stix Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 It almost happened last week, It's not as though it hasn't happened before. I thought it would eventually come to that, ie. I would be the one to go, but a bizarre outcome. I work for a small printing company (10 people) as a pre-press professional/pretend graphic designer. About a year ago we amalgamated with another small printing company. That company also had a pre-press person. So for the last year there has always been a bit of a "who's better than who" scenario. I'm not the sort of person that takes "sh*t" from anyone and perhaps that's my downfall - I accept that. The other guy understood, and we got on well. The other guy had access to "clients" and in my job, it doesn't matter how good you are (me) but more about "who you know". Fine, it is the way it is. But he got another job and has left the company. So, now they are stuck with me. The worst thing was that my boss looked in the face and said "You are so lucky to be here" What a shit thing to say to someone. Pisses me off, and I spilled my guts here because I like people with brains.... Give me some advice. Cheers, stix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davidg1 Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Ignore the bar steward mate. Best thing all round but get your CV out there. Been there and it is a crappy attitude for the boss to have but there are wan*%^rs everywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMetcalf Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 I used to work in graphic design and I can only echo Davidg1's comments. Ignore the *insert appropriate expletive here* and try and put together a decent portfolio of your best (recent) work that you can show off to other, more accommodating and friendly, firms. You'll find a surprisingly high number of *insert another appropriate expletive once again* work in media and it's difficult to escape them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeee Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 The printing business is slowly/quickly being replaced with web based services. Some large book store chains have closed their doors in recent years. Many newspapers have consolidated and many of the smaller ones have closed their operations. Most of the books sold in book stores these days are printed in China, so the trend in the printing industry looks to be shrinking and not growing. Keep your options open and try to position yourself with the area's of the business that have growth potential. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nater Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 My dad does pre-press layout and graphic design and has since he was a child. My Great-grandfather owned a print shop, so I have been around that trade my entire life. When I graduated high school and went to college in 2000, I started to study telecommunications with an emphasis on computer graphic design, Web Development and such. Not only did I see the writing on the wall for the print industry collapsing, but I was not enjoying myself either. I dropped out to pursue something I enjoyed rather than what I was told I was good at, and have never looked back. I don't regret my decision for a minute. A lot of my friends in college told me I was crazy for not finishing my degree. Very few of them are currently employed in a job they are educated for. Meanwhile, I am living my dream. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stix Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 Hey guys, I appreciate all your comments. I must have had a few too many red wines last night I'm approaching my mid 50's, and unfortunately there aren't that many jobs out there for what I'm trained in. Yes, I've seen the printing industry change a great deal. In my view, the printing industry was the first industry to really be affected by the arrival of the personal computer. I bought myself one when they first came out to ensure that I learned all the new technology. Others who weren't very smart or couldn't adapt were swept aside (or became managers ). A few years back I started learning html/css etc. with the view of changing my career. I have reasonable design & programming skills so I figured web design and development would be a good fit. Then I started seeing all the tools and templates available to make it easy for anybody to make a web page. I also realised that my potential competitors in other countries with costs of living much lower than mine can do web dev/design for much much less. Perhaps the quality may not be top notch, but who cares. That's the rub right there. The "cost" of living is too high in Australia and other developed countries around the world. The "level playing field" that a lot of governments talk about is not level. I couldn't even sustain a basic level of living if I got paid the rates that are offered. I must say though that it's good that the opportunity is there to lift others out of poverty, but at my expense? hmmmmm.... I did have an idea of a website forum: mummymummyithinkijustpoopedmypants.com (I registered the domain name about a year ago).http://www.mummymummyithinkijustpoopedmypants.comAll sorts of aspects of life could be discussed, as in perhaps when people have taken a wrong turn or bitten off more than they could chew etc. a useful discussion and an alternate plan could be hatched with various solutions put forth. (I'm half serious). The same situation exists with graphic design. There are many "crowd sourcing" sites. I've been there. It's quiet a demoralising process. Most people just rip off your good ideas and "pretend" they came up with it. I didn't do it for money, but just to challenge myself. I'm feeling a bit low on self esteem at the moment, so if you feel inclined, please check out my portfolio. If you have something to say about the artwork, please make sure it's a "compliment sandwich" - I'll take it http://www.crowdspring.com/portfolio/ConnectGraphix/all/page1/ btw. I don't blame anyone for my predicament - I should have got off my arse sooner. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeee Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Stix, You certainly have a well rounded view of what a large segment of our societies are up against. This trend has been quickening around the world in many of the industrialized countries that built the worlds modern societies. The international banks and corporations are focusing their resources into third world countries one after another slowly bankrupting the established taxpayer base. Fast forward a few decades and our modern societies will have few ethics/values to support our way of life. This will most likely usher in a "Dark Age" in our modern societies. You can see the signs already with our Political, Religious and Business leaders falling one by one due to corruption and lack of any ethics and values. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stix Posted June 7, 2015 Author Share Posted June 7, 2015 (edited) Are you purposefully feeding my paranoia?... Oh, I love it How awful it is that what you have said above, I understand and agree with completely. I wish for a more positive outlook. I can't see it though. I'm approaching my mid 50's and have two children 9 and 12. I teach them that all they have ie. the ipods the iphones and all the other tech stuff may not last. I try to teach them resilience and survival skills - they think I'm a bit crazy. Most people don't care about this sort of talk and go about their lives oblivious to the reality. Perhaps that's a good thing for some, but not for me. I enjoy pyrotechnics, rocketry and other scientific endevours because I like to use my brains, and I feel free to do so - although technically one could argue about the legalities. The pertinent point is that I "feel free". "That" freedom is being stomped on every day. I see an outcome of Orwell's 1984, the thought police, and the matrix all rolled into one. I've never really liked the fact that Americans are able to keep guns, but for all the bad things that may come from that, I now see a point in that they can at least have a hope of rising up against tyranny. I believe that it is incumbent upon those of us who know freedom to ensure that it prevails. Anyway now I'm worried that the "thought police" or the "text police" might knock on my door at any moment and drag me in for questioning. Well, I don't give a fu.. ...knock knock.... knock knock . . . . knock knock!!... ... ... Oh sh*t... ... anyway guys, nice knowing you... ... this could very well be my last post on th....... ... ... . . . . . . . . . Edited June 7, 2015 by stix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeee Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 The rich want more and the poor have nothing to give, guess who makes up the difference. That leaves the middle class with a bulls eye painted on their backs. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrB Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 they think I'm a bit crazy. Well, they are right.You are. (Not that it's a bad thing. It's a crazy world. You have to be crazy, or you'd go insane.) Weird story about work, i to would start trying to put together means of getting a job somewhere else.B! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stix Posted June 9, 2015 Author Share Posted June 9, 2015 (edited) The rich want more and the poor have nothing to give, guess who makes up the difference.That leaves the middle class with a bulls eye painted on their backs. That's the way it seems to be going at this point in history. The shrinking of the middle class has been going on for... not sure really, maybe it has always ebbed and flowed between greed/capitalism and socialism. I only noticed in the last 20yrs or so. Perhaps instead of playing in a band, getting drunk and stoned (before kids) I should have been taking more notice - not sure what I could have done about it though. Well, they are right.You are. (Not that it's a bad thing. It's a crazy world. You have to be crazy, or you'd go insane.) Weird story about work, i to would start trying to put together means of getting a job somewhere else.B! Thanks B. and appreciated. Just to make it weirder - things have become very very busy at my work. So now it's just me (the one who should have sacked). How ironic!! There is more than enough work for two. Now my boss is being very nice to me <<the finger>>. I should be able to capitalise on this somehow. Some time back (2008), my band recorded a song "Fat Cats & Greedy Pigs" not the best vocalist and music but a good message. I believe I was playing bass. Cheers stix. [EDIT] Warning - swear words. Fat Cats - Greedy Pigs VST Mix2.mp3 Edited June 9, 2015 by stix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calebkessinger Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Enjoy the work or gamble for a raise !!! Make hay while the sun shines! For what it's worth.. I have NEVER had a normal job. been working since I was 11, 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stix Posted June 9, 2015 Author Share Posted June 9, 2015 Enjoy the work or gamble for a raise !!! Make hay while the sun shines! For what it's worth.. I have NEVER had a normal job. been working since I was 11, Well not exactly a raise, but they want me to work more for not much extra. I was put in a boys home (care and protection) when I was about 12 and have had to look after myself. No-one else did. I had to do, what I had to do and have survived ever since. Never been in jail, but I know people that were in that boys home who have been locked up, not because they were bad to begin with. Apart from my background, I took the "good" road, ie. that good hard work, honesty and diligence pays off... well, It doesn't. I'm left wondering what should I tell my kids. "Honesty is the best policy" or "Get in first, before someone else screws you over". stix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taiwanluthiers Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 It has always been the rat race throughout history. A few makes it to the top and they are above the concern of the pheasant. It was only during the industrial revolution that a middle class started to begin with. Mostly because goods could be produced far cheaper than before. Back in the day most things we take for granted were made by hand: shoes, clothings, etc. were very expensive and people paid what amounts to custom rate for them (imagine the cheapest shoes cost about $1000 dollars). Then all of a sudden things could be produced in mass quantities and so things became cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrB Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 Work, since you were 11-12? I'm... Well, lets not get in to how old i am. But when i say 25, nobody believes me anymore, so, old enough. I've never had a "regular" job, and to this day, i've spent more time in school, then working, yet, i don't have any high level education.My hard working fellow man, let me tell you.... Hard work gets you somethings. Like, back-ache, a sense of missing out, and, even if you don't notice it, you also get royally screwed over, by your workmates, your boss, and by the state. No, hard work is for... I don't know. People who bought the lies we were feed when we were kids, perhaps. Work smarter, not harder, they say. I got something else, thats a LOT more offensive, but seams to make sense. "Working? Isn't that what poor people do?"What i mean is, if your honest, hard-working, and pay due diligence, nobody, ever, thanks you for it. If you are lazy, screw up a lot coz you don't pay attention to what you should be doing, and pretty much are a freaking ball and chain for the entire workforce around you... When you ever do something half decent, you get a bonus. Needless to say, i don't work. But then again... I also live in a country that even when i tried my best to get a job, frowned on my efforts, and asked me if i wouldn't rather have a disability check coming in each month, and never need to work a day in my life. When i turned they down, they put me on welfair for 5 years, and then asked again. Do you think i signed on, or what?Our options, and means for changing our life differ depending on where we live, and if we are able to go somewhere else. But hard-work, honesty, and due diligence, isn't the way to get to a better life. Might have been, at some point in time, but the irony is, to day the opposite is rewarded. Anyway, i wish you guys the best of luck with those work-stories.Oh, and Stix, your right... The vocalist, and the music wasn't the best i've ever heard. To get that message out, you'd need a better band, but from the sound of things, you guys gave up on that anyway...B! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taiwanluthiers Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 I work because if I dont, I end up homeless and will probably die from starvation or something. Nobody's going to hand me a disability check ever, and that's even though I do have some disability. I suspect this is why most others work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nater Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 (edited) Hard work, honesty and diligence has brought me one promotion away from my literal dream job since I was a child. I don't just mean job title, but employer and crew as well. I have and continue to bust my ass for it, and at 32 I have had a taste and am close to reaching a terminal position in my chosen career path. There are rewards to hard work and honesty. Why do I work? Because I need food and shelter. We trade working for money and then trade that money for necessities and desires. I would continue my job if I were independently wealthy. I truly enjoy what we do or try to do for people and strongly believe in our mission to save lives. I do have a sore back. This job has left physical and emotional scars on my body and mind. The rewards are worth it, and they go far beyond the monetary benefit. The old cliche "Do what you love and you will never work another day in your life" rings true. My advice is to work hard to follow your dreams and do not end up living life with such a bitter attitude. Edited June 10, 2015 by nater Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stix Posted June 11, 2015 Author Share Posted June 11, 2015 I suppose my little rant could come across as some sort of bitter tirade. Not bitter, a tad jaded perhaps .I did actually point out in post #6: btw. I don't blame anyone for my predicament - I should have got off my arse sooner. There have been some incidents & accidents involving other members of this forum that make my little bitch session seem absolutely trivial. However, I believe at times, we all need a bit of empathy and validation (not sympathy). The fact that I posted on this forum says a lot about all the good people here. I thank everyone for their positive comments - even though I didn't like some bits . Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nater Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Stix - my comment about being bitter was not aimed at you or your original post. Sorry for the confusion. It was aimed at this comment, but I did not want to quote the entire post: "But hard-work, honesty, and due diligence, isn't the way to get to a better life. Might have been, at some point in time, but the irony is, to day the opposite is rewarded." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stix Posted June 11, 2015 Author Share Posted June 11, 2015 No probs Nater. The rather amusing and revealing thing is that I took it that way I guess that could indicate there is a "tinge" of underlying bitterness. It's always hard to write text in a way that is understood and conveys exactly what is meant. The reader will always interpret depending on their mood. All good though - Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calebkessinger Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Some of us believe to our core. The only person responsible for where we are at in life is Ourselves. If the likes of Justin Beiver or Oprah can be rich and famous what the heck is our problem. There is no excuse but the realization that we haven't done what we needed to to get where we wanted to be. If someone isn't happy about where they are in life all they have to do is change everything so they can get where they want to be. Who cares about the past or fortunes gone. Tomorrow is a new day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stix Posted June 11, 2015 Author Share Posted June 11, 2015 (edited) Some time back someone stole my car - I couldn't replace it as it wasn't insured. This caused me great stress and financial hardship. Was it my fault that I couldn't afford insurance because I didn't go to university in order to get a well payed job?. Or was it the fault of the person who stole the car because "they" couldn't go to university in order to get a well payed job and then became a crack-head, stole my car to sell it to feed their habit. It could easily have been the other way around. I could have stolen a crack-heads car, sold it and had enough money to put myself through university. Bastards they are. [EDIT] The thing is that I'm ok - I have a good life compared to to others in the world. I have enough that I could donate a small monthly fee to a charity. My concern with that (being a cynical person) is that it would just go to admin fees to prop up some fat greedy pig. Edited June 11, 2015 by stix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrB Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 I suspect this is why most others work. I do as well. Very few work just cause they want to. Hard work, honesty and diligence has brought me one promotion away from my literal dream job since I was a child. I'm glad to hear that. There should always be an exception to the rules. Sadly, this tends not to be the "regular" outcome. Instead the hardworker gets shafted, and his slacking of, but loudmouth fellow worker, gets the rewards. Which is why i pretty much concluded that if i ever go back to working, it's not going to be "work" as such, but rather like this: I would continue my job if I were independently wealthy. I truly enjoy what we do or try to do for people and strongly believe in our mission to save lives. That said, nothing i ever worked with saved lives. Human, or others. It was aimed at this comment, but I did not want to quote the entire post: "But hard-work, honesty, and due diligence, isn't the way to get to a better life. Might have been, at some point in time, but the irony is, to day the opposite is rewarded." Funny thing is... I knew who it was directed at. ;- )Hey, we live half a world apart. It just might be that circumstances are different, and that hardwork is still rewarded in some places, but honestly, i don't see it. It does seam to work out for you, and for no other reason then you actually enjoying what you do, makes it all worth it. But even tho i'm not actually working anymore, i keep seeing the same "bad luck" (or quite possibly injustice) where the guy (or girl) that barely ever pulls their own weight gets promoted, and the people that actually do the heavy lifting gets bypassed.Also, it should be noted, that i'm not bitter. My life has never been better. I got enough money for pyro, and all the time in the world to "do" pyro. And as we all know, pyro isn't exactly cheap, or light on time consumption. If i knew then, what i know now, then i would have signed the papers the first time around. Living on "disability welfare" in a socialistic country isn't bad. Your never going to buy a brand new Ferrari, but you can buy your own home, and go on regular vacations. If thats your fancy. Some time back someone stole my car - I couldn't replace it as it wasn't insured. This caused me great stress and financial hardship. Was it my fault that I couldn't afford insurance because I didn't go to university in order to get a well payed job?. Or was it the fault of the person who stole the car because "they" couldn't go to university in order to get a well payed job and then became a crack-head, stole my car to sell it to feed their habit.. I would say it's the fault of your country. If you wanted to educate your self, you should have been provided the opportunity, as should the crack-head. On top of that, even if either of you didn't educate your self, you still shouldn't have to resort to stealing cars, be it to feed them self, or feed the habit. In so many ways the government fails us, this is just another.B! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taiwanluthiers Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 Imagine if everyone just gets a disability check, how will that country even be productive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calebkessinger Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 Imagine if we lived in a world where NO ONE wanted to work and EVERYONE just did whatever they thought was right. Boy how great that would be ! Welcome to the new reality... I'm afraid the only thing that will change this mindset is world war and people having to watch their families starve because they haven't put themselves in a position to take care of them.. I hope they like soup, and waiting in line for it. This is a depressing thread, I better just go back to work! It feels good to make something others want, I make money for doing the work which allows me to give things to my family that come from my hard work, I can do Gods work and help others as instructed to me, I can save for my future so that I will be self sufficient, I am learning valuable skills that will reap more benefits in the future. The time I spend at work keeps me out of trouble. Teaches my kids that hard work bears the fruit of generosity, satisfaction of having a purpose and serving others. These two commandments all others fall under,Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul.and Love your neighbor as yourself. I fail to see where getting someone else to buy your breakfast falls under these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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