I used to joke that it wouldn't take much to improve on my old job. It sucked, the hours were horrendous, and someone was always screaming at me. But, hey, at least they paid me well.
My new non-profit job is like a whole different battlefield. I feel like my co-workers are some kind of do-gooding team, which I can't say I ever felt before. It's kind of nice to be part of something, to work together (nicely!), to do something meaningful.
But it's stressful. I feel like the weight of the world is on me dealing with serious problems all day. It's like when I get home and we're out of TP, it doesn't even register as a problem because it's nothing compared to what I dealt with all day. It also confuses my brain to hop between Spanish and English.
I am not used to dealing with so many people. I was used to dealing with the same five jerks every day and their spreadsheets. So tons of people, co-workers, it's a lot. I'm not sure it's for me.
I think about the money a lot. Today, I had to work 10 hours, and I thought "I don't get paid enough for this!" It's tough to take such a big pay cut.
So, no one is screaming at me anymore. But it's seriously high stress in its own way, and I feel like a chump with such a huge pay cut. Maybe when I settle in, it will feel more at home. Maybe I'll get used to it?
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
20 comments:
My mom always says that the first two weeks on any job are the worst, and I've found that to be very true. After two weeks, you'll know all your coworkers' names, you'll have a better handle on the work you're supposed to be doing, and your brain will be used to being bilingual all day.
I hope you don't take this the wrong way, because I want to put the pay thing in perspective for you, but did you ever think that maybe it's not that you're underpaid now but that you were OVERPAID for the work you were doing before? I don't know a lot about your last job, but you've said it dealt with products and numbers and lots of yelling. Don't you think that, at the end of the day, people who do that kind of work are just ridiculously overpaid? I'm not saying you didn't work hard, I just think that our society has very skewed values when it comes to which professions are well-paid and which aren't. You just used to benefit from that system, whereas now you're better aligned with the rest of us.
Eh?
I read your blog regularly and I am an upbeat, positive person. I do have to say, however, that I think your attitude is poor towards your new employer. It's all about the "money" to you, and as important as that can be - it's not everything. I think to be fair to your new employer, you should lay those concerns aside and be grateful that you have a job making $50,000. I can assure you there are many, many people who would be delighted to change places with you. It seems you could be a little more grateful and a little less petty. It's not "all about you". With that being said, I do hope that you come to love your work and the people you are working with and for - this is a great opportunity to make a difference in someone's life. What a gift - use it well!
I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one that finds you to be incredibly grating. Your attitude is horrible and you're could be a more grateful for the things you have. You complain about everything. Every post you have is negative. You really need a little bit of perspective in your life. Life isn't perfect and your life isn't going to be either. You're expectations are wholly out of whack and you should probably recalibrate your outlook on things.
When I took my new job, it took me several months before I felt comfortable. Considering this is completely different than what you did before, it is natural that you are going to have a large adjustment period.
Maybe it isn't your life's calling, but I think you will find that it is rewarding and positive in some ways soon. Sounds like it is going to give you some very interesting perspective that probably will help you in life.
I applaud you for being realistic and being open enough to share your concerns. We all have good days and bad days. And just so-so days. Why would a personal blog be any different?
You do seem like a stuck-up, whiny bint.
I just wanted send you some hugs!
I find these nasty anonymous comments really discouraging, especially considering what an emotional and difficult job I have.
I guess it has to all be A-OK all the time or I'm stuck up?
I mean, seriously, WTF?
Eh, people find things to disagree with. I think your position on some things - the wedding present thing comes to mind - isn't always best either. Take all comments with a grain of salt as you don't know where most of these peoples viewpoints are coming from. Try to see if there is something you can take from even the negative ones. So maybe tell us something you really like about your job, or something you are hoping to be able to do soon for the people you work with? What skill do you have that is really helping you right now?
And anons - how hard is it to at least leave a first name or even a nickname? I don't have a website that anyone would be interested in, nor a blogger profile. But at least identify yourself for continuity on the site...or are you too mad when you write discouraging remarks to do anything other than click submit? It is hard to take a flamer seriously.
It just takes awhile to get acclimated to any new job! Good luck and keep pushing on.
Dog! Hang in there. I don't want to be hard on you like the other people. I think it is good to see "serious problems" and it may put things in perspective. Sometimes money is not everything and happiness is more important. I hope you find it.
Personally, I read blogs to see how real folks handle real financial life in real time. Sure it includes some whining, some pettiness and much ambivalance--like those things are missing from the lives the rest of us lead? [I don't think so!]
Starting a new job--ANY new job is stressful; I don't think you can adequately judge how it fits in with the rest of your life for at least the first 90 days.
Did you think the job was going to be easier because you are being paid so much less? I don't mean for it to sound snotty but I have worked in the non-profit and the for-profit sectors and I have found that those making the switch to the non-profit side seem to think that it will be alot less stressful.
And it never is.
Either way, good luck.
It sounds like you're suffering a bit of a culture shock, plus it's always difficult to be the new kid on the block. Six years ago, I made a career change from an administrative position as a VP in an investment firm to become an editor for an educational children's book publishing company. I, too, took a huge pay cut as well as gave up bonuses and stock options. The two jobs were like night and day. Goodbye suits and high heels, hello casual day 5x/week (editors don't make enough money to dress up). Goodbye wearing multiple hats and worrying about everything from hiring and covering payroll to building out a new office, hello to focusing on just editing. Goodbye to a boss who yelled and swore to one who hugged and a team environment.
My new job was my dream job, but it still took me a few months to believe I was really there and to feel like I knew what I was doing. Every job has stress of one kind or another and they all have deadlines. Working 50-70/hours a week to meet publishing deadlines is not fun. Eating dinner at the office is not fun. My husband even said, "I thought you were trying to get away from that kind of thing."
Although that was true, the job had it's own rewards. Doing meaningful work, especially work that will help school age children, is rewarding. I was very proud to be a book editor and had found my calling. If my company hadn't relocated to another state, I'd probably still be there.
Give yourself enough time to learn the ropes, get comfortable with your new responsibilities, and feel competent. I'm not saying you won't still go home exhausted or hit yourself in the head when you calculate what you're really making per hour. But you may find that the tradeoff to be well worth it when you calculate what you're accomplishing and the nontangible rewards you get from your new job.
Best of luck.
I think what's driving the negative comments is that there are evidently a couple of people who developed a skewed notion of you awhile back, and they've since taken to reading your posts through that lens. And they're ignoring anything that doesn't support their skewed ideas.
Makes no sense to me-- you don't strike me as being all about the money. Sure, you talk about it here because this is a personal finance blog, but you clearly have other drivers and concerns, too.
And regarding thinking "they don't pay me enough for the day I just had!" I'll admit to having thought that now and then with almost every job I've had, regardless of the pay. Because some days are tough and not gratifying.
It's your personal blog and you have a right to complain and vent. Some people tend to write more when things are bad; some only write happy thoughts.
A friend of mine started a "mom" blog and she always sounds upbeat and peppy, even though she isn't like that in life. And truthfully, those "mom" blogs where everything is sunshine and roses and life is perfect just like their kids can get a bit annoying too.
In other words, you often get a limited perspective about a person based on blog posts.
I worked in nonprofit for many years. There are ups and downs and the pay isn't great, but if you believe in your mission, you'll adjust.
Non-profit work requires long hours and poor pay. It is a labor of love and caring. Not everyone can do it and not being able to does not make you a bad person!
I think what the mean anons are trying to point out is your focusing on the money again instead of the fulfillment. This may not be the job for you, but you just started so give it a chance. I'm willing to bet it will get easier and you will begin to get some enjoyment out of it. All the money you made at your other job didn't make you happy either. So it's more of a job issue then a money issue.
TeacHer as a very valid point regarding overpaying and underpaying professions.
I have to agree that you find something negative in every situation. You are young. Consider what a lifetime of this type of thinking will do to your health, relationships and overall satisfaction in life.
It's not to say that you can't point out challenges in life, but I do think that you're outlook goes past that in frequency and degree.
Negativity can be a habit, just like anything that you do too often. It can become your default attitude without you even realizing it. It can even become your "comfort zone" or the armour that you wear to protect vulnerabilities.
Finally, consider that the delivery is part of the message. Two people can have the same challenges you describe at your job. You can either describe it with humility and openness to discussion or with an air of entitlement to something better.
Try reading you posts as if you were someone other than yourself. Try having someone who does not know you or that you blog read your posts and see what they think.
If the job's not for you, then hey, what can you do about it? Give it some time, if you still don't like it and still feel underpaid, then leave. I'm pretty sure there is somebody out there who would be more than happy to have that job at that salary. Or, ride it out until the economy gets better and then jump ship. It's not like companies are loyal to their employees, as the recession has proven time and time again. I am honestly fed up with this whole "you should be appreciative of any job you can get" BS. We spent a lot of money on our education, at least let us complain about being shortchanged!
New jobs are always hard work - you'll find your footing, I'm sure. It's hard on your brain to absorb new things so that's why you're tired. Once you get the hang of all routine, it will work out. And think of the good you're doing. Congrats on the house - karma?
ps - your haters are really mean - sending you a hug.
First of all, I want to send you some props. I know that the horrible anonymous posters decided that you were not justified, but I think that you are. As an introverted person, I sympathize completely with how you're reacting to being with so many people. I hope that it's gotten better since this post, but you might think if you want an office job again. You may feel more comfortable in an environment where your interaction with others is stable.
Also, I speak Spanish and I know what it's like to jump between languages (I speak decent French and a bit of Vietnamese as well) and all I can say is that you'll get used to switching after a while. I operate best when I stick to one language for a few hours, but you'll get used to jumping soon.
Post a Comment