So tomorrow is another announcement for the contest winners, I have no idea if I will even win one of the shitty door prizes but I think I'm due for one. If I'm really lucky I'll win some big bucks but I've come to realize that I am not a person who luck favors. I've never really been "lucky", everything I've earned I had to work for so I guess winning money should be no exception. I wonder what it would be like, however, to win the big bucks. It'd certainly help with paying the bills and such, then again, so would a better job and I haven't seemed to be lucky at landing one of those either. I dunno, maybe it's just not my year because I was hoping the second half of 2008 would be better than the first but it seems like it's just the same old thing and I may be in for a craptacular year overall. *sigh*
Showing posts with label Work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Work. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Something You'll Probably Never Hear at Your Job, Part Two
"I'm going to need you to photocopy your ass."
And there is a second part to this which I believe I can safely say you will NEVER hear at your job:
"Okay, I need you to do it again but this time lift your sac."
Yeah. Film and television is awesome.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Gainfully Employed (Again)
I got a job!
And it's not from temping!
As you may or may not have guessed from the post below, I have a new job back in the "entertainment" industry. Now, I don't put "entertainment" in quotes because I'm working in porn, I haven't fallen that far yet but it's close.
I got a job working on a reality television show (though I probably should have put "reality" in quotes). I had a friend who was completely overworked and she needed an assistant in post production and I needed a job and we came together like peanut butter and chocolate. I got a job working on a major studio lot and she got the help she needed.
I'm not sure how long this will last, I'm guessing for a while since there doesn't really seem to be any kind of legit work on television shows but we'll just have to wait and see. I'll at least have a job for the next three months which is a great weight from my financially loaded shoulders.
All in all, I'm grateful to have the job and I am learning stuff about post production so I guess it'll come in handy somewhere down the line.
And it's not from temping!
As you may or may not have guessed from the post below, I have a new job back in the "entertainment" industry. Now, I don't put "entertainment" in quotes because I'm working in porn, I haven't fallen that far yet but it's close.
I got a job working on a reality television show (though I probably should have put "reality" in quotes). I had a friend who was completely overworked and she needed an assistant in post production and I needed a job and we came together like peanut butter and chocolate. I got a job working on a major studio lot and she got the help she needed.
I'm not sure how long this will last, I'm guessing for a while since there doesn't really seem to be any kind of legit work on television shows but we'll just have to wait and see. I'll at least have a job for the next three months which is a great weight from my financially loaded shoulders.
All in all, I'm grateful to have the job and I am learning stuff about post production so I guess it'll come in handy somewhere down the line.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Something you'll probably never hear at your job:
"I'm going to go look at prostitutes."
Mind you this is an edited clip he's talking about reviewing, but still.
Mind you this is an edited clip he's talking about reviewing, but still.
Friday, May 30, 2008
The Times, They Are A Sucking
I try to be a positive person. I try not to air my dirty laundry, even though about three people will read it. I try to be a good person but it can be trying at times and these are one of those times.
I got rejected on yet another television show job this morning, one that a few people I considered allies were working on. They said they loved me and they were keeping me in mind. I'd hoped I'd at least be considered for a writer's assistant job but in the end even that went to someone else. It seems as if the studios are cutting budgets and that's heavily affecting the hiring of writing staffs, as they don't have the money to hire as many as they would have had the writers strike not happened. It would seem that this is a kind of payback from the studios and producers, a final "Fuck you" to the people who thought they could stand up to the conglomerates. But not only is affecting the writing staffs themselves, it's affecting people like me who weren't already in at ground level.
Because I have not "officially" been on staff (i.e. hired as a staff writer) I am considered to have no experience even though I've been in two different writers rooms. Even though the main thing you're doing in the writers room is tossing out ideas and eventually writing a script, which is sad considering that despite having never been paid to write a script I have actually written several.
I could try to keep hope that something, some kind of last minute reprieve from the fairy job governor but after eight months I just don't have the energy or the desire to hope anymore. I have to face the reality that it might be a good, long year before I can even try for staffing again. As we come to June the opportunities become nill to none, or, as my hero Bruce Campbell so eloquently put it in Army of Darkness: "You ain't leading nothing but jack and shit. And Jack left town."
It seems dear readers, that for me, Jack has left town.
I got rejected on yet another television show job this morning, one that a few people I considered allies were working on. They said they loved me and they were keeping me in mind. I'd hoped I'd at least be considered for a writer's assistant job but in the end even that went to someone else. It seems as if the studios are cutting budgets and that's heavily affecting the hiring of writing staffs, as they don't have the money to hire as many as they would have had the writers strike not happened. It would seem that this is a kind of payback from the studios and producers, a final "Fuck you" to the people who thought they could stand up to the conglomerates. But not only is affecting the writing staffs themselves, it's affecting people like me who weren't already in at ground level.
Because I have not "officially" been on staff (i.e. hired as a staff writer) I am considered to have no experience even though I've been in two different writers rooms. Even though the main thing you're doing in the writers room is tossing out ideas and eventually writing a script, which is sad considering that despite having never been paid to write a script I have actually written several.
I could try to keep hope that something, some kind of last minute reprieve from the fairy job governor but after eight months I just don't have the energy or the desire to hope anymore. I have to face the reality that it might be a good, long year before I can even try for staffing again. As we come to June the opportunities become nill to none, or, as my hero Bruce Campbell so eloquently put it in Army of Darkness: "You ain't leading nothing but jack and shit. And Jack left town."
It seems dear readers, that for me, Jack has left town.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Times Is Hard
It's taken me a while to come out and publicly admit this but right now times suck.
I know, I know. That should be obvious.
At first I thought it was just me, toiling away in a seemingly endless, incredibly boring temp job but I'm finding out from a lot of other people I know that it's rough out there for everyone. For some, they'd take comfort in the fact that you aren't alone, and a small part of me does. However, if times are hard for everyone and they're hard for people who are at a higher career level than I am, what does that mean for me?
Right now it means I'm stuck in a job I don't like. It means I have to face the possibility I won't be staffed this season. It means I will have to find some other long term job I can tolerate, or else the next time you hear about me it will be because I was at the top of a clock tower picking off pedestrians.
But lets hope against that.
I know, I know. That should be obvious.
At first I thought it was just me, toiling away in a seemingly endless, incredibly boring temp job but I'm finding out from a lot of other people I know that it's rough out there for everyone. For some, they'd take comfort in the fact that you aren't alone, and a small part of me does. However, if times are hard for everyone and they're hard for people who are at a higher career level than I am, what does that mean for me?
Right now it means I'm stuck in a job I don't like. It means I have to face the possibility I won't be staffed this season. It means I will have to find some other long term job I can tolerate, or else the next time you hear about me it will be because I was at the top of a clock tower picking off pedestrians.
But lets hope against that.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
The Shredder
So, last week I went without work for four days and ended up wallowing in a well of my own self pity (all the while writing throughout this self pity). I got work on Friday, which, while a piddly check is better than no check at all, will almost seem not worth it once I confirm that what I made on that Friday was spent on the gas driving to and from the job. Joy.
This week I've had two days of work and an industry meeting that only served to remind me of how badly I want to get back into the entertainment game. So no self pity. Well, for the most part no self pity. You see, this week I'm working for a bank that is in desperate need due to it's short staff. What are they in desperate need for? A shredder. More specifically, someone to stuff old checks into their industrial sized shredder. Because everyone else is to busy to do this, with all the other check stuff going on.
And because this is a bank, but not the bank, merely one of the offices of the bank, there are old people working there. And old people like to get up early and go to work early, so that means I have to get up early and go to work early. No 9a.m. start for me, nuh-uh. I gotta be on the job by 7:30a.m. Seven. Fucking. Thirty. For those of you who have to be to work as, or even earlier, and are going, "So?" 'cuse the shit out of me but that fucking sucks. God's not even up by 7:30a.m. and even though I was behind the wheel of what can be considered heavy machinery I'm not either. It's pretty much autopilot down Olympic Blvd and then somehow I become aware there's a valet asking me to please get out of my car so he can park it.
Then it's on to the bank where I've been put into a little cubicle with said shredder and I grab a box of old checks down from the shelf and go to town, feeding the checks into the shredder on an endless loop of monotony and boredom. Not only that, but the old people at the bank were ill prepared for my duties, as, on the first day, we ran out of shredder lube (yes, there's a lube for shredders) and proper sized disposal bags. That meant that ever so often, say, about every twenty to thirty minutes, when the light for lube would illuminate I had to shove these weird sponge papers into the mouth of the shredder, to keep the teeth from grinding against each other and possibly exploding (I was not told what exactly would happen if the shredder teeth didn't get lube but it was implied that it would be bad and there may be smoke involved). Add to that, the indignity of having to transfer shredded paper by hand from the square bin of the shredder to a regular trash bag, because they were out of the shredder bin bags. I'm sure the cleaning people hate me by now because there's always a big mess when I leave, no matter how I try to scrape up bits and pieces of paper from the carpet.
The trash bags aren't big enough to fit over the mouth of the bin so I have to just shovel the paper from one place to the next by hand. This would seem easy enough but if you've never tried shoveling shredded paper then you have no idea what it really entails. You can't grab too much because then it will just spill out every where and the cleaning people will hate you because now they've got to actually vacuum the carpet. You can use smaller handfuls, but then you'll be bent over the trash bin and that means you'll have to inhale god-knows-what kind of ink chemicals as you do it. I had to do the latter and driving home today my throat was sore and now I'm sure there's a cancer growing in my lungs. I realized today that if I wear my shades while cleaning the bin that minimizes the amount of paper particles that can make a break for my eyes (and thus blind me by cutting into my contacts) and tomorrow I'm taking a head bandanna to cover my nose and mouth.
"Tomorrow?" you say, "You're going back tomorrow?"
Yes, yes I am. Why am I going back tomorrow? Because I need the work. And god knows this job is making me hate how much I need the work. Or how much I need to money so that I can feed myself and pay bills. Not only am I going back tomorrow, but I'm trying to extend my stay till the end of the week to ensure I have a full week's paycheck. Unlike last week where I lounged around like a lazy bum, reading books and writing and making no money to pay my bills. I discovered today that if I stretch it out right, I can make one full box of old checks last five hours, and if I put the paper in the bins right it actually looks like I've done a lot of work, as one non-old bank employee commented today. Later on in the day I speed things up, and by the time I leave at 4p.m. I've got three boxes done (when, I probably could do the entire shelf in a day if I applied myself) and with all the regular trash bags I've used up it looks like I've done a helluva lot of shredding.
The problem is first thing in the morning from 7:30a.m. till 10:30p.m., which seems like the longest span of time ever. Pretty much after lunch I'm free to stuff the hell out of the shredder and go as fast as I please, but not too fast, so that I can have a reason to come back another day. But it's terrible work, and almost disheartening. And yet, I persist in doing it. Not because I want to, but because I have to. *sigh*
This week I've had two days of work and an industry meeting that only served to remind me of how badly I want to get back into the entertainment game. So no self pity. Well, for the most part no self pity. You see, this week I'm working for a bank that is in desperate need due to it's short staff. What are they in desperate need for? A shredder. More specifically, someone to stuff old checks into their industrial sized shredder. Because everyone else is to busy to do this, with all the other check stuff going on.
And because this is a bank, but not the bank, merely one of the offices of the bank, there are old people working there. And old people like to get up early and go to work early, so that means I have to get up early and go to work early. No 9a.m. start for me, nuh-uh. I gotta be on the job by 7:30a.m. Seven. Fucking. Thirty. For those of you who have to be to work as, or even earlier, and are going, "So?" 'cuse the shit out of me but that fucking sucks. God's not even up by 7:30a.m. and even though I was behind the wheel of what can be considered heavy machinery I'm not either. It's pretty much autopilot down Olympic Blvd and then somehow I become aware there's a valet asking me to please get out of my car so he can park it.
Then it's on to the bank where I've been put into a little cubicle with said shredder and I grab a box of old checks down from the shelf and go to town, feeding the checks into the shredder on an endless loop of monotony and boredom. Not only that, but the old people at the bank were ill prepared for my duties, as, on the first day, we ran out of shredder lube (yes, there's a lube for shredders) and proper sized disposal bags. That meant that ever so often, say, about every twenty to thirty minutes, when the light for lube would illuminate I had to shove these weird sponge papers into the mouth of the shredder, to keep the teeth from grinding against each other and possibly exploding (I was not told what exactly would happen if the shredder teeth didn't get lube but it was implied that it would be bad and there may be smoke involved). Add to that, the indignity of having to transfer shredded paper by hand from the square bin of the shredder to a regular trash bag, because they were out of the shredder bin bags. I'm sure the cleaning people hate me by now because there's always a big mess when I leave, no matter how I try to scrape up bits and pieces of paper from the carpet.
The trash bags aren't big enough to fit over the mouth of the bin so I have to just shovel the paper from one place to the next by hand. This would seem easy enough but if you've never tried shoveling shredded paper then you have no idea what it really entails. You can't grab too much because then it will just spill out every where and the cleaning people will hate you because now they've got to actually vacuum the carpet. You can use smaller handfuls, but then you'll be bent over the trash bin and that means you'll have to inhale god-knows-what kind of ink chemicals as you do it. I had to do the latter and driving home today my throat was sore and now I'm sure there's a cancer growing in my lungs. I realized today that if I wear my shades while cleaning the bin that minimizes the amount of paper particles that can make a break for my eyes (and thus blind me by cutting into my contacts) and tomorrow I'm taking a head bandanna to cover my nose and mouth.
"Tomorrow?" you say, "You're going back tomorrow?"
Yes, yes I am. Why am I going back tomorrow? Because I need the work. And god knows this job is making me hate how much I need the work. Or how much I need to money so that I can feed myself and pay bills. Not only am I going back tomorrow, but I'm trying to extend my stay till the end of the week to ensure I have a full week's paycheck. Unlike last week where I lounged around like a lazy bum, reading books and writing and making no money to pay my bills. I discovered today that if I stretch it out right, I can make one full box of old checks last five hours, and if I put the paper in the bins right it actually looks like I've done a lot of work, as one non-old bank employee commented today. Later on in the day I speed things up, and by the time I leave at 4p.m. I've got three boxes done (when, I probably could do the entire shelf in a day if I applied myself) and with all the regular trash bags I've used up it looks like I've done a helluva lot of shredding.
The problem is first thing in the morning from 7:30a.m. till 10:30p.m., which seems like the longest span of time ever. Pretty much after lunch I'm free to stuff the hell out of the shredder and go as fast as I please, but not too fast, so that I can have a reason to come back another day. But it's terrible work, and almost disheartening. And yet, I persist in doing it. Not because I want to, but because I have to. *sigh*
Thursday, March 6, 2008
That Was Quick...
Be careful what you wish for. Then again, sometimes you get the things you were supposed to wish for but didn't have the courage.
That happened to me on my way home tonight, stuck in traffic on the 101. I was tired, burnt out and dreading the fact that I only had a few hours at home (a majority of which would have been spent sleeping) before I was back on the chopping block of boredom and anxiety that was my current temp job. And then I got a call from my coordinator. It seems that my services are no longer needed and I can't say I'm sorry to see it go.
I spent the first minute after receiving this news a little pissed, as I just bought an expensive dress (well, expensive for me) for a wedding later on this month and I needed to save money for that car. I had been planning on staying at this craptacular job until the end of the month but it seems fate has other plans for me. Right now those plans include drinking me a glass (or two) of wine and staying up past 11pm because now I don't have to get up at 6:45am.
I usually like to go by the campfire rule: leave things better than you found them, and I do pride myself on doing a good job but I think there was just no way to do that here. This company is relatively young but they've been around for seven years and are just now trying to get their administration department under control when people are used to doing things another way. I know this analogy is probably used way to much but this really was like trying to close the barn door after the horses got out.
Oh well. Now I don't have to cringe once the sun comes up and I don't have to dread getting out of bed. At least for now. While I enjoyed the money (what little there was) at least I get some piece of mind back. I realize that as much as we desperately need it, money isn't everything (so I say now, when I still have two more guaranteed paychecks coming to me) and when it's the only reason you're working (you know, as opposed to enjoying it) it can feel very empty and drain you, keeping you stuck in a job you hate. There comes a time where even prostitutes have to say no to money.
My friend called me to talk to me about it, after I'd texted her, and she told me I'd seemed very unhappy recently and she was happy that it was over. I didn't even realize that my unhappiness was spilling out that badly.Now it's over and I can celebrate, er, mourn, the loss of my hardly ever gainful employment. Cheers.
That happened to me on my way home tonight, stuck in traffic on the 101. I was tired, burnt out and dreading the fact that I only had a few hours at home (a majority of which would have been spent sleeping) before I was back on the chopping block of boredom and anxiety that was my current temp job. And then I got a call from my coordinator. It seems that my services are no longer needed and I can't say I'm sorry to see it go.
I spent the first minute after receiving this news a little pissed, as I just bought an expensive dress (well, expensive for me) for a wedding later on this month and I needed to save money for that car. I had been planning on staying at this craptacular job until the end of the month but it seems fate has other plans for me. Right now those plans include drinking me a glass (or two) of wine and staying up past 11pm because now I don't have to get up at 6:45am.
I usually like to go by the campfire rule: leave things better than you found them, and I do pride myself on doing a good job but I think there was just no way to do that here. This company is relatively young but they've been around for seven years and are just now trying to get their administration department under control when people are used to doing things another way. I know this analogy is probably used way to much but this really was like trying to close the barn door after the horses got out.
Oh well. Now I don't have to cringe once the sun comes up and I don't have to dread getting out of bed. At least for now. While I enjoyed the money (what little there was) at least I get some piece of mind back. I realize that as much as we desperately need it, money isn't everything (so I say now, when I still have two more guaranteed paychecks coming to me) and when it's the only reason you're working (you know, as opposed to enjoying it) it can feel very empty and drain you, keeping you stuck in a job you hate. There comes a time where even prostitutes have to say no to money.
My friend called me to talk to me about it, after I'd texted her, and she told me I'd seemed very unhappy recently and she was happy that it was over. I didn't even realize that my unhappiness was spilling out that badly.Now it's over and I can celebrate, er, mourn, the loss of my hardly ever gainful employment. Cheers.
Thus Far...
Today has been a far better day than yesterday, knock wood, and I find myself not contemplating stabbing pens into people. Though I did discover today during my supply closet inventory that there are five extremely sharp Ginsu-type knives in the storage closet. Why? I don't know. I assume for cutting cakes or something but really, do you want such weaponry open to potential disgruntled employees? I'm not saying I'd do anything but I'm in the customer service department, any one of these people could go off from dealing with a stupid customer and take us all out with them. It's weird knowing that they're just hanging out in a closet and not in the kitchen.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
In it for the Long Haul...Possibly
You ever get that sneaking feeling that you're supposed to be doing something else? While it could be for anything I am talking about in the "life" category of this conversation.
I will admit I had one opportunity for gainful employment in the TV business, however it didn't go through. While my heart wasn't set on getting this job, it would have offered me a way out of the doldrums that is the temp job I currently work for where I find myself giving less and less of a shit every single day, however that's possible. Is there a negative level of "can't give a shit"? Or does it become a point where "can't give a shit" reaches absolute zero and either doesn't exist anymore or has to reset itself?
I will probable have the answer to that in a few days/weeks, I don't even know. With no new prospects on the horizon I feel like I'm walking through the desert, hoping for a mirage if only to keep some shred of hope.
What brought this emotional state about? I realized today that I have become one of millions of Americans who has a Job That Pays the Bills. This is different from other jobs because it's a job you hate but you drag yourself out of bed every morning because there's rent to pay and perhaps next month you may in fact have to get another car because yours won't pass smog inspection and the local DMV is on to you and your addiction to their temp tags and has cut you off cold turkey.
But I digress...
I have such a job now and while I shouldn't bitch and moan about it, guess what, I will. I don't like this job. Not one bit. And in the short time I've been working there, it has come to the point where every morning I look out my window at the sun coming up over the apartment building across the way and go, "Fuck, it's morning," when instead I should be happy that I can even see dawn because it means I didn't randomly die in my sleep.
Here's the thing about me though, and I will be honest with you: I bitch about everything. Every single job I've had I bitched about, though for 99.99987% of those the bitching was warrented, as is the case here.
But even when I had a Job I Loved and I bitched about it, it was that good kind of bitching, like what you do for family or any loved one that annoys you and where you actually were getting a paycheck that would have been able to support, bills, rent and a car payment. God I miss it.
I hope I'm not here too long, I hope I can get back to the good bitching about my job. Really, I've only had one job where I didn't want to jab a pen in someone's neck and that was a wonderful feeling. Here, I see pens every where, and not just 'cause I'm stocking them in the supply cabinets.
To end this post I'll leave you with a quote from an episode of Futurama that happened to be playing exactly as I was writing this post:
"Isn't it time you gave up on any hope of improving yourself in any way?"
Nay, I say to you, Bender. Nay it's not. There is, and will always be May, and with it it will bring the Upfronts and potential Jobs I Love.
I will admit I had one opportunity for gainful employment in the TV business, however it didn't go through. While my heart wasn't set on getting this job, it would have offered me a way out of the doldrums that is the temp job I currently work for where I find myself giving less and less of a shit every single day, however that's possible. Is there a negative level of "can't give a shit"? Or does it become a point where "can't give a shit" reaches absolute zero and either doesn't exist anymore or has to reset itself?
I will probable have the answer to that in a few days/weeks, I don't even know. With no new prospects on the horizon I feel like I'm walking through the desert, hoping for a mirage if only to keep some shred of hope.
What brought this emotional state about? I realized today that I have become one of millions of Americans who has a Job That Pays the Bills. This is different from other jobs because it's a job you hate but you drag yourself out of bed every morning because there's rent to pay and perhaps next month you may in fact have to get another car because yours won't pass smog inspection and the local DMV is on to you and your addiction to their temp tags and has cut you off cold turkey.
But I digress...
I have such a job now and while I shouldn't bitch and moan about it, guess what, I will. I don't like this job. Not one bit. And in the short time I've been working there, it has come to the point where every morning I look out my window at the sun coming up over the apartment building across the way and go, "Fuck, it's morning," when instead I should be happy that I can even see dawn because it means I didn't randomly die in my sleep.
Here's the thing about me though, and I will be honest with you: I bitch about everything. Every single job I've had I bitched about, though for 99.99987% of those the bitching was warrented, as is the case here.
But even when I had a Job I Loved and I bitched about it, it was that good kind of bitching, like what you do for family or any loved one that annoys you and where you actually were getting a paycheck that would have been able to support, bills, rent and a car payment. God I miss it.
I hope I'm not here too long, I hope I can get back to the good bitching about my job. Really, I've only had one job where I didn't want to jab a pen in someone's neck and that was a wonderful feeling. Here, I see pens every where, and not just 'cause I'm stocking them in the supply cabinets.
To end this post I'll leave you with a quote from an episode of Futurama that happened to be playing exactly as I was writing this post:
"Isn't it time you gave up on any hope of improving yourself in any way?"
Nay, I say to you, Bender. Nay it's not. There is, and will always be May, and with it it will bring the Upfronts and potential Jobs I Love.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
This Worries Me...
While I am truly grateful to have a full time job (and the paycheck that goes with it) recent events have caused me deep concern. Most notably I've been given even more responsiblity besides the fetch and deliver responsibilities I had before. I've now been assigned a specific task in my job and while my supervisor was explaining the details to me I couldn't help but run a ticker tape in my mind that read something like this: "You know I'm not going to be here that long, right? Why are you doing this? Oh god, she really believes I'm goign to stay here."
I have no idea if my supervisor just doesn't understand the concept of a "temp" worker or if she's just hoping beyond hope that I'll be the one temp who sticks (I will not) but she assgined me a task that's, quite frankly, long term. I have no intention of being here "long term" as the strike is over and I'm damned and determined to get back on a show by June. That's a long ways away I know but even still I think it would be best for the two people who are already here to handle the long term assignments while I handle the grunt work, which I don't mind doing. I almost feel bad that my supervisor is going to have to 1)find someone to replace me and 2) retrain them in all the harder stuff she's training me to do right now. She's had a history of people not sticking to the position I currently hold and I can see why.
I was okay with the little things, like the phone having my name in the display, me getting a company email (which I totally DON'T need), the parking pass (everyone loves free parking) and even being put on the company contact list and seating chart but those didn't feel as permanent as being given this new task does. On one hand it shows she likes me and thinks highly of me, but on the other it also gives her a false sense of hope because the first chance I get I'm out of here.
I certainly hope I'm not here until June. While it's a lovely place to work it's totally not me and not what I want to be doing for months on end.
I have no idea if my supervisor just doesn't understand the concept of a "temp" worker or if she's just hoping beyond hope that I'll be the one temp who sticks (I will not) but she assgined me a task that's, quite frankly, long term. I have no intention of being here "long term" as the strike is over and I'm damned and determined to get back on a show by June. That's a long ways away I know but even still I think it would be best for the two people who are already here to handle the long term assignments while I handle the grunt work, which I don't mind doing. I almost feel bad that my supervisor is going to have to 1)find someone to replace me and 2) retrain them in all the harder stuff she's training me to do right now. She's had a history of people not sticking to the position I currently hold and I can see why.
I was okay with the little things, like the phone having my name in the display, me getting a company email (which I totally DON'T need), the parking pass (everyone loves free parking) and even being put on the company contact list and seating chart but those didn't feel as permanent as being given this new task does. On one hand it shows she likes me and thinks highly of me, but on the other it also gives her a false sense of hope because the first chance I get I'm out of here.
I certainly hope I'm not here until June. While it's a lovely place to work it's totally not me and not what I want to be doing for months on end.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Temporarily Permanent
Yesterday I began my first day of termporarily permanent work. I say that because it's an open ended assignment, so I don't know how long I'll be here but until that day comes I've got a job every day. Which is nice.
While I was used to doing the receptionist thing these past few weeks, this new job has me in an open cubicle, which is the first cubicle I've ever worked in. Somehow I'd managed to avoid the standard working setup of most Americans. I have a desk, a computer, a phone and a space to myself. I even have those electronic keys that open doors, and a parking garage card so I don't have to pay for parking. On one hand it's kinda cool, but on the other this isn't really the place I want to be working at for the rest of my life, if you catch my drift that I don't want to be working here for the rest of my life. Hell, I don't want to be working here for the rest of the month, and yet I very well may be working here for a few while until I can get a job in the industry I DO want to be working in and I don't know when that will be so I have to just stay put.
I'm happy my computer faces the wall so that I can do things like this, instead of, you know, actually working. However, it's not like I'm avoiding work. I'm sure at some point there will be a rush of things for me to do but I'm worried that there might not be and this company realize they didn't actually need that extra pair of hands after all. It's weird, I want to be useful so I don't go back to the day to day work, but I also enjoy getting paid to play Spider Solitaire. Ahh, the conflict of feelings.
While I was used to doing the receptionist thing these past few weeks, this new job has me in an open cubicle, which is the first cubicle I've ever worked in. Somehow I'd managed to avoid the standard working setup of most Americans. I have a desk, a computer, a phone and a space to myself. I even have those electronic keys that open doors, and a parking garage card so I don't have to pay for parking. On one hand it's kinda cool, but on the other this isn't really the place I want to be working at for the rest of my life, if you catch my drift that I don't want to be working here for the rest of my life. Hell, I don't want to be working here for the rest of the month, and yet I very well may be working here for a few while until I can get a job in the industry I DO want to be working in and I don't know when that will be so I have to just stay put.
I'm happy my computer faces the wall so that I can do things like this, instead of, you know, actually working. However, it's not like I'm avoiding work. I'm sure at some point there will be a rush of things for me to do but I'm worried that there might not be and this company realize they didn't actually need that extra pair of hands after all. It's weird, I want to be useful so I don't go back to the day to day work, but I also enjoy getting paid to play Spider Solitaire. Ahh, the conflict of feelings.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Gainfully Employed
Faithful readers, you are reading the words of a now semi-fully employed blogger.
Though my awesome temp agency I now have an "open ended" assignment, meaning that there's no end date to my employment. Well, I take that back, there is an end date and that date is when they ask me to stay on permanently. Once that happens I must decline and go back to the touch and go temping, because my heart lies in being a writer and seeing as I've had some success with that I'm going to stick with it.
But, for now, there will be no more waiting for people to call to tell me where to go. As of Wednesday I will be going to the same place for the next few weeks, or, like I said, until they ask me to stay permanently, AND they pay well.
On top of all this, Tuesday I will be back at that one place that paid so super well and I didn't do a damn thing all day. Will lightening strike twice? I doubt it. I figure Karma will get me this time around and actually give me something to do, but that's cool cause I'll just make up for the first time.
It's a cool, internet based company and my basic job will be to make sure shit gets done and to make sure all the office supplies aren't being pilfered so much that the company goes bankrupt ordering Kleenex tissues. And to answer some phones and such, when necessary. Nothing I haven't done before (aside from keeping people from taking office shit, usually I'm the one pilfering Post-It notes, Kleenex and other shit I don't need but it sates the klepto in me).
Here's to employment!
Though my awesome temp agency I now have an "open ended" assignment, meaning that there's no end date to my employment. Well, I take that back, there is an end date and that date is when they ask me to stay on permanently. Once that happens I must decline and go back to the touch and go temping, because my heart lies in being a writer and seeing as I've had some success with that I'm going to stick with it.
But, for now, there will be no more waiting for people to call to tell me where to go. As of Wednesday I will be going to the same place for the next few weeks, or, like I said, until they ask me to stay permanently, AND they pay well.
On top of all this, Tuesday I will be back at that one place that paid so super well and I didn't do a damn thing all day. Will lightening strike twice? I doubt it. I figure Karma will get me this time around and actually give me something to do, but that's cool cause I'll just make up for the first time.
It's a cool, internet based company and my basic job will be to make sure shit gets done and to make sure all the office supplies aren't being pilfered so much that the company goes bankrupt ordering Kleenex tissues. And to answer some phones and such, when necessary. Nothing I haven't done before (aside from keeping people from taking office shit, usually I'm the one pilfering Post-It notes, Kleenex and other shit I don't need but it sates the klepto in me).
Here's to employment!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Work, Finally!
So my streak ended yesterday and I got one of the best jobs I've had thus far. And by best I mean it was the biggest paying thus far (14 bucks per hour) and I had the absolute LEAST to do.
It was one of those awkward situations where I was there and you could see the realization on my supervisors face that my presence was totally unnecessary but there was nothing she could do because they'd already locked me in for the day. Apparently, the phones had been ringing off the hook the day before and they thought they'd need someone for the next day as well. That is where I came in.
But when I came in, there were no phones ringing off the hook. In an eight hour day I answered the phone exactly six times. I know, because I counted. And four of those were from people who already worked there calling in to see what was going on. I had to transfer a call exactly once. The rest of the time I was doing what I would have been doing had I been at home: Surfing the net and goofing off. Except this time I was getting paid for it and I was using a MAC.
My supervisor kept apologizing, saying that usually there was something to do, and I kept having to pretend I cared, because regardless I was getting paid. I think she was really apologizing to herself for the money she was spending.
Though, I can report that my touch and go work stream might be coming to an end. Will keep you posted:)
It was one of those awkward situations where I was there and you could see the realization on my supervisors face that my presence was totally unnecessary but there was nothing she could do because they'd already locked me in for the day. Apparently, the phones had been ringing off the hook the day before and they thought they'd need someone for the next day as well. That is where I came in.
But when I came in, there were no phones ringing off the hook. In an eight hour day I answered the phone exactly six times. I know, because I counted. And four of those were from people who already worked there calling in to see what was going on. I had to transfer a call exactly once. The rest of the time I was doing what I would have been doing had I been at home: Surfing the net and goofing off. Except this time I was getting paid for it and I was using a MAC.
My supervisor kept apologizing, saying that usually there was something to do, and I kept having to pretend I cared, because regardless I was getting paid. I think she was really apologizing to herself for the money she was spending.
Though, I can report that my touch and go work stream might be coming to an end. Will keep you posted:)
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The Down Streak is Over!
Got a gig tomorrow! The highest paying gig thus far as well! (like, well over the $11 minimum) and I'm excited!
Here's hoping I can make it last for more than a day.
Here's hoping I can make it last for more than a day.
Recyling is Nice But It Doesn't Pay the Bills
I'm on day two of what I fear will become a non-work week. There's nothing doin' for today on the good temp agency front, so I called the not so good agency front and even they don't seem to have anything for the rest of the week. Damn.
Though I can't say I'm surprised. When I started temping it was raining biblically and quite a few people were probably calling in sick as to not have to deal with the traffic, and it was also mid/late January, when people really were getting sick. I filled in a lot for people who had the flu.
Now, the temperature's getting back up into the 70s, and not just during the day. These past few days it's gotten so warm at night I've had to bring out the window fan again. With the weather nice fewer people will be getting sick, and thus fewer jobs for me to fill in. It sucks but thus is the life of the temp. I've had two and a half weeks of up, I guess this is my down time.
In my down time I decided to finally take out my recycling to the local recycling center. It's one where you can put the bottles and cans into this little machine which counts them up for you. I had one hellavu time getting my plastic bottles to go in, the machine is very picky about exactly how you put in the bottles and some of them it kept rejecting and sending back until I finessed the bottle inside just right.
For my troubles, and my bottles and cans, I got exactly three dollars and forty-five cents. There was nothing that I could do with that except put it into my X-Men piggy bank.
Yes, I have an X-Men piggy bank. Don't laugh.
Though I can't say I'm surprised. When I started temping it was raining biblically and quite a few people were probably calling in sick as to not have to deal with the traffic, and it was also mid/late January, when people really were getting sick. I filled in a lot for people who had the flu.
Now, the temperature's getting back up into the 70s, and not just during the day. These past few days it's gotten so warm at night I've had to bring out the window fan again. With the weather nice fewer people will be getting sick, and thus fewer jobs for me to fill in. It sucks but thus is the life of the temp. I've had two and a half weeks of up, I guess this is my down time.
In my down time I decided to finally take out my recycling to the local recycling center. It's one where you can put the bottles and cans into this little machine which counts them up for you. I had one hellavu time getting my plastic bottles to go in, the machine is very picky about exactly how you put in the bottles and some of them it kept rejecting and sending back until I finessed the bottle inside just right.
For my troubles, and my bottles and cans, I got exactly three dollars and forty-five cents. There was nothing that I could do with that except put it into my X-Men piggy bank.
Yes, I have an X-Men piggy bank. Don't laugh.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Ferengi Rule of Acuisition # 18*
"A day without profit is a day wasted."*
Today was the first day not by my own hand that I didn't work:( I guess I shouldn't feel so bad, I've had a great streak of luck and there's still the rest of the week to look forward to, as well as the fact that the writer's strike looks to be seriously coming to an end, but I've gotten used to working again. I even woke up before 8am today! Got to the gym hella earlier.
I can't really complain, I had a really good run there for a while so maybe it's time for a break or something. We'll see what happens with the next few days. I certainly hope I get back on the horse.
* I know the official rule is "A Ferengi without profit isn't a Ferengi at all," but that doesn't make much sense now does it? Especially considering I'm not a Ferengi.
Today was the first day not by my own hand that I didn't work:( I guess I shouldn't feel so bad, I've had a great streak of luck and there's still the rest of the week to look forward to, as well as the fact that the writer's strike looks to be seriously coming to an end, but I've gotten used to working again. I even woke up before 8am today! Got to the gym hella earlier.
I can't really complain, I had a really good run there for a while so maybe it's time for a break or something. We'll see what happens with the next few days. I certainly hope I get back on the horse.
* I know the official rule is "A Ferengi without profit isn't a Ferengi at all," but that doesn't make much sense now does it? Especially considering I'm not a Ferengi.
Monday, February 4, 2008
A Job a Monkey Could Do. Literally.
I don't know how proficient monkeys are with using stickers, but I know that from years of experience with stickers, both academic and personal, that the job I had today was probably the easiest I'll ever have in my life.
My temp job today was placing stickers on these 2 and a half inch, 6 strength magnifying glasses. Whatever strength 6 means. There were 15 cases, filled with ten boxes of twelve magnifying glasses, which, for shits and giggles, I will henceforth refer to as "widgets" cause really, when in the hell have you actually encountered a widget? At least now I can pretend the math from all those standardized tests is being used.
Anyway, I was responsible for putting this companies promotional stickers on these widgets, front and back. For those of you, like me, who sucked at math, I had approximately 1800 widgets to stick stickers on. (Did I just break out my computer's calculator? Yes. And no, I am not ashamed.) I say "approximately" because one box was already open when I got there.
The people were very nice, and the offices were well done, complete with this kind of Boiler Room type of office where all these older guys were sitting at computers watching CNN's stock channel. I have no idea why. I was placed in the kitchen at a descent table, but the chairs, as I would come to learn six hours into my stint of widget stickering, weren't too easygoing on the lower back. At some point I had to sneak into the office and usurp an unused office chair for a moment's reprieve.
By the end of the day I'd completed eight boxes, roughly 960 widgets. My back was hurting, the skin on my hands were ashy, and I had two paper cuts on each thumb but damned if I let the band-aids slow me down. My onsite supervisor was so pleased with my expedient work she had me call my coordinator and used my cell phone to request me for Friday, in order to finish what I started.
While I'm happy to get the full day's work, I'm not really looking forward to stickering widgets again, even if I get to wear jeans to work and listen to my Ipod all day. Even still, I will complete my task, taking down those widgets one sticker at a time.
My temp job today was placing stickers on these 2 and a half inch, 6 strength magnifying glasses. Whatever strength 6 means. There were 15 cases, filled with ten boxes of twelve magnifying glasses, which, for shits and giggles, I will henceforth refer to as "widgets" cause really, when in the hell have you actually encountered a widget? At least now I can pretend the math from all those standardized tests is being used.
Anyway, I was responsible for putting this companies promotional stickers on these widgets, front and back. For those of you, like me, who sucked at math, I had approximately 1800 widgets to stick stickers on. (Did I just break out my computer's calculator? Yes. And no, I am not ashamed.) I say "approximately" because one box was already open when I got there.
The people were very nice, and the offices were well done, complete with this kind of Boiler Room type of office where all these older guys were sitting at computers watching CNN's stock channel. I have no idea why. I was placed in the kitchen at a descent table, but the chairs, as I would come to learn six hours into my stint of widget stickering, weren't too easygoing on the lower back. At some point I had to sneak into the office and usurp an unused office chair for a moment's reprieve.
By the end of the day I'd completed eight boxes, roughly 960 widgets. My back was hurting, the skin on my hands were ashy, and I had two paper cuts on each thumb but damned if I let the band-aids slow me down. My onsite supervisor was so pleased with my expedient work she had me call my coordinator and used my cell phone to request me for Friday, in order to finish what I started.
While I'm happy to get the full day's work, I'm not really looking forward to stickering widgets again, even if I get to wear jeans to work and listen to my Ipod all day. Even still, I will complete my task, taking down those widgets one sticker at a time.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Did Get Money
I got my first two paychecks today and it felt wonderful:). They weren't that big and I found out that even though checks will be delivered at the end of each week (if you don't drive in to pick them up on Friday then you'll get them either that Saturday or Sunday) they're two weeks behind, so I'm getting my first two days that I worked and next week I'll get the days I worked this week. Fair deal I think. I'm still back to being paid on a weekly basis.
Lovey brought up a very good point in her comment to my last post and I wanted to address the whole half day thing. My coordinator knows I prefer the whole day. He's very considerate of that. He knows I won't work for less than 11 dollars an hour and he tries to get me that or above it and he's been really good about getting my jobs at 12 bucks an hour, including one that was a half day. I've got three whole days of work next week, would have been four but I had to take off a day in order to get my taxes done cause it's not as simple as taking off an hour out here and getting it done on your lunch break so I took off a day and that's my thing.
But, whenever they need to look good, they'll call me and ask even if it is a half day. The two half days were clients they hadn't had in a very long time and it goes a long way that they can deliver someone quickly so in making them look good I've become their go to person for full days preferably and if not then they'll toss me some half day work. Where as the other clients who aren't taking the half days, I'm probably getting first dibs at their full day openings so it's win-win.
And it sure is nice to get a paycheck again. A paycheck from actually WORKING. I feel so much better about myself.
Lovey brought up a very good point in her comment to my last post and I wanted to address the whole half day thing. My coordinator knows I prefer the whole day. He's very considerate of that. He knows I won't work for less than 11 dollars an hour and he tries to get me that or above it and he's been really good about getting my jobs at 12 bucks an hour, including one that was a half day. I've got three whole days of work next week, would have been four but I had to take off a day in order to get my taxes done cause it's not as simple as taking off an hour out here and getting it done on your lunch break so I took off a day and that's my thing.
But, whenever they need to look good, they'll call me and ask even if it is a half day. The two half days were clients they hadn't had in a very long time and it goes a long way that they can deliver someone quickly so in making them look good I've become their go to person for full days preferably and if not then they'll toss me some half day work. Where as the other clients who aren't taking the half days, I'm probably getting first dibs at their full day openings so it's win-win.
And it sure is nice to get a paycheck again. A paycheck from actually WORKING. I feel so much better about myself.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Will Work For Money
I'm going to reach my goal this week of working every day. Even though the last two days have only been half days I think that's better than nothing. If anything one of those days will totally pay for me to fill up my tank (as long as prices currently hold).
I got called in today from 2-6 and my coordinator was ever so happy I took the job. Much like with the rain, I didn't understand why until he told me that most people won't get out of bed for a half day's work and some people just won't answer their phones at all for any work. Again, the Midwestern in me was shocked. Sure, I would love a full day of work but I'm not going to turn down a half day either. Money is money. And because I'm such an eager beaver I've become his number one go to employee. :) Not just for half days either, but for work period. So while everyone else is sitting it out I'm getting all their income.
I got called in today from 2-6 and my coordinator was ever so happy I took the job. Much like with the rain, I didn't understand why until he told me that most people won't get out of bed for a half day's work and some people just won't answer their phones at all for any work. Again, the Midwestern in me was shocked. Sure, I would love a full day of work but I'm not going to turn down a half day either. Money is money. And because I'm such an eager beaver I've become his number one go to employee. :) Not just for half days either, but for work period. So while everyone else is sitting it out I'm getting all their income.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
