Showing interest in a job where you have no interest.

SarEl

BackOnTrack wrote: »

Even as I sit here surfing MSE while being paid (well) to work, .

I hope you have thorughly read and understood your internet usage policy then... and avoid Facebook like the plague

safesound

Its about positive mental attitude. I work in retail and at home (according to my DH) am a miserable sarcastic wife but in work ALL my customers love me because I'm approachable and friendly, I smile when greeting them and happily make small talk (even just about the weather), I go out of my way to be nice to people even when they are being less than pleasant. Why? Because that's what I'm paid to do. My job is to make nice-nice with the customers so they are more inclined to return to my specific store.
I don't want to be nice most of the time, in fact allot of the time I'm mentally shouting 'You want beans? are you blind? there is a stack of beans 6 feet high RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!' but what I actually say is 'Beans? no problem, I'll just run and get them. Is there anything else I can get for you? **SMILE**
Its honestly just a case of forcing yourself to do it so often it becomes second nature. It takes a while but it is possible to fake it until you make it

paddyrg

I have worked in all sorts of roles and jobs, some very dull, some in pubs and cars, etc - you make of it what you can. It's never going to be a dream job for most people, but for others it is a bit of teamwork, sociable, easy hours, whatever. Have you thought about looking for a different job?

hcb42

also consider how you are going to change your situation - e.g. progression within retail, learning new skills outside of it etc

scheming_gypsy

Evilm wrote: »

there is no reason why you have to look (and behave as if you are) miserable about being there.

.

so if he's miserable about doing it; which he clearly is, he should look and behave as though it's the most amazing job in the world? what an absolute load of !!!!!

If he's in a job he hates then he's going to be miserable. We shouldn't be excited just because we have a job even if we hate it; not unless you've found out that we get another shot at life? because as far as I'm aware we only get one shot at it and shouldn't spend it doing things we hate 'just because'

Mind_the_Gap

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

We shouldn't be excited just because we have a job even if we hate it; not unless you've found out that we get another shot at life? because as far as I'm aware we only get one shot at it and shouldn't spend it doing things we hate 'just because'

All fine and dandy if you have no commitments. For some people, in some places and some situations, the opportunities to find more stimulating work just do not exist. It's OK if you're willing and able to up sticks, get on yer bike, retrain, move anywhere in the country, live in a caravan, work all hours, study at night for better qualifications. But some adults have families to feed and children to educate, older relatives to care for and bills to pay - all of which can trap them in low paid, dull work.

Having said that, I have never objected to cleaning (except perhaps for other people's bodily fluids), or seen it as beneath me. I wouldn't mind being one of those people on Life of Grime, to be honest. I would much rather clean (even toilets) than sit on a production line doing anything, and I've had some boring jobs in my time!

My personal top 5 worst jobs:

1. factory production line
2. anything involving meat
3. anything underground
4. working with violent psychiatric patients
5. any job on board a Channel ferry or even worse, the one from Bilbao to Portsmouth(?)

My daughter is a junior doctor in A & E and that is pretty grim - she gets abused, vomited upon and spat at by drunks/nutters quite regularly. Last year she spent seven weeks worrying about whether she'd contracted Hepatitis C from an addict who flailed about and caused her a needlestick injury. At least she is well-paid, I suppose. I watched 'Geordie Finishing school' and felt humbled by Kimberley who at just 20 worked as a personal carer in a residential home for drug addicts -wiping their bottoms, etc. Minimum wage.

My dad's worst ever job was as a student at Batchelors Foods - he shovelled dried peas into wheel-barrows all day. They did give him a lump of wood to kill the rats with, though.

My friend worked in a factory in her student days, just sitting watching nylons/tights go past for on a conveyor belt, looking out for snags for 8 hours. It was too noisy for conversation, or even for a radio to lighten the boredom., During the tea break she asked the woman next to her what she thought about all day. The answer came back in a deadpan tone, but quick as lightning : 'Sex.'

scheming_gypsy

Mind_the_Gap wrote: »

All fine and dandy if you have no commitments. .'

I probably didn't expand enough.
The OP is still doing it and working and looking for something else but some people have the 'you should be grateful' blah blah blah mentality and that people shouldn't aspire to do something else, just because they have 'a' job.
There's having a job and doing the job while you look for something else but it doesn't mean that you shouldn't be miserable doing the work if it's not something you want to do. If the job makes you miserable then you're not going to be happy doing it.

Mind_the_Gap

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

I probably didn't expand enough.
The OP is still doing it and working and looking for something else but some people have the 'you should be grateful' blah blah blah mentality and that people shouldn't aspire to do something else, just because they have 'a' job.
There's having a job and doing the job while you look for something else but it doesn't mean that you shouldn't be miserable doing the work if it's not something you want to do. If the job makes you miserable then you're not going to be happy doing it.

I expect you are right, but the point is that in order to keep some jobs (as opposed to being sacked), there is an expectation that you will at least affect a cheeriness of spirit, even if it is bogus. Call it acting, if you will.

I have just given up teaching because I was getting bored and frustrated by all the hogwash, but I stayed professional to the last...it's not fair on your customers otherwise!

claire16c

Mind_the_Gap wrote: »

My dad's worst ever job was as a student at Batchelors Foods - he shovelled dried peas into wheel-barrows all day. They did give him a lump of wood to kill the rats with, though.

remind me never to buy any food from Batchelors Foods :rotfl:

scheming_gypsy

Mind_the_Gap wrote: »

My dad's worst ever job was as a student at Batchelors Foods - he shovelled dried peas into wheel-barrows all day. They did give him a lump of wood to kill the rats with, though.

My friend worked in a factory in her student days, just sitting watching nylons/tights go past for on a conveyor belt, looking out for snags for 8 hours. It was too noisy for conversation, or even for a radio to lighten the boredom., During the tea break she asked the woman next to her what she thought about all day. The answer came back in a deadpan tone, but quick as lightning : 'Sex.'

I know somebody who was a bean taster for Heinz and years ago we used to hire warehouse space for PC cases. For weeks when we went to unload or collect a lad would be sitting there taking packets of Haribo out of a big box and packing them into smaller boxes.