Traigus's Open Salon Blog

Underemployment

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:11:09 -0500

I've been underemployed before, though neve this underemployed.

I make less money than I did 15 years ago when I made slightly higher price-point food to pay my way through college.

6 and 1/2 years of college resulted in me living in someone else's house and generally being worse off than when I was 18. This is not to say my Sister's family hasn't been supportive etc. They've been great... to the point I have no idea how I'll ever repay them. That's part of what makes me worse off.

Nobody out there in the great US Job market (or lack thereof) wants me to do the stuff I know how to do, or at least they can find someone who knows more cheaper or something.

The worst part is I find meyself chasing too many things. The skills I have now are all voer the map, don't seem to be in demand as a package... but I can't lock down somthing specific to do instead. I end up learning a lot of new stuff, but spread over lots of different areas. This is proably not the best option when everyone is searching for super specialized people. Nobody wants a "jack of all trades" type anymore.

It is all 8-10 year experience senior positions, or even 2-3 yerars for stuff that would be considered entry level 2 years ago. There is no way to get in anywhere unless you are already in.

I can't help but feel discouraged. Resume after resume, cover letter after cover letter... hurdling into the black hole of the interent never to be see nagain. The rare phone call or email to verify I don't have some qualification they want, while the even rarer interview results in crypitic responses about "not a good fit" or "does not meet our needs at this time...

Often the job gets reposted. That's a kick in the head. Really? None of the 6 people I met in the lobby (and maybe more) were good enough? Really?

The only companies that tend to defy this is videogames places. For some reason everyone seems to be super nice. I've had COOs reply to unsolicited applications pointing me at other places they heard rumors of writing jobs at. The HR people have been healpful and professional (and they actually answer email!?!?! go figure). The whole industry must have missed the faceless jerk memo. Then again, with all lthe layoffs /closings, someone better thasn IU ma is always around.

Otherwise, Corportate culture rigns supreme...

What has happened to us as a society?

When did we become statistics and checklists?

How did the stockholders become more important than everything and anything else?

When did doing the right thing start being the wrong thing to do?

How did we let it happen?

Why don't we exist anymore?

(Don't get me started on health insurance...)

Cost Cutting (A story)

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:09:09 -0400

Haven't got back to Eddie and B. Too busy looking for work at the moment.

Here is soemthing I put together as a writing sample this week. Sometimes jobs require interestign things...

Cost Cutting

Accounting Report Notes (6/23/2246)

A Shift- Larry Douglass (ID 3355238-45) EAP Custom Body (Store 2534)

Suzie McClaren won the award for best sex scene in a major Ferdinand Cluster Tri-V Release. We sold 75 units today just on that (I have no idea what is up with the odd number That spare is going to be floating around forever unless someone has an accident and I can trade it to a med unit). Doc Francis was in the weeds all day putting the suckers in. Good thing that she has a pretty common color of Baby Blues (Shade 17 blue). If Ruthie Sherman had won (Shade 234 violets) we would have been seriously screwed, because we only had 16 of those in the whole region, only 4 in this store, and we sold 2 of those anyway to some wannabe.

You guys up at corporate need to track popular culture better. The recent cutback in inventory for eyes and other cosmetic (perishable non-chest organ) is really putting a cramp on us local outlets. We got lucky today. If it had gone the other way Body Werkz would have gotten most of those customers. I'm looking out for all of us here, not just myself as a franchise owner.

Accounting Report Notes (8/30/2246)

A Shift- Larry Douglass (ID 3355238-45) EAP Custom Body (Store 2534)

For the fourth time this year we cut it incredibly close on eyes after a major media event. Now, I won't blame you all for Herbert Challenger's rugged good looks. Who was to know that they would catch a serial killer and that he would look so good on TV? The other 3 cases were simply inexcusable.

We can stock up to prepare for major trends. I understand that we don't do cloning, but still... with shipment prices down all over the cluster and trends mostly being localized, it can't be too expensive to ship inventory from centralized processing centers. Hell, maybe even outlet to outlet. I don't want to have to use Section 8.5.4 of the franchising agreement to look for local supply houses to fill in inventory gaps, we both lose money doing that. I will if I have to. I can't lose customers to inventory shortages. I have 4 competitors here on Denig IV and when people switch bodyshops for dissatisfaction they almost never come back. This is my livelihood you are screwing with here, not just forgetting to ship a box of Freaking Napkins to McDonalds.

Accounting Report Notes ( 9/25/2246)

A Shift- Larry Douglass (ID 3355238-45) EAP Custom Body (Store 2534)

I lost 18 customers and I don't know how many hundreds of thousands of dollars to you guys today. It wasn't even a rare color (it was a basic 24 brown). The shipment I got 2 days ago was a mess. None of the items were matched in pairs. The whole shipment was basically worthless. I've submitted a refund request (HRT# 6682343) and shipped back all but the 5 pairs I managed to match up. Don't give me crap about breaking the sanitation seal and the box being partially used. This was your screw up. I want a refund. I also want to know what you are going to do about these constant supply chain issues. I'm currently scouting out the suppliers at Body Werkz, Cust-Body, and New-U. Later this week, I'll check out the Fine Appeal Ltd. location in Vergus City, but it is in the boonies someplace and getting back and forth is a pain in my ass. I'm going to have to go to at least partially local supply (especially on eyes) until you get all those extra heads [mixed, size 33/a to 54/f] out of your butts).

Accounting Report Notes ( 9/27/2246)

C Shift- Larry Douglass (ID 3355238-45) EAP Custom Body (Store 2534)

Well I went with local supply. Your continued screw-up were costing me too much money. Please note that my orders for this month are down quite a bit. I got a deal with several small local suppliers who normally deal with the competition. They cut me a deal on mixed organs and skin as well, so I cut the deals I had to... to get the eyes for the upcoming Baldwin Celebrity Roast. It wasn't easy either. His shade(33 greens) are pretty rare out here and the locals aren't the size of pool your guys can pull from.

Accounting Report Notes ( 10/16/2246)

C Shift- Larry Douglass (ID 3355238-45) EAP Custom Body (Store 2534)

Ok, enough is enough. Which one of you is screwing with me. There is no reasonable way that someone could send me not one... but FOUR crates of left feet labeled as assorted eyes ( HRT# 7294532-5). It can't happen. Your processors can't be blind, because you seem to have a surplus of 168 eyes someplace! Don't make me come up there and break-off 46 left feet in someone ass! I'm warning you, one of them is a size 15!

I'm sending them all back. I don't care if the boxes are open. I don't care if you deny delivery. I'm not paying the postage either. Suck it up necktie boys. Some of us have a lot of work to do to keep our shit running over here. It isn't all paperwork at the franchise level you know. We have to get up to our elbows in product, just like our Clinic Docs. You Swivel Chair Assholes (item 367 / b-h)!

Accounting Report Notes ( 10/20/2246)

C Shift- Larry Douglass (ID 3355238-45) EAP Custom Body (Store 2534)

Litigation? Me? I don't think so boys! I'm not in violation of any of the local health codes. I have no idea what one of your customer service / spies was doing in the back of my store, but of course I was “in a state of disarray and uncleanliness.” I was putting away the inventory into tanks wasn't I? I assure you I was wearing my apron, hair-net and rubber gloves.

I understand how the sight might be shocking. Most people never see a liver (item 45-54 / a-k) out of its natural environment. The old bastard's screaming and thrashing about caused me to drop one, by the way. Since she was your stooge, I'm billing you for the full amount (HRT# 7423454). See, I didn't put it in a storage bin. We are professionals down here, no 4-second rule for us!

Accounting Report Notes ( 10/24/2246)

C Shift- Larry Douglass (ID 3355238-45) EAP Custom Body (Store 2534)

No I haven't seen your corporate “checker” again. I'd recognize his beady little vulture eyes ( Shade 14 blue) if I ever saw them again. Last I saw of those piercing little nasty-foul accusatory peepers, they ambled out of here yesterday after he tried to write me up for a dress code violation! ME! Dress-code!?! I assure you, my appearance is always immaculate when I am in the front of the store. Feel free to ask Doc Francis, he sees me in here 6-7 days a week when he comes in to work.

I will admit that I may have been a it sharp in my remarks. Hell, my response was cutting enough that she'll probably have grounds to file a workplace abuse complaint. I'm a big enough man to admit it here. I'll be happy to take the fine. I deserve it. The stress got to me. I'm not sorry though!

-------------------

Accounting Report Notes ( 10/31/2246)

C Shift- Albert Finnegan (ID 24665238-12) EAP Custom Body (Store 1453)

Hey guys, we are having quite a run on (Shade 24 browns) after they picked up that bastard on Denig IV and gave him the lethal injection at prime-time. That's some bat-shit crazy trend right there, considering what a common and boring-ass shade it is.

Good for business... though there is a problem. A lot of customers are complaining that we can't make their new eyes track separately like his did during the trial. Doc Smithee wants to know if R&D has anything up there sleeves that might help us out on that. I'm afraid we may have customer dissatisfaction cards coming back on that one if they don't. They end up with boring brown eyes. No connection to the excitement on Tri-V at all other than the brand name..

On a separate note, what is with the recent corporate policy cutting back on vacation time. This year I lost 2 days. 2 days the year before that! We work pretty hard down here at the corporate stores. At least as hard as the people out at the franchises, but we have like three-fourths of their vacation time now. It is getting to be like we live here. I know the economy is generally bad, but that is no reason to squeeze us like this. What's next no Gelatin desserts in the lunch room?

Everything is on hold

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:07:05 -0400

Sorry, stuff is on hold here for a bit.

Extra crazy. I'll come up with a story plan soon.

I'm thinking to get back running late August.

Updates will be up when I nail the day down better. I may need to shift to 3 days a week.

And yet again... No story.

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:07:45 -0400

Got bogged down with a lot of stuff today. Won't even have time to read OS.

I'll edit and post the next segment tuesday.

I'm thinking about getting 1 day ahead next weekend, so I can't get derailed this easily.

The current schedule is easily upset by even non-emergencies.

Thanks,

No Story Today

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:07:46 -0400

Yet again, I'm going to miss a Friday deadline.

While editing today's piece I realized I was going in the wrong direction. I'm replotting a bunch of stuff and it used up my time (and more) for today.

Most of my extra-extra time today was used bumming around OS posting comments and rating stuff. I mostly blame Sheldon the Wonder Horse and GWool.

I'm not going to have enough time to finish rewritng Segment 7 and edit it today, especially not before 6 PM.

So I'm punting it till Monday, sorry. I think the whole thing will be better by having me go in this new direction. Stuff clicks better for me. I'll have the weekend to iron it out.

Thanks for checking in.

For new people wandering in off the feed... See my Introduction / FAQ for details on what this is all about. Read te first 6 parts to get ready for Monday!

-T