Do You Think The Quality Of "Real" Jobs Has Degraded?
By Janey1966
@Janey1966 (24170)
Carlisle, England
May 10, 2011 4:50pm CST
Ever since leaving school in 1982 I've worked in offices. Computers came along when I was in my first job but we still typed on electronic typewriters with amazing display screens that showed our first two lines of type! Do you remember those? Awesome weren't they? Golf-ball typewriters were supercool as well but rather noisy! What struck me about them was they were FUN TO USE!
Since then computers have become more elaborate with coloured displays and they've taken over in the workplace, to some extent. Chatting is no longer a requirement as physical barriers are put up, screening out our friends, who (if we went back to the "old" ways) would work and chat at the same time. Even filing is done electronically now (in some cases) unless you work in the National Health Service where paper is King! Escape from the computer is rare.
Manufacturing has gone down too. We no longer make things we now take for granted..like Dyson cleaners. My Mum has the original Dyson DC01 Vacuum Cleaner bought in 1997 and had it fixed the other day. The guy who mended it was amazed it was still going strong and told her that "parts won't be available for this model next year as it's being discontinued." He also pointed out that NO Dyson is made in England anymore (Mum's was), they are all made in Malaysia. My DC04 is made in Malaysia and is treble the weight of the DC01. James Dyson has a lot to answer for as he promised he would not move production abroad.
I reckon we are going backwards as a nation. Customer service doesn't exist. Call centres are nearly always based abroad. People have to work twice as hard to keep their jobs and won't even take sufficient breaks - just in case Management sees them actually talking to someone for a few minutes in their mind-numbingly boring day.
Yes, I am out of work and yes, this earning on the internet lark can be darned depressing at times but I reckon there will be some who HAVE to do this because their "real" job is so low-paid.
Does this apply to you? Does it bother you that decent pay (for anything now) has eluded all but the very top in Management?
Right you can all blow your brains out now (joke).
Since then computers have become more elaborate with coloured displays and they've taken over in the workplace, to some extent. Chatting is no longer a requirement as physical barriers are put up, screening out our friends, who (if we went back to the "old" ways) would work and chat at the same time. Even filing is done electronically now (in some cases) unless you work in the National Health Service where paper is King! Escape from the computer is rare.
Manufacturing has gone down too. We no longer make things we now take for granted..like Dyson cleaners. My Mum has the original Dyson DC01 Vacuum Cleaner bought in 1997 and had it fixed the other day. The guy who mended it was amazed it was still going strong and told her that "parts won't be available for this model next year as it's being discontinued." He also pointed out that NO Dyson is made in England anymore (Mum's was), they are all made in Malaysia. My DC04 is made in Malaysia and is treble the weight of the DC01. James Dyson has a lot to answer for as he promised he would not move production abroad.
I reckon we are going backwards as a nation. Customer service doesn't exist. Call centres are nearly always based abroad. People have to work twice as hard to keep their jobs and won't even take sufficient breaks - just in case Management sees them actually talking to someone for a few minutes in their mind-numbingly boring day.
Yes, I am out of work and yes, this earning on the internet lark can be darned depressing at times but I reckon there will be some who HAVE to do this because their "real" job is so low-paid.
Does this apply to you? Does it bother you that decent pay (for anything now) has eluded all but the very top in Management?
Right you can all blow your brains out now (joke).1 person likes this
8 responses
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
11 May 11
hi janey now I am depressed as the economy here in California stinks and its worse in southern california where for every job out there there are hundreds after that one stinking job. I am stick in this tiresome retirement center waiting in vain for my son to get a full time job.I was still hoping though now I feel sad again.I am against however people
texting and p ayimg games and mylotting on company time. whatever happened to work ethics? okay so maybe a job is boring then heck go get a different job. I worked as a nurses aide for many years and right now I can say one thing it was not was boring but you must want to help; ill people not all folks want to do that.then I worked in the library and again it was never boring no m atter what p
eople might think.
eople might think.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
11 May 11
I agree with all you say my friends. Who'd have thought that unemployment would affect California, you really must tell me more about it as I'm "across the Pond" as you know.
When I had a little spell in hospital last year I was struck by how few staff there were over the weekend and I was told, "No consultant works on a Bank Holiday!" Oh, really, how about the ones on the front line, like the paramedics? Is it the same for them as well?
Bring back Matron I say!!
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
11 May 11
So true Mrs. Hatley a great deal of wasted time goes on jobs for which many employers are completely oblivious as to how company dollars are being wasted. Then you have the companies hiring low salaried employees as well. That the experienced and willing ones find it difficult to find the good or any jobs today.
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
10 May 11
It seems to be the same situation around here too. There are many like me with high degrees out of work and it seems that many are considered well over qualified for lesser jobs.
Sometimes I wonder if there are so many short cuts in jobs today that saves on paying the higher qualified "management" bunch.
Sadly the shortcuts are forcing them to hire less quality/qualified employees, which in the long run causes them to loose money and or the company.
Sure my brains are wornt out. lol
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
11 May 11
My brain hurts as well..mainly cos I should be in bed by now!
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
11 May 11
hi fellow mylotters my son who is 51 and has years of computer programming is finding it hard to compete with 20 year olds who
'do not have any experience just youth and a degree perhaps.
they are a way less qualified so why not hire him who knows
what he is doing.
@ArdeeGayos (52)
• Philippines
11 May 11
Well, it can be very bothering that the top-level people get disproportionately higher pay than the rank-and-file, as these can lead to discontentment, big time. I was once like that too, forced to take lower-paying jobs to make a living, even though I may seem a bit overqualified at times. A job is a job, as they say, but it doesn't fill the belly, just enough to survive.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
11 May 11
This is why "cuts" annoy me because the managers always survive. Why is that? If they haven't got the staff to manage what's the point of being there? If managers took a pay-cut it would cost the same as getting rid of loads of lower-paid staff. It's never happened though..unfortunately.
Lost opportunity if ever there was one!
@whitehowkz (106)
• India
11 May 11
the 90 century is industrial age employment is a by product of this age in that time people in real job
but starting of 20th century started new age called as age of enterpreners, they will only work first time ore less time but they invest more the big amount of worlds welth is on this kind of peoples hand
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
10 May 11
Sounds like pretty much the same things that we complain about over here...
@veganbliss (3895)
• Adelaide, Australia
11 May 11
I still have those electronic typewriters & all the different "daisy wheel" type fonts available. They beat the living daylights out of all those pathetic dot matrix printers around at the time. I bought a Brother on a half price special at Harris Scarfe in 1994 for under $100 when starting out in tertiary education. After I graduated, my cv & job application letter looked much better than dot matrix printers even then & well, I've been in the same job ever since! I don't work in an office... it's more like a garage, so some of what you've written doesn't apply here, but can see what you mean. Outsourcing seems to be the norm nowadays as communication technological advancements have given upper management more options & companies just don't "think locally" anymore. All the bean counters see is the bottom line in dollars & cents & if it's going to work out five cents cheaper to ship raw materials to Asia, turn it around & ship it back out here in the same time frame - then that's what they'd rather do. We make it better here, from design to better components better suited to local conditions & the final application. We support it better & guarantee it for longer. Then when people start complaining about having to talk to non-locals for product support or get their claims rejected by big overseas companies, they get upset. Bottom line: you get what you pay for. People don't think.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
11 May 11
They don't think, you're quite right. I remember daisy wheels, I'd forgotten about those. Extremely cool bits of kit!
