# venting and looking for honest advice...



## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

ok , its crazy how sometimes u look for help or suggestions in the strangest places, but i have a bit of a work related dilemna. A little background on my situation. I work at con ed , been working here for 10 years this March. I started out as a bilingual customer service representative at a call center in brooklyn , at times i loved it , at times i hated it, but it was challenging , and i enjoyed working in teams and dealing with customers , eventually i was coaching the newer representatives and when they needed assistance or help in any of the actual walk in centers they would send me to fill in, after about 5 yrs i had been working as a loaner ( that means that the fordham walk in center in the bronx, had me working for them) for almost a year and i loved it , it was as a cashier and as a rep also so i took paymts on some days and on other days served as a rep and consulted with customers face to face, i loved doing that and it was twenty min away from my house walking , seven min ride. Well after that i got pregnant with damian my three yr old and the general manager retired , things changed and they sent me back to customer serv in brooklyn, and i didnt really want to be there anymore. so after i went on maternity leave and came back i started putting in for all positions to get out of the call center. Well i got a position as an Administrative Clerk for Central Engineering dept in the Repographics dept. So to make a long story short , here i am , hating my job. I work in a repographics room , in other words a print room kind of. Engineers bring us rolls of blueprint drawings , and i scan these into this big plotter and make sets of these that come out folded , i then make packages, and these specs (booklets) that go on top , before they are scanned , we have to make sure they follow all the environmental guidelines , checks , signatures etc , and then i reproduce , so if i get a roll of 70 drawings and they want 30 sets and 15 cds also im in charge of doing that , that means scanning, printing, packaging , tying, moving , carrying , emailing the eng to come get it , etc etc , oh n lets not forget the cause of my back issues as of late , loading the machines w 25 lb rolls of paper , awesome right ? 

well in the beginning it didnt bother me , but as soon as i hit a yr in this office and i realized that the ppl i was working w , werent exactly team material i started regretting my decision to leave customer ops and come here, because of coming into this dept , i missed the opportunity to be canvassed into working for the walk in centers permanently , or taking the senior rep class and getting a higher title and making more money , i missed many opportunities , i thought this was a good decision for me because i would be working at con eds headquarters w more ways to advance up in my career path , little did i know i was joining one of the few depts in this building that doesnt believe in giving the tests for the higher positions that folow adm clerk , which would be office assistant, secretary which would be considered management ,, all because the GM in this dept doesnt believe in those titles in this office , i mean wtf? anyway i have put in for numerous position canvasses for customer serv supervisor and i always pass the resume part , i always pass the writing sample but when it comes to the interview i always pass the first one but not the last one , someone always gets it.. so needless to say i think the best thing would be for me to go back to customer operations as a rep before i try to advance into a supervisor. So in 2009 i took the rep test again , because this company is so crazy that if u havent been a rep in two yrs u have to retest , retrain , re interview etc, so i took the test n failed the math portion by one point , so i was out ... so i waited til the position was canvassed again n i put in for it , even though its for part time i work full time and always have, so this time i passed the test , then i had another test were u simulate talking to a customer over the phone n i passed and tomorrow is my interview , which im fairly confident ill pass even though i hate interviews as it is ,anyway , this is the problem.... my boyfriend of four yrs works in brooklyn , he started working there the same week i left the call center , and he says im going to hate it , that they micro manage everything, that u cam barely go to the bathroom in peace without someone questioning your whereabouts , that they have gotten ridicolously strict and u need to be at your desks available at all times. i know that here there are things i have easy like being able to go on break without a problem , getting on the pc n on sm everyday lol things i wouldnt be able to do at the call center< and i know that they are real viligant and want u to be productive etc etc , and even though it might be stricter than when i was there i never ever had a problem with my stats and the amount of calls i used to take a day , in fact i had a more than perfect record. And my logic is that if i go back , i will be back in customer operations and i will be able to move up , go to one of the business offices if they ever canvass because i have more seniority than the majority of the reps there and i dont lose it , or after 18 months i have the opportunity to take the senior rep class. Here is my concern. As most of you know i work full time now. And i make ok money enough to pay the bills and support my kids. I mean my boyfriend helps me out ALOT but the majority of my expenses are on me. If i get this position it is part time. now let me explain , if i do good at the interview , i get the position , my dept could hold me i think for 30 days , then i would have to take the training again which is in queens and it would be full time n i would still get my full pay. the training is now 16 weeks as opposed to 9 weeks when i started 10 yrs ago. and then i will start working part time, which is min 20 hrs and can be as much as 39 hrs. Theres were the situation lies , i really cant afford to work part time. so what im hoping is that by the time i start working they either offer the over time ( thats another reason why i hate my dept , they dont offer us no ovetime ever) or they consider the fact that i was a rep for so long and they allow me to work fulltime , i need to sit n talk to HR about this but i need to go thru the interview first. 

So guys sorry for dumping my whole work issues on you but do u think im doing the right thing? what would you do ? i feel bad because my bf doesnt seem to understand the reasons why i need to leave here and he says hes looking out for me and that hes on his way out cause hes trying t go into management and i just feel stuck , like im not sure if im doing the right thin , if i should just suck it up and stay here .. or what .... help


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## Cheri (Jan 7, 2008)

(((((((((((((HUG))))))))) I say go with your gut and let everything else work itself out


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

thanks hun!:wub:


Cheri said:


> (((((((((((((HUG))))))))) I say go with your gut and let everything else work itself out


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## Bibu (Jun 3, 2010)

I always believe in taking a "little" sacrifice for future growth. If you are really unhappy at Job A and your b/f thinks you will be unhappy at Job B, you may be unhappy at both BUT, Job B gives you an opportunity of future growth which Job A doesn't. I would follow your gut but always keep future opportunities for growth in mind. However, make sure you speak to HR before leaving Job A and accepting Job B. Make sure things will be able to play out the way you want them to before making a big decision of leaving Job A. Those are my 2 cents.


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

Thank u Cory. The way you perceive it is the same exact way i am looking at it. I feel if im going to sacrifice something and im going to bust my butt at work , i might as well do it in a place that values my work and has room for advancement.


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## Aarianne (Jul 22, 2005)

I would be having a hard time with that decision too. In the other job, do you become full time automatically after a set period of time? Or is it possible that you could get stuck doing part time for a lonnnng time and that it could become a huge financial drain? If you're sure you'll move onto full time quickly enough, I would say switch! Not feeling appreciated at work is the pits.


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

yes eventually i am guaranteed full time , and even while working part time im able to work up to 39 hrs which is fine. I think ive made my decision , also thanks very much to the few that responded cause it seems alot of ppl read this and opted not to reply .lol


Bibu said:


> I always believe in taking a "little" sacrifice for future growth. If you are really unhappy at Job A and your b/f thinks you will be unhappy at Job B, you may be unhappy at both BUT, Job B gives you an opportunity of future growth which Job A doesn't. I would follow your gut but always keep future opportunities for growth in mind. However, make sure you speak to HR before leaving Job A and accepting Job B. Make sure things will be able to play out the way you want them to before making a big decision of leaving Job A. Those are my 2 cents.





Aarianne said:


> I would be having a hard time with that decision too. In the other job, do you become full time automatically after a set period of time? Or is it possible that you could get stuck doing part time for a lonnnng time and that it could become a huge financial drain? If you're sure you'll move onto full time quickly enough, I would say switch! Not feeling appreciated at work is the pits.


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## Snowball Pie's Mommi (Oct 16, 2008)

Liza ... the job you are doing now sounds sooooo draining. 

Is there any way you can go back to your other job and swing working a second part-time job for a while? Maybe you could work a second part-time job as a temp? That way you should be able to have some kind of control over what hours would be best suited for you. When I was diagnosed with MS (1991) I wanted to work PT as a temp because I had control over where I wanted to work and for how long. Amazingly, I was offered permanent postions with every company I worked for ... big corporations and even the airlines. I ended up choosing to work part time for one company for as long as I wanted ... and I loved it. So, it's just a thought for you to perhaps consider until you can work full-time at one job.

I wish you the best, Liz. And, big hugs for putting up with a job that does not show you any appreciation.


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

marie the job that i am doing now is horrible!!! it is , i feel literally like i work the belt in some factory setting . i dont even use my mind , i just do manual labor basically all day , everyday same same thing, and then i work for a dept that doesnt care about their union workers cause there are so few of us in this dept , they dont celebrate success, u barely get a thank u , everything is rushed on my end because of course the engineers have a deadline , meanwhile they gave us the job late but guess who needs to rush , lil old me , im unhappy , by the time i go home to my kids im drained physically and just upset at the world .. meanwhile at the call center , sure as in all jobs there are days , and there might be customers that get on my nerves but at the end of the day , when u were able to help a customer , or refer another one to a diff dept , or teach an elderly customer how to conserve energy , that to me is more gratifying , regardless of the micro management and all that , i mean basically what i feel is , if i go and i do my job, and i do it right i wont have a problem .. i was a bilingual re p for 7 yrs , and i have been here for three yrs on thursday , and i can tell u i prefer to go back even if its part time, and its so true about temping if need be, if i need to i will . thank u guys 


Snowball Pie's Mommi said:


> Liza ... the job you are doing now sounds sooooo draining.
> 
> Is there any way you can go back to your other job and swing working a second part-time job for a while? Maybe you could work a second part-time job as a temp? That way you should be able to have some kind of control over what hours would be best suited for you. When I was diagnosed with MS (1991) I wanted to work PT as a temp because I had control over where I wanted to work and for how long. Amazingly, I was offered permanent postions with every company I worked for ... big corporations and even the airlines. I ended up choosing to work part time for one company for as long as I wanted ... and I loved it. So, it's just a thought for you to perhaps consider until you can work full-time at one job.
> 
> I wish you the best, Liz. And, big hugs for putting up with a job that does not show you any appreciation.


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Liza, I am not much help here as I don't understand anymore how US companies function but I do know that you are in the wrong place if you are that unappreciated and unhappy so just make a change & take the fall-out. Can it be any worse than what you are doing now? Sometimes things need to get worse in order to get better---if that makes sense. You are young and getting stuck can be the pitts---so move out or on if you have to! You will be in my prayers!:wub:


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## Aarianne (Jul 22, 2005)

Yeah, I work at my dad's small engineering company. Mainly I'm here to do bookkeeping and general office stuff... answering the phones, invoicing, payroll, banking, editing reports (for most of the guys, english is a second language) and buying office supplies. So at least it's varied and my brain likes the organizing/efficiency side of it all. But when we tender projects (which is thankfully pretty rare), I'm often involved with putting the specs/packages together and tracking everything. I know how dull and mind-numbing it can be! 

I also know how heavy those rolls are when your back is sore! I try to weasel my way out of picking up the plotter paper rolls from the print shop down the road whenever I can. lol. They come 4 in a box (eek!) and our office space is up a flight of stairs, so they're horrible when your back is bad.

Anyway, I hope it all works out for you!


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

aarianne when i first came here thats what i was doing , i didnt mind the bookkeeping , data entry of it , but all of a sudden my duties changed drastically to stuff that werent even in my work description n it sucks.. and yes i change the rolls about four times a day all three and honstly its crazy!


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

sandi thanks !


edelweiss said:


> Liza, I am not much help here as I don't understand anymore how US companies function but I do know that you are in the wrong place if you are that unappreciated and unhappy so just make a change & take the fall-out. Can it be any worse than what you are doing now? Sometimes things need to get worse in order to get better---if that makes sense. You are young and getting stuck can be the pitts---so move out or on if you have to! You will be in my prayers!:wub:


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Liza - just got home from working to see this. Hon, you're miserable. Plain and simple and I think that a lot of the headaches you get are probably from the stress of really hating what you do 8 hours a day. I always feel that life's too short and sometimes you have to take a risk, if there's a possibility to make things better. You're too smart and have too much personality to be doing what you're doing. 
I would hear what they have to say about the new job and weigh things. If it seems more interesting and there are advancement possibilities I'd go with it. I always think too that our kids pick up on whether we're happy or not at work and that kind of passes down to them and their attitudes towards school and work. When you're happy you give off a more uplifting vibe for everyone. 
I remember when you took the test and were happy and excited to see that you passed. I'd go with that gut feeling. I'd rather work my ass off in something that's more stimulating than doing something I hated even if I wasn't working so hard. 
Whatever you choose, we're with you. :hugging:


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## iheartbisou (Feb 13, 2007)

Liza...I think I would go for the job that would further my career in terms of position and money (which usually go together anyway)- than the one that there is a 'ceiling' so to speak. Sometimes you have to take a step back to take two forward.

good luck!!!!


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

aww sue thank u, u are too sweet , and u are right my migraines are problably from being in a place where that i hate,. the new job will technically not be new because i did that already for seven years and in all that time i was definitely happier than i am now. today is my interview at 1030 so girls cross your fingers for me to do good , its the same interview i had ten yrs ago with a few more questions but im confident i'll do ok. I agree about the kids picking up on how the parents feel and my kids are all for me going to the call center even if i get a change in my hours . again thank u for taking the time to read my long vent and answer .


Snowbody said:


> Liza - just got home from working to see this. Hon, you're miserable. Plain and simple and I think that a lot of the headaches you get are probably from the stress of really hating what you do 8 hours a day. I always feel that life's too short and sometimes you have to take a risk, if there's a possibility to make things better. You're too smart and have too much personality to be doing what you're doing.
> I would hear what they have to say about the new job and weigh things. If it seems more interesting and there are advancement possibilities I'd go with it. I always think too that our kids pick up on whether we're happy or not at work and that kind of passes down to them and their attitudes towards school and work. When you're happy you give off a more uplifting vibe for everyone.
> I remember when you took the test and were happy and excited to see that you passed. I'd go with that gut feeling. I'd rather work my ass off in something that's more stimulating than doing something I hated even if I wasn't working so hard.
> Whatever you choose, we're with you. :hugging:


thank u so much , thats exactly what im thinking to .


iheartbisou said:


> Liza...I think I would go for the job that would further my career in terms of position and money (which usually go together anyway)- than the one that there is a 'ceiling' so to speak. Sometimes you have to take a step back to take two forward.
> 
> good luck!!!!


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Sending prayers to you that the interview went well. Oh, it was at 10:30 so
:Waiting: How was it?


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## Bibu (Jun 3, 2010)

How did the interview go?? We're waiting to hear results! xoxo


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

Back from the interview. Thank you all for your prayers and words of encouragement. I think it went well , even though when i got on the subway on my way there i was sweating , and my heart felt like it was coming out of my chest , why do i get like that prior to interviews is beyond me. I am a pretty confient , secure person but something about those moments prior to an interview freak me out , after i got in there i was fine. I was interviewed by two supervisors that I knew. As they were both customer serv reps when i was atthe call center back in 2007, so i felt comfortable. Most of the questions I knew what to expect because I had that same kind of interview ten years ago and i passed it then, and now that I have actually worked in this field i was better prepared. So hoping it went as well as i think it went. And now i wait. keep those fingers crossed for me  

I would really like to thank the ones that answered this post and gave me their honest opinions , you all validated how i felt, thank u much.


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

uniquelovdolce said:


> Back from the interview. Thank you all for your prayers and words of encouragement. I think it went well , even though when i got on the subway on my way there i was sweating , and my heart felt like it was coming out of my chest , why do i get like that prior to interviews is beyond me. I am a pretty confient , secure person but something about those moments prior to an interview freak me out , after i got in there i was fine. I was interviewed by two supervisors that I knew. As they were both customer serv reps when i was atthe call center back in 2007, so i felt comfortable. Most of the questions I knew what to expect because I had that same kind of interview ten years ago and i passed it then, and now that I have actually worked in this field i was better prepared. So hoping it went as well as i think it went. And now i wait. keep those fingers crossed for me
> 
> I would really like to thank the ones that answered this post and gave me their honest opinions , you all validated how i felt, thank u much.


:smheat: So glad it's over. I know the sweating, palpitating feeling - used to have it when I was younger before interviews (and then older because of menopause. :w00t::HistericalSmiley It's just nerves and I never knew how anyone didn't feel that way. I can interview stars for tv but when it comes to my job interviews I still get butterflies. :blink:
Well it sounds like it went well. Must have been so much of a relief to see familiar faces in the interview. I'm sure you aced it but I'm sending good luck prayers anyway. :hugging:


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

I'm laughing Sue cause that's exactly how i felt . The clammy hands , the palpitations , the nerves , lol but as soon as I start answering the questions I feel at ease. Im so glad its over , its funny how I couldn't even eat before the interview and now i'm starving ! Again Sue , Thanks.


Snowbody said:


> :smheat: So glad it's over. I know the sweating, palpitating feeling - used to have it when I was younger before interviews (and then older because of menopause. :w00t::HistericalSmiley It's just nerves and I never knew how anyone didn't feel that way. I can interview stars for tv but when it comes to my job interviews I still get butterflies. :blink:
> Well it sounds like it went well. Must have been so much of a relief to see familiar faces in the interview. I'm sure you aced it but I'm sending good luck prayers anyway. :hugging:


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## Bibu (Jun 3, 2010)

Yey! I'm glad you went through it. That is always the hardest part for me. I get so nervous I can't even eat the day of an interview! Lets keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best outcome!


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

omg its true , i had coffwee this morning and i couldnt eat my usual cranberry muffin , i couldnt even swallow :HistericalSmiley:


Bibu said:


> Yey! I'm glad you went through it. That is always the hardest part for me. I get so nervous I can't even eat the day of an interview! Lets keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best outcome!


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## missiek (Jan 2, 2010)

Liza, I am sorry I didn't see this thread until now! Although, I would have agreed with everyone else. I think you are doing the right thing for yourself and your family. I am praying for you that you will get the new position you wanted!


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## donnad (Aug 22, 2006)

Hope all went well for you today!


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

kelly thank u so much !


missiek said:


> Liza, I am sorry I didn't see this thread until now! Although, I would have agreed with everyone else. I think you are doing the right thing for yourself and your family. I am praying for you that you will get the new position you wanted!


thanks 


donnad said:


> Hope all went well for you today!


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