Temping is so uncomfortable

[wienerdog]

One thing I noticed I hate about temping is I feel like I'm on an endlessinterview. I make a lot of mistakes, which I guess isexpected when you're new as long as you learn from them, but I just beat myself up mentally for doing them. Before I give someone from marketing a project I complete for them, I have to give it to the design dept team leader to OK it before I give it to them. I often findthey arebusy, and I just hate having tokeep coming back and asking them the1,000 questions that come with my working on something. It's been a couple months, but I feel less comfortable than I did in February, which is weird. You'd think it would be the opposite, but I feel like I makea mistake every couple days, and I need to keep redeeming myself. Maybe that's just from the pressure of knowing there aren't a lot of full time design opportunities lately and I have a mortgage now.

Am I paranoid for being so hard on myself? I've been designing for 3 years, but haven't done a lot of Fortune 500-quality pieces. There's so many brand standards, and so many inconsistencies with their own rules when I dig up old files! Oh MAN is it frustrating! Copyright info still has 2004 on everything, sometimesit doesn't match what the dept manager says it should, paragraph style formatting is SO inconsistent in different documents.... ugh. And it all makes me look bad if there's mistakes I don't catch. For some reason, I'd feel better about things if I was just hired outright, and new I'd get benefits at one point. There's no real job security in corporate but at least I'd feel more secure, even if it was a charade.

wiEnerDog
Weinerdog Graphics - My portfolio site! (http://www.wienerdoggraphics.com)

[Patrick Shannon]

Here's the truth about my current job...they were wanting to get rid of me after two months. I was incredibly green and mistakes were made, but there is much hilarity to it. Here is the story of the very first 'mistake' I did.

I'm sitting there innocently working at my desk when mein fuhrer comes stomping around the corning screaming and hollering at me. Here came the very 'DO YOU LOOK AT THINGS BEFORE YOU TURN THEM IN' speech (one of many) I would receive. I didn't know what to say because I was absolutely stunned someone would talk to me like that. At most of my previous jobs, if I did something wrong, my employer would politely inform me about it and tell me the correct way to do it or whatever, and it was never an issue after that. (By the way, I had a glowing record at my previous job at Western Union, I've never been reprimanded once for anything or never heard any dissatisfication in my work.)

But back to my story, basically I had supposedly put the wrong phone number or zip code, whatnot on an expensive job. But here's the kicker: I grab the job jacket from his hand and check what I had printed versus the proof that mein fuhrer had given me. The numbers matched. Mein fuhrer looked at the proof in surprised as he realized that he was the one who had written the incorrect numbers on the job instructions. IT WAS HIS OWN DAMNED FAULT.

Later he gave a speech to the crew who watched this tirade about 'himself being his own worst enemy,' a lame excuse to not have to directly apologize to me.

Of course, I've made legitimate mistakes too and have learned from them. I honestly don't try to be hard on myself at all anymore, but I used to be just like that. But eventually, I snapped and whenever mein fuhrer gets on me, I throw 110% back at him. Talk me to civil, and I'll talk to you in the same way. As for mistakes, I finally realized that because I was the only designer there and that too many jobs were being promised too quickly (I only had time to 'skim' them instead of proofread), why beat myself up over it? Ain't my fault that place is a clusterf**k.

Not surprisingly, my very best jobs all involved myself being in complete control of the situation. It's soccer mom projects and repetitive typesetting that I would get into trouble the most with. With big, interesting projects, I don't think I've ever flawed.

By the way, I mentioned that my work wanted to drop me after two months, but I'm still there. Funny bit of story to that, I was under the impression that I would be dropped following March, but mein fuhrer shocked me by presenting me with an insurance form. I questioned this and he said he decided to keep me. Now I know some very good individuals were interviewed, but you want my opinion? I was the only one that would take such a laughable salary. Hmph.

So before you beat yourself up, question what you're exactly up again and if your mistakes are 'truly' your own. If you're so new as you say and the mistakes are totally of your hands, then just keep working at it, you'll get better.

Patrick Shannon

'Dear valued customer, go home and die. Signed, your friendly graphic artist.'

http://www.patrickshannon.com/mwwc_sm.gif
My War With Culture (http://www.mywarwithculture.com)
Political incorrectness reinvented.

[greyghost]

I agree with Patrick.

My last job - I felt like I was constantly in trouble for the first 9 months or so I was there. Mistakes, or the salespeople didn't like my layout (and on some, justifiably, I had some learning to do! *shudders*). But I dreaded going into work every morning - I was afriad of what I was going to get called on the carpet for next! It was awful. I even had a sales rep blame me for losing a prospective client - I had done exactly what she had asked and had even questioned her on the amount of things in the ad, saying it was too crowded and wouldn't make a good impression. Well, she didn't land the client and I got called in and given a 'talking to' by the head of the sales staff! It was awful, and I was so shocked and she dressed me down so bad I actually couldn't speak to defend myself - I was shaking with fury yet couldn't talk!

Then after those 9 months passed I somehow became one of their better people - don't ask me how - and the stress became less for about 8 months or so, it wasn't such a bad place for a while.

What happened after that is another story.

But they have to know that some of these things are outside of your control. And logo and company rules on branding can definitley be one of the most confusing things ever. I once worked for AAA and did some art stuff for them - what a MESS! On this color background it had to be this logo, it could never be on this color, it had to be this big on business cards, this big on flyers, this size for such and such and on ads and blah blah blah. GEEZ.

Nah, you're okay. So long as they aren't threatening you or calling you in for closed-door dressing downs, you're fine. Don't put too much pressure on yourself.

when it comes to certain clients, remind yourself:
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

I'm an ARTIST, not a MAGICIAN!

[wienerdog]

Thanks for the advice! The thing that makes it worse is being a temp and feeling like an outsider every minute of the day. So being new and being an outsider, it's like I get kept at an arm's distance with things, given a little to do at a time, like they are bringing me on slow. For what, I don't know. If I'm temporary, why bother taking the time to train, y'know?

The oddest thing is asking for things to do. I want to help with projects, but hate breaking that awful uncomfortable silence in the dept. And I'd hate to say, hey, I'm bored, there's nothing for me to do, and they give me a 10 min. project or nothing. What do I do then? GraphicDesignForum.com! If they check my usage, they see it's at least work-related.

wiEnerDog
Weinerdog Graphics - My portfolio site! (http://www.wienerdoggraphics.com)