# Just started the worst job...



## Jinxi (Feb 23, 2011)

At the end of last year I resigned from my Personal Assistant position at a very high-market art gallery due to my boss being an absolute pr**k - he found it amusing to make sexual passes at me at every opportunity.

I have been searching for the perfect job for 2 months now and have had no such luck. I am very keen to get involved in the IT sector as I have a passion for the functionality of both computers and programmes. 

Anyhoo, I started a job yesterday. I chose this position because living without an income was becoming a real problem. It is another Personal Assistant position, but for less pay at a smaller family-run business. The only benefit to this is that it is 10 minutes away from my house. I already hate it. I am convinced that being a Personal Assistant in South Africa automatically allows for a tattoo on your forehead saying: "I am stupid, so please do not give me any difficult work to do or any work for that matter." Ok, maybe that would make for an awfully large tattoo, but it is true. All I have done since I arrived yesterday was type out my own contract and file some papers away. Please give me something meaningful to do!!!

So, in order to make myself feel a little better I made this post  and I am encouraging all those other people who are stuck in jobs simply to pay the rent to vent here too.

The space is open to all kinds of anger  Go ahead and get it out there...


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## TheFuhrer02 (Feb 23, 2011)

Intriguingly, I actually envy your job to some extent. Imagine that, doing nothing and getting paid for it. 

Just kidding. XD

Srsly now: Well, he's the boss. I guess you just have to live with it for now. Hope he'd give you some meaningful job soon.


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## Olly Buckle (Feb 23, 2011)

I don't know how the law stands in SA but over here a boss who sexually harassed an employee to the point they couldn't stand it and left could be made to pay heavily for it. it amounts to wrongful dismissal, and rightly so in my opinion.
Early days with the new job, start looking round for stuff to do on your own initiative and maybe they will get the message, they probably still feel they need to do everything until they have shown you, which leaves them too busy to show you.


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## Shirley S. Bracken (Feb 23, 2011)

Create your own business.  That's what I did.


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## Jinxi (Feb 23, 2011)

Shirley S. Bracken said:


> Create your own business.  That's what I did.


 I have thought about that so many times. I thought of opening up my own swimming school and teaching little children how to swim. The only thing that stopped me was trying to find an indoor, heated pool.


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## Shirley S. Bracken (Feb 23, 2011)

That's funny!  I thought you said your interest was in computers and programing.  You obviously already have a computer, find a need and fill it!


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## Jinxi (Feb 23, 2011)

Shirley S. Bracken said:


> That's funny!  I thought you said your interest was in computers and programing.  You obviously already have a computer, find a need and fill it!


 This is true  The computer side of things is something I have been looking to get into for the past maybe 2 years. I worked as a swimming teacher when I first left school and thoroughly enjoyed it, the problem is that it is seasonal. Summertime allows for wonderful income, but there is none to get you through winter.


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## Shirley S. Bracken (Feb 23, 2011)

There is no reason why you can't hold the job you have, develop your computer based business and enjoy teaching swimming in the summer.  One of those things is bound to work into something that you will enjoy and that will make you a comfortable income.  A good balance of enjoyment and need is a healthy way to go.  Easy for me to say I guess.


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## Jinxi (Feb 23, 2011)

Shirley S. Bracken said:


> There is no reason why you can't hold the job you have, develop your computer based business and enjoy teaching swimming in the summer.  One of those things is bound to work into something that you will enjoy and that will make you a comfortable income.  A good balance of enjoyment and need is a healthy way to go.  Easy for me to say I guess.


 You are right. Thank you. 

I guess I have always just looked at getting into one of those fields, not really doing a bit of all of them.


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## garza (Feb 23, 2011)

Now I remember why I never looked for a job.


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## The Backward OX (Feb 24, 2011)

I hear there's good money to be made highjacking cars at traffic lights in Jo'burg.


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## Bilston Blue (Feb 24, 2011)

On the plus side, you're writing your own contract. Think of the fun you could have with that.


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## Custard (Mar 5, 2011)

it makes me tickle just to think about doing a proper job for once, but a person should follow his dreams, well but you have to have some income that comes free first...... win a lottery?


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## Luckystars1987 (Mar 7, 2011)

I hate my job too. Well my first (main) job!
I work for a charitable organisation (yes this is good in a way) as a Training Co-ordinator, however they expect me to do the job that 3 people should be doing with half the salary. My boss is an asshole and likes to show that his position is above me whenever he gets the opportunity. Even with the mega workload the jobs I get just aren't meaningful to me, I quite often think I need to be challenged more.
My second (weekend) job is for the same company but working as a support worker for people with learning & physical disabilities and I love this so much, but due to commitments at home I cannot do this full time due to the hours they work.

I want to do something different, maybe children & young adults psychology (then i think could i really not get too emotionally involved in this kind of job, and the answer is no I don't think so) So then i'm back to square one!

Sorry this has turned into a major rant, must.. stop!

I hope you get something sorted Jinxi, you will have to keep us updated


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## Jinxi (Mar 7, 2011)

Luckystars1987 said:


> Sorry this has turned into a major rant, must.. stop!
> 
> I hope you get something sorted Jinxi, you will have to keep us updated



Yay! Finally someone else ranted  I felt like the only person who hated my job 

I will definitely keep you updated  It has started to improve slowly. I have forced him to give me more work to do, so at least I am busy.

I am studying psychology. It is incredibly interesting. I am specialising in Criminal Psych though. I thought about going into mental health psych, but I am also one of those people that becomes very attached and that would not be a very healthy thing for me to work with young children.

Hope your job improves.


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## fritzie (Mar 9, 2011)

Jinxi, it is very important to learn to get the most you can out of every job experience you have. You were right to leave a job where you are harassed. But most entry-level jobs do not immediately take advantage of the full range of skills you have. The current boss doesn't sound like a monster.
It would be of great value for you to ask yourself what of value your job can give you and to focus on that while you are in that job. You need to learn to get along with people with whom you work (unless they are harassing you). Seeing you write that you "forced" your boss to give you more to do makes me wonder whether you approach workplace relationships in a highly adversarial way. 
Just as you may have more to you than the boss may so far acknowledge, the boss may have more to him than you so far acknowledge. Give everyone a chance. Some people have trouble not being the boss, but most people don't start out being the boss.


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## Jinxi (Mar 10, 2011)

You are right. My new boss is far from a monster. I understand that entry level positions do not make use of all your capabilities, it is just frustrating for me because I have been working for 5 years now and seem to have achieved nothing.

Perhaps I used the incorrect word when I say "forced". I asked him politely to please give me more work to do, as the amount he gave me didn't last until lunchtime.

Thank you for your wise advice. It is greatly appreciated.


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## Jinxi (Mar 10, 2011)

The Backward OX said:


> I hear there's good money to be made highjacking cars at traffic lights in Jo'burg.



ROFL. Thank you Ox, I enjoyed that :-D


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