More thoughts on jobs and working

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Mudcat

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I am extremely happy that my new workplace has so many people who seem so cool. It's unbelievable. The jokes and clever references are flying around constantly. There are at least a couple of musicians. I am instantly comfortable with pretty much everybody.

That is way beyond my wildest dream for that particular dimension. At my last 2 jobs, I didn't feel like I connected with anyone. I was certainly cordial with everyone - and there were a few people I would sometimes get into more friendly, personal topics - but I was not even close to being myself in all my bizarre randomness. I was really thinking something had changed about me in my ~10 years of working from home that I was just no longer capable of relating to people in a normal comfortable way.

Not that I was ever a social butterfly before being self-employed. I am difficult. But usually, with time, there were a couple or 3 in every company that I could relate to and have fun with.

Those last two jobs I felt so alone. Hopeless. You spend so much time at work, the days and weeks and years. The idea of going back into the conventional workforce, I was finding depressing much more than I let on. Profoundly. This social side of things was not the only reason for that, but it was a big part of it.


Who knows how things are going to go in the long run but I'll say this: after 4 days at the new job, I am WAY beyond where I ever got at that last job where I spent a year. It's amazing.

It's so important. I remember a workplace like that where I worked from like 1986-1991. Characters, laughter. Since then I have had over 60 jobs and I've never seen anything close to it. As much as I blame myself for some of that shit, a whole lot of places out there are just plain grim. Maybe I've finally found a real gem again.



If you're in a good situation with the people around you, try to appreciate it.



:handshake:
 
Really happy for you Mudderballs. Good peoples to work with is certainly key.

:gaymelive:
 
I guess what it comes down to is I'm just racist as fok. This place, and the place I was fondly remembering from the 80's are/were both overwhelmingly white Canadian.


Fact is, I am the least racist person out there but when it comes down to actually relating to people, connecting deeply ---> I guess that shit matters.
 
good insight. Poor Mo gonna have to put up with you wankers
 
Where can I send my resume to, Muddy? We can talk Neil Young all day and get paid for it.
 
I don't know how Neil Young chat would go. It's a younger crowd. Most of the people immediately around me are half my age. As much as I am the old dude here at gamelive, probably even moreso there.

I mean I'm sure they would all have something to say but we wouldn't be comparing notes on our reaction to the Comes a Time album when it came out.

As I am thinking about it now, there might only be one person anywhere in the branch - office, sales and all - that is older than me.


Speaking of which I had a moment very appealing to my vanity the other day when I was signing the papers to get on payroll. Chicky-poo in HR asked my birth date and I told her. 1963. She did not believe she heard me right. Puzzled double-take. She wasn't trying to flatter me - she just couldn't believe I am the old coot that I really am.

I won't lie. That made me feel good.
 
Excellent, Mudcat! Feel good post of the month.
 
Thanks!


Now the other side of things of course is the tolerability of the actual job. This brings up a conundrum.

Is it better to have a fairly simple job that you can settle into quickly and not have to go on for ages being the dorky new guy who is constantly asking questions? After only a short time, you are walking into work knowing what you will be doing and feeling self-sufficient.

Or is it better to have quite a complicated job that, even after a few months, you will still not be completely independent and comfortable?



While I like my gratification as instant as the next guy, the answer for me has to be option 2. I prefer to be using my brain to address complex situations rather than something more mindless and repetitive.

And that's what I got. Tons of minute detail and shit to remember in what I'm doing. Looks like I will be the awkward newbie for some time to come.

But I will pay that price for the long-term betterment of mankind.
 
This all sounds like a best-case job scenario.

I did not see that coming.
 
I just gave my notice, can't wait for the 2 weeks to go by.
 
tully weren't you just fired?
 
If the Cowboys don't cover I'm stiffing and moving to Canada....Can you get me a job Mate?
 
Piece of cake. Pretty much every company up here is looking for Americans fleeing from gambling debts.
 
Muddy, this may come as a surprise but I've been kind of out of the loop. What's this new job?