My mum can get me a job - should I take it?

[Retail's Bitch]

On my first day of work, I felt like one of the popular animals in a zoo everyone wants to see. No i'm not being up-myself, it's all because of my mum. Before I got the job, she was always talking about me to her boss and co-workers, and she brought in photos of me to show them, and just generally told them nearly every embarassing thing about me. Mum has been a nurse for over 30 years, and some of her co-workers are still there working with her after hearing all about me (and my sister) growing up.

Mums do that. They love to brag about their kids... When my now-ex was helping me move into our old apartment - before we started dating - and were just friends. My poor friend was trapped in a moving van with my mother for 7 hours moving things across town to the new place. In that 7 hours - he learned more about me than any person would possibly want to know...

Probably why we remain so close. "Nobody knows more about you than I do," He says. And he's right. LOL.

Congrats on the job Comi.

[LostMyMind]

So when I went in, they were all like "Oooooh, we've heard so much about you! You've grown up so much since the photos we saw of you as a child!" e.t.c, e.t.c.

lol, I still get this any time I go visit the hospital in my town. My mother works there for 20+ years. What's worst is my mother still thinks it's cute to call me her baby boy

[lordlundar]

On my first day of work, I felt like one of the popular animals in a zoo everyone wants to see. No i'm not being up-myself, it's all because of my mum. Before I got the job, she was always talking about me to her boss and co-workers, and she brought in photos of me to show them, and just generally told them nearly every embarassing thing about me. Mum has been a nurse for over 30 years, and some of her co-workers are still there working with her after hearing all about me (and my sister) growing up.

So when I went in, they were all like "Oooooh, we've heard so much about you! You've grown up so much since the photos we saw of you as a child!"

"What has she told you? Umm, I'm just going to hide for the day, no this is not a sunburn."

[Gurndigarn]

Thanks guys

Yes I clean, but I also help out with patients by delivering their meals to them. I usually walk in and automatically ask "Hi, how are you?" but i'm starting to think it's an awkward question to ask a person who is in hospital...lol.

If you don't think it's patronizing, try "how are you today?" The last word indicates a certain "relative to the other days recently", but still shows some concern.

I defenitely feel like I have a bit of an advantage of anyone else who may have got the job 'properly' - I didn't even have an interview! I feel guilty for some reason! lol.

It's called "networking", and, speaking as someone who's done HR, it's a good thing. You interview people off the street, you have no idea what they're really like until they're hired... and sometimes the process of getting rid of them can take longer and be more inconvenient than would be ideal. But if you get someone who's recommending someone else, you at least have an idea (based on your opinion of the person you've already hired/know personally) of what you're getting in for. It's not perfect, but it's better than hiring cold.

[COMINATCHA]

Thanks guys

Yes I clean, but I also help out with patients by delivering their meals to them. I usually walk in and automatically ask "Hi, how are you?" but i'm starting to think it's an awkward question to ask a person who is in hospital...lol.

On my first day of work, I felt like one of the popular animals in a zoo everyone wants to see. No i'm not being up-myself, it's all because of my mum. Before I got the job, she was always talking about me to her boss and co-workers, and she brought in photos of me to show them, and just generally told them nearly every embarassing thing about me. Mum has been a nurse for over 30 years, and some of her co-workers are still there working with her after hearing all about me (and my sister) growing up.

So when I went in, they were all like "Oooooh, we've heard so much about you! You've grown up so much since the photos we saw of you as a child!" e.t.c, e.t.c. They are all very very nice and helpfu;, I defenitely feel like I have a bit of an advantage of anyone else who may have got the job 'properly' - I didn't even have an interview! I feel guilty for some reason! lol.

[Der Cute]

Comi:

Look at it this way:

you're getting free exercise
not directly dealing with whiney users
getting to slam and bash garbage
less expensive work overhead (clothing, makeup etc)

and you can SEE what you've done, SEEING a clean place you've made, it makes a difference in pride.

Take pride in what you do and how you do it.

Cutenoob

[excuse me??]

I've lived in two towns with very few job openings. Seems like having a 'connection' who can get you into a company is just about the only to find work.

You know its good to be happy with what you are doing, so that's totally up to you... but never be afraid to have a freind/relitive pull some strings for you.

[XCashier]

I feel alot more normal and calmer, despite having a seemingly 'less fun' job, it's all good.

That alone makes it a worthwhile job. Yeah, you get your hands dirty, but it's a different stress than other jobs.

I think I'd prefer a physically stressful job, like cleaning, over a mentally stressful job, like retail, waitressing, or pretty much most jobs out there. With a physical job, "taking your work home with you" means you forgot to wipe your shoes. You don't get mentally frazzled or have to deal with unreasonable customers. And a good hot bath at the end of the day takes care of the worst aspects.

Congratulations on the new job, Comi. Be sure to thank your mum!

[COMINATCHA]

I'm still adjusting to a job that is SO completely different to dancing.
Like, just getting ready for work is a whole new experience now. Before, when I was a dancer, my getting-ready-for-work was a long process. I would get myself spray-tanned (when you show alot of skin, it's more flattering to be tanned, and my naturally pasty skin doesn't stand out as much). And the day leading up to my shift I would eat hardly anything so my stomach would be really flat for the stupid skimpy clothes. I'd spend ages doing my makeup, listening to music to get myself pumped, then i'd go to work.

Now I just throw on my clothes, tie my hair up, and off I go. I'm saving money cause i'm not using as much makeup, and not spray myself Paris Hilton style, I feel alot more normal and calmer, despite having a seemingly 'less fun' job, it's all good. I'm not surrounded by alcohol and sleaze anymore

[Barefootgirl]

I don't understand why they would pay so much for me to clean and run errands, but meh, i'm not complaining

They pay so much because - guess what - nobody wants to be "just a cleaner". If no-one was cleaning, the hospitals would be cesspits. They could have the finest medical staff in the universe, but if the hospital was dirty and people were dying of HAIs* left, right and centre, it would be a crummy hospital.

There was a TV programme on here quite recently, called "Kim and Aggie Got To Hospital", about the cleanliness of one big, well-respected hospital in London. Kim and Aggie have a TV show called How Clean Is Your House, where they go to people with filthy homes, and help them clean. This particular hospital, while there were plenty of people trying, was actually, pretty dirty. One room, which was supposedly a sterile unit, had old, dried diarrhoea on the bedframe.

All over the world, hospitals desperately need cleaners who aren't afraid to work and who don't turn round at every opportunity and say "that's not my job". I applaud you for taking this job, and for sticking it at it, doing something worthwhile to actually help other people.

[LostMyMind]

on getting good pay. At least you're giving yourself a chance to see if you do like the job or not. And that says more about you than anything else

Jobs that most people "don't like to do", "can't do", or "won't do" should be paid better. In the states, those kinds of jobs would pay more but there is a "group" that will do those jobs so there is "labor competition", driving the pay down. (Not commenting on the social aspect of it, just explaining the business practice of "pay more for harder to find labor". Which is why computer science paid alot in the older days and now since the market is flooded, the is pay average.)

[Ree]

I am very proud of you for taking the job, and I'm really happy that it's working out for you, Cominatcha.
That shows maturity.
Well done.

[COMINATCHA]

Good to see ya took the job. Just remember, it mostly doesn't matter how you got the job, you have to keep it! And do ya have another opening? I just did the currency conversion and that's about $13.50 USD, twice what I'm making!

Yea It's good hey. I don't understand why they would pay so much for me to clean and run errands, but meh, i'm not complaining

[Pagan]

Good to see ya took the job. Just remember, it mostly doesn't matter how you got the job, you have to keep it! And do ya have another opening? I just did the currency conversion and that's about $13.50 USD, twice what I'm making!

I've been looking for a new job and just got one of those "although you have excellent qualifications" letters. Well, if my qualifications are so excellent, then why the hell aren't you hiring me, huh?

Side note:
PuckishOne and Crazyredhead
Do you think it's the age or the hair color? I'm 36 as well and decided that I'm going to enroll at CNM (Central Community College of New Mexico, or something like that, they just changed their name from TVI) in the Pharmacy Tech program and then look at the Pharmacology program at UNM. And yes, it is about the money!

[JuniorMintz]

I was rostered to work 12pm-5pm and I didn't call them until 10.30am cause I was very reluctant to do it. My mum (who is a nurse) told me I had to fix the problem before it got worse, so I rang the boss. I told her the situation, and she said - "If you really were sick, you would have called in earlier."

I was like

I know I SHOULD have called in earlier, but it's not like I set my alarm real early, just in case i should happen to wake up sick and need to give notice.

Lesson learned. Bosses need notice just like we do-it's freaking annoying to be notified of a schedule change at the very last minute, right?

Or maybe I'm just bitter because I miss getting to sleep in like that.