So I started my new job this week and I'm now working in the Technology Services part of my company and I really wasn't expecting all the stereotypes to be true. But they mostly are. I'm working with a bunch of nerds!
There are probably 10 men to every woman working there on 20+ floors. And they all kinda fit in together in an odd kinda way. Everyone has been very nice so far, and there are some exceptions to the nerdiness, of course. But it's just so weird to me.

What's your workplace culture like?

We all hate each other at my work place. We're all miserable.

We're all looking for other jobs. We're all overpayed, but realizing the pay is not worth it. We're all average Joes--other than, I'm probably considered the most eccentric.

Oh, and I'm the only one of us in Tampa. The rest of my team are scattered throughout Columbus Ohio, NYC, and Houston.

I work in tesco's (the now hugley sucsessful and evil supermarket chain in the UK).....and iam 20 years old.

Iam kinda getting a bit old for that place. People think iam 18 (i cant grow a beard or a 'tashe due to my blonde hair- i dont want a blonde beard)
but the moneys good and i get free shares and iam very confortable in my job. I can slack off bigtime, which is why i have never been asked for a promotion. I only work about 2 days a week.

Anyway, i muck about, its the only way to get through the shelf stacking.
[Edited 5/3/06 19:25pm]

Imago said:

QUIT!!


Do it.


You'll feel much better. And you'll find another job if you force yourself to.

mine is pretty easy going. i work at school and its an art school. so theres all kinds of people. it not unusual to see a coupla students smoking or smoking weed outside in front of the building. Almost everybody who works there are artists too so its pretty much laid back. i love it

CarrieMpls said:

I have a house and have huge amounts of debt to pay off. If I sould my house I think I'd make about 120k of real cash off of it, but I just don't want to sell it yet. I figure in 2 or 3 years, it'll be close the 200k of take-home money.

But it's getting more tempting. I'm actually really intersted in the idea of starting some kind of fitness consulting company or something that will help people out. What I do now is thankless. It requires me to be an asshole, and I don't like that.

brownsugar said:

I'd be annoyed by pot smoking/smokers around my workplace. I had my fun when I was young, but it would poss me off nowadays.

But other than that, sounds dreamy!

well as of May 2nd i've been working at Sears in their Maintenance Agreement Call Centre...

every multi-ethnic...and if anything there's like 40 women to 1 man
it's great, the people i'm training with are cool, i hope we're all on the same team once we start out on the phones

brownsugar said:

TAKE ME WITH YOU!!

CarrieMpls said:

not insided. thats just outside the building with the other smokers. i don't smoke so i don't hang out there much unless a friend of mine is out there.

CarrieMpls said:

Damn, i know i ain't a full time worker, but i would hate any pot smoking period. Shit, at tesco, people had to go outside to smoke ciggies, but now they get a designated area for smoking, in the area where the nice chairs are in the canteen

SammiJ said:

your school isn't like that? i thought all art schools were like that its pretty liberal almost everybody are vegetarians, hate bush or vote for third party politicians. damn irresistableb1tch would probably fit right in

brownsugar said:

theres one teacher i know who used to do art with basquiat!

I always seem to work w/ very laid back, creative, cool people for the most part

CalhounSq said:

do they like to get up early?

brownsugar said:

I know I don't but we all tend to work nights...

Hmm...my workplace culture would have to be labeled as varied. I'm usually only there for about 3 hours a day, the rest of the time i'm out making sales calls. But we have such an array of people & cultures that work there. My boss is very Zen, laid back. The Housekeeping supervisor is angry all the time. The Maintenance Sup. is to the point of just not giving a shit anymore. Thats about all of it for the management team. Oh, the Owner of the hotel is quick to condescend but slow to acknowledge achievement, but hey, its paying some of the bills. Me.....we'll....I was told today that I'm 2 Hyper But I make them enough money not to care too much.

CalhounSq said:

some of us (including me) have to be there at like 9 in the morning but every body hates it. some teachers only teach in the afternoon or in the evening i asked you that because it seems like artists of any kind tend to be night people and hate to get up. i had a job where i worked 4 in the evening 'till 12am. i loved that job to.

The first serious job I had was in the military. It was definitely a trip. My unit would travel in packs! If one went, then we all went. It was cool. We protected each other with everything. The kind that will help you bury a body type of crew. If the guys had a problem with a female, they would come get us and we would make her disappear. And of course, vice versa.


The job that I am at now, we are kind of similar. At work, we won't let anyone bother us. Now when we're off work it is different. Most folks go their separate ways. My department is the biggest and the one that get's in the most trouble! Most of us are dare devils and participate in extreme sports.

If I had to choose, I would prefer my Army buddies to anything.
[Edited 5/3/06 20:25pm]

I've worked in several different art museums...and most of the guys I've worked with have been gay. (Not a lot dating opportunities there. ) Now I work for a Smithsonian museum, so not as many gay guys--instead more Federal employees and conservatives. I really try not to stereotype Federal employees, but damn, they can be fucking annoying. And they wonder why people make jokes about them. It's like they purposely try to work against you and make it difficult for you to do your job. (Even though I work for SI, I'm a "trust" employee not Federal.)

The first museum where I worked was awesome. The art, the performances, the people, the building, everything. (Yay Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago!! ) The first museum where I worked in NYC was a viper's den. I hated that shithole. The one where I am now is okay, but a lot of people in my department have recently left, which is creating stress (aka a lot of extra work) for the people who are still there...so the vibe isn't as good as it used to be...

I find museums as a whole to be cool places to work though. The dress code isn't as strict, the hours are usually 9-5, and there always seem to be employees with bizarre interests and backgrounds, which I find interesting. And you get to see great art everyday.

Imago said:

Then stop being an asshole.

I know it's easier said than done. But think how much happier you'll be when you do it.

Imago said:

The market in our area is close to imploding Dan. You may want to rethink waiting that long. Just something to think about.

Will you help me lose weight so I can score org chicks???

brownsugar said:

perfect!!

whenever i go to work, i feel like i'm in a todd haynes movie, like "safe" or something. when claire had that temp job on "six feet under", i could really relate to how freaked out she was by the way people were acting in a corporate office. fortunately my job isn't THAT bad, but people just act like freaks and we all have to just sort of absorb it as long as their work is good. i'd love to work from home or work for myself one day...but right now, i'm just happy to be working.

Anx said:

I thought I was the only one that viewed that atmosphere that way. My past two firms that I worked for were very large, and they had that corporate structure. I would just scratch my head and say to myself "I thought I was fucked, but these people are JUST OFF THE CHART"

Now I'm in a small growing firm and I enjoy it alot more.

jerseykrs said:

I think I watched too many 80's movies and somehow in the back of my brain it romanticized the corporate culture. Think "Secret of my Success".

Though I don't enjoy the politics and games and weridos, I'm happy where I am for the time being. And I'll be moving on soon enough.


PS - I LOVED Claire's outfits for working that temp job on 6 Feet Under. She rocked it.

CarrieMpls said:

YOU RIIIDE UP MYYY THIIIGHS...

So, this will be my third day at a new job. People are out of the office a lot, so it's quiet. The woman who is training me is very laid-back. It's kind of hippy. . . the people who don't see clients are in jeans and sandals, there is a whole cupboard full of herbal tea. . . there is a giant jar full of dried mushrooms on the table in the break room . . . and a lot of our clients are kids, so there are toys everywhere. It's pretty clear that I'm going to be the most neat-and-organized type there, which is scary, 'cause I'm really not neat and organized. But thus far, I think it's going to be a better fit for me, culturally, than anyplace else I've worked.

office politics are mind numbing

IrresistibleB1tch said:

my job also lets me bring my kids to work when i don't have a baby sitter. i've also seen people bring their pets every now and then. its pretty cool. just wish i made more money