28 April 2007

Is It Too Early To Start Hating My Job?

Because I did start hating it. At about 2:30 pm Monday. Does that make me a horrid ingrate, or a whiner with an overly large sense of entitlement? Or both. But seriously, I don't really want to make a career of doing data entry for the real estate other people are buying and selling. The only real estate I care about is the bits I'm going to buy in Vancouver, B.C. and London when my secret trust fund comes through. Honestly, the job is mind-numbing and butt-numbing and I will be permanently disfigured from the hours I have spent in front of the microfilm looking for deeds going back to 1900. Yeah, you heard me, microfilm. All the records from 1900-1965ish are on microfilm. Also, there is a Chatty Cathy receptionist/secretary with whom I share office space AND a guy who can't give anything but long, complicated answers to simple questions, answers which don't actually answer the question and only serve to confuse me more. He is also a nitpicker. Of the many, many documents I searched for and copied from the microfilm for him, there was one, (ONE!) that I had enlarged just a little too much and the last letter of every sentence was cut off. He had to point out the mistake AND give me a lecture about how it could be fixed. Did he think I just got lucky the other ninety-nine times? Big fat UGH!

And finally, I recently heard about an opening for the manager/director of the local art/history museum. Several people have told me to apply because I would be perfect for it. I think they think I'm more skilled than I am. But it would also be kind of a dream job. Would it make me a heinous wench if I applied and got it after my current employer has spent however many weeks training me? And if so, how much of one? Because I'm willing to put up with a lot of anger and resentment if I'm never going to see these people again. My home town is pretty small, but I had never met any of these people before and am pretty sure I won't be running into them on a regular basis. Any opinions?

7 comments:

blackjazz said...

I think the straight answer to your question is that it's never too early to start hating your job, but reserve the right to change your mind about it as time passes.

The nature of my work means that I've worked for quite a lot of companies and I've never started to enjoy my work until at least a few weeks have passed. The first day is always the worst!

As for applying for other jobs - why not? You've accepted employment in return for being paid. There'll be some sort of contract in place. So long as you fulfil your part of the contract you should have no twinges from your conscience. Employers often try to exert additional pressure on employees to go beyond their contract of employment, but when the situation is reversed they never do the same. (I'm not saying you shouldn't go the extra mile from time to time.) The way I'd look at it is this - if your employers decided for whatever reason that they didn't want you any more, how long would it be before they "had to let you go?"

My other piece of advice is this... any (honourable) job is better than no job. Be grateful for it and if you're unhappy or unfulfilled in it, look elsewhere but keep the job you have until you have another option.

Panini said...

OH MY GOSH, YOU HAVE TO APPLY!!!!!
(I was trying to be subtle.)

ZB said...

I love that you hate your job! Now, I understand why Farmboy hates his sometimes. Mindnumbing...yes, I think he's said that as well. I think he actually likes that he gets to search things on mirofiche...but he's not exactly normal.

Totally check out the other job (but keep the money coming in while you do). Good luck.

Unknown said...

Apply for the museum--if they want you, take it; if not, stay in the butt-number while looking for something else.

Anonymous said...

OK, this is El Farmboy of ZB Blog. Yes, I do title work and I spend hours upon hours looking at microfilm on a regular basis. But you seem to be doing something a bit different. I'm assuming you're not a Title Officer, but an assistant of some sorts. Well, if you put in your mind numbing time long enough, then you can work your way into escrow where you then close other peoples loans and purchaces of dream homes around the state. And if you stay at it even longer, then you get to manage other people closing other peoples dream home purchases and loans all while working for peanuts and never closing on your own dream home. Actually, by the time you are manager, you're in the 6 figures, but that is at least 15 to 20 years down the road. How about that for a rosy outlook on you career?

If your in the title industry, they don't expect you to last very long. Unless you're making over $20 an hour (might be $25 up there for cost of living) they know every one of their empoyees are always looking for something better. Use them to your benifit (because trust me, they are using you for theirs) and when the better opportunity comes, jump on it. I'm only sticking it out in this industry for four things.

1. Great health insurance
2. PTO (vacation)
3. Paycheck
4. Tuition reimbursement on MBA or law degree studies.

So, there you have it, unwanted and un-requested fatherly advice from a conservative who you rarely see eye to eye with.

Scully said...

Thanks, Farmboy, that is excellent advice and assuages my conscience a bit. And we probably see eye-to-eye more than most. I just enjoy playing devil's advocate far too much!

Anonymous said...

Farmboy has some very valid points. I do love my job, but dislike very much our division manager (not my immediate supervisor but I do some work for him from time to time). Anyway, I have felt like quitting sometimes and joining another company or work for a municipality but it's those health benefits and pretty good pay that keep me there. And the fact that I like what I do. Anyway, my advice would be to apply for the museum job and keep this one until you get the museum job. You've gotta be happy doing what you do or you'll just be miserable and stressed out all the time. PapaBear hated one of his jobs so much that it made him sick. I mean physically ill. So don't stress over the job and especially don't stress over quitting so early into it. If it's not for you then it's not for you. Most places have like a trial period for a certain amount of time to see how they like you anyway. So don't sweat it. BrotherBear recently did that and he's much happier and gets better benefits and pay at his new job. Do what you need to do to be happy.