So I quited my first job. [Archive]

suken19

04-24-2007, 12:01 AM

Hi all. I would like to share my short story to you all and would like some feedbacks. I got a job about 3 weeks ago at this print shop as a full time graphic designer. The first week was fine, learning on how to set the prints properly, imposing, etc.. stuff like that. As the 2nd week came, all I did was pretty much customer service, faxing, cutting paper, cleaning, answering phone, and learn how to operate the printing/cutting machines.

So pretty much I barely touches the graphic sides, which is ok but then I can't stand the owner. He would gets mad whenever I asked him a question, because I forgot some part on what he said earlier about how to do this and that. There are so many technical things that I need to learn, but he expects me to learn right away. Well, it is not totally my fault because he has a very strong acents. On top of that, since it just me, him and his wife, who else do I ask on how to do things besides him you know. I wish there would have been another worker, someone who I can talk to, share my ideas, answer my questions nicely whenever I have one.

Anyways, do you think I made a mistake by quitting? I know that for the fact that if I stay there longer, all I am going to be doing is just learning how to operates the printing/cutting machines and other stuff which is really what the owner hoping to hire a person for. As for me, I want to design, I don't mind to learn about printing setup, process, etc.. but I don't want to learn other stuff. If there are enough design to balance out, then I don't mind too. That is where the problems come in though I guess. Do you guy enjoy work or have fun at work or is it just working and working?

Thanks for reading and please give me some feedback on what to do. I am jobless now and it is very hard to me to find a job since I don't have much experience.

budafist

04-24-2007, 12:09 AM

Every situation is different. You quit because that is what you needed to do. We can't tell you want is right or wrong for you.

Ned

04-24-2007, 12:12 AM

^^Agreed.

Nonetheless, I will say that print shop experience is essential for a good designer when starting his/her career. We've all paid our dues, and this is one of the best learning experiences you'll have.
Maybe try applying at a larger print shop, but don't turn it down because you're getting the crappy jobs. This is how you make your start.

jessicam

04-24-2007, 12:19 AM

To echo Ned a bit...

I worked with an in-house marketing group, hired to do web and print stuff, right out of school. The first 3 months or so were a little bit of design here and there, but mostly photocopying, filling the printer with paper, running my butt all over the building for people, etc. Doing all that stuff with a smile shows people you can work hard and that can lead to much better things.

suken19

04-24-2007, 12:41 AM

I know that I should try to work there as long as possible. However though, ever since the second week, I never had 1 perfect night sleep. It was almost a nightmare, seriously. I would be going home today, thinking how tomorrow is going to be like. Am I going to get yell at again, or what kind of mistakes am I going to make, although I am trying my best not to make a mistake of course. I just don't want to be yell at and be put down. I have always worked for at one 1 1/2 year on all my jobs, this is the first job I quitted so soon.

Thanks for the advices though. Anyways, I have another question. Last week on Wednesday, I went to this interviewed and was offered a job at this firm to design their marketing materials, which is what I really want to do. Actually, 40% is document scanning, and the rest is designing. The thing is that this is a contract job and it's a year long too. Any of you have experience this before? How was it for you? I didn't accept the job yet because I was still working at the print place then, but now that I have quitted, I am thinking of working there.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Ned

04-24-2007, 12:46 AM

Well, if you're being abused at your job, it doesn't matter what the job is, there is no need for it. I may have gotten a bit of that impression from your first post, but didn't know that was a major issue going on here. In that case, I'm all for you quitting. Abusive employers should be reported to the employment standards board (or whatever you have in your area).

budafist

04-24-2007, 12:57 AM

Well then, I guess the problem was that you didn't have anyone but the bosses to turn to for help. Finding a job at a larger print company should solve this problem. Good luck.

suken19

04-24-2007, 01:15 AM

Thanks guy. I am definitely try to find another job. Hopefully my next job won't be a family own again.

Ned

04-24-2007, 01:18 AM

My first print shop job was with an art department of 3, one PC guy (also the Corel user), one Mac girl (also the Quark user), and myself, the cross-platform guy (and Adobe user). We were all able to bounce knowledge off each other this way.

suken19

04-24-2007, 01:22 AM

I wish my first job had at least one worker like yours. Being equally employ, you will lean toward each other for help, ideas and such, but for me, damn leaning toward the owner was hard.

Patrick Shannon

04-24-2007, 06:01 AM

It most definitely won't be roses your first time out. I had LOTS of interviews with some good companies out of college, but I was all blown out of the water for being too green. Ended up at a print shop nightmare that didn't end for nearly five years, since no one else was hiring. (Little did I know then that Saint Louis was dead for print design, but desperate for web design).

I was the only designer there and had no help in learning the ropes (except from the printer, and only in print areas at that). As much as I hated that place, I don't completely regret it (maybe I regret staying there so long, but that's beside the point). Being thrown into an environment like that was certainly an education and only motivated me to be better so I could improve my situation.

And I'm in that situation again...the happy little company I currently work for has now turned into a corporate mess, and now that we've discontinued our provider websites, the design team has been reduced to a shell of their former selves (we design forms, whoopie). I'm very disappointed by that...but I know my next job will be even better. I have far better design experience now because of it, and a much LARGER network of people all working in the right places.

The first few weeks of that first job are never swell, I had the nightmares too. But I personally would have stuck it out a little longer, it takes time to get used to a job and their workflow. Also if they made you run a press, that might have not been such bad education to see things from the printer's eyes. (I wish I had learned how to run a press.) But then again, I don't know your situation so you may have made the right decision. Just don't become a job hopper, it won't look good for your resume.

budafist

04-24-2007, 08:37 AM

My first design related job was when I was still in my first year of university. It was 2 days a week at a small copy shop with sole charge on Saturdays (the slow day). I really enjoyed it while I was there. Sole charge meant that I got to come into work hungover and since it was quiet, I didn't have to do much. I'd vacuum slowly and then play on Photoshop or just sit there doing not too much for the rest of the day.

A year later, the bosses sold the business to a horrible dictator of a man. He didn't trust any of the staff to to be alone, so on Saturdays so he would stand over me supervising. With nothing to do, it was horrible trying to look busy in a tiny print shop. Going from a year of Saturdays unsupervised to suddenly being babysat was terrible.

All the staff resigned. He sold the business not long after.

furiouSPEED

04-24-2007, 08:58 AM

There is possibility also if you tried to stay for more periods there, you would be his right hand man. He will not only ask you for such technical stuff, but also sooner or later he will give you more responsibility and of course with the better compensation.

However, you know more exactly the situation to make the right decision about quitting.

Molinto

04-24-2007, 09:37 AM

I work in a similar situation, a small family print job, I am the only mac artworker/designer. I think its really important to have a lot of support and understanding, especially if you're new to the field. This is my first job out of uni and my bosses are really understanding that its gonna take time for me to learn all the processes and tricks. The important thing though is I feel happy at work...if you dont then its not going to make you any better at what you want to do, you wont learn because you are scared of asking questions (which i would be aswell if i got shouted at everytime i did!) So I think you have probably done the right thing in leaving!

Good luck finding somewhere new! :)

yugyug

04-24-2007, 09:47 AM

I worked at a small family run print shop for a year when I was first out of university - invaluable experience. Yeah at first I had difficulties with the owner that were similer to yours, but after a few months (and a few confrontations) we came to an understanding and a good relationship.

All that customer service stuff can be usefull too if you are pretty fresh employment wise.

The worst thing about working in a small print shop for me was the local customers who liked to jump behind my desk *instruct* me in designing their project i.e "move that photo over there and also make the font larger and can you do something with that word so it looks 3D and has glitter on it?" Eventually I got good at guiding them over to the couch with a pen and sketchpad and asking them draw what they wanted....Then faced with the fact that they had no artistic ability they would smile and say "oh, you know what I want, I'll come back tomorrow when its finished." Score 1 point for the designer.

furiouSPEED

04-24-2007, 10:40 AM

Working in a bigger company isn't so nice as it looks, the pressure usually doesn't come from the owner, but more from senior team mates. They will not easily allow you outpace them.

Job is preference, there is no the most convenient place worked by someone else's company, it all depends on how we live the job trough day to day. That's great for those have ability to stand up on their on foot running their own busniness.

However companies where we have been working, especially the first job, give us worthwhile experience on the field of job, besides we gain salary from them.

Before you go ahead with moving to the new company, think twice, regrets usually come later. And Good Luck in the new place if you have decided to quit.

Jackimalyn

04-24-2007, 02:20 PM

Everyone pretty much hit it right on the head, but here's my side...

I started out at a family owned print company. The extent of my work was a receptionist, bindery and prepress. The most design i got to do was typesetting. I stuck that one out for almost two years (and delt with all the small, family owned company crap). I cant tell you how much that has helped me. Im much more kn owledgeable in knowing what I can and cant design, knowing how the prepress department will handle it, knowing how a press works and knowing the kind of quality you can expect from certain finishing techniques.

Everyone pays their dues. Gotta work your way up in this industry. Good luck.

Tsmalldon

04-24-2007, 04:05 PM

Jackimalyn

04-24-2007, 04:16 PM

"It doesnt matter what the customer wants, it matters what will sell"

wow. just wow.

CamarotaDesign

04-24-2007, 04:53 PM

Print shop experience is good. Learning to work a paper cutter/folder/binder will help your design abilities by knowing how to design for those types of applications.

That being said there is no job worth being treated like that, you did the right thing, and another job will come along. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start over again. Good luck!

suken19

04-24-2007, 04:58 PM

It made me feel better knowing that you everyone has been there like me. I know that I should have tried to work there longer, which I did many times. Being yelled at, I always held back my temper and pretend that it was nothing. However, after two week like that I can't take it anymore. Like Molinto said, having support and understanding from others is very important when we are new to the field. Oh well, I quitted already so can't go back now. So any you have experience with contract position?

]

Patrick Shannon

04-24-2007, 05:02 PM

Working for a larger company is not all its cut out to be either. I constantly get my ideas shot down and replaced with less interesting ones. Also a lot of the work I was proud of got mutilated by the high ups and now looks like vomit, all because they beleive they know what looks good.

Best quote ever from them was when we were deciding on a new product line I said well why dont we test launch it, get some comment cards and gauge customer reaction. They shot this down with a strong

"It doesnt matter what the customer wants, it matters what will sell"

Hmmmm....well correct me if im wrong, but isnt the customer the one buying the product? and if they dont like it it wont sell....

I could go on and on......
Trev

Well...not always. But yeah, first off it was ridiculous for them not considering testing, because how do you know it will sell in the first place?

But anyway, if we always did what the client completely liked, it would blow up a lot of times. For example, there was a story I read somewhere (can't remember) where a hotel asked a professional designer to redo their stationary. To make the story short, the manager demanded on using some color scheme which ended up getting completely ridiculed by everyone who looked at the stationary, and the hotel ended up returning to the designer to redo them (without questioning their decision again).

I don't think the client would complain much if the produced materials ended up making them a millionaire or getting a lot of positive attention. But it's all a balance...you can't really design something that will sell if you can't unravel the client's head about what they're all about. Without that it's direction-less design and more about what the DESIGNER / bosses like then.

CamarotaDesign

04-24-2007, 05:07 PM

I should have tried to work there longer, which I did many times.

No you shouldn't have, someone that starts yelling at you after only a week of knowing you has some serious socialization problems.

You probably could have told him the first time he yelled at you in a very strong voice that you do not tolerate being yelled at and you are going to quit the next time he does it. That pretty much the only thing to do in that situation unless you want to yell back and be disrespectful, but it sounds like thats not the type of person you are.

mojoprime

04-24-2007, 05:15 PM

are you in the U.S.? contract work here will be a little different than across the pond.

i worked at a tiny place -- we had our mascot, casey, a tabby, who would wander through the office and in and out of business meetings with clients. hired by a friend that i worked on the high school paper staff with, who gave me a break while i was still in school. some family stuff lead to me having to quit school and work full time, but we were so small that i didn't make any money. sometimes, we wouldn't get paid, so i also held down two other jobs (and school, for a little while.)

but i wouldn't have traded the experience for anything. that was almost 20 years ago, and i remember all the lessons well. i mean, for example the local economy was so tight that we were delighted when people used a color, like a 2-color. it was amazing. we designed so much in black and white. i had a great mentor, and he encouraged me to move on when a better opportunity came up. i hated to leave, but had to.

yours was not a good situation. no way you should have to handle that type of abuse, especially right out of school.

Ben Kessler

04-24-2007, 05:22 PM

No honest mistakes made on the job can justify rudeness or aggressive behavior from a boss. This is especially true when the employee is a newcomer. Find a job where you feel appreciated, and show your appreciation for the job by working as hard as you can. That's how you can make a place for yourself in any industry.

carter the artist

04-24-2007, 06:39 PM

This shop wouldn't happen to be located in Irvine is it?

sounds a lot like my first year out of college.

RNO

04-24-2007, 06:59 PM

You've got to make decisions that will make you happy. If you continued to work there you probably would have been miserable. Good luck in your search.

suken19

04-24-2007, 07:00 PM

Thanks for the kind words and understanding you guys. It was hard to know work for someone feeling intimidate and not very happy. I would never yelled back at him because he was like my instructor for teaching me new things. If I don't like the work place, I just quit but yelling back at him is not like me. I tried my best to accept the yelling and the insult, but after one incident that he yelled at me right in front of customers, that was it. Since then I decided to quit and so I did.

You know, you are right. I remembered one time the owner almost got into a fight with a customer for over $2. The customer called him names, and suprisingly, he called him a M....F..... He was also kind of racist too, because where I used to work, which locate in SF bay area, there are lots of homeless people. Regardless their living status, sometimes they do need to make copies, but unfortunately, the owner would charge them more so that they would never come back. That was messed up.

I worked at a restaurant and retail store before, each of those jobs was very hard working and late too but I worked over 4 years in those two jobs. Reason why mention this is that I am not a job hopper.

Anyways, yes I am in U.S. I don't have any experience or know anyone with the contract experience. So please, if anyone can suggest more or give me more information about the contract job, I would really be appreciated.