I've tried yoga, but I find stress less boring.
10.16.07 (10:52 am) [edit]
For most of my working life I have been under stress. I worked as a cashier in a bank when I first left Uni, and that proved to be more stressful than I could ever have imagined. Trying to keep calm while a customer screamed insults at me, demanding to know why we had bounced a cheque, when all I wanted to do was scream back "well don't write cheques if you can't cover them, and since you're here... would you like to buy a pension?"... well, it was something of an acquired skill for me - it certainly didn't come naturally.
From the bank I moved into purchasing. Purchasing is, on the whole, less stressful (compared to the bank, what isn't?), but I chose to start my purchasing career at a company that was in the process of folding.
Each year I would be given increasingly ridiculous savings targets (let's cut 25% of our total cost and hey, let's have fun doing it), and was told that the site would close with the loss of over 300 jobs if the targets were not met (the cost savings targets - I don't think my having fun had any input on whether the site closed. Then again... who knows?).
Most of the machinery on site dated from the early 50s, so no spare parts were ever available and we couldn't afford to have them made by a specialist fabricator. Oh yes, and if a machine went down and we couldn't repair it immediately then production would stop and we'd start losing money, and once again, it would all be my fault. No pressure, then. I gradually turned into something of a stress bunny, but I enjoyed what I was doing.
When the site eventually closed ("what" I hear you cry, "you didn't manage to sustain 25% cost savings a year every year?". It pains me to admit such failure, but admit it I must) I temped for a while.
Temping is a strange state of affairs. I find it extremely difficult to feel job stress as a temp. Sure, I want to do a good job, but I'm not going to work around the clock, and if something goes wrong I don't dwell on it - I just dump the entire issue in my manager's lap (I'm only a temp, after all). Sadly, my finances were in something of a shambles, my relationship was crumbling and my family was disintegrating, so there was plenty of stress, just from outside work.
Eventually I accepted a permanent job at Doris. I'd temped there for a few months and had been bored witless, but the job offered was sufficiently enticing for me to accept. I don't believe I have ever been so stressed in my entire life.
The direct supply model Doris used meant that we delivered pharmaceuticals directly to patients, rather than to a wholesaler or retailer. Just like the bank, any slight issue became a huge deal. Patients were spooked by any slight change as their life literally depended on a continuous supply of medication. A change to the typeface on the packaging of the gloves we supplied with the drugs caused weeks of panicky phone calls from patients. As I sat in the middle of Patient Services I was forced to face the consequences of every stock out or late delivery. Once more I got the adrenaline high from the stress, and this time I stayed for a few years.
Randy is as different as it is possible to be. I am a temp, so there is little stress. This is the highest paying job I've had, so cash is not an issue. I've not a huge amount to do, and my job is indirect purchasing, so what I do doesn't in any way impact the finished product. I am looking at building works, facilities contracts, minor cap-ex.
Best case scenario: I work my bum off, and I save a couple of bob that won't amount to a drop in the ocean for a multi-billion dollar company. Worst case scenario: I don't do anything, I don't save anything, I just sit here biding my time and collecting my pay until my contract expires.
I've never had so little stress in my life and I'm finding it... unsettling. I find myself putting work off until the last minute in an attempt to create some tension. It's not working, but you can't blame a girl for trying!
My manager is pushing me to take a holiday. If I don't book anything I will have worked for ten months without a break (apart from the 11 days over Christmas which my manager has conveniently forgotten about). Yes, because I am so overworked I desperately need a break. Oh look, it appears I'm in a sarcastic mood this morning. Who knew?
From the bank I moved into purchasing. Purchasing is, on the whole, less stressful (compared to the bank, what isn't?), but I chose to start my purchasing career at a company that was in the process of folding.
Each year I would be given increasingly ridiculous savings targets (let's cut 25% of our total cost and hey, let's have fun doing it), and was told that the site would close with the loss of over 300 jobs if the targets were not met (the cost savings targets - I don't think my having fun had any input on whether the site closed. Then again... who knows?).
Most of the machinery on site dated from the early 50s, so no spare parts were ever available and we couldn't afford to have them made by a specialist fabricator. Oh yes, and if a machine went down and we couldn't repair it immediately then production would stop and we'd start losing money, and once again, it would all be my fault. No pressure, then. I gradually turned into something of a stress bunny, but I enjoyed what I was doing.
When the site eventually closed ("what" I hear you cry, "you didn't manage to sustain 25% cost savings a year every year?". It pains me to admit such failure, but admit it I must) I temped for a while.
Temping is a strange state of affairs. I find it extremely difficult to feel job stress as a temp. Sure, I want to do a good job, but I'm not going to work around the clock, and if something goes wrong I don't dwell on it - I just dump the entire issue in my manager's lap (I'm only a temp, after all). Sadly, my finances were in something of a shambles, my relationship was crumbling and my family was disintegrating, so there was plenty of stress, just from outside work.
Eventually I accepted a permanent job at Doris. I'd temped there for a few months and had been bored witless, but the job offered was sufficiently enticing for me to accept. I don't believe I have ever been so stressed in my entire life.
The direct supply model Doris used meant that we delivered pharmaceuticals directly to patients, rather than to a wholesaler or retailer. Just like the bank, any slight issue became a huge deal. Patients were spooked by any slight change as their life literally depended on a continuous supply of medication. A change to the typeface on the packaging of the gloves we supplied with the drugs caused weeks of panicky phone calls from patients. As I sat in the middle of Patient Services I was forced to face the consequences of every stock out or late delivery. Once more I got the adrenaline high from the stress, and this time I stayed for a few years.
Randy is as different as it is possible to be. I am a temp, so there is little stress. This is the highest paying job I've had, so cash is not an issue. I've not a huge amount to do, and my job is indirect purchasing, so what I do doesn't in any way impact the finished product. I am looking at building works, facilities contracts, minor cap-ex.
Best case scenario: I work my bum off, and I save a couple of bob that won't amount to a drop in the ocean for a multi-billion dollar company. Worst case scenario: I don't do anything, I don't save anything, I just sit here biding my time and collecting my pay until my contract expires.
I've never had so little stress in my life and I'm finding it... unsettling. I find myself putting work off until the last minute in an attempt to create some tension. It's not working, but you can't blame a girl for trying!
My manager is pushing me to take a holiday. If I don't book anything I will have worked for ten months without a break (apart from the 11 days over Christmas which my manager has conveniently forgotten about). Yes, because I am so overworked I desperately need a break. Oh look, it appears I'm in a sarcastic mood this morning. Who knew?