So I got a "jorb".

monkey0506 · Thu 04/01/2007 03:50:08

Last Wednesday (27 December 2006) I got a real job. I got hired as a dishwasher (though I have mostly been bussing tables) at an International House Of Pancakes (IHOP). Yesterday (2 January 2007) was my first day off and I started back today and have to work through at least Sunday before my next day off (I find out my schedule for next week on Sunday).

As some of you may already know this is my first real job. So my question for you all is how do you do it? How do you handle having a real job and working on your games in your spare time? Up until now all my time has been spare time. But now I come home from work and I'm exhausted.

Maybe it's the fact I've done virtually nothing for the last year but sit in front of the computer...:o...but I just don't see how you people have the energy. I heard that next week I'll start getting two days off a week instead of the one I got this week (due to New Years Day being this week). So that will be good. But by the end of the day I'm still tired.

Aside from Tuesday this is the first time I've been on the computer for more than a few minutes since I started working, and I'm about to have to go as soon as my uniform gets done washing. I just don't have the energy.

[blah blah blah]

Goodnight people.

ildu · Thu 04/01/2007 04:03:06

Never underestimate manual labor. Dishwashing is hard work, especially when you're working under uncomfortable circumstances in a chain restaurant. Don't confuse it with the sort of office work where people end up doing actual work for only half the time and spend the remainder surfing the Internet and having coffee breaks. Just think about those who have to hold on to even three crappy minimum wage jobs to barely feed their families.

I hope you get into the rhythm of it quickly. Otherwise it's gonna get very stressful very fast. And if there's any possibility of moving up in the social ladder to a cushier job, don't let yourself rot in the International House of Pancakes. Good luck, dude

.

Darth Mandarb · Thu 04/01/2007 04:18:07

I think it's an admirable first job! Everybody's gotta start somewhere and starting out as a dishwasher/bussboy is a great way to gain an appreciation for those kind of jobs. It's a big change of schedule for sure and will be exaughsting at first, but you'll get the hang of it.

I remember a few years back I was working 2 full time jobs. 8am-4pm at one, then 6pm-2am at the other. I was a zombie for the first month or two but then adjusted to it. You really will get the hang of it!

Hang in there man and congrats on joining the working force!

LGM · Thu 04/01/2007 06:14:45

I use to work in a grocery store while maintaining a healthy social life and performing in plays. Then I went on to work concessions in a movie theatre. Both jobs were hard, manual labor jobs similar to dishwashing and busing tables. But it paid off, because now I work for a college football team on their video staff and get lots of free clothes, gifts, and a hefty some of cash ever two weeks.

It may suck now, but you'll get used to it. It's life. You gotta work to make a living. I'm a firm believer that if you work hard enough, some day the fruits of your labor will ripen. Who knows. Maybe in 5 years you'll be making pro games in some production company... Assuming that's something you'd like to do.

Timosity · Thu 04/01/2007 11:17:02

I still haven't figured out how to keep up with working and working on games since I got a physical job rather than computer job.

Since I changed careers 3 years ago, it's not so much the amount of spare time I have, as the amount of time I feel like devoting to game making. With my job I walk 20km a day, I still spend a lot of time at home in front of the computer but lack the concentration required to be bothered game making, I get bursts but no devotion, and I have a massive project almost complete if anyone even remembers what it is (it was almost complete 3 years ago too).

One good thing is that my job is my exercise, so I can be as lazy as I like outside of work and remain fit, best thing I ever did to get away from sitting in front of a computer all day and night, now I'm getting off topic and still didn't help with your conundrum.

Nine Toes · Thu 04/01/2007 11:54:11

I'm still trying to figure out how to make this work.

With the exception of my stint as a telemarketer, most of my jobs have been manual labor. Right now, I work in a hard wood flooring factory; 10 hour days, 4 days a week. I start at 2:30 PM, and I get done at 1:00 AM. When I come home, I usually have to wait for my wife to get done farting around on SWYDM and MySpace. Then I sit down, try to get all of the goofing off out of my system, but by the time I done with that, it's usually about 4:00 AM. Then it's time to go to bed. I usually like to try and spend the weekend time with my wife and son, because I never get to see them much during the week.

So, for now, I'm just stuck with a lot of built up ambition, and the frustration that I can't really do something with any of it.

Manual labor always seems like it's worse than it really is. Sometimes, you may come home without an ounce of energy enough to even change out of your dirty clothes, but at least you know you got something worthwhile done during the course of the day. It's an honest way to make a living. That's something to be proud of, because I've met people who quit working at McDonald's after 2 days because they said it was "too hard". Then they went back to collecting welfare from the state, and selling pot on the side.

Baron · Thu 04/01/2007 16:01:33

Well, two years ago I got a job in a metal shop in order to save up for school. It involved standing all day, repetitive motions, and often heavy lifting. I remember these one parts -they looked like train wheels -they must have weighed about forty pounds -it was like lifting dumbells all day! Anyway, this factory was about 8 km from where I was living and it would take about an hour to get there on the city bus, so I started bicycling since this only took about half an hour. I did that right through the winter, which in Canada -with the apparent exception of this year -meant it was

cold! Then I had this other evening job two days a week which involved tutoring kids with social and learning disabilities, and sometimes I played hockey after that. Somehow I still made progress on the game I was working on at the time: I'd think about stuff to do at the press and get around to drawing or programming it on my evenings off, or if it were a really good idea sometimes right into the night.
I guess the point is that the human body is capable of considerable feats of endurance and energy expenditure if the mind is disciplined and/or determined enough. Also, especially when you're young, the more energy you expend the more you tend to have (in the longer term, anyway).
Of course I say that and now I only work about 25 hours a week

monkey0506 · Fri 05/01/2007 00:16:48

I believe it was Monday that Elizabeth started..."I've been a waitress for thirty years and I don't intend on doing this [(washing dishes)] long."

At first I was willing to do what I could to help her out. I'd even go out of my way to help her do her job in addition to doing mine. But today I lost it. If I hadn't gone and hid in the bathroom for half an hour I would have said something to her that would have gotten me fired.

Every five minutes today she was asking me for help or just flat out telling me to do her work for her (not in those exact words). She even went and complained to the manager about me doing my job the way that I was told to...

Needless to say I was rather upset but the fact that everyone at work (including my manager though he didn't actually say anything it was apparent) shares my contempt of this woman truly helped make the end of the day much better. In fact Abraham, my manager asked me, "How are you?" to which I replied, "Fine so long as I don't have to go talk to..." and then Elizabeth walked out to see if I was busy. Everyone was standing around and we had a good laugh.

I have noticed that things have been getting easier, though Abraham has told me I need to try and buss the tables a little faster. When there's nobody there I don't really see the point but it's not really my place to say. I'm actually only scheduled 6 hours a day (but like I said, I'm on 6 days this week), but I don't imagine that it would be too much different if I have to work longer hours.

I just hope Elizabeth quits or gets fired. Soon. I can't take much more of her. Thanks for the congrats and well-wishes. Now I'm going to try and get my mind off work for a while.

[Ack...my left ankle has been hurting since I started working there and now my "big toe" on my left foot keeps going numb.

]

LGM · Fri 05/01/2007 05:56:23

Manual labor does strange things to your body. Especially if you've done nothing equivalent before ever. It also happens oppositely. When I was in Germany I walked everywhere. When I came home I didn't walk very much. My legs went numb and/or throbbed for a few days due to inactivity.

It's all adjustment, man. YOu'll get used to the physical side... But people like Elizabeth you never get used to, but it's a fact of the working life: there are assholes everywhere you work. Even in Disneyworld, there are a few assholes.

Nine Toes · Fri 05/01/2007 08:41:31

I've got the same problem with my big toes going numb (well, the one has always been numb because of my accident). I've got huge calluses on the outer edge of my toes, and I can't feel a thing.

I've got a few Elizabeths where I work. Don't let them bother you. Beleive me, I've had it up to here with people talking down to me like I'm mentally retarded, and people who've been there just as long as I have, and are not supervisors, but they still insist on trying to order me around. Especially if the supervisor himself just told me to do the exact opposite. It's frustrating, but don't sink to their level. Just do what came there to do.

Bernie · Fri 05/01/2007 10:52:53

I took the classic austrian approach; in other words becoming an apprentice, in my case at a big chemical plant. It's a combination of actually working there and going to school every other week for 3.5 years. After getting my certificate of apprenticeship I was hired, much like the 30 or so other apprentices, and have been there ever since.

And what a damn fine job it is!

It's basically manual labor, but it doesn't bother me. It's well paid and never gets boring. It took me a while to get used to people talking about others behind their backs and whatnot, but you've got your share of dickheads everywhere. But the fairly high amount of nice people make up for those.

I heard that it's not really usual to become an apprentice in the USA, so I have been wondering how you become, say, a plumber there.

EagerMind · Fri 05/01/2007 19:34:36

Quote from: Bernie on Fri 05/01/2007 10:52:53I heard that it's not really usual to become an apprentice in the USA, so I have been wondering how you become, say, a plumber there.

Yes, the US doesn't really have the apprenticeship system like other countries do. I think the most common way to learn something like this is to go to a trade school or technical school for a year or two that will give you the training to get a job.

ManicMatt · Fri 05/01/2007 21:17:08

I recently got a job (Phew! Yay!) and when I start on Monday, it will affect the time I get to work on my game quite a bit. And then there is the promotion and finishing of my album too. At least I'll have money to fund my album now.

It's in a shop in the city centre, so you know the sort of hours I'll be doing as a full-timer.

monkey0506 · Mon 08/01/2007 16:32:09

Well even as much as I tell people that "I'm going to quit" I do rather enjoy the environment at work. After talking with my manager I even got moved to graveyard shift on Sundays so that I can attend church on Sunday mornings. It might not be a big deal to a lot of people around here, but I would like to be able to attend my church services.

So though the work can be drab, and I do have Elizabeth to deal with...and Abraham (one of my managers) does seem to enjoy riding me all day telling me what to do...it's not so bad. Friday Elizabeth mostly ignored me and she somehow weaseled her way into having Saturdays and Sundays off...But I'm now off on Mondays and Tuesdays...so I think I'll only have to put up with her (by herself) for two days a week (Maria, the other dishwasher, seems to keep her occupied).

I'm on good terms with most everyone at work and we have some good (though often short) conversations.

It will take some adjusting...some "getting-used-to"...but I guess it's all part of growing up. 8)

Meowster · Mon 08/01/2007 20:37:02

I had a brilliant day at work. I looked at my contract after signing it (and after my boss had signed it and sent the other copy to my head office) and realised that they just signed a contract to pay me 5k more than they agreed over the phone... then I say down for the rest of the day, playing video games and surfing the internet (which is basically my job). At about 4pm I arranged to view a house that my boyfriend and I are contemplating buying together...

8)

Okay the truth is I did have a particularly good today today because all that stuff did happen, but that's rare. Anyway I spent four years of my life working in bars and restaurants and hotels... yuck. I had to work from about 14 so I could help support my mum, who was also working, but a single mum... of seven children....

So that sucked!

But now I have a job I love and it's easy (not because it's actually easy, but because I love every second of it, which makes it seem easy to me... not a lot of people get paid to do stuff they love). I'm finally happy with my job these days (although I'm only 20 actually, so I'm not doing too bad...)

Having worked in hotels and whatnot, I know that type of woman who treats you like dirt because you're young and have prospects, and she's old and has none. Ignore her, she'll try to make you feel stupid and like you're not doing any work, a common tactic. She's a N00b 8)

Da_Elf · Mon 08/01/2007 21:04:05

ive always worked in multimedia. starting as a photographers assistant doing alot of equipment handeling. then progressed into the video field when i climbed to the top of the ladder in a few companies as senior editor. now i basically run my own production company. Thank goodness some of the 3d renderings i do can take from 30 minutes to 2 days to render a single frame. so i do my coding during render time.

Pelican · Tue 09/01/2007 17:34:00

I started my first full-time job a couple of months ago. I'm working as a field archaeologist - it involves a lot of manual labour (and muck

). The first couple of weeks was absolute agony, but now that my body is getting used to it, I find that I don't come home quite so tired anymore, and my muscles don't ache as much as they did. So trust me, once your body is used to the work it'll get better. And strangely, despite having a lot less free time (40hour week), I find that I'm actually more motivated to use it constructively. Congrats on the job, and good luck with it!

ManicMatt · Tue 09/01/2007 21:21:14

Well, second day on my job as Assistant Manager for a games shop (Oh that feels good to say that), and I'm sleepy! I'd love to work on my game right now, but I'm not sure if my tired brain is up to it! Yesterday I just played Resident Evil 4 after work...

monkey0506 · Tue 09/01/2007 22:02:23

Well...after having been off yesterday and today...I can't really say I'm looking forward to work tomorrow. But thinking about the fact that I'm finally going to get my paycheck this week does brighten the mood a bit.

Also thinking about the fact that after work tomorrow I get to go to church...there's youth activities that I'm not really supposed to participate in any more...but I'm helping out with the Cub Scout program...so before and after I still get some time to interact with my friends

. Also I get to show off my Zune again. With my music videos finally synched off my hard drive (my stepdad doesn't (nor does my mom yet want him to) know that she got it for me).

Congrats on the assistant manager position Matt!

BTW...I think it's high time I explained this crazy title: Great Jaerb Homestar!

Andail · Tue 09/01/2007 22:23:52

You need to work or study something regularly in order to keep up the discipline with your creative outlets...chances are you'll just slack around otherwise and not get anything done. It's all about finding and using time well.

I've always worked with people....done it all, nursing homes, day care centers, centers for handicapped people, personal assisting, camps for socially challenged youngsters, camps for mentally challenged youngsters, then all levels of teaching, from first grade to highschool.
I've hardly set my foot in a "business", although the times I've tried it, I enjoyed it too. Never done the good old telemarketing though, and I doubt I ever will...I sincerely hate telephone salespeople....