# Is the cubicle/office inevitable for a decent paying job?



## ToughUnderdog (Jul 7, 2013)

Is this the new reality in maturing and developing countries? The idea that you have to put your time in for several years and then retire.

There are probably some people with SA that will respond favorably to this. I can't see myself keeping my sanity-- just being confined in one space and repeating some of the same work with the same people. The movie "Office Space" really scared me as funny as it was.

So are there other good options? Police, firefighter, nurse, military, mariner, social work, dentist and hygienist, paramedic, etc.

I just don't want somebody to tell me I have a case of the Monday's every week I start work. Here's the Office Space trailer.


----------



## Blue Dino (Aug 17, 2013)

As much as I like my current dead end and unstable job, right now I would very sadly kill to get an office job if it is at least stable. And yes, that includes even the depressing work environment and treatment in Office Space.


----------



## Liability (Jan 11, 2013)

health care is another solid viable alternative to the dreaded office jobs. It's where I might move next.


----------



## JamesM2 (Aug 29, 2012)

Of the different types of work I have had, office work has definitely been the most soul crushing. Just sitting down at a desk first thing in the morning and knowing that's where you're going to be for the rest of the day looking at files and typing reports is just the pits. There is nothing like sitting at a desk on a nice summer's day in an office that is silent except for the sound of people all around me furiously typing away and the odd person coughing or chair squeaking to make me seriously question what the hell I'm doing with my life. 

Once I'm finished up in my current job, I never want to work in another office ever again :no I don't care if it means significantly less pay - my happiness and sanity is more important to me. At least time goes faster in more physical jobs - when I'm sitting at a desk all day the time just drags. Sometimes I will look at the clock and see that's 1pm or something, and then I'll look again after what seems like half an hour or more has gone by only to find that it's still only 1:07pm. It's beyond painful. 

I agree with the healthcare thing - I've just recently spent some time in hospital and couldn't help but feel a tad envious about the people I saw working there. They seemed to have a lot of variety in their work, they weren't stuck in one place all day and they were actually making a positive difference to peoples' lives on a daily basis - their work had meaning and that is something I am definitely lacking at the moment.


----------



## brooke_brigham (Nov 28, 2013)

Cubicles do really suck. I go crazy listening to people talking on the phone or coughing all day. I even have a fan on my desk to try and block out the noise but it's still bad if you're sensitive to that type of thing. I agree though that having an office job with room for promotion is better than retail or a lot of other low paying jobs. 

We try to find the joy in little ways. Office pranks or lunches out. Its about the best you can do when you have to work.


----------



## midnightson (Nov 6, 2013)

ToughUnderdog said:


> So are there other good options?





ToughUnderdog said:


> Police, firefighter, nurse, military, mariner, social work, dentist and hygienist, paramedic, etc.


I think you just answered your own question...


----------



## Cool Ice Dude55 (Jan 7, 2014)

hey i love my office job! and i didnt have to go to uni to get here..win!

i dont have to stand all day, dont really have to talk either, gotta love a bit of data entry  its kinda satisfactory.. wouldnt want any other job tbh  its great if youve got soaicl anxiety


----------



## Nads (Jan 2, 2013)

Well it is until you start your own business or become a freelancer with steady clients.


----------



## ToughUnderdog (Jul 7, 2013)

Liability said:


> health care is another solid viable alternative to the dreaded office jobs. It's where I might move next.


Yeah I agree. Weren't you the accounting graduate that is now working in accounting? Just also guessing that your username has something to do with your job. Healthcare will continue to be an excellent area for job growth-- it's just a matter of finding the right job that will keep you sane in your career.


----------



## ToughUnderdog (Jul 7, 2013)

midnightson said:


> I think you just answered your own question...


I should've been more clear creating this thread, but good catch. I just wanted to see if there are other viable alternatives to the office lifestyle, and if people were pursuing them. Those of us with varying degrees of SA will never improve if we are confined to a small space and where we have to compete in "high-school" popularity contests.


----------



## anomnomnom (May 28, 2013)

JamesM2 said:


> At least time goes faster in more physical jobs - when I'm sitting at a desk all day the time just drags. Sometimes I will look at the clock and see that's 1pm or something, and then I'll look again after what seems like half an hour or more has gone by only to find that it's still only 1:07pm. It's beyond painful.


This makes me laugh, its so true, I've taken to trying to put my drink in front of the pc clock so I cant see it..then after I feel its been a while i treat myself to a sneaky look at the time..anddd about 4 minutes has gone 

I don't know what else I'd do though..:|


----------



## endymionshawk (Jan 15, 2014)

Could work in retail. It's not as bad as you'd think it'd be, though the first few weeks/days are p. bad. Then you get into this routine with the customers, and it's not so bad. Just keep saying the same thing over and over. It's a little disconcerting when someone actually tries conversation though ((**** what do I say!))

If you really want to avoid getting "the mondays" then you should find something that you love. Me, I love what I'm learning in school, and I assume that when I graduate it'll be just as good, if not more so. Course, even if I don't dread mondays, I still dread going to class...especially the ones with group work :sigh


----------



## JamesM2 (Aug 29, 2012)

anomnomnom said:


> This makes me laugh, its so true, I've taken to trying to put my drink in front of the pc clock so I cant see it..then after I feel its been a while i treat myself to a sneaky look at the time..anddd about 4 minutes has gone
> 
> I don't know what else I'd do though..:|


 Heh yeah I've tried that sort of trick before back when I used to work at a supermarket checkout - a common thing for us to do was to cover up the time on the bottom of our screens by taping a strip of paper over it. Not always entirely effective though as customers would often ask us if we had the time.


----------



## Colt45ws (Nov 17, 2013)

I thought I was SOL too until I got where I am now in Manufacturing. The company does contract-to-hire for most positions meaning a third party company hires you and you work for them until you get rolled over into a full time position. I honestly think that at the time, the contract company was just hiring everyone with a clean background and piss test; Hoping that some of them would stick. The turnover of the new temps from them is insane. I'd estimate that within the first month 33% are walked out or stop coming to work.
Anyway to get back on track, I easily made double last year than what I made working for WalMart the year before ('course that was with a lot of 50+ hour weeks), and now that Im working for the company full-time Im making even more and get full benefits.


----------



## IllmaticJJ (Dec 29, 2013)

It's not inevitable but for most people it's the only option


----------

