(no subject)
Right. Within the last three months I have now quit two jobs. I appeared to have pretty much learned the same lesson twice. I DO NOT WANT TO WORK IN AN OFFICE. Why do I think this is the thing you're supposed to do in London? Secondly, I'm through with media jobs. It's full of Big Heads and Dickheads. This really does put me back at square one.
I didn't even last a full week at this one. The job was an an admin assistant (or so I had been lead to believe) for a recruitment company who specialise in booking work for camera men, editors, sound engineers, runners, etc. It was of some vague interest to me having been humiliating as a runner myself way back when. Unfortunately, in a tiny office of seven people it turns out my role was mainly to be the office maid and baby them all. My handover booklet was full of all kinds of nonsense that was never mentioned at the interview. For example: 'VERY IMPORTANT - Jane comes in at 10 most mornings and she likes a glass of water first thing.' (The water cooler is approximately 1 second away from her desk and the closest thing you come across when you walk in the door. Why the fuck do I have to do it?) There were many menial, humiliating tasks like that. Katharine, the girl who had this 'job' before me was still working in the office and she was lovely but a poor thing. She just made me feel so sad for here. She was a submissive little mouse who talked too fast and didn't look you in the eyes much. Still, that approach had obviously worked for her because she moved up to a different role. I remember at the interview the boss couldn't believe I was 23 - she said I looked much younger. I think that gave me the edge. They thought I would bow down to this shit and hoped I may not have any self-worth.
Having worked in a team of all men at HMV this was an office just of women. I'll tell you now - I'll take the boys' farting and stupid banter any day over these loopy bitches. Imagine spending 8 hours a day with the Loose Women. On my first day they joked I was 'too skinny'. When they weren't singing to I've Had The Time of My Life on Heart FM they were talking about men. That was pretty much it. As a woman I felt ashamed and, thankfully, I left before my period had a chance to synchronise with theirs.
You may think I'm being a prissy little madam. It's my own fault for going into this a little blind but I still feel the nature of the role could have been explained to me. I would smile and serve and baby these women all day long then go home and cry because I had been completely mislead about the fucking job and I felt so degraded. I began to resent them after a couple of days of this so heaven knows what would happen to me if I'd stuck it out for months.
Basically I can't keep doing this job quitting thing. It's turning into a compulsion and it upsets me no end because I feel like a such failure. At least I'm learning more and more what I don't want to do in life. That's kind of progress, right?
I've written a letter to them. But really it's to myself. It's a cathartic thing. I doubt I'll send it as it borders on offensive (even though, honestly, they offend me) but I wanted to write it to exercise my own demons and anger. Maybe I'll send it on January 1st when they can barely remember who I am and I am well and truly gone. I addressed it to the whole company, not an individual. For the record, though I did take a day off for another interview I never got it. This job offer I mention is a lie but it was all I had. My ticket out of there.
Dear **** *****,
My name is Fay. I worked with you for a few days in September but then left for a new job offer. Though only with you for a very short time there were some things I wanted to mention as I feel the way you advertised the position and the priorities of the role were not initially made clear to me in the interview process. I wanted to give you my thoughts in the hope it might change your approach to advertising the job or even how it works in the future.
Firstly, I must admit I found the routine of getting water and drinks for staff in such a small office space quite absurd. Fetching a drink for colleagues who were a few feet away from the relevant facilities, something which would only take a few seconds, I found ridiculous. To an extent, rather degrading too. I understand the business of the office and that there are tasks which need to be completed in time, but I do honestly believe thirty seconds can always be spared to pour a drink or make a tea when one feels the urge. There are tasks within the Office Assistant role which, presumably, are more pressing than keeping everyone’s thirsts quenched. I was very surprised to find that Page 1 of my handover booklet was simply how everyone likes their teas/coffees and that they should be offered at least every hour. Similarly, I remember Page 2 was the importance of keeping alcohol stocked and chilled in the fridge at all times. It seemed strange to me that these issues were given more precedence than instructions on logging invoices, updating databases, editing CVs, etc.
The integral 4 o’clock tea session is a nice way to break up the day but I wish I had been informed before taking the job about this and how much of a key task it is, or at least appeared to be. I do not know if these have always been the core aspects of the role but I really feel Katharine must have the patience of a saint to have worked to this demeaning power structure on the office floor. I can imagine it is rather tedious to instantly stop a task you may be in the middle of at precisely 4 o’clock in order to mould yourself around everyone else’s expected routines. This tradition is not a question of team morale because it excludes one individual. I can imagine over time this would become quite isolating and humiliating. I also do not feel comfortable fussing over and ‘babying’ my colleagues. All other jobs I have worked in before coming to 42nd Street I would consider to be ‘Junior’ positions but none were quite like this. In all the other environments I have worked these kinds of things are a naturally formed process and everyone chips in to making tea or grabbing some lunches as and when they wish - depending on moods and situations. To see it regimented, put in print and confined to one person is rather disheartening.
I was aware that, as this was partly a Receptionist role, I would be expected to be hospitable to visitors and clients but I did not expect to attend to colleagues’ becks and calls also. ie - being expected to walk over to the fridge for someone in an office that couldn’t have been any bigger than my living room. Needless to say, I believe doing requests most lunch times should also be referred to when you next advertise the position. If not, you may one day get a very shocked and disgruntled new employee!
I feel I misjudged the position and that the full nature of the role was not made entirely clear to me. If I had known these details I would have declined the offer. This is why it was not a difficult decision for me when it came to taking the job I interviewed for that week. My main suggestion here is that if this is the culture in the office you need to make this absolutely clear in your job description if this position is ever advertised again in order to find the right candidate who would submit to what I saw as being petty humiliation. Obviously this was not the job for me and my way of thinking is clearly very different to the way things may have always been done in the company. I am so sorry I wasted both your time and my own.
I apologise for being so blunt and this is not something I want to be taken personally but it struck me so profoundly I felt the urge to mention something.
Sincerely,
Fay Potter