Help Greg Look for Work

[greg]

this is my version of "Help George Look for Work", or whatever it was called 

basically, i can't keep on working where i am, i can't describe how much i hate it- and it's not work in general that i hate, it's this specific job.


in fact, i've decided not to go to school yet (don't know if i could with the stuff i have left to do anyways), and work is one of the main reasons- no way i'm going to get stuck with this job, i'd rather die than work another year at Lowe's.

what i'm looking for is a job that doesn't involve working with tons of people....... i'm still looking out for library jobs ( 0:)), but does anyone else have any ideas? What i'd like even better would be some type of work-at-home job, where you just work on the computer all day. My mom has one, but it's not exactly something that i'd like to do, close, though....

[Brian]

what i'm looking for is a job that doesn't involve working with tons of people.......

Can't quite help you, friend.  My past jobs have included herding small children every day for a summer, and cashiering at Wal-Mart. Not exactly the lines of work for those who don't want to work with tons of people (although I'm really a bit of a loner) ...

[greg]

Can't quite help you, friend.  My past jobs have included herding small children every day for a summer, and cashiering at Wal-Mart. Not exactly the lines of work for those who don't want to work with tons of people (although I'm really a bit of a loner) ...

i wonder if Wal-Mart is worse than Lowe's.....
i'm a cashier at Lowe's, and what makes it bad is the way they force you to interact with people. When you're not busy, you have to stand in front of the register, so you're constantly hearing greetings like- "i bet you're bored", "looking for work?", "you look bored", etc. when i feel like telling them to go away, instead i have to constantly put on a fake smile to avoid being rude. Then i have to constantly explain the same things- how to put their card in the machine, ask to see their card (to type in the last 4 numbers), explain that the machine didn't read their card so i have to scan it again, even though they just did their PIN number- so they get confused and ask me if it'll double charge them..... i have to explain the totally f%$ed up system a thousand times a day, and smile at the same time.... it may not sound bad, but to me every day of work is the worse torture i've ever been through. If i had no other choice but to do this job for many years, i'd kill myself right now if i could.

[PerfectWagnerite]

what i'm looking for is a job that doesn't involve working with tons of people.......

Uhhh, would you like to write c-code, do electrical schematics and layouts all day? I do that and there is NO interaction of any sort with ANYBODY. Sometimes it's good sometimes it sucks. You do get to put on a pair of headphones and listen to whatever you want though.

But somehow I think you need to get out of school with an engineering or computer science degree for that though.

[Keemun]

what i'm looking for is a job that doesn't involve working with tons of people.......

You might try finding an office job.  Of course, many office jobs require a college education, which you said you are putting off for now.  But there are still office jobs that don't require a college degree (delivering internal mail, clerical work, etc.).  In most offices you won't be dealing with "the public" on a regular basis, unless it is a customer support position, which you might dislike even more than Lowes.    

[Brian]

i wonder if Wal-Mart is worse than Lowe's.....
i'm a cashier at Lowe's, and what makes it bad is the way they force you to interact with people. When you're not busy, you have to stand in front of the register, so you're constantly hearing greetings like- "i bet you're bored", "looking for work?", "you look bored", etc. when i feel like telling them to go away, instead i have to constantly put on a fake smile to avoid being rude. Then i have to constantly explain the same things- how to put their card in the machine, ask to see their card (to type in the last 4 numbers), explain that the machine didn't read their card so i have to scan it again, even though they just did their PIN number- so they get confused and ask me if it'll double charge them..... i have to explain the totally f%$ed up system a thousand times a day, and smile at the same time.... it may not sound bad, but to me every day of work is the worse torture i've ever been through. If i had no other choice but to do this job for many years, i'd kill myself right now if i could.

We have that "stand in front of the register" rule. It's pretty dull sometimes, standing around staring at racks of $1 DVDs and hats and coffee mugs, but on the other hand Wal-Mart is a lot busier than Lowe's, which poses its own set of problems. Thanks to management's constant close eye (which is a good thing at my store since they're so nice), I never was involved in any major disasters, although when I worked at Quiznos the credit card reader broke right at the start of the dinner rush, there were only two of us employees, and in the line of like two dozen people who wanted sandwiches, almost none had brought cash.

You are right, though, about credit card readers occasionally not working, and explaining various quirky rules to customers. Sometimes I did not bother and once accidentally allowed some pastor guy to walk out of the store with some unintentionally free stuff  - I forgot to ring it up separately like he asked and neither of us noticed!

Neither did management *phew*

One thing which probably is obvious:
DO NOT WORK IN A CALL CENTER OF ANY KIND.

[(poco) Sforzando]

i wonder if Wal-Mart is worse than Lowe's.....
i'm a cashier at Lowe's, and what makes it bad is the way they force you to interact with people. When you're not busy, you have to stand in front of the register, so you're constantly hearing greetings like- "i bet you're bored", "looking for work?", "you look bored", etc. when i feel like telling them to go away, instead i have to constantly put on a fake smile to avoid being rude. Then i have to constantly explain the same things- how to put their card in the machine, ask to see their card (to type in the last 4 numbers), explain that the machine didn't read their card so i have to scan it again, even though they just did their PIN number- so they get confused and ask me if it'll double charge them..... i have to explain the totally f%$ed up system a thousand times a day, and smile at the same time.... it may not sound bad, but to me every day of work is the worse torture i've ever been through. If i had no other choice but to do this job for many years, i'd kill myself right now if i could.

Unfortunately, it is unlikely you'll find a satisfactory well-paying job without additional education. But you apparently don't want to go to school right now. Do you have any inclination to do electrical work, landscaping, carpentry, plumbing, tiling, house painting, etc? There's a lot of money to be made in home improvement if you're good at it. At least the guys who've been working on my home of late have made a killing from me.

[greg]

Uhhh, would you like to write c-code, do electrical schematics and layouts all day? I do that and there is NO interaction of any sort with ANYBODY. Sometimes it's good sometimes it sucks. You do get to put on a pair of headphones and listen to whatever you want though.

But somehow I think you need to get out of school with an engineering or computer science degree for that though.

that's exactly what i plan to do in the future, but i have to work to pay for stuff first.....

i seriously can't wait until then! Although i do know how irritating programming can be, when you try a million different things and a program still doesn't compile 
still, if you have headphones, that helps so much! I used to have what was officially the most monotonous job in the world, but since i had my headphones on all day, i loved it! 

it's just my personality type, i suppose, i need to live in my own world and have my own space to daydream- i was so happy at my other jobs sometimes if i just let myself go and think  0:)

You might try finding an office job.  Of course, many office jobs require a college education, which you said you are putting off for now.  But there are still office jobs that don't require a college degree (delivering internal mail, clerical work, etc.).  In most offices you won't be dealing with "the public" on a regular basis, unless it is a customer support position, which you might dislike even more than Lowes.    

Clerical work, eh?
thanks for the suggestion, i'll have to check into that. Didn't know the official job title, office jobs that aren't customer service i suppose are exactly what i'm looking for.

[Iago]

what i'm looking for is a job that doesn't involve working with tons of people....... ..

I think you would have been more truthful if you omitted the last 4 words of the above quote.
I know you have no regard for my opinion. But I feel that at the present time you have both an unrealistic evaluation of your worth and your work ability. If you continue to have a reluctance to work with "tons of people", you will ultimately be shunned and avoided as a "loner". Maybe that's what you want?
You have lots of growing up to do. And your public affectations (such as this japanese/chinese business) does NOT reflect well on you, and attracts NOBODY. It is merely a manifestation of your own misplaced self-worth.

[greg]

We have that "stand in front of the register" rule. It's pretty dull sometimes, standing around staring at racks of $1 DVDs and hats and coffee mugs, but on the other hand Wal-Mart is a lot busier than Lowe's, which poses its own set of problems. Thanks to management's constant close eye (which is a good thing at my store since they're so nice), I never was involved in any major disasters, although when I worked at Quiznos the credit card reader broke right at the start of the dinner rush, there were only two of us employees, and in the line of like two dozen people who wanted sandwiches, almost none had brought cash.

You are right, though, about credit card readers occasionally not working, and explaining various quirky rules to customers. Sometimes I did not bother and once accidentally allowed some pastor guy to walk out of the store with some unintentionally free stuff  - I forgot to ring it up separately like he asked and neither of us noticed!

Neither did management *phew*

One thing which probably is obvious:
DO NOT WORK IN A CALL CENTER OF ANY KIND.

The Credit Card system is one of the worst aspects about these jobs. If everyone just payed cash, the job would only be half as bad. One day at Lowe's, the Debit Card system was down, so we had to explain to everyone that they can't use a Debit Card, or it would take an extremely long time, and also they couldn't buy a gift card. So they get extremely mad, this old lady was buying a flower and a gift card, and when I told her the system isn't working and she can't buy a gift card right now, she just got mad and walked straight out the door, leaving me with the plant.....

I worked for Quiznos for less than a week.... that was one awful job, that i quit. The manager was my main problem, i couldn't remember how to do stuff and they expect you to remember everything by the second day. So the second i don't look busy, he makes me stand out and hold a sign in front of traffic (even if it's raining or EXTREMELY hot). He tells me i need to be more outgoing and greet customers when they enter.... but it's like telling a dog to "meow". I'm not outgoing and i don't like people- just imaging yelling, "Welcome to Quiznos" when a customer enters makes me want to smash my head open, doing stuff like that is horribly painful. Actually, i guess my parents have picked up on this aspect since during the time when you shake hands at church, my dad says i look like i want to beat people up, especially years ago when this lady used to call me "Smiley" since i hardly ever smile.  So i force myself, and surely it must look fake! 

My job at Winn-Dixie which i had for a week (before quitting to get the library job) was VERY tiring, and pushing in carts in for hours gave me blisters. I was a bagger, too, so i didn't have to talk to anyone.  0:) But it was only physically tiring, and not psychologically, so i could take it.

One thing which probably is obvious:
DO NOT WORK IN A CALL CENTER OF ANY KIND.

oh yes, people can be mean!

Unfortunately, it is unlikely you'll find a satisfactory well-paying job without additional education. But you apparently don't want to go to school right now. Do you have any inclination to do electrical work, landscaping, carpentry, plumbing, tiling, house painting, etc? There's a lot of money to be made in home improvement if you're good at it. At least the guys who've been working on my home of late have made a killing from me.

none of that is something i'd be interested in, but I'd DEFINETELY prefer it to what i'm doing now.

I had a friend in 12th grade who was doing wrestling but by the end of the year decided to become an electrician. He said he was being taught by some guy and the pay sounded really really good! I suppose you could even listen to an iPod while you're alone doing work maybe. Do you know anything about these jobs, like if you could get paid internship and then go solo eventually? (i don't know anything about these jobs, so who knows)

[greg]

I think you would have been more truthful if you omitted the last 4 words of the above quote.
I know you have no regard for my opinion. But I feel that at the present time you have both an unrealistic evaluation of your worth and your work ability. If you continue to have a reluctance to work with "tons of people", you will ultimately be shunned and avoided as a "loner". Maybe that's what you want?

yes, i'd rather be a loner than a psychotic person who is starting to fantasize about very bad things, all because of this job.

You have lots of growing up to do. And your public affectations (such as this japanese/chinese business) does NOT reflect well on you, and attracts NOBODY. It is merely a manifestation of your own misplaced self-worth.

lol! 
i guess Chinese characters don't fascinate you, then 

[Iago]

. I'm not outgoing and i don't like people

THAT says more about you than any other thing you've written.
I feel sorry for you.

[greg]

THAT says more about you than any other thing you've written.
I feel sorry for you.

yes, i feel sorry for myself that i can't change my personality, too.
why don't we cry together?

[head-case]

yes, i feel sorry for myself that i can't change my personality, too.
why don't we cry together?

You'd probably being a classical music store clerk, a job that existed in pre-historic times, when people bought classical music in record stores.  I remember going to J&R music world on park row to buy classical recordings.  If you asked for a particular recording, the clerk would pontificate for at least five minutes on how that was the worst recording ever made of the piece in question, naming at least 5 fatal flaws, such as the fact that the conductor is a hack, the recording engineer is incompetent, the pressing is bad, the clarinets play too loud, etc.  Then they would start off on the ten other recordings that were obviously superior.  But now there are no classical record stores.  Instead we have these web sites.

[Kullervo]

I know you probably don't want to hear this, but you really don't have many choices, especially living in Yokeltown, Florida. You're young and inexperienced with no post-high school education to speak of. The cushy jobs don't want you, and most of them are already taken by old women anyway.

You live with your parents, right? Work part-time. It's usually only 3 days a week and it leaves you plenty of free time.

Perhaps you should apply as a stockman at Wal-Mart. I did that two years ago and didn't have to interact with anyone and was free to listen to my iPod.

Maybe you could ask your supervisor to transfer you to another department?

Though I think the best advice I can give you is to stop feeling like a victim and viewing the world as a hostile entity. Accept that you probably won't have a great job right out of high school.

[Kullervo]

You'd probably being a classical music store clerk, a job that existed in pre-historic times, when people bought classical music in record stores.  I remember going to J&R music world on park row to buy classical recordings.  If you asked for a particular recording, the clerk would pontificate for at least five minutes on how that was the worst recording ever made of the piece in question, naming at least 5 fatal flaws, such as the fact that the conductor is a hack, the recording engineer is incompetent, the pressing is bad, the clarinets play too loud, etc.  Then they would start off on the ten other recordings that were obviously superior.  But now there are no classical record stores.  Instead we have these web sites.

That was my favorite job. 

[Szykneij]

Greg, it would be a very good idea for you to work on developing your interpersonal skills. Perhaps if you felt more comfortable communicating and interacting with people, you'd enjoy being around them more. The fact is, others sense your dislike for them and dislike you in return. Being unlikable isn't going to help you get any kind of job at all.

[greg]

You'd probably being a classical music store clerk, a job that existed in pre-historic times, when people bought classical music in record stores.  I remember going to J&R music world on park row to buy classical recordings.  If you asked for a particular recording, the clerk would pontificate for at least five minutes on how that was the worst recording ever made of the piece in question, naming at least 5 fatal flaws, such as the fact that the conductor is a hack, the recording engineer is incompetent, the pressing is bad, the clarinets play too loud, etc.  Then they would start off on the ten other recordings that were obviously superior.  But now there are no classical record stores.  Instead we have these web sites.

man, if i had that job i actually WOULD like meeting random people!  0:) 0:) 0:)

I know you probably don't want to hear this, but you really don't have many choices, especially living in Yokeltown, Florida. You're young and inexperienced with no post-high school education to speak of. The cushy jobs don't want you, and most of them are already taken by old women anyway.

You live with your parents, right? Work part-time. It's usually only 3 days a week and it leaves you plenty of free time.

Perhaps you should apply as a stockman at Wal-Mart. I did that two years ago and didn't have to interact with anyone and was free to listen to my iPod.

Maybe you could ask your supervisor to transfer you to another department?

Though I think the best advice I can give you is to stop feeling like a victim and viewing the world as a hostile entity. Accept that you probably won't have a great job right out of high school.

you know what? That sounds brilliant. I'll ask about it at work, since i'll be buying a car soon, i won't have to worry about it being too late for my parents, so i could work at night.
If not there, then maybe another store....

so the term in 'stockman', ehhhhhh instead of 'stocker' 

Greg, it would be a very good idea for you to work on developing your interpersonal skills. Perhaps if you felt more comfortable communicating and interacting with people, you'd enjoy being around them more. The fact is, others sense your dislike for them and dislike you in return. Being unlikable isn't going to help you get any kind of job at all.

The only problem i have with people is random people and small talk about crap that's extremely uninteresting, like light bulbs, and having to say hi a million times a day. Other situations, like friends, isn't bad at all, although i can still only take so much and need at least a couple hours a day to chill and listen to music or whatever else.

[Szykneij]

The only problem i have with people is random people ... 

At the moment there are 303,235,723 random people in the U.S. and 6,644,071,207 random people in the world. One of them will decide if you get hired for the next job you apply for.   

and need at least a couple hours a day to chill and listen to music or whatever else.

Yup, I think we all need that.

[Lady Chatterley]

Why don't you write a best selling novel .That's working from home.Then sell the movie rights for millions.