I have two jobs right now, and working part time at two jobs is actually more work than working full time at one. So I have a ridiculous schedule currently. When you’re asleep; fast, fast asleep, so deeply asleep that you actually start to have dreams about really great naps; I’ve already had my third cup of coffee on my way to my first job. The morning job. The 7 am to noon job. Then, at noon I leave to go to the afternoon job: calling people and asking about their health insurance plans.
One moment. I should first say that:
THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED HERE ARE MY OWN AND DO NOT REFLECT THE VIEWS OF PERSONAL CARE.
It turns out that my ridiculous health insurance employer actually put into writing a policy that legally binds me, and that I signed a contract saying I would comply with, about how I would put that disclaimer in a “prominent position” if I chose to “weblog” about my experience as an employee.
I don’t really have anything bad to say about the company, but I feel better having gotten my legal obligation out of the way.
I’ve had lots of jobs, and what’s totally fucked up about the American work ethic is that when you have a job, it binds with your identity. And when you’re my age, you probably have a job that blows, like mine at Personal Care.
I don’t just mean that when I get off work and pick up the phone to call someone, I have to remind myself not to start the call, “Carl Newman, Personal Care.” Although that is sometimes a danger.
I mean that I cold call people and get hung up on for most of the time at that job. It’s dehumanizing. Which is bad. I’m against me not being human (no mean feat, and yet how often I manage to pull it off). And it’s very easy for people to get a call from a (shudder) health insurance company and get a little nasty with me. I don’t take it personally, but I feel bad for people who feel the need to be bastards to me. It’s not healthy for them.
So I had to quit that job because it made me feel less human. I suggest you do the same, if you can afford to. On the other hand, Personal Care paid me $12/hr, and I know kids my age that would beat kittens with tire irons for that kind of money. So if you’re in the market, and you think your soul can stand the beating, there’s an opening for you down on Neil St.
Carl Newman: appreciates when you don't feel like commenting, but still want to tell him what an asshole he is at warriorpoetresponds@gmail.com
Comments
Carl Newman (Carl Newman) says:
(Posted June 2nd, 2008 at 10:13 pm)
Thanks Christina, but the truth is, I’ve met people who’ve kept much worse jobs for much longer out of necessity. I hope my celebration of quitting doesn’t piss those people off.
I also worked at TJ Maxx once.
elle (elle) says:
(Posted June 2nd, 2008 at 11:14 pm)
good job, carl!
Nikki (Nikki) says:
(Posted June 3rd, 2008 at 8:59 am)
I have a friend who cold-called people for a couple semesters. She hated it because, like you said, a lot of people were bastards when they realized it was another damn telemarketer. Consequently, I’m probably a lot nicer to telemarketers than some people, but I still get sick of it. At this point, if I’ve told them “no” more than twice and they’re still talking, I hang up on them.
Carl Newman (Carl Newman) says:
(Posted June 3rd, 2008 at 9:41 am)
Actually, I can honestly say now that I’ve done it that getting hung up on is easy. I just write “hung up” on a call log and don’t call back. It’s when people feel the need to say something like “Why don’t you try calling back next week.” That’s ten times worse, because then I actually have to call back next week, just to get hung up on then.
Mary Z. (Mary Z.) says:
(Posted June 3rd, 2008 at 11:37 am)
I once had a job collating. Collating is assembling packets of paper. They normally have machines to do this, but this one particular project was far too complicated for a brainless machine to do it. So they decided to have a brainless human do it.
For 8 hours a day, I had to walk around a table wearing a rubber thimble, picking up papers and putting them in order.
The cherry on the cyanide sundae: I am left-handed, so in order to efficiently pick up the paper, I had to walk backwards. Around a table. For 8 hours a day.
I WIN.
Lily LaBute (Lily LaBute) says:
(Posted June 3rd, 2008 at 11:44 am)
I’m not really a fan of jobs, but I did have one like that-where I had to call people about the type of car they had or who their cable company was. It was hard for me to have to only be allowed to respond a certain way to people and not sympathize or validate their feelings. Also I hated being hung up on as well. And i definitely wasnt being paid $12 an hour.
Carl Newman (Carl Newman) says:
(Posted June 3rd, 2008 at 12:30 pm)
Lily, I get paid $12/hr because I’m a business major. I still get hung up on as much, but I can tell the dial tone how the bargaining power of buyers in the Health Insurance industry will drastically decrease as the legislative environment changes in the next two years.
Mary, you just can’t do anything normal, can you?
Readers in general: I learned from Oronte Churm that you should comment back when people leave comments at your blog. It promotes discussion and shows that you care. And I do.
sclemmo2 (sclemmo2) says:
(Posted June 3rd, 2008 at 2:04 pm)
I never had a job calling people but I did have to take care of two bedwetters in one night as a Girl Scout camp counselor. To this day, I wake up sometimes hearing my camp name (Cubby) being screamed by a 9 year old.
Charlie (Charlie) says:
(Posted June 3rd, 2008 at 10:22 pm)
One of the kids pooped his pants.
I FUCKING WIN.
boom, bitch.
becky (becky) says:
(Posted June 4th, 2008 at 8:35 am)
One of the kids at the nursery school I used to work at peed on my shoes. Thankfully, they were water-resistant.
Take that, Charlie.
I love my new, pee-free, office job.
Kathryn (Kathryn) says:
(Posted June 4th, 2008 at 11:24 am)
I applaud you for attempting the horrible job in the first place. Me, I only take jobs if I think they will be fun, I’ll make way too much money, and probably not have to work all the hours. Some day this will come crashing down on me I’m sure and I’ll be stuck with a more horrible job then all just to pay rent.
Warrior Poet » Blog Archive » Work/Life Balance, or Hardly Working (Warrior Poet » Blog Archive » Work/Life Balance, or Hardly Working) says:
(Posted July 31st, 2008 at 1:43 pm)
[…] my generation seems to be going for, a job that can be their whole life. I addressed it previously here and here and I’m all for finding a job that makes you happy. I plan on doing it […]
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Christina (Christina) says:
(Posted June 2nd, 2008 at 8:58 pm)
That sounds like a very stressful job. No wonder employees get paid that much to make phone calls all day. People don’t particularly enjoy being cursed out and hung up on all the time. Congrats on quitting — it sounds like you did the right thing.