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Bottom line is, everyone has to put their time in, no matter what you're doing. I started out answering phones as a receptionist / office manager. You just gotta grin and bare it. There's lots of grunt work. (to be honest, finance is the LAST dept. I'd want to work in, but that's just me. I'm not a numbers gal)
My fiance has his own business because he couldn't stand working for someone else. Luckily for him, it's sucessful in today's economy but it took at least 6 years for him to get to where he is now. For me, I can't stand the instability of it, I prefer to have a steady paycheck and I don't mind working for someone else provided we have a good working relationship. It's just a matter of preference.
So are you doing busy work or is the work necessary even though it is tedious? If you are the lowest level there, who do you think should be doing this work if not you?
So are you doing busy work or is the work necessary even though it is tedious? If you are the lowest level there, who do you think should be doing this work if not you?
I have absolutely no clue. It seems pointless, but I'm so disconnected from the other analysts because I'm so much younger that I have no clue what the f is going on with the business. It's really pathetic too because it's a 3 person team, so it shouldn't be this hard to integrate everyone. I think the fact that I'm so young hurts because they assume that I'm incapable of adding tangible value even though it's very apparent that what I'm currently being given is too easy. For example, a project they're giving me 3 weeks for I could have probably finished TODAY if I actually worked instead of shirking on here, but I really don't care because I want to get outta here ASAP and have no incentive to work hard.
I think the fact that I'm so young hurts because they assume that I'm incapable of adding tangible value even though it's very apparent that what I'm currently being given is too easy. For example, a project they're giving me 3 weeks for I could have probably finished TODAY if I actually worked instead of shirking on here, but I really don't care because I want to get outta here ASAP and have no incentive to work hard.
When I started out in my career, I performed a lot of things that I thought were meaningless drivel. I was young and smart. I knew they were wasting my talents and time with a lot of work that I felt was beneath me and had timelines that would have allowed me to goof off for days or weeks at a time.
In my case, after continuously completing project and tasking assignments ahead of schedule, people above me started to notice. Soon I wasn't doing as much of the meaningless work and given more challenging assignments. Along the way, I also figured out much of the work I had been assigned in the past wasn't quite so meaningless. While it was simple and beneath my skills, it was still needed.
You situation might be different, however I sense that if an employee decides to just fool around and put off the work until the deadlines, it validates to others that you are ONLY capable of handling this type of tasking.
So basically, I'm an entry level financial analyst, and even though I do enjoy finance/accounting (no seriously, I do), I absolutely hate my job. The stuff I like about finance like strategy, forecasting, NPV analysis, etc. seem to be reserved almost exclusively for the people at the most senior level and I get stuck doing a bunch of meaningless **** like reformatting powerpoint slides, gathering data and then formatting it in excel, updating numbers on reports, and a bunch of other garbage that doesn't add much value and that a high school kid can do.
Is this nonsense mostly my job or do all jobs in finance suck this much? I did some reading on consulting/investment banks and even though I'd get paid more, it sounds like I will still be doing the same BS that makes me want to kill myself for 80-100 hours a week instead of 40. I find it miserable to do this **** for 40 hours a week that I'd go absolutely mental doing it for 2.5x as long and no amount of money can take precedence over my sanity.
If all jobs do suck this much, what should I do? I enjoy finance, but I'm going to become clinically depressed if this will be my life for the next 40+ yeas till I retire. I really need to do either something that's intellectually stimulating or actually benefits society in some way, but how can I do that with no network, and a finance degree from a state school?
I've got to tell you that while entry-level work does suck, it is what you make of it. If you go in there with a positive, can do attitude, over time people will trust you more. You'll slowly be able to work on more high visibility projects.
However, I have to say that your complaints sound typical to some of the millenials I've worked with recently. They are very smart and ambitious, but not at all humble. They want the glory now and don't want to put in their time. It is very offputting to more senior folks and is not going to help them get ahead in the workplace. Just some food for thought.
When I started out in my career, I performed a lot of things that I thought were meaningless drivel. I was young and smart. I knew they were wasting my talents and time with a lot of work that I felt was beneath me and had timelines that would have allowed me to goof off for days or weeks at a time.
In my case, after continuously completing project and tasking assignments ahead of schedule, people above me started to notice. Soon I wasn't doing as much of the meaningless work and given more challenging assignments. Along the way, I also figured out much of the work I had been assigned in the past wasn't quite so meaningless. While it was simple and beneath my skills, it was still needed.
You situation might be different, however I sense that if an employee decides to just fool around and put off the work until the deadlines, it validates to others that you are ONLY capable of handling this type of tasking.
Lol definitely not going to submit it just at the deadline and will give it to them a week or a week and a half sooner. The problem is, there is absolutely NO incentive for me to work my ass off because of my situation. Right now, this thing I'm doing is a temp job that I did just to get SOME experience. This company is super small and it's unlikely they'll hire me after I'm done, plus I'm not going to get a pay raise. Furthermore, I HAVE completed assignments well before they're due in the past, trust me. I've been given so much bull**** work that I finish the day of when it's due at the end of the week. My reward for all that is simply more mindless work and more emails dumping stuff on me that they don't feel like doing just because I'm idle while they go look at shoes online. I could understand during the first 2 months having to do that, but it's continuing even 4+ months into the job and it's clear to me that they have no interest in giving me more meaningful work. I'm not sure if you read my other post, but they're also making it VERY OBVIOUS in a passive-aggressive way that I'm just there to do the crap they don't want to do. It's not even like they're trying to hide it.
I understand some of you might be thinking, "oh look, another young kid who thinks he's better than he is", but managers have a job to MANAGE and boost employee morale. If people get ****ted on their whole career, they'll have less of an incentive to work, and by behaving the way they are, why on earth would I feel the need to make their lives easier?
I just got an accounting degree and worked in a temp job that sounds just like yours. I even had a senior accountant ask me to do some filing because according to her that was more on my level than hers. She said those words exactly. It was a miserable experience that made me re-think pursuing an accounting career. It's very disheartening to know that you are only going to be doing mindless work when you know you are capable of so much more. I too felt like I was given busy work. I too worked for a small company. I don't know if it is like this everywhere, but, I know I won't be going into any other accounting positions because of it. I know from prior experience in other fields that there are more challenging positions out there for people just starting out in a field/career.
Good luck, keep your head up and make sure to always present a positive attitude even when you don't feel it. Also, keep your resume updated and keep applying to other jobs.
I just got an accounting degree and worked in a temp job that sounds just like yours. I even had a senior accountant ask me to do some filing because according to her that was more on my level than hers. She said those words exactly. It was a miserable experience that made me re-think pursuing an accounting career. It's very disheartening to know that you are only going to be doing mindless work when you know you are capable of so much more. I too felt like I was given busy work. I too worked for a small company. I don't know if it is like this everywhere, but, I know I won't be going into any other accounting positions because of it. I know from prior experience in other fields that there are more challenging positions out there for people just starting out in a field/career.
Good luck, keep your head up and make sure to always present a positive attitude even when you don't feel it. Also, keep your resume updated and keep applying to other jobs.
Problem is applying online is WORTHLESS. I've completed over 300 applications and only gotten 10 interviews. PS, I'm not a retard either. I have a >3.7 GPA, got selected to my school's finance group, have had internships every year, etc. The kids who get jobs are connected and I don't have that. Isn't it great how moral and meritocratic our society has become?
Right now, this thing I'm doing is a temp job that I did just to get SOME experience. This company is super small and it's unlikely they'll hire me after I'm done, plus I'm not going to get a pay raise.
Ok, now I'm getting p*ssed off just reading your stuff. Here are some facts of life:
1) Companies hire "temps" to peform assigned tasks. You are not in a position to go tell anybody you are not happy with the work assignments. You will find yourself re-assigned out the door.
2) Of course they will not hire you after you're done if the attitude you are projecting here is your attitude at work. Look at every assignment (be it big or small) as an opportunity to show this small company that you can be an asset. That's why they hire you.
3) A temp job is a great way to get your foot into the door. It's an opportunity to network. Somebody there might go to another company and remember a temp with an excellent attitude when a position opens.
I had a 30 day temp assignment doing some simple database work for a federal government agency. Next, an offer of a permanent job. Next, a government contractor job offer in Wash. DC. Next, setting up my own company and bidding on government contracts. In the span of 8 years, I had gone from a 30 day temp job to my own company. Guess what, I now have 2 government contracts!
Oh, guess what again, I own the company and STILL do spreadsheets, grab sandwiches for the office, make the coffee, etc. Yes, I can make assignments and never get my hands dirty, but it's about getting the job done and working as a team to do it. It works this way in most small companies.
Make the most of every opportunity available. (Also, better yet, read some of the postings on here about recent college graduates that can't even get a fast food job in this market!)
Welcome to adulthood. Time to pull your big girl (or boy) panties up and buckle down. Your life for the next 40+ years is what YOU make of it. I'm just saying.
Ok, now I'm getting p*ssed off just reading your stuff. Here are some facts of life:
1) Companies hire "temps" to peform assigned tasks. You are not in a position to go tell anybody you are not happy with the work assignments. You will find yourself re-assigned out the door.
2) Of course they will not hire you after you're done if the attitude you are projecting here is your attitude at work. Look at every assignment (be it big or small) as an opportunity to show this small company that you can be an asset. That's why they hire you.
3) A temp job is a great way to get your foot into the door. It's an opportunity to network. Somebody there might go to another company and remember a temp with an excellent attitude when a position opens.
Look, you're correct that I need to be more optimistic. Being a pessimistic little ***** isn't going to help and I will take your advice and fake being happy even on the internet, however, I want to address a few things.
1. I don't tell anyone I'm unhappy. I do my work on time, do it with a fake smile on my face, BS with the coworkers, etc. As previously noted, I've ALWAYS done my work well ahead of schedule and I'm going on record now saying that over the course of my work, I have reached out to managers asking if I can assist with higher-level work or at least do some of the grunt work for what they're doing in order to at the very least gain exposure only to have my request ignored completely. Don't make assumptions about my effort just because I'm unhappy with my job because I've done whatever I could for them the past 4 months without being noticed in any way.
2. Again, don't make assumptions about me when you don't know anything about me. I walk in every day before my manager gets in and enthusiastically take on the secretarial drivel that I do daily. You want to talk about attitude, how about being the only person on the team who doesn't get a courtesy good-morning or who doesn't get invited to department events/lunches because "I'm a temp". What kind of attitude do you expect people to have when they get treated like this in spite of clearly being a solid worker/contributor?
3. This is a tiny company and I'm sorry but the networking simply does not exist. I've tried numerous times to ask coworkers for career advice to no avail. It's very clear that they will not connect me to other companies nor have any interest in socializing with someone who is 15 years younger than them on average and at least 5 years older otherwise.
I'm happy that you had a good experience with your temp job and I'm pretty sure I've acknowledged in this thread that I'm happy I'm not working McDonalds/Starbucks right now (and believe me, I do understand my situation could be much, much worse), but you also have to understand that my "attitude" isn't unwarranted. I posted this thread because I'm legitimately trying to figure out if I'm just being a typical new-college c*** who thinks he knows more than he does (and that all jobs are like this at the entry-level) or if my situation is uniquely bad. You can get p*ssed reading whatever I write, but please try to understand that there's (some) method to my madness.
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