I wouldn't even know how to start a career, I feel ill prepared for the "real" world.

Fairlight, I went to a teeny liberal arts college too and they did absolutely nothing to guide me whatsoever, which is part of the problem. It sucks. I feel like I graduated and was thrown into the job-world with nothing, no credentials, no experience.

JoceyBaby23 · Gucci

Can't you look for jobs at home in the evenings or on the weekends? And you don't necessarily have to post your resume on Monster where your current employer can find it.. You can apply for the jobs that interest you privately and no one will ever have to know. Sounds like you are in a dead end spot there and I don't think it will do you any good to stay. You should not settle where you are.. You have a degree and should be using it! Good luck!

nunzi182 · Kate Spade

JoceyBaby23 wrote:

Can't you look for jobs at home in the evenings or on the weekends? And you don't necessarily have to post your resume on Monster where your current employer can find it.. You can apply for the jobs that interest you privately and no one will ever have to know. Sounds like you are in a dead end spot there and I don't think it will do you any good to stay. You should not settle where you are.. You have a degree and should be using it! Good luck!

Oh trust me I do privately apply for jobs on monster, but I feel I would have more luck if I could post it for employers to see. I just wish this place wasn't in everyone's business!

Hermione, what sort of professional organizations are you referring to? I don't know if I'm familiar with them? I know this must sound weird, but I don't reallly know how to network. I was always under the impression you have to be quite forward to network, and I'm very shy so it's hard for me to do that.

Thanks for the words of encouragement ladies. If you have anymore suggestions, keep 'em coming!

Luv2Shop · Kate Spade

Nunzi,

I didn't realize so many people on ST had Graphic Design/Communication degrees. I have a bachelors in Visual Communications (minor in Graphic Design). I have actually had 1 job I loved and 1 job I HATE. And I just got a new one that I am starting on Feb. 6. I agree that there is nothing less motivating then being in a job you hate. I think you should start looking in your free time. Don't post your resume on Monster/Hotjobs (like you said, your company might fire you if they find out) But look for jobs on those websites, print them out and send your resume to them by any other means. Fax, mail, whatever. Most of the time they have other means to send, or you can research the company and find out the address online. The other advice I have is to look for other job titles other then just Graphic Designer. There are TONS of titles that have to do with GD and communications under different titles. My first title was Art Assistant. Also look under things like package design, product design, production assistant.

Good luck!!

Dizzy · Marc Jacobs

Nunzi sweetie - You're in the real world, you're on a career path by default (since you're no longer in school) and you're doing fine. You just feel ill-prepared because the skills you used, I'm guessing very successfully, in school are largely irrelevant now. No one is keeping track of how well you're doing. And no one is going to reward you for doing it well. That's scary, but quite a bit of fun once you get used to it.

So let's break this down again. Because really, you're bored and tired and sick of this place, but you can get out of the situation. And you need to start NOW, before you get so demoralized that you run out of coping energy.

1) All you do is mundane tasks, day in and day out. Ok. that sucks. Here's an approach that has worked for me: First, figure out which tasks help your boss the most/give her the most credit. Second, focus on these tasks and blow off the ones that don't matter as much (if you try to do it all, you'll go insane, and it doesn't matter what gets done, it matters that what the boss wants gets done). Third, remind him/her until you are blue in the face that you have spent extra time on these tasks by blatantly saying things like "I didn't mind staying late to finish this because I know how important it is..." whatever. Lather, rinse and repeat as necessary.

Here's why the approach works: In order to avoid going freaking insane, you need to turn this into something sort of fun, and something that you can succeed at measurably. This can become a game, all the more so since you don't care if you have a future with this company. And you can sort of monitor your progress and keep yourself interested in something that goes on at work, which makes it easier to get up in the morning.

2) The managers take all the credit for your work. Believe me, this happens all the time in journalism! The trick is, you need to shift your audience. You can't get credit from the higher ups, ok. But who needs them? You can get credit from the managers, though... so start figuring out how to be the go-to gal for them. What gets the managers the most credit from their bosses? How do you help them get more credit? Figure out the patterns, figure out the game, then figure out how to help them. THEN REMIND THEM YOU ARE HELPING THEM. Do it again, and again, and again. When you give someone some info you think will be especially helpful, ask them how the meeting went, send them followup emails, demonstrate enthusiasm! No one needs to know that you are in reality only totally enthused about your personal agenda of making it out of this job with your sanity.

Again, this is more fun than just doing what you're told. And it will help you build skills and make contacts that will help you in your career. It will also give you a good rep in your company, which is invaluable! Plus, it will gradually expose you to people who are also getting out, and to people who are successful there, and both will be very helpful to you, whichever path you end up choosing.

3) You feel ill-prepared for the real world. I know what you mean. I majored in history and went through the whole don't-you-want-to-be-a-teacher thing too. The thing is, no one else has a clue either. Just keep your eyes open. Watch people that seem to have it together and try to figure out why they are successful. Hell, walk up and ask them how they do it (some people are shy about this, but it's good practice. No one is going to be mean to you. Everyone loves being complimented!)

Here's a little secret: the real world is much easier than school. It is less structured, so there are many different ways to succeed, and you will get credit for all of them (instead of for finding the one path to an A for each particular prof). It is not graded on a curve, so again, success is more widely distributed. It is not run by any set of authorities. By which I mean, yeah, you will have people running things, but you get to pick your authorities. And if you get sick of them, you can just find a new set.

So school was hard, but life is easy. You can always pick your poison. You can always start over. You can always have fun with it. So seriously girl, go out there and start making the material you have to work with work for you. Really, you are in charge in a way that you never were in school. I know it's scary. But you have to enjoy it! No one is going to live it for you, and no one is going to reward you for doing it the way they think you should have (another difference from school). It's all you. And if you are this self aware and on top of things, you're doing just fine, I swear...

lynnie · Chanel

i second dizzy's advice. are you an advice columnist?
ok, this is my advice that i'm sure no one will agree with. if it was me, i'd save my money, and then quit. its super scary, but i feel a lot more alive and end up succeeding more when i take the road less traveled ie sticking it out and playing it safe. i bet no one was cheering on bill gates for dropping out of harvard, but they're all eating it now. i'm a firm believer in working towards eventually being your own boss, or being independent of a boss. the fact that your employers are checking out monster to see if their employees are posting on it just sends shivers down my spine. i'd feel trapped too. i think there are way way way too many extremely talented/creative/hard working people that are working for someone that is- to put it mildly- not so smart/honest/nice/understanding. they either have connections or business brains, and thats about it. barf.
what would you do if money was not an issue? where would you live? if you love graphic design- why don't you start out by doing it for small companies for free? as they grow, they might hire you, plus its free advertising. i would do anything you can while you're not at your other job to keep your creative cells from withering. these jobs want to demoralize/drain you so you don't try to work for someone else. my old boss was completely like this- where else are you going to find $11 an hour and make your own hours and have such an easy job? (i was a recruiting intern, made cold calls, HATED IT)- well he was just trying to sell this terrible job because other people have it worse. thats not how i like to think. if i'm not happy- i want to work towards being happy- not trying to compare myself to how bad others have it. i want to make it better for others and myself- not suck it up to "thats just how the world is". bullshit- there ARE people that love their jobs (not all the time, but most of the time)- they just found the job best suited for them.

-- Edited by lynnie at 20:38, 2006-01-24

nunzi182 · Kate Spade

Lynnie, I wish I was in a position to do what you suggested and save up my money, but I really can't take a risk like that. I just got married a couple of months ago and we need both of our incomes to survive (it's expensive living in NJ!) I'm just going to continue my nightly search for jobs. I feel it's all I can do right now. Some good news is that my cousin works for HR at a good company and she's going to let me know when anything opens up in Marketing (which she said could be soon.) I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for that because I think it's just what I need right now. Plus, it's really close to my hubby's job which means we can start looking for a house in different places that will be close to both of our jobs (right now we work in completely opposite directions.)

Thanks for all your help ladies!

kenzie · Chanel

nunzi182 wrote:

Oh trust me I do privately apply for jobs on monster, but I feel I would have more luck if I could post it for employers to see. I just wish this place wasn't in everyone's business!

Honestly, Monster isn't that great for employers finding you, especially for entry-levelish positions. I wouldn't even worry about posting your resume. Just keep sending it privately. And also seek out organizations and agencies that you would like to work at and send your resume directly to them.

But anyway, yeah, I understand your pain (we all know what I went through with my job situation). It took me three years to finally find a job in my field after putting in time at three internships while still in college and then retail management and receptionist bullshit. But it was well worth the wait. The job I have is a great job. Is it my dream job? No. Do I have things to do that I don't like? Yes. It goes with the territory. That's why it's called a job and not a vacation. But all in all, the job is very satisfying and a great stepping stone for my future career plans.

All I can tell you is to keep at it. Don't give up b/c you'll never get what you want by giving up. It sounds trite, but so many people just throw their hands in the air and accept defeat and that's what separates those who will succeed from those who won't. Keep at it, no matter how cumbersome it gets.

-- Edited by NylaBelle at 23:54, 2006-01-25