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    #51
    Giggler, really hope things work out for you.

    Originally posted by hobbes View Post
    Anyone else automatically resent having to do things?
    That's an interesting one, but the answer's no, on balance. Clearly it depends on the extent to which you think your job is 'pointless shit'. Pointless shit forms part of my job, as I guess it does everybody's, and I do resent that, but not the job as a whole nor the main responsibilities within it. Actually, it's this thought that forms my bigger problem ; if I was that bit better at my job than merely competent, it might feel like it had more point than it does. Then again, the extra effort I'd need to make to be that much better would drain all the remaining energy I have.

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      #52
      I have essentially done the same job since 1993. Although I am now a higher grade which means being paid more, I think I enjoyed the job most when I got paid less and was on my feet all day. Oh and working nights gets more and more shit as you get older.
      Last edited by tuckwat; 01-11-2017, 09:17.

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        #53
        Slightly off-topic, but employment related. I was in Rona (big hardware/DIY chain) buying light-bulbs yesterday. I noted that the check-out guy looked older than me, I'd hazard 75–80 years old. Very friendly and efficient, "You'll have to excuse me if I'm a little slow" he said, "It's my first day." It was then I noticed a 6'3" 230lb pixie (it was Halloween) with acne, hovering a few yards away. It transpired that he was the check-out pensioner's supervisor. I looked around me and, so far as I could tell, everyone working in the place was either well-past retirement age or still had bum-fluff on their face. It's clear that Rona, and almost every similar big retail store I can think of, only hires minimum wage workers, and these two groups represent the largest number of those.

        This isn't a revelation for anyone of course, but I'd never seen it so dramatically drawn before. Twenty-five years ago the geezers in the place never imagined they'd still be working today. Never mind being supervised by someone the age of their grandson. Similarly the kids in the place must look around and wonder if they'll still be working there when they're in their seventies too. WTF are we doing?

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          #54
          It's quite possible he's working there by choice, rather than necessity. A lot of pensioners go bonkers from boredom, and a greeter job at Walmart gets you around people 3 days a week with a few extra bucks in your pocket.

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            #55
            B&Q used to trumpet how they hired older people, didn't they?

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              #56
              Originally posted by WOM View Post
              It's quite possible he's working there by choice, rather than necessity. A lot of pensioners go bonkers from boredom, and a greeter job at Walmart gets you around people 3 days a week with a few extra bucks in your pocket.
              Perhaps. But, assuming you've only got your two government pensions, it's going to be tight. I think many older people say they do it out of boredom because admitting they need the money is too shameful. Stand in a supermarket checkout line and see how many seniors buy one banana and a couple of potatoes (for example.) It's likely many of them own their own house, but they're cash poor.

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                #57
                There's probably no way to know. But I'd hazard that the current generation of retirees is far better off than the boomers - who lived a far less frugal lifestyle and will have trouble downshifting in their golden years - will be.

                Where my FIL (71) talks seriously about 'using up all our money', my dad used to confide that he had more money when he was 75 than he did when he was 60. And knowing both couples intimately, I can tell you it just came down to lifestyle and attitudes to spending.

                Hell, the geezer who runs the shuttle at my Honda dealer is an 80-year old retired firefighter, and he told me he's been collecting his FF pension since he was 55 and he's never stopped working since then.

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                  #58
                  Sorry to hear about your bad run of luck, Giggler. Marcomms is one of those essential business things that thrives on bullsh*t. If you're not getting the interviews, ramp it up on your application forms (assuming you're not already doing that). Do you check the British Council jobs page? We always struggled to find candidates for Marcomms jobs.

                  Anyway, I'm also in the secondary classroom these days. Genuinely love teaching 95% of 11 to 18 years olds and I can't really blame the 5% who kick-off at the drop of a pin, having met or spoken to most of their parents and understanding exactly why they are the way they are.

                  But f*ck me, it's an exhausting job. In at 7am, leaving at 5pm and still doing some work at home. Far more rewarding that responding to emails and looking at spreadsheets, however.

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                    #59
                    There's probably no way to know. But I'd hazard that the current generation of retirees is far better off than the boomers - who lived a far less frugal lifestyle and will have trouble downshifting in their golden years - will be... Hell, the geezer who runs the shuttle at my Honda dealer is an 80-year old retired firefighter, and he told me he's been collecting his FF pension since he was 55 and he's never stopped working since then.


                    Oh yeah. Everyone does stuff. Most of the voluntary sector is staffed by seniors after all. Perhaps you're right, but I'm still not sure how many of us wrinklies have fully financed our life-expectancy. My parents sure didn't, and, being as centenarians went up by 45% in the last census, I'm not sure we, as a generation, will either.

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                      #60
                      I think that WOM believes that more people follow the sound financial advice in his copy than actually do.

                      Do the cashiers at Rona sit? It's hard enough for me to see a voluntary male worker of that age pick cashier as his preferred job, and impossible if he would have to stand for his entire shirt.

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                        #61
                        Everyone follows sound financial advice, don't they? What...what?

                        Nobody sits at Rona, Lowe's or Home Depot. That's a full-time-on-your-feet gig. But boy, the old guys are the ones you steer toward when you need something. "Hmmm...no, I don't have that. But this will work. Just put this over this, thread it, then install this..." every time. You ask one of the teens and you get "Uh....maybe check aisle 4?"

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                          #62
                          Yeah, always approach the more experienced-looking members of staff at Home Depot or wherever. Last time we were over in Lunenburg, got some really handy advice about fixing window frames in an old house from a very friendly bloked called Bob (the vast majority of these guys seemed to be called Bob...).

                          Anyway, as for work - I'm lucky enough to be doing something I really enjoy. Have been freelancing as a translator for 18 months now and have got a decent range of customers in various areas - some fairly mundane IT stuff is balanced out by jobs related to motorsport, volleyball, golf (and very occasionally football) that are more interesting to work on. Before taking the plunge to do this, I had worked at SAP for 16 years, as a translator and then in positions related to translation projects. Didn't picture myself staying in the big, grey box in Walldorf until retirement though, now don't spent an hour and a half each day commuting, get to spend more time with VL jnr and am a shit sight more relaxed since leaving. Which is not to say that SAP is a bad employer, far from it - if you're after job security and a decent monthly wage as a translator (even if it's nothing near what development/middle management get), then it's ideal. But it was time for a change, and I haven't regretted it for a moment. That said (and even though I half-expected it to be like this), the amount of paperwork you are required to fill out just to be able to work for yourself in Germany has been just daft. But that's the same in many countries, I guess.

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                            #63
                            Oh, and thanks for your comments Paul, James and Steve. They're very gratefully received.

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                              #64
                              I'm on overtime and still managed to slip out for a quick pint so at the moment my job is great!

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