Monday, June 26, 2006

The worst thing

OK, so occasionally (?) I've harped on a few of my pet peeves, job-wise. It can be maddening to see different people make the same mistakes ad infinitum -- understandable. Customers leaving empty carts willy-nilly across the front of the store now drive me almost as crazy as the rogue apostrophe.

However.

There is one thing that I absolutely loathe. It's been known to send me to the bathroom in tears (not as regular an occasion now, former roomies!). That is when customers treat me as mentally inferior -- not when they simply repeat an instruction multiple times. I can handle that. I mean the full-on, over-enunciating, complete-with-miming-hand-gestures, spoken-with-wide-open-eyes-and-raised-eyebrows treatment. I get that and average of once every other week. More during the holidays and right after an ad campaign.

Now, mind you, much of this isn't the customer's fault -- I already came to this job with certain issues. Namely, I absolutely hate it when I'm treated like an idiot. It's incredibly important to me that I be recognized as an intelligent person.

So naturally I have a blue-collar job which contains in its job description certain skills that are usually delegated to individuals who (since there's no delicate way to put it) perhaps rode the short bus to school.

Jordana, I do believe that I'm going to pull out my mammoth copy of The Riverside Chaucer so that I can learn to recite whole sections of Troilus and Criseyde in the original. I imagine that it'll work like a charm to calm fussy toddlers.

All that to say, how are the rest of y'all faring? This is especially directed to those college graduates of us who may not be (in the words -- or thoughts -- of our parents) "living up to our fullest potential," but I'd love to hear from those lucky ducks who actually are doing something related to their respective majors and/or requiring a college education.

Slightly different from the old "if you had it to do all over again" question: if you had the opportunity (or ill fortune) to be headed into college as a freshman (bachelor's degree, you mental giants!), what would you major in? Same degree as before, different classes? Same classes, better grades? Same classes, better social life?

I'd major in anthropology. Seriously -- I wish I had taken a little more while at Wheaton, because it would come in handy with my current job.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I guess I'm in between the "not living up to my potential" and the attempt to make a career out of my major. I'm still trying to figure out whether I can stand making freelance calligraphy and murals a full time job, so I'm not advertising (or jumping at a part time job at Panera)...just muddling along with the jobs I can get and living at home. I'm not satisfied with the current state of things but not sure how to move forward or onto another track or whatever.

If I had college to do over again, I think I'd still stick with art (focus in graphic design for the career opportunities???--but then Wheaton's design classes weren't worth much), though I might try Enlish lit. (for some of the professors I missed). However, nothing against anybody who did try Eng. lit., but I'm not planning on grad school, and I couldn't explicate poetry! I'd definitely (since this is all hypothetical) try to be more of a people-person and have more of a social life.

BTW, I'm enjoying catching up with you through your blog, Alysia!

Neb said...

Alysia,

Stay strong, girl. When I dropped out of grad school for the first time, I had *absolutely* no idea what to do so I went back to what I'd done in high school- babysitting- and then I worked at Macy's for seven months (entry-level, not management). My parents tried to be supportive, but I could tell they were thinking "We just spent x thousand dollars on your college education and you're doing THESE jobs...?") It was really important for me to have those experiences, though- I knew it at the time, and I still think so. I needed to experiment with what it was like to have a job that wasn't particularly intellectually chalenging or relevant at all to my college major/ passions. Wheaton was pretty intense and stressful, and I felt like I needed a break from that for awhile. Of course retail (or other jobs that are considered mostly "unskilled") have stresses of their own, but it's a different kind of stress- I think you know what I mean.

Anyway, the point is that I think some people are able to work a job that *doesn't* align with their talents or interests, because their need for intellectual fulfillment can be met in their free time activities. (For example, one quite intelligent person I know has worked fairly low-paying, non-degree-requiring jobs since graduation, but seems to be not in any hurry to move on, because he is madly in love with his local public library. Hi, Peter.) Another thing to consider is that there are many folks out there who choose to work higher paying but souless (!!!) jobs as Corporate Middle Manager Paper-Pushing types, because those jobs pay the bills and sometimes generate money to do things like go to art museums or the opera or scuba diving, whatever floats your boat.

Other people (and I discovered that I happen to be in this category) can't really cope with devoting forty of their best waking hours a week to something that they don't find Fulfilling, so they (we?) have to keep looking for a way to find a job that *does* relate to our interests. (I feel quite self-conscious writing this to you, a Matron of Grammar.) For me that meant landing a job as a community college math tutor (which didn't pay [much] more than retail, but was somewhat more challenging and definitely a better match for my interest in math) and eventually starting over again in grad school. The flip side of "interesting" is "stressful," though; grad school is definitely more stressful than retail [for me]. I wouldn't have been able to cope with the stress of grad school *without* having had some down time after Wheaton.

So anyway, there's absolutely nothing wrong with being either kind of person; it's just about figuring out what works for you (we are in the postmodern age, after all.) If you can look in your heart and find contentment with the job you have and your opportunities to pursue what you love outside of work, then *there is nothing wrong* with working a job that doesn't fit some people's idea of what college graduates are supposed to do. Be happy! If, on the other hand, you feel long-term discontent, I would encourage you to be creative and try to "think outside the box" to look for ways to make money doing what you enjoy. For example, the job I held for 4 years- community college math tutor- was a position I didn't even know existed when I graduated from Wheaton. (I thought the choices were, teach high school or college, neither of which I had the credentials for.) (Sorry for ending in a preposition. :-)) I'm sure you've considered the "standard" jobs for music majors (giving private lessons...?) and there are good reasons you're not doing them; but maybe there are other jobs out there (or jobs you can create!!) that match your abilities and interents that are more off the beaten path. (Again, if you are content with what you are doing now (except for people's subtle and stupid condescension), keep doing it!!)

Okay this comment is FAR too long- I see the Comment Police coming with flashing lights- and I hope it isn't annoying in any way, I just wanted to try to be encouraging. Bottom line, DON'T ALLOW other people to judge your life choices conerning career- do what works for you and makes you happy within the parameters of God's leading (and let's just note, Jesus had a blue-collar job.) ;-)

(Besides, Jordana told me you are known to wear non-matching socks, which, in my mind, puts you in Permanent Cool Person Status. I don't know what your customers are thinking.)