TVCH FORUMS HOME . JOIN . FAN CLUBS . DONATE . CONTACT . CHAT  
                  Quick Links   TOPICS . TREE-VIEW . SEARCH . HELP! . NEWS . PROFILE
Archive through February 10, 2008

Reality TVClubHouse Discussions: General Discussions ARCHIVES: Jan ~ Apr 2009: Career Group: Take This Job And....: Archive through February 10, 2008 users admin

Author Message
Karen
Member

09-07-2004

Monday, April 10, 2006 - 5:37 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Karen a private message Print Post    
I need to quit my job in the worst way. I won't go into the specifics of it, but the work environment is not good for my mental health, and it's starting to wear into my physical health as well -- exhaustion (from stress), head and body aches (from stress), lack of sleep (from stress), etc. Never mind the questionable business practices (eg: a client pays a $30K invoice twice, our accounting notices the mistake and decides to run with the "don't ask, don't tell" approach, waiting for the client to mention the error to us, at which point accounting plays dumb and emphatically apologizes for not catching the double payment.)

Long story short... I need a new job. What is the best way to go behind your employers' back and seek a new position? At the place I'm in now, I guarantee I will be fired "for lacking a vested interest in the company," should word get out that I'm looking. How do I explain to a potential employer the lack of references from my current position?

My other concern is how to go about the interview process while still working. In my current job, the required* hours are 8:30 - 5:30 (required being the absolute minimum. In my position, I have been spoken to already for not being in before 8, and for leaving before 6.) My receptionist is required to do a daily reminder of time missed (eg: "Karen, you took 63 minutes for lunch today. Can you tell me when you'll make up the missing three minutes?") and it's absolute blasphemous if I 1)take a full hour for lunch, and 2)leave the office to do so. We have a relaxed dress code which I fully take advantage of, so how do I take a 2hr lunch, dressed in my finest pantsuit? Do I have a doctor appointment, and my doctor just happens to be a hottie? And then how do I explain the month of doctor appointments when I finally do give my notice to quit? Oh, by the way, all those visits to the doctor? Yeah, that was my exit strategy? That's not fair, even to these guys.

I want to get out without burning any bridges. They've been good to me, all nastiness aside. In my younger years, I had a fair share of jobs I would just walk away from, but I've learned a lot from this position and it's what they've given me that I'm using as leverage into my next position. But at the end of the day, when push comes to shove, getting the hell out of there is important to me than not burning bridges.

Anyone who's been in this situation before, if you have any advice for me, it'd be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Yellek
Member

08-22-2001

Monday, April 10, 2006 - 7:16 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Yellek a private message Print Post    
I'd do doctor and/or dental appt's, but at the end of the day, like 3pm, so you don't have to return. Keep your interview clothes in your car, change somewhere on the way.

A lot of employers understand that you can't tell your current employer about your jobsearch, and will accomodate you with before- or after-hours interview times.

Do you have any vacation or personal days? Those you could use if you feel too guilty about the dr. appt idea.

Good Luck!

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Tuesday, April 11, 2006 - 8:13 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
Excellent advice, Yellek. I would also add that you should see if you can do telephone interviews before you actually schedule an appointment. That way you can see if you like the position before using your vacation or doctor appointments for actual face to face interviews.

Maris
Member

03-28-2002

Tuesday, April 11, 2006 - 12:05 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Maris a private message Print Post    
I would make appointments with headhunters during your lunch hour. That way you tell them what you are looking for, what your availability is. you also tell them your situation and it will make your search easier.

Jasper
Member

09-14-2000

Monday, April 17, 2006 - 12:29 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Jasper a private message Print Post    
Karen, I don't know what Unemployment insurance is like in BC, but here in Ontario I have a girlfriend who was in a similar position as you. She documented all and visited her doctor re the stress etc. She gave her notice at work and was able to collect sick benefits due to the stress etc for max (she had her doctors backing and all document info for EI) I think was 15 weeks, while she looked for a job, she also took full advantage of all their (EI) programs in the interim. I don't know if you can take the pay cut but it might be something you will want to look to do just for your sanity.

Karen
Member

09-07-2004

Monday, April 17, 2006 - 6:13 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Karen a private message Print Post    
Thanks for all the advice, my friends! I think I will go the "appointment" route for interviews -- I walk to work every day and don't have a car, so changing right before the interview is out of the question -- but I can always have "financial appointments" that I can justify being dressed up for <wink, wink>.

The only problem with this is still the strict work-every-minute policy. Vacation days need to be booked at a very minimum of two weeks in advance -- days not booked ahead of time are granted, unpaid. Any out-of-office appointment that causes more than three hours missed are counted as unpaid days away -- regardless of whether or not they force you to be in the office for the other six hours of the day. Hell, they've called people in from home who have called in sick, they've come in at ten, left at three, and are still docked one of the 5 sick days allowed.

Jasper -- I know that EI works in somewhat the same way... the problem here is that my BF is not working right now. I could afford the paycut and go to EI if we had a 2nd paycheck coming in, but (and again, with the need to be discreet) I need to go from one job on Friday to a new one on Monday.

I'll figure it out. Thanks again for the words of wisdom! :-)

Colordeagua
Member

10-25-2003

Monday, May 29, 2006 - 6:48 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Colordeagua a private message Print Post    
Karen, is all this the norm in Canada? I'd want to get away from that particular employer too.

How is the job hunt going? New and better employer I hope.

Karen
Member

09-07-2004

Monday, May 29, 2006 - 1:13 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Karen a private message Print Post    
NO NO NO!! This is not the norm at all -- it actually hovers VERY close to being illegal, but it's such a grey area, that it's not *technically* wrong.

It's funny, cause the bad days are BAD, as described above. But then there are the good days, when I bring a project in under budget, on time, etc, and I come home feeling good and important, etc. etc... it's a tough call. I'm going to try to stick it out a couple more months, see how I fare. I'm trying to look at it like school -- these guys are paying me to get a great education. I am learning a lot, and they've given me some exceptional skills to take elsewhere. It's just a matter of taking that leap. Thanks for the kind thoughts!

Karen
Member

09-07-2004

Wednesday, March 28, 2007 - 8:53 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Karen a private message Print Post    
Today is the greatest day I've ever known...

I convinced them to lay me off yesterday! After coming to blows with my manager over something completely rediculous, I walked into her office the next morning, told her I would not be working overtime that evening as I had a job interview elsewhere, and that I simply thought that "in the interest of being open and honest" as we come into busy season, they should know that I'm looking into other opportunities. I then proceeded to tell her all the reasons I was uncomfortable and unhappy in my position -- the least of which being the fact that I had to punch into break to pee!! (they have a tracker program on everyone's machine that keeps track of billable hours, non-billable hours, break time, lunch, etc.) This was Wednesday of last week.

Of course, one thing led to another, as I see closed-door meetings taking place all over the office for the next few days. I was pulled off of my main project on Thursday; asked to provide status updates on all my smaller ones on Friday; asked to "tie up any loose ends" on Monday, and finally EOD yesterday they sat me down to ask what I wanted the next steps to be. "Ideally," I told them, "you and I both mutually agree that I'm not a good fit here."

So all my paperwork says "laid off" -- eligible for EI. Getting a severence package and my vacation time paid out, and I didn't have to throw a hissy fit and burn bridges and quit to get out.

Man, I'm proud of myself. :-) Just needed to share.

Kaili
Member

08-31-2000

Wednesday, March 28, 2007 - 11:09 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Kaili a private message Print Post    
Less than a year after the start of the thread! Congratulations on working the system so well! :-)

Eeyoreslament
Member

07-20-2003

Wednesday, March 28, 2007 - 11:48 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Eeyoreslament a private message Print Post    
Congrats Karen!!

Monk's starts their summer hire on April 1st, if you're looking for something in serving, as an interim summer job. Good money, zero stress, sunny patio. Pee all you want.

Vacanick
Member

07-12-2004

Wednesday, March 28, 2007 - 12:01 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Vacanick a private message Print Post    
Congrats Karen!!

"Pee all you want" ... lol ... I may have to look into Monks! :o))

Landi
Member

07-29-2002

Wednesday, March 28, 2007 - 12:49 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Landi a private message Print Post    
my sweet baby karen, i'm so glad you are finally happy. you have been miserable since you started this job. i'm so sorry because you had such high hopes for this to be such a stepping stone. let me know what your next steps turn out to be. love you honey!

Colordeagua
Member

10-25-2003

Wednesday, March 28, 2007 - 3:33 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Colordeagua a private message Print Post    
Congrats, Karen! Now you can do some stress-free job hunting?! I was going to suggest as someone did upthread a phone interview before a face-to-face interview. Both parties can get a better idea if the job would be a fit. I'm retired (early) now. I got my last job that way. I replied via phone to a job ad in the paper. It sure was a fit (for twelve years). I pretty much knew I had the job after that first brief phone conversation.

Karen
Member

09-07-2004

Wednesday, September 26, 2007 - 10:07 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Karen a private message Print Post    
Haha, quick update on this miserable company... since I've left, about ten more employees have followed suit, for the same reasons as me. I heard yesterday that the remaining employees there all received seven weeks notice yesterday; the company is folding in the wake of the bad morale and staff shortages.

Karma's a beep, ain't it?

Nyheat
Member

08-09-2006

Tuesday, November 06, 2007 - 11:52 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Nyheat a private message Print Post    
I don't really have the proper story for this thread, sort of in reverse. More like "take this 6-month long interview and...!

I have been strung along for six months by a company that I really want to work for, a big player in the retail clothing business. (They often have famous people in their commercials.) Getting in there would be a huge boon to me.

It all started when I took a class over the summer with a manager from this company. He basically told me he could get me in at the ground level for a good wage. I was skeptical, but took him at his word.

About a month later, I had an interview with his boss, who I showed my much-labored over portfolio. she loved the work, but gave me the ole brush off at the end of the interview. No position there for me, you see. The guy who was supposed to leave, did not, so the position was filled.

So the rest of the summer this same manager guy kept getting me interviews with other retail companies of the same calibur, but nothing clicked. Add to this process I am fresh out of design school and have zero bargaining power, so although I have a good portfolio, I am not a safe bet because I have no proven track record at a clothing company.

Flash forward to this fall, and this same manager throws me a bone in the form of freelance work at his place of employment, for the busy season. I do a good job, he promises me more work on a weekly basis; that quickly dries up too.

Finally I get the picture that this is never going to pan out. I put my portfolio online, apply for a few jobs and hope for the best. One of the jobs I hear from immediately is for a position at the parent company of the one I wokred at a month ago. Again, I talk to an excited employee who loves my work.

I go in for the interview, last week, and meet all the right people, who again look at my portfolio. Again they lkike my work, but an unsure about my experience. I am told that I can freelance for a week to see if works out.

A week later and I have heard nothing. I send an e-mail but nothing comes of it. So six months after first having contact with them, I am being strung along yet again. This was my dream company to work for before I even left school, and by now, I feel toyed with. They sucked the joy right out of it by this inane process.

I guess I will apply again in a year or more, but I maybe I will seem like "old news" by then. Guess what I thought was a blessing, meeting this guy in my art class, was really sort of a curse.

Nyheat
Member

08-09-2006

Friday, November 16, 2007 - 1:39 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Nyheat a private message Print Post    
Update: They have contacted me and I am still in the running. Admittedly, this position would be a leap and I'm technically underqualified. I just had to "let go" a little bit with this company and really start looking for other work.

I may get the chance to work for them someday, just maybe not right now.


Maris
Member

03-28-2002

Sunday, February 10, 2008 - 1:07 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Maris a private message Print Post    
I have got everyone beat on walking into an nightmare of a job.

It is literally the Devil wears Prada but the devil is psychotic. Add to it the hookers - sorry "models", crazy crazy rules that everyone has to follow, outrageous demands. It is unbelievable.

Every day is a story that would blow you away.

Herckleperckle
Member

11-20-2003

Sunday, February 10, 2008 - 2:52 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Herckleperckle a private message Print Post    
Share one, Maris!! What do you do?

Mocha
Member

08-12-2001

Sunday, February 10, 2008 - 3:15 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mocha a private message Print Post    
<popcorn smiley>

Maris
Member

03-28-2002

Sunday, February 10, 2008 - 3:27 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Maris a private message Print Post    
Herk, I would love to...the thing is the guy is a billionaire and has absolutely no reservations about suing employees, hiring people to troll the web looking for stories about him.

I will give you a story abuot one day:

Mission – get boss on his plane to his private island with his girls – without his having a meltdown by Noon



(must point out we had to get the plane moved from Kennedy to Laguardia the night before because word was out that people in private jets were getting pat downs by homeland security - security very tight at Kennedy - due to terrorist threat - so had to fly the plane to another airport ten minutes away so boss wouldnt have to be subject to search and inconvenience of security check)



I get off subway at 9:00 am in Times square, goes to starbucks gets two vente lattes one for me and one for boss



arrive at building - the construction guy - real schlub of a guy sitting at security desk yawning - tells me nobody has come yet do I know anything. I give him one vente Latte for boss with instructions hand it to him when he gets in building.

arrive at desk, voice mail from the driver - he is at the hotel at 9:00 am waiting for boss and confirms he has told boss he is there. He is driving one of those super huge white limo things that takes up half a block - gigantic - Boss only travels in white streeeeeeeeeetch



I run across the street to get piece of cantaloupe, two pieces of watermelon, two pieces of mango, two strawberries, two slices of kiwi. Runs back to office puts same on blue cobalt plate, with a bottle of his mongo juice in blue cobalt glass, and a side blue cobalt glass wtih ice in it. I also gets six blackberry batteries fully charged run up with all to his desk and places on his desk. "

Phone rings totally frazzled Exec asst (who looks exactly like Reese witherspoon), in a panic. tag all luggage with models names. Nobody has heard from Number one Model, she has been calling her for days. Last spoke to her on Tuesday and she said oh are we going on Sunday and that is the last anyone has heard from her. Exec asst has been calling all the models every fifteen minutes to make sure they show up at the hotel to be picked up a- models have to be spoken to every fifteen minutes because they are total AIRHEADS and cannot be controlled. I prepare the luggage tags color coded, for each person and which suite they are assigned at private island. four models all going to the George Bush Suite (I kid you not), Boss going to the Centurian suite, the photographer going to Associate 1 suite, PR gal going to Associate 2 suite, Asst going to Viking suite.



exec sst begs me to give photog all the extra luggage tags incase the girls have more luggage (girls tell in morning how many cases they have and invariably when they arrive at airport the count doubles)



10:00 boss arrives, says nothing picks up starbucks from dave and goes to his office.

10:30 photog arrives - emer tags his luggage and advises him he has to carry all the extra tags because he is the only one exec asst trusts. He says, I have never met her. I tell photog "well that pretty much tells you everything doesnt it". I escort Photog to 2nd floor to hang.



11:00 the doorman calls - Driver and the models have arrived. I calls exec asst who is on plane fixing his lunch - the models have arrived. Wow things are looking good. All the models have arrived (except the missing main girl). Feeling pretty good - go downstairs with luggage tags for driver to tag the girls luggage and boss luggage. photog is instructed to get in car with models, Everything is ready. I go back upstairs - feeling pretty dam pleased that everything is going like clockwork.



11:15 Call from driver - MODEL ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!! They are bolting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. I go running down to street. Driver has a cellphone to his ear - Two girls want to go across the street to Western Union and one wants to go to a drug store to pick up her prescription ten blocks away -- in times square in the holiday season which means it is friggin packed. I tell the two who want to go to western union which is right across the street to go ahead but if boss is coming down Driver is pulling them out - they are fine with that. I tell other girl she cannot go to drug store, suddenly like a Gazelle she starts running down Broadway - bye bye. Now I am on a cellphone calling exec assta to tell her we have lost a model. Meanwhile tourists seeing me on a cellphone, a driver ona cellphone and a super large stretch limo start peering into the limo wondering if this is someone famous in the car, they are practically knocking us out of the way to get a look in the
halfway open door. I call asst -- Panic alert we have lost a model -- Asst "what do I do" Do I tell him we have lost a model and he should stay where he is till she comes back or do I not tell him and have him arrive ready to go only to be told that he has to wait.



One cardinal rule I forgot to tell you all is that -- Boss must never be kept waiting. he is the last to get on his plane -- he is the last to get in the car. I tell her, call him tell him model has bolted down broadway and we will notify when she arrives. She calls boss -- he screams dont waste my time and he hangs up.



11:30 Drikver calls me. Model back in car all models accounted for. WHEW . I call exec asst. She worries what do I do. Do I call him and have him scream at me for bothering him again, how do I tell him model is back in the Limo. I tell her send him an email.



1140 Driver calls me all the models have bolted again, they are hungry ran to the pizzaria -

12:00 I gets panicked call from Execasst - she cant find Ranch dressing at Laguardia and she has to get his lunch ready on plane. I run out on Broadway, runs to coffee shop, buys a half a cup of ranch dressing for $5. Gives to Driver Instructs driver to give ranch dressing to Asst.


AND THAT IS JUST ONE DAY. -- Sunday


That was a pleasant day


What do I do? Believe it or not I am a facilities manager

Mocha
Member

08-12-2001

Sunday, February 10, 2008 - 3:39 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mocha a private message Print Post    
Oh my!!

Teachmichigan
Member

07-22-2001

Sunday, February 10, 2008 - 3:52 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Teachmichigan a private message Print Post    
What do you do?? Lose your mind and hair by the age of 30???? :-) Holy pete -- that would drive me out of my mind in two seconds, and I'd be the one swearing at the boss and telling him to grow up and get his own bleepin' latte.

Mameblanche
Member

08-24-2002

Sunday, February 10, 2008 - 3:54 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mameblanche a private message Print Post    
Take notes, write book, sell script to whoever bought the Nanny Diaries and split the proceeds with me for such brilliant advice. I could ghostwrite the book for ya too! LOL

Maris
Member

03-28-2002

Sunday, February 10, 2008 - 3:59 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Maris a private message Print Post    
honestly, that is nothing and that is just the clean version of what I have to deal with on a day to day basis.