Ok, my turn!

[DonnaL]

::blows out a puff of breath::

I've been at my company for just over a year, granted I knew nothing about prepress before I took this job but I'm well knowledgable in design/layout - ad building (from previous job).
I moved here for this job when it was offered to me via email... anyway...

So here I am, the newbie to this company who work with 2 other designers who have been here for 7 and 11 years.
11 year co-worker is down and out-right lazy and only works part-time.
7 year co-worker is so-so, a great designer but isn't very productive.

We have 4 people that take in phone orders. There's no organization at all.

So far, during this year that I've been here, we upgraded from negs to direct to plate (Brisque). 3 months after I started I went to California for training on the Brisque along with the 7-year designer.
It's been over a year now with the new equipment... so who comes running to me with questions? I'll give you 1 guess. EVERYone....
I also get questions and "why's" thrown at me with programs.
I also know more about both platforms of computers so I get those "why's" thrown at me as well. I honestly don't mind at times although there are some things I just don't have the answer too and it ticks me off that they always expect this of me. I don't understand why they won't figure it out themselves or learn for themselves. They don't want to have to think, I know, and they want someone else to do it for them... ME!

Yesterday, I nearly walked out!
One lady that's been here forEVER (I'm guessing 20 years), she handles Human Resources stuff/payroll and also handles incoming Casino jobs. She thinks her jobs are top priority, we have to drop everything we're doing just to get HER job out. She doesn't quite put it that way but she lays a guilt trip on you if you don't. She also doesn't understand what we do, what we have to go through to get a job ready for press especially if the job comes from someone else who doesn't know what they're doing.

Now not only do we do Design and print, we also do Mailing. There's one person that handles the mailing and this certain program that handles the databases of these casinos. I know NOTHING about this program, yet this lady seems to think I do.
The guy that does the mailing program couldn't get something to work and the only thing I had to do to prep it was to create 27 different versions of coupons created in Illy and saved as .eps's. For some reason the eps's wouldn't import. I couldn't even begin to tell you why. I just don't know the program and it was how I was shown.
This lady reems me out saying, "you know more than so-n-so".. I said "No I don't!" And she goes in with the guilt trip things saying "I guess I'll just call the casino and tell them we can't do there job and they'll have to go elsewhere."
OMG! I wanted to blow up! I told her repeatedly that I tried everything I knew how to get the files to import. I'm sorry, I don't know whatelse to do.
She was assuming that I didn't care. UGH! Man, C'mon! Just because I know how to drive a car doesn't mean I know how to repair it!

I can't wait til she retires!!!!! Oh Happy Day!! When is that? I have no idea.

Hence my signature......

[defjoe]

your a designer and work on the computer that means you know IT and the like. Get with the program here!

;)

[EC]

Exactly what defjoe said. I once got a call from a client, at home in the evening no less, asking me why their email doesn't work.

Heh?!

You should see the looks of confusion I get when I tell people I don't know a thing about Microsoft office (I don't even have it installed anymore, we'll see how long that lasts.) If I had a dime for everytime somebody asked me to play technical support for Microsoft, I'd be as rich as Bill Gates.

[DonnaL]

It's not just with Microsoft products or the PC, it's EVERYthing. You'd think this other 7-year designer would "learn" what to do. Obviously she doesn't want to learn and doesn't care to learn, thus, seeking out answers to the simplest problems from me.
I've repeatedly showed both of them how to "mount" a volume on the brisque. Something ALL OF US should know how to do. I've even written down step-by-step -laymen's terms on how to do it. I'ts so fricken easy, but they don't want to take the time to read it or learn it.

Ok, so am I a freakin' designer or am I the freaking Techie here?! The only thing I'm grateful for is the raise I asked for. After a year was up I wrote a request for a buck fifty more an hour since I knew (and do) more than asked. I lucked out and got two dollars more an hour. They had said I was valuable but cripes, I just don't want to be taken advantage of and that's what I feel like is happening. More days than not, I want to scream at them, other times, I want to cry and walk out.

I can't tell you how many times I've said [outloud] I need a new profession!

The 11-year designer is part-time and just dawdles all day long. I can't tell you how much it pisses me off to see her sit on her arse all day while I'm going out of my tree with this job, and that problem, and this customer and those other peon BC orders etc. She'll grab a bc order [a name change] and she'll milk it for as long as possible. I hate it - I hate it - I hate it! And I know deep down inside SHE knows that I do 90% of the work load, yet leaves there like she's miss high almighty!

::sigh::