I is Now One Of The Working Poor

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I'm still basting myself in the Florida sun, but at least I can now kill the daylight hours by actually working. The lofty title is 'Tech Support' for Gateway computers. Since this position concerns working for Gateway, I had to take 4 separate tests (2 written, 2 via computer) over 2 days at an agency, plus the almighty drug test.

Course, I ended up acing them all;> As far as I can tell, they tested how deep your knowledge of the Windows Operating System was, as well as your knowledge of the Net and of Internet Explorer.

This pays $9/hour for the first 3 months, then $11 after that.

From the choice of 2 shifts, I'll be working 13 hour days after I train:
Thursday, Friday and Saturday (with a 1/2 day on Wednesday).

Bad side? I'll be stuck wearing dress clothes during those days.(dryly) How the hell will I manage when tis so damn hot down here;>? It's tough when you are a t-shirt and jeans girl;>

Part of me _is_ relieved to be getting my independence back, as it can be demoralising to be relying on your parent, when they are struggling themselves. I'm just too old;> I need to return to the UK to do my Masters, and I'd prefer to be solvent when I do it. This time, my pockets may not whistle so loud.

It's hard to define, since if I'd gotten this position while in NY, CA or somewhere else, I'd be doing major cartwheels. (shrug) Here? Well, life in FL is too isolating for me to like. I just need to recall that I'll only be doing this for a short period.

Anyway, this will be an eye-opener, since I've never done Help Desk support before. If you look at the classifieds lately though, many positions depend on having the experience. I get paid holidays, medical and other benefits after 90 days.

So, tis back to racing to catch public transport. Then walking about a mile to get to my mum's house. (Florida is crammed with developments behind security gates.)

Either rechargeable batteries or an IPod should be on my future wish list, I suppose.

So, you just might be contacting me to help fix your comp in near future;>

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Thursday, 17 April 2003 16:16 (twenty-two years ago)

why do they expect people who make $9 an hour to wear dress clothes? That's fucking ridiculous! I can hardly find enough good cheap stuff to wear to work, and I'm a salaried employee at an investment bank.

― hstencil, Thursday, 17 April 2003 16:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Rah! And remember that most people calling help desks don't even know how to turn the computer on, so while it will be frustrating you will be dealing from a position of superiority.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 17 April 2003 16:20 (twenty-two years ago)

I can hardly find enough good cheap stuff to wear to work, and I'm a salaried employee at an investment bank.

Exactly, hstencil. It's actually funny when I read the list of what I can't wear, which consists of most of my wardrobe. I want to know what bright individual thought, "I know! Let's make the worker ants wear suits in 90 deg. weather!". Then, I could string them up by their dangly bits....

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Thursday, 17 April 2003 16:39 (twenty-two years ago)

.... so while it will be frustrating you will be dealing from a position of superiority.....

A change from my usual state of mind, then;>

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Thursday, 17 April 2003 16:41 (twenty-two years ago)

It's weird, cuz I don't think I've ever worked in some sort of tech support/customer service position (not what I do now, btw) where I wasn't allowed to wear whatever I wanted to. It's like the bosses know your job sucks, so they let you wear whatever in an attempt at appeasement.

For fun, say "an attempt at appeasement" five times, really fast.

― hstencil, Thursday, 17 April 2003 16:47 (twenty-two years ago)

For fun, say "an attempt at appeasement" five times, really fast.

An easy way to sprain your tongue....

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Thursday, 17 April 2003 17:42 (twenty-two years ago)

An easy way to sprain your tongue....
If Dan Perry doesn't soon, I will...

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Thursday, 17 April 2003 17:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I was about to, honestly!

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 17 April 2003 17:49 (twenty-two years ago)

And we're back on course. Hiya Dan.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 17 April 2003 17:50 (twenty-two years ago)

(Have I mentioned that I've already workd 60 hours this week?)

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 17 April 2003 17:51 (twenty-two years ago)

We were wondering at your absence. We were sad.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 17 April 2003 17:52 (twenty-two years ago)

And here I thought I was lucky to find a job at $8.90 an hour. I am a stone fule.

― Dan I., Thursday, 17 April 2003 17:56 (twenty-two years ago)

On the one hand, I'm pleased for you getting something, Nichole. On the other hand, this seems to imply that you won't be back in London any day now, so I'm not pleased.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 17 April 2003 20:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I still have nightmares about working in tech support.

"Hello, my house was struck by lightning and now my laptop won't work. I need a replacement."

"Was the laptop plugged in when the lightning struck?"

"Yes. I was using it at the time."

"I'm sorry, lightning damage isn't covered by the warranty."

"But the laptop wasn't even plugged in when the lightning struck!"

"You just told me it was and you were using it."

"Are you calling me a LIAR?!?! I want a new laptop! Let me talk to your manager immediately."

"?"

"Follow these instructions and your DVD drive will work."

"I don't know anything about computers, but that doesn't sound like good advice to me."

"!"

"Thanks for helping me out. That was a doozy."

"No trouble, sir."

"Oh, one more thing."

"Yes?"

"Where do I send the bill?"

"Bill?"

"Yes, I'm a lawyer and I'll need to bill you for the hour we talked."

"Ha ha, sir."

"I'm serious. You don't think my time is valuable? Your product breaking is responsible, not me."

"Sir, when you called me you said you could no longer boot into Windows."

"Yes."

"This occured right after you were messing around with REGEDIT32.EXE trying to get your pirated copy of Quark Express to work."

"Yes."

"..."

"I don't see how that's relevant to you wasting my time. Let me speak with your manager."

"!"

AND FINALLY

"You can be straight with me. I'm a power user."

"All right. Click on the Start button..."

"The what button?"

"!"

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Thursday, 17 April 2003 21:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Hazel, are you allowed to hire hitmen for these cases?

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 17 April 2003 21:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry, I realize that was probably not what Ms. Graham wanted to hear. But it's cathartic for me. Anyway it's actually an ace job to get for the short term and congratulations are in order.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Friday, 18 April 2003 07:33 (twenty-two years ago)

DISCLAIMERS:
1. Doesn't always happen, sometimes jobs are a trap
2. There's always nepotism, bureaucracy, idiocy to deal with
3. It's cliche

BUT:

The current job is only the job you had before you got the NEXT job--which might be much better. You have to start somewhere and nothing says you will have this job or these responsibilities or this pay scale forever. Or depending on the company and your personality/skill/drive/ruthlessness even for very long. So congratulations and spend your many days off prowling thrift stores for cheap clothes that fit the bill.

― Skottie, Friday, 18 April 2003 07:59 (twenty-two years ago)

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