Aaaaaaaaagh!!

[ArcticChicken]

I hate my job.

Abso-fucking-lutely hate it.

Two months ago I quit and got a job canvassing for and environmental group. I didn't think it was possible to hate a job more than I hated working at the grocery store. I was wrong.

Luckily, I got fired.

Unluckily, I couldn't find anything else, so I did the responsible thing and got the grocery store to hire me back.

I thought it wouldn't be as bad at first. After all, I've had two months to wind down and let go of my hatred.

Who the hell was I kidding? It's worse now. I find it almost impossible not to say some of the things that pop into my brain. I nearly started yelling at a coworker in front of customers when she was being a lazy bitch, nearly ten minutes late back from break, still talking on her cell phone, and just moseying about when she could see I had a line 10 people deep.

I don't know what to do. I'm not qualified for anything, really. My only experience is in a grocery store, I don't have a degree, and I can't stay here long enough to get one. I'll go nuts. And I have no idea where to look for something else.

I just feel so stuck.

[CaptainJaneway]

Have you tried to do temping? Some temp agencies even let you practice or take classes on different programs.

That was my problem when i was a lot younger all i knew was retail and at one point i had enough so i tried temping. I loved it. I learned a lot over the years. I went from a file clerk, to receptionist to doing accounts payables. All learned on these different sites.

If you know computers that is great start. If you know office programs like word and excel even better. if you don;t try your local library or book store and get those dummies book.

I have used those books even taught myself to do web pages.

There is always options.

[ArcticChicken]

I've thought about it, but I have no idea how to start, and when I google 'temp agencies philadelphia' I get six quadrillion results, have no idea what to click on, then panic and go hide in a book.

I'm in a place right now where all I can see is the problem.

If someone would point me to a place to start looking, I'll be your bestest friend forever and ever.

[CaptainJaneway]

Try www.officeteam.com. That is where i got most of my jobs and they are in all 50 states.

They also have accountemps.com which is the accounting side.

THere is also roberthalf.com which is part of the above web sites. Robert half i think does the permanent job finding.

Also look in your local phone book that is where i found them.

Eta: In about 3 years or so i am planning to move to florida with my sister so i plan on using them went i get down there and also keeping my costco job so at least i have some money coming in.

[CaptainJaneway]

Here is the superpages of temp agencies in your area. Each one looks like they have their own website so you can check them out.

http://yellowpages.superpages.com/li...=15&PS=45&PI=0


The good thing about temping you get a taste of office life and if you hate the place you are in all you have to do is call up and tell them this is not the place for you.

Also if you need to to brush up on your typing skills you could get mavis beacon teaches typing or try some typing in word.

Also is doesn;t hurt to try and play around with the office programs on your computer.

If you had the time and the money you could try to find a college that gives classes on line for whatever you are interested in also.

[JoitheArtist]

I'll second the temping idea. It's what moved me from retail and library work (which I couldn't get outside of my university) to the job I have now (and as much as I rant about my CEO, my job is actually quite good). I enjoyed temping, and they always found a quick job for me--I was rarely out of work on a weekday.

The agency I used doesn't have an office in Philadelphia, but definitely check into one of them there--temping really is a good option.

[aurelemsrealm]

ArcticChicken, have you thought about going back to school? I know you said you can't stay where you are long enough to get a degree, but any kind of education or training elsewhere is better than no education or training. I don't know your circumstances, so I can't tell you anything other than my experience.

For me, I'm 31 and married, and I returned to school full-time at the local university for the fall and spring semesters. I'm taking off this summer because I need a break. I've been taking about 13 credit hours each semester, and working 16 hours at a work-study job through a natural history museum operated by the university in addition to working an average of 16 hours at the convenience store. I've had no free time between those things, and studying an average of 5 hours a night during the semesters, but I've been happier overall even though I was tired pretty much all the time with all the demands on my time. Plus, it felt great knowing that I was tackling all that, and still able to hit the Dean's List and join one of the honor societies on campus. On top of that, my wife and I had to deal with the loss of our newborn daughter in January. The point is that everything else helped me realize that I'm not a prisoner to these kinds of jobs forever, so I'm learning to deal with everything more positively. That's been my experience.

Sorry I got off on a tangent trying to describe some of the factors in my life that I've dealt with in the past year. The point is that I understand how things feel bleak for you now. Going back to school after years of working these jobs has been challenging, but it has given me the push to realize that there are other options out there. It won't be easy, but don't give in to the urge to give up.

[Geek King]

Just chiming in:

My local Robert Half treated me very well when I was on my most recent job search, and they were the same people who ran the Account Temps out of the same office, so I can recommend them also. If I had to complain, the only issue I had was that their office in Cincinnati kept calling me for placement even after I had been placed by the Dayton office.

[the_std]

Kelly Services is also a very good chain of temp agencies. I enjoyed working with them a lot when I was temping.

[Food Lady]

Oh, I loved doing temp work! I did it in California, carrying a very part-time job on the side. If I wanted a vacation, I simply turned down an assignment. Sometimes a company I was contracted out to asked me to stay longer; once, a one-month assignment went several months.

[wagegoth]

I loved temping when I was younger. I did learn a lot, much of it software, which looks good on a résumé. I kind of miss it, but now that I'm older and have kids, I really need the bennies of a regular job.