Sunday 11 July 2010

warehouse worker's guide to the factory!


So we all know work is hard to come by at the moment. and a lot of you may of heard of factory/line work jobs in factories given to people through temp agencies - this includes me.

so basically I have had quite a bit of experience working in warehouses now. im currently doing some in a parcel warehouse and used to work in a ice cream factory (isn't nearly as fun as it sounds) and have came up with a guide to working in one.
having one of these jobs can ether be a world of counting down each minute and constantly doubting your job status, or a world of easy straight forward work which can be a easy and doss way to get money. here are some of the main rules I've came up with to follow when working in one of these environments - ill develop on each one, in no order of importance -

- Make a playlist that lasts at least 3 quarters of your shift - you can check this on itunes
If your working in a factory which uses no machines or sometimes if you are you'll probably get away with being able to listen to your ipod or mp3 player etc. music is a great way to take your mind off of things and to relax and actually have a good time. if your someone who can just listen to music for fun then you have a big advantage when it comes to this sort of work. if you get so into your music and make a playlist that will last at least half your shift then you will find that time will fly!

- download free podcasts from itunes and put them on your ipod (if you have one) and make sure you have at least enough to last you half your shift
I advise anyone to do this if they have an ipod, even if you don't normally listen to podcasts then follow this it will help you so much, maybe even more than the music. go onto 'itunes store' on your itunes and then search through the podcasts. a good idea is to check out some of the best in forums on the internet then seek them out. listening to podcasts gives you the illusion that someone is talking to you. you often get ones which episodes last more than a hour so get a few - of course get them in the category of interest in which your interested about so its more interesting to listen to -interesting!

- don't think about your job. don't compare yourself to anyone who your working with
From first looking at this title you might think it seems kind of snobby or anti social. well you'd be partly right it is anti social - but these jobs usually are hence why its good to have the 2 rules above this one!
what I mean about not comparing yourself to others when working this - all different sorts of people usually work these jobs. you'll see teenagers, adults and people of all ethnics and origins but what you must remember is that this does not put you all in the same boat and noone aspires to work this job. everyone's doing this for the money. so what I mean is don't compare yourself to everyone else in these sort of jobs because everyone's working them for different reasons. people got their in different ways. noones a loser or has fucked up at life they just want the money like you. there is no ''I work in a factory therefore I have failed at life'' persona so don't let yourself slip into that.

- pick easy, time consuming jobs or try to work by yourself
Factories and warehouses always have many many jobs you can do. there will always be certain sections which rely on group work but if you look around hard enough you'll probably be able to find a job that is unmanned and you can do by yourself. usually these jobs are quite lax and of course because its unlikely anyone will be watching over you, you can take your time and not work your ass off. keep doing your job there but do it at your own pace - I mean if that job was left unmanned then it can't be on that you'd have to work hard and fast on, unlike something like line work.

- learn fast and try to blend in
DO NOT follow these rules straight away. the first thing you should do is learn how to do your job in your factory or warehouse. seeing as the work usually is pretty easy it can be picked up fast and understood easily if you listen well when first being taught. However although these jobs usually are pretty easy they do have rules and if you break these rules then it will most likely be found out and noted. you don't wanna loose a job like this because its a blessing in disguise if you follow these rules

IN CONCLUSION
Like I said last these jobs can be a blessing in disguise if you follow these rules. don't let yourself have this misconception of these jobs being the bottom of the barrel because there not. compared to the stories I hear from my friends working in brand stores my job sounds awesome. if you need work and money really badly at the moment (who doesn't?) then go to a temp agency in your town/city and apply for factory jobs cause here's the long and short of one of these jobs
  • flexible hours
  • good money (im getting 5.80 per hour)
  • doss work
  • music



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