What do you do for work?

[Master_Craig]

So what do you do for work?

Are you working? Are you studying in university/college? Do you have a goal of what you would like to be doing for work one day?

Post away.

 

[De-Ting]

I'm a writer. I'm self-employed, haven't had anything published and haven't made a cent from anything I've done, but it's what I do. I haven't finished anything yet because I don't want to just push out any old amateur trash. I'm too meticulous about it.

I've tried working at a few different places, but haven't held a job for more than 4 days. I've worked in a freezer pulling orders for delivery trucks, at an office editing freelance web designer commissions, and at a supermarket. I hated every minute of it. Call me weak, call me a pansy, but believe me, I know. I tried and I failed, and each time I quit I got very depressed. Forget the fact that I have trouble sleeping, forget the fact that I have bronchial asthma, I'm seriously disappointed that I can't go out and earn money like everyone else I know.

Now I'm almost 25 years old and I'm living at home in my mom's basement. Every day my mom and sister come home with a new story or complaint about their jobs, and I feel like dirt because I'm not out there suffering with them.

So I'm stuck here in this awkward place, wanting to make some real money to support my family but not willing to do so at the cost of my artistic integrity. This book, Cruel, probably could have been done a long time ago. It might even have been good, but it wouldn't have satisfied me, and I haven't even mentioned all of the fears I have with publishing it.

I saw this Disney's Frozen snowflake sandwich crust cutter one day, and it struck terror into every ounce of my soul.

It was then I realized just how afraid I was of the sheer bastardization of my work. It's a thought that looms over my head constantly. Horrible merchandise produced in the most exploited reaches of the earth that serves no purpose other than to make a fat old man in an expensive suit a quick buck. Not just that, but all of the disrespectful, distasteful things that people do to anything and everything...it's a waking nightmare.

I know I'm going to have to make some compromises to get where I want to be, but there are places I will never go, things I will never do to get there.

Anyway, there's a little taste of what I have to say. It's a sore subject, sorry.

 

[Eyebrowsbv31]

I'm a produce manager for whole foods. I manage youths 8 years younger and youths 8 years older than me, who can't get their shit together. I've gotten to watch how Obamacare (health insurance costs has tripled, premiums just peeked over 4k for individuals, 9k for families; I can't hire full time and I can't give full time hours to those that want them because of strict rules put in place by the law) and a company going public (slash labor, slash prices, we are organic walmart now to please wall street; sales and customer satisfaction have tumbled) has utterly ruined a formerly innovative and successful company; I hate my job now because of it. Least the pay is decent, sticking me in the higher income bracket for my generation.

We've gone from 15th on Forbes 100 best places to work to 75th in a decade. Enough said.

Looking into going into sales for a major company; failing that, I may just buy a small storefront and sell knicknacks and De-ting's dreams and longo's used panties.

 

[Longo_2_guns]

I'm currently getting my master's in history, and basically living off the charity of others.

Although I TA and run the social media for the department, which pay out enough to pay for luxury goods and trips away.

Nearly everyone else is both getting their degree and working a job, and I'm just a lazy sack of shit. But I'm also taking on a ton of responsibilities on a volunteer/low pay basis, so it balances out. Mostly.

But I've gotten to lecture to 120 students, and I honestly loved it. So I'm shooting for the stars and want to land some sort of professor job in the next 10 years. I'll probably adjunct for a year and then go on to my PhD, and then 5 years later land a tenure track position in Arkansas or something.

Hopefully I'm teaching by the time those of you with kids are sending them to college, so they can be in my classes.

 

[COMaestro]

Like I'd send my kids to Arkansas! Please!

My official title is Systems Administrator at a plant which mixes chemicals for use in electronics. I'm not sure I really qualify as a sysadmin, but I definitely handle some of those tasks. A lot of it is just standard IT though.

 

[Master_Craig]

I work for the state's government in the health department. My job title is "multimedia developer", so I do a lot of filming, video editing, photography, graphic design, animation etc. I also do things like audio recording/narration as well as script writing. I help our clients to make educational, health resources aimed at a remote Indigenous Australian target audience. We sometimes make promotional material for other government units and departments.

I've been in the job for almost six years. It has its ups and downs. It pays okay, which is lucky for me because normally, media is an industry that doesn't pay very well, unless you're a manager, or running your own business. Sometimes, I question as to whether or not I should have pursued this industry. People often say it's not a question about money, but rather if you enjoy what you do. I agree, to a degree, because with the cost of housing, rent and life in general, money does come into play.

I'm not going to lie, but I am looking for work elsewhere, because unfortunately, my unit is quite small and there's no where for me to go. I can't go higher. Basically, if I'm here for another four or five years, I will be on the exact same pay grade as I am now, which is to tell you the truth, disheartening. At the end of the day, I do understand that it's not so bad and others have it much worse than I do.

On the side, I do GR Strips for GameRevolution. I used to do other freelance artwork for local clients in town, but it takes up a lot of time, so I gave up on that. As of December 31st, I'll be resigning from GR Strips in an attempt to pursue my own artistic ventures.

I have two Bachelors degrees but honestly, they're nothing special. I have a Bachelors in Visual Arts and a Bachelors in Creative Arts and Industries: New Media Design. They're not special because A - I got them from the local university (a community college, so nothing fancy or expensive) and B - in the field of media, qualifications are often "desired" fields... employers want experience and proof that you have the ability to do what they want you to do. I found that in university, I actually learned absolute bugger all when compared to actually working in this job. As much as my job stresses me out and drives me nuts at times, I'm grateful for everything I've learned.

Like I said, I want to work on my own art stuff and one day, do it full time for a living. I want to make my own website, host my own web comics etc. It's an incredibly unrealistic goal, but it's something I'd like to try.

 

[madster111]

I work for myself, scratching my nuts.

Nah but seriously though i need to stop living the neet life soon, rent isn't cheap and neither is the amount of fuel my stupid car uses. Someone runs up my arse i'll be giving them a big hug, thing's insured for so much more than it's worth.
Currently looking into getting a forklift ticket. Used one a bit in the past anyway, just need to get hireable and find me a warehouse somewhere.

Like I said, I want to work on my own art stuff and one day, do it full time for a living. I want to make my own website, host my own web comics etc. It's an incredibly unrealistic goal, but it's something I'd like to try.

Not really, all you need is for 1 thing to go viral and you're pretty much set

 

[WickedLiquid]

I already answered this in the ask a question thread. I work for Harper Collins Canada which is one of the largest book publishing companies in the world.


But just to add something new here are a couple of jobs I've worked in the past....

I worked at Wal-Mart for 3 years while in school. It was a lot of fun and I had great coworkers, some of which are good friends of mine today. I was even a groomsman in a wedding party for a friend I met there.

I was a Hearse Driver... for 3 weeks... I couldn't handle it. The job was just way too creepy and I didn't fit in. I'm the kind of person who likes to laugh and enjoys making others laugh. I don't know what I was thinking but I just figured it would he easy money I guess.

One of the best jobs I ever had was working for Toys R Us on the night crew. It was from midnight to 8am but it was so much fun it was worth the graveyard shift. There was only around 12 of us and we were locked in the toy store over night with no customers or managers to bother us. The only person in charge was a "Team Leader" who let us do whatever we wanted as long as we got the work done. We would usually get everything finished after 5 hours and spend the remaining 3 hours playing games or riding scooters around the store. Best job ever.[/b]

 

[Master_Craig]

Haha, the Toys 'R Us job sounds awesome, WickedLiquid.

If we're gonna discuss past work... oh boy. Here's all my previous jobs while I was studying in university.

I used to work for Telstra, Australia's biggest telecommunications company. I worked in one of the retail shops. Given that it's a 'telco" company, a lot of customers were unhappy (for good reason too) but unfortunately, despite it not being out fault, they took it out on us as we were the closest and easiest point of contact.

In regards to customer service, it was extremely stressful... but I worked with a mostly awesome team and I had an amazing boss, so it was bearable. I was here for almost two years, leaving once I graduated university and started working full time in my current job.

Before that, I worked at JB Hi-Fi, which is Australia's version of Best Buy. I worked in the video games section. I didn't enjoy it. The managers were wankers and I had a lot of co-workers who weren't very nice. In this job, it was the customers who made it for me, because I was so passionate about games, it was so easy to sell them, especially with like minded people. I was here for two years, but in my second year I was given bugger all shifts... I called in sick once and was thus deemed "too unreliable" from there on out.

I worked briefly as a Christmas casual at an electronics store, again working in the video games section. Given that it was Christmas, it was very busy and we had a lot of angry customers, but my co-workers all treated me horribly too because I was new, wasn't sticking around for long and didn't have the experience or knowledge like they did. As a Christmas casual, I was there for a month.

My first job ever was when I was eighteen years old, straight out of high school and in my first year of university. I worked at a barbecue, camping and outdoor goods store. It was my first but worst job. I worked in a small team and everyone, except one guy, treated me like crap. I got all the bad jobs, got growled at every single shift and I even got accused of stealing money, because money went missing from the cash register. I didn't do it, I was young but I wasn't that stupid, so it still bothers me to this day that someone was stealing money and getting away with it. The security cameras in there didn't work either, just "dummies".

I was at this BBQ job for almost a year. I went away on holiday with my family and when I came home, I called them up to tell them I was back, and they told me I was no longer employed or needed by them, as they had replaced me with a new employee (without telling me) while I was away - their daughter.

 

[MattAY]

I'm a graphic designer for a printing and sign making company.

It ranges from doing standard safety signs, to stuff like doing a whole interior office refurb! The other week I designed a Trolls (film) vinyl wrap for Yamaha pianos around various national shopping malls. (search #yamahatrolls and you'll find it on Twitter)

It's fun, but I should be getting paid way more! So I'm studying web development at the moment, so I can have the full package, and maybe start my own design business when I get the experience under my belt.

 

[Master_Craig]

Just looked up your work on Twitter, MattAY. That's awesome stuff!

I agree. Graphic design, media etc. does not pay very well, and it should. We spend years learning and understanding the complex and expensive software that we use, in order to not only work effectively, but work effectively under tight, often no mercy deadlines. Not only is software pricey, but so is equipment, e.g. computers that are capable of running said software, and other things depending on your needs, e.g. cameras, lenses, microphones, lighting kits etc.

Some people might scoff thinking we just want expensive toys. To a degree, sure, but said "expensive toys" will deliver the best possible results to the client and thus, they'll get a much better outcome than using shitty quality products. Whether people think or not, there is a bloody damn big difference between an iPhone's camera, and a frickin' DSLR, like a Canon EOS 5D Mk III.

We're expected to receive peanuts in pay, and people are shocked as to why prices can be high on these sort of things. It saddens me to know that there are people in my department who get paid more than me and all they do is data entry. Yeah... boring as hell and mundane, I know, but data entry. Come on.

I think it's a great idea that you're learning web development. It'll certainly increase your overall arsenal of skills, your experience and open up new opportunities.

As I said in my earlier post regarding my job, when it comes to media, the only way to earn a high pay in graphic design/media roles, is either if you're running your own business, or if you're a manager/director of another business. Actual developers like you and I, we're not that high up the food chain.

 

[Master_Craig]

I'm a writer. I'm self-employed, haven't had anything published and haven't made a cent from anything I've done, but it's what I do. I haven't finished anything yet because I don't want to just push out any old amateur trash. I'm too meticulous about it.

I've tried working at a few different places, but haven't held a job for more than 4 days. I've worked in a freezer pulling orders for delivery trucks, at an office editing freelance web designer commissions, and at a supermarket. I hated every minute of it. Call me weak, call me a pansy, but believe me, I know. I tried and I failed, and each time I quit I got very depressed. Forget the fact that I have trouble sleeping, forget the fact that I have bronchial asthma, I'm seriously disappointed that I can't go out and earn money like everyone else I know.

Now I'm almost 25 years old and I'm living at home in my mom's basement. Every day my mom and sister come home with a new story or complaint about their jobs, and I feel like dirt because I'm not out there suffering with them.

So I'm stuck here in this awkward place, wanting to make some real money to support my family but not willing to do so at the cost of my artistic integrity. This book, Cruel, probably could have been done a long time ago. It might even have been good, but it wouldn't have satisfied me, and I haven't even mentioned all of the fears I have with publishing it.

I saw this Disney's Frozen snowflake sandwich crust cutter one day, and it struck terror into every ounce of my soul.

It was then I realized just how afraid I was of the sheer bastardization of my work. It's a thought that looms over my head constantly. Horrible merchandise produced in the most exploited reaches of the earth that serves no purpose other than to make a fat old man in an expensive suit a quick buck. Not just that, but all of the disrespectful, distasteful things that people do to anything and everything...it's a waking nightmare.

I know I'm going to have to make some compromises to get where I want to be, but there are places I will never go, things I will never do to get there.

Anyway, there's a little taste of what I have to say. It's a sore subject, sorry.

That sucks, man.

I've been meaning to respond to your post on this thread. I think it's great that you want to pursue writing. At the end of the day, you won't succeed in it if you don't try, so I'm glad to see you're trying, even if it's taking longer than you want. I can sort of relate, when it comes to pushing out work... you put your heart and soul into your creations and it can be scary and embarrassing. The fear of failure, the fear of others' possible dislike. It's a bit disheartening.

I know it's a lot easier said than done and maybe I'm just stating the obvious and what you already know, but I reckon you should really try and get your works published. Who knows, man? You could be the next J. K. Rowling (I use her as an example because of how huge her stories became, now a world wide franchise and household name).

The world is full of people like that too, man... horrible merchandising and whatnot. It's sad but it works. You used Frozen there as a good example. It took the world by storm, people all over the globe love it, especially kids. A damn cookie cutter with some Frozen on it? Kids will want it, beg mum and dad to buy it etc.

My mate has a daughter who is a Frozen fanatic and because of her obsession, that's all she gets for Christmas and birthdays... Frozen merchandise.

It'll be a long and hard journey, but I really think you should continue working on your writing and set yourself goals to not only finish stories to a quality that you're happy with, but to also try and get them published. It might take you five years or even ten years, but I believe that if you keep at it, setting yourself goals and milestones, you could do it, you could make your dreams reality.

I'd buy a copy.

 

[De-Ting]

Bro, I'd send you a copy.

 

[Master_Craig]

Sweet as.

 

[wildmario]

I currently work at a career call center where my job is to help other people get jobs and/or enroll in college. It's basically customer service and that comes with the usual customer service bullshit. Luckily I can just hang up on people if they get really belligerent with me.

 

[StudioTan]

 

[De-Ting]

^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtPp0ovsINw

 

[Colin_B]

I work for a company called ShopKeep.

I'm an account executive there selling point of sale systems and payment processing to businesses. It's a super stressful job but the pay is fantastic. Plus, selling b2b looks better on a resume than consumer sales like my previous job at Americas favourite company, Comcast. Ultimately I wouldn't mind moving into an account management role at a media company. I'd also be interested in moving towards government jobs with the state - unemployment department, cps...something that would feel a bit more rewarding and fulfilling.

I'm rather burnt out on sales.

If I could I would have a late night talk show that's the U.S equivalent of Graham Norton. More realistic goals however would include having a YouTube channel called Drunken Injustice where myself and a co-host/guest would drink while discussing and debating current events, ranging from social issues to politics to gaming to pop culture and tech.

Unfortunately bills have to be paid.

 

[Master_Craig]

Drunken Injustice? That sounds pretty cool, ha ha.

Creative projects like that are always difficult... you've got bills to pay, most of your day/week is taken away due to full time work and what ever other commitments you may have in your life.

 

[Optimus-Crime]

I still work at the sheriff's department here in Dallas. Been a crazy year but still going strong.