Seeking honest advice (big post content)

[santucci218]

Guys. I come to you not as a friend, but as a brother. Lately I have been rather down about my work. Let me explain...

I work in a music store. Not only do I do the guitar and bass repairs and such, but I also clean band instruments and rent them for students. On top of all that, I also do sales. Sure, there is some down time, but I really bust my ass at that place. I get paid 9 an hour, and I work full time. Total in a month, I make about $1000 dollars after tax. I would make more, but I have to pay about 200 just for health insurance. No dental, no eye, no prescription. Lately though, I have been really hating a few co-workers. And even more, I find it really hard to endorse a store that I myself would never shop at. Our inventory is pathetic. The owner would rather buy 20 Jay Turser 100 dollar strats instead of a few decent instruments that i could actually say play well and not lie. Our amps are the same. We have like 4 basses total. The only thing we really carry that is useful is accessories. I have had this job for about 2 1/2 years. The first year wasn't so bad. We had a Christmas party, we had dinner meetings, and we even all got $250 dollar bonuses. I even got a raise. That was within the first 6 months. For the next 2 years though, that was all gone. Not a single raise, bonus, or get together. It is the same thing every single day, and I am growing to hate it. I hate telling a customer, "I don't have it, but I can order it." To be honest, our prices arent even good. I can find things cheaper on the internet then my store buys them for. My work quality is good. I have returning customers who come back for me. I have people I met through fixing their instruments whom know and ask for me. I love that part of my job. I love knowing I am helping somebody be expressive through art. I could do 500 things right at my job and mess up one small little thing and they only bring up the negative. It's honestly a negative place. Its been very stressful, especially lately. My manager is a Bi-polar idiot who cant pronounce or spell a product to save his life. The owner sent me an email saying we cant have christmas bonuses because the economy is harsh, and then literally that week he went to the superbowl, then went to his home in florida for half of a month with his wife.


I am 20 years old. As some of you know, I don't drive. I don't own a car. And thanks to my mother not giving me the past 3 years of bills, I spent what money I did have saved for a car on old hospital bills. I'm finally almost done paying it all, including a cable bill she opened under my name. Anyways, I haven't talked to her for about a month. But I'm really close to paying off my bills! Debt free!!!!!

MOVING ON! My brother was never much a thinker. He now works construction. He gets paid a dump load though. starts at 28 an hour. He is in a great union that pays all his AMAZING health care, and his boss is one of his really good friends. I asked him what the chances of getting a job out of town with him for a few months would be, and he said pretty good. It would be, almost, a vacation from myself. Don't get me wrong, I don't look at this as blowoff work or anything like that. I understand it is a job, and I am more than ready to treat it seriously. I believe that if I go with him i will have more then enough money to get a car and seek another job in the area. I find this reasonable, but maybe I am wrong.

Ultimately, i would want to quit my current job and get a part time job close by. I know of a few places hiring. I hate working till 8 at night, and I just hate my job. I understand its risky, but do you think im crazy or stupid for doing this? I tried to provide as much detail to show you all the angles. I work late and dont get to see my girlfriend as much as i would like. I don't have nearly enough time to practice, which also really bothers me.


Ok, for anybody who made it this far, i really thank you for reading. So....tell me what you think.

[Steve]

If you have a shot at a union gig. Take it. No brainer.
You already hate your job.
So go hate a job making 300% more. You may actually like it.

[santucci218]

Well thank you for the support sir.

[Chunk-O-Funk]

Crazy or stupid for trying to better yourself? Never. You'll be kicking yourself in the future if you have never tried.

[CrispyDelicious]

Honestly, it sounds like that guitar shop holds no chance for you to advance in any way. You're young, and you have the opportunity to make 3 times your current wage, while learning a trade that you will always be able to find work in.

I don't know what your long-term plans are, but the guitar shop isn't going to get you anywhere, and the pay is garbage, and at least you have the opportunity to make more money and learn a new skill.

Go for it.

[lowendfriend]

Working a job you hate is hell on earth. Take the union job. Save up some cash. Get a little balance in your life. Then plan from there....

Life: do ya love it?, do ya hate it?, there it is the way ya made it.

[Pilgrim]

Sounds like you're in a dead end job. I've been there. Two things will help you improve your life:

1) Willingness to move for a better job
2) More education

If you have a shot at #1, go for it. When the opportunity presents, go after #2. Then repeat #1.

[TortillaChip520]

be sure not to quit until AFTER you get a job somewhere else

[Indiana Mike]

#1 take the union job.

#2 keep living on your $9.00 an hour as long as you can, your used to it.

#3 bank the other $19.00 , it will add up faster than you think.

#4 take a nice vacation.

#5 stay in the union or get an education in a field you love so your career is a happy one.
You will probably live another 70 years. Do something you love .

#6 enjoy life.

I've been union for 15 years now and have never regretted it . Fair days pay for an honest days work.

[santucci218]

you think its a good idea to find a part time job until the union one starts up?

[IconBasser]

yeah man, go for construction.

but eh... you're kinda gonna need to be able to drive in order to get to the sites. Is there a specific reason you still don't have your license? I mean... damn, I remember givin' you hell for not having one about 3 years ago on here, what gives?

[tplyons]

No reason not to go union.

[UnsungZeros]

Go for it man. It's not like you're really risking a whole lot by giving up a $9/hr job.

[santucci218]

Originally Posted by IconBasser

yeah man, go for construction.

but eh... you're kinda gonna need to be able to drive in order to get to the sites. Is there a specific reason you still don't have your license? I mean... damn, I remember givin' you hell for not having one about 3 years ago on here, what gives?

Honestly man, It's pretty lame, but my mom opened a lot of stuff under my name, and since i was under her address for all these places, and not my real address, she threw all the bills away. 3 years after she started this, a random collection agency found me and told me what i owed. Ive been shelling out pretty much all my pay checks since then.

Anyways, you practically live on site for the construction. They carpool, aka, my brother drives, so i would just drive with them in the work truck.

[Fontaine]

Want to make some quick cash?....Jump on an oil rig, seriously, you can make $300/day (as a roughneck....hard job).

Want even more?....go on an offshore drill rig.

[santucci218]

i dont like oil

[IconBasser]

uh... why?

[santucci218]

too sticky. oil tycoons are against me

[IconBasser]

paranoid much?

[santucci218]

I hate that oil tycoons destroyed the idea of an electric car. Makes me want to kill them.