New Job: Yay or Nay?

[Roxie]

I have a new job working as a contractor with IBM in their call center.

Basically I'll be dispatching calls between customers (internal & external) who have contracts/warranties with IBM to the engineers who'll fix them. It's horrendously complicated and training will take 6-8 weeks. I've very overwhelmed and I don't know if I'll be able to continue the job. It's 40 hrs. and 5 days a week. My only days off will be my school days, Mon & Wed. We're responsible for EVERYTHING and if ppl cancel there $50,000 contracts, it's OUR fault.

Not only that, but my sister helped me get this job and EVERYONE knows that. Plus I'll have to miss two days a week of training starting next monday, thanks to school.
So, you know, no pressure.:xeye:

I'll work Tues and Thurs-Sunday. And b/c the center is 24/7 we'll have to work some holidays.

We've be taking mock calls from our trainers and the IBM manager and it was me freaked. I did 3 of them today and my fingers where ice cold from being so nervous. The last call we did was the worst. I was simply lost and the "customer" had hung up. And then my manager started joking about how I caould leave today and clean out my desk on tomorrow. I could take it and left crying to the bathroom. >_< :eek:

My manager followed and assured me it was OK. It was just our second week and we're not expected to know everything they throw at us. It's just hard b/c I feel like I have to prove to them how excellent I can be b/c of my sister and school. And when I can't completely these calls correctly I feel like a total failure. To make it worse, the computer screen is projected on to a big white screen for everyone to see. This means all the lights are off, expect for the one on the projector. SPOTLIGHT ON YOU!

It's very "yikes!" :(

But there are some really good things about this job.

1. It pays $12 an hour. But our manager told us to report 8am-5pm with a 30min break, which adds up to 42 hours. We do get overtime, btw. My check for the week was $484.

2. We get paid weekly.

3. There's an enormous break room with huge TV and video games. Including California racer, Pacman, a boat racing game and some other game that isn't working right now.

4. We get benefits and we're essentially long-term temps.

I don't know what I'm going to do when school gets in full gear though. The last time I tried to work full time and do school, my school work suffered and I can't have that. There's also the issue of next semester, when I'll probably have school 4 days a week. I'm dead sure they won't accept a schedule like that. Plus I'll have no room for a scoial life AT ALL.

I don't know what to do. But I'll stick with the training at least. It's sweet cash for the least work.

[Ybbor]

If it wasn't for school, I would definitly stay stick it through. After there must be people who do the job just fine, and they wouldn't hire you (even with your sister's help) if they didn't think you could do it. but If you can only have the job for one semester, and during that time have little time to work on school-work, or a social life; it just isn't practical. I'd either quit after training or stick through your first semester, but start looking for a job to go to 2nd semester. talk to your boss; explain your situation. if/when you do leave, see if it would be possible to come back over the summer ($12 an hour... :))

but in any case, i wouldn't do it once you think you school work would be better without it.

[Monkey]

Don't leave a job just because they put pressure on you to succeed. Don't EVER think that it is your fault that you lose a $50000 contract. If your manager tries to make you think that then he is a bad bad manager.

There is very little actual responsibility in the work place. It is the managers responsibility to ensure they hire and train good staff. This means that all you can ever do is try your best. If you fail because you aren't good enough, it is not your responsibility, it is the managers. If on the other hand you fail because you were grossly negligent then it is your fault.

Personally I'd take the job. If you feel that it is a bad working enviroment where the managers blame the workers rather than themselves however, then don't take it.

[Mushu]

I voted stick with IBM b/c the poll I wanted isn’t there. What you should do is stick with IBM till school starts full time, and then just tell them school comes first, hopefully they will understand. But in the meanwhile do as best you can do, show them you can handle so that when you cant work anymore b/c of school you will till contact with them and them will offer jobs now and then when you have holidays or summer vacations which is good income you need extra cash as you don’t have to wait a whole month to get paid.

I, myself worked at a restaurant and as stressful it can be and having no social life at all, I managed it pretty good and made a good contact with my boss. I no longer work there as the cash isn’t so good in restaurants here in Sweden, 9$ an hour, and mostly you will have work double shift and shit (worked 17 hours once, its hell I tell you) but he calls me now and then b/c he knows I can do the job that’s needs to be done and mostly I accept it if I don’t have big plans. Mostly I work off the clock and get paid 100$ for 5-6 hours job. So I would tell you to stick with it till school get too much or your grades start to suffer and by then if you made good impression on your boss, he/she or even you can call him/her for work when you have spare time to make extra cash.

[Thespis]

You gotta look at the big picture down the road. Do you want to take the risk of your school and grades suffering for a shorter term payoff? Down the road when seeking a longer term job, you may regret not having put more effort / time into school, unless you think you might want to stick with the IBM thing longterm. I know I was glad that I put school first when working at the same time.

[setrict]

I worked in dispatch center, monitoring banks, fire alarms, medical stuff. It was pretty stressful, often juggling 3-4 calls concurrently. When I first started, I felt similar to how you do with IBM... but after a couple months it just became second nature and the stress mostly went away. I'd give IBM a shot. Decent money, looks good on a resume, and you'll probably do just fine when you get settled in to it.

As for the schedule, you might ask for nights. It sucks, but it was the only way I could handle full time work + full time school. The shifts are usually slower too, and in my case let me get paid to do some studying. Good luck!

[scan2001]

I would try to keep your focus on school first but if you feel you can also do the job you should stay with it. Just remember if your grades began to fall just quit the job.

[CuPoNoOdLe]

I think, if you really hate your job, then you should quit. I mean... you have more CON'S THAN PRO'S!

Also, school is more important than a stressful part time job, unless this is what you want to do in the future. Otherwise, I'd quit after i get the most out of it.

[Jay]

I have a better idea.

Don't work at IBM, they suck hard.

[Roxie]

I have a better idea.

Don't work at IBM, they suck hard.
With logic like that, I can't go wrong! :p

CuPoNoOdLe
Yeah I do have more cons than pros, but this job will also allow me to move out of my parents house. I'm seriously terrified of living here during school, simply b/c I haven't done it before. And b/c we're so far out, I am not in charge of my transportation. It freaks me out a bit. :(

setrict
TBH, I don't have that much time. Training ends in 4 weeks and the mid-way point for classes is some time in October. I'll have to know by then in order to bring up my grades in case they go down. It can be very hard to change your grades.

Mushu
Most servers here get paid $2.15 and hour and make the rest off of tips.

Monkey
Well, she said that when things go wrong, some one has to go down and since we are the first point of contact for the customer, they're always looking at us to be the ones.

I think I'll stay at least till the end of training.

[KKF]

With logic like that, I can't go wrong! :p

CuPoNoOdLe
Yeah I do have more cons than pros, but this job will also allow me to move out of my parents house. I'm seriously terrified of living here during school, simply b/c I haven't done it before. And b/c we're so far out, I am not in charge of my transportation. It freaks me out a bit. :(

setrict
TBH, I don't have that much time. Training ends in 4 weeks and the mid-way point for classes is some time in October. I'll have to know by then in order to bring up my grades in case they go down. It can be very hard to change your grades.

Mushu
Most servers here get paid $2.15 and hour and make the rest off of tips.

Monkey
Well, she said that when things go wrong, some one has to go down and since we are the first point of contact for the customer, they're always looking at us to be the ones.

I think I'll stay at least till the end of training.



In all honesty I wouldn't stay past training. And I'd take up Mushu suggestion of being a waitress. Tips add up quick I know some people that make over 500 a week. But I guess that all matters where you work. Or you could work at a coffee shop. You don't make much money but its not as stressful. My favorite job during college was being a security gaurd for a buisness buliding. Didn't do much besides study. Good luck either way.

[Jay]

With logic like that, I can't go wrong! :p


Well they DO! I had an IBM computer that we bought in the days of the old P3, when they were just starting to phase out P3 and use P4 CPUs. It was running an AMD K6-2 CPU (266MHz), 64mb RAM (in days when computers ran 128 and 256 was fairly high), onboard EVERYTHING, etc. it ran like a piece of SHIT.

And this Compaq's not much better.

Lesson #1: Stay away from IBM, they make shithouse desktop PCs.
Lesson #2: Stay away from Compaq, they make shithouse desktop PCs.

[setrict]

TBH, I don't have that much time. Training ends in 4 weeks and the mid-way point for classes is some time in October. I'll have to know by then in order to bring up my grades in case they go down. It can be very hard to change your grades.

That's definately true. Looking back I regret not taking out the extra loans and just being a starving student. You miss out on a lot working all the time, both socially and academically (even if you do get good grades, it's not the same).