Ready to get OUT of the business ...

[G_Town]

Re: Ready to get OUT of the business ...

Is anyone out there happy in this profession? I mean maybe it's just me I do what I can and as much as I can then I keep rolling on. It's a job not my life, although I understand that in order to have a life I need my job so a prioritize it accordingly. After 20+ years I have gained a fair amount of knowledge that employers seem to find valuable and I have no desire to start a new career now, not that I'm to old I just don't feel like it or want to.

Maybe it's because I was raised on a farm with a strict father that I don't find this work particularly frustrating since I know what real (hard work) is (many a night harvesting corn till 11pm on a school night in December will bring you to this realization).

Oh well I give up my optimissim cannot stand in the shadow of the disgruntled prepress masses.

;-)

 

[Tech]

Re: Ready to get OUT of the business ...

I don't mind the venting as long as it's based on facts ... sometime you really just need to let it out and share that frustration to know you are not alone. It happens to the best of us.

 

[G_Town]

Re: Ready to get OUT of the business ...

Bah! Just go home and kick the dog like everyone else

 

[afilson]

Re: Ready to get OUT of the business ...

This frustration reminds me of one of my favorite quotes (from my days in the Marines):

"Unhappiness does not arise from the way things are. But rather from
a difference in the way things are and the way we believe they should
be"

How true this is.

Keep the faith, for a better and brighter tomorrow, as we are building it today.

Allen

 

[cosmotcat]

Re: Ready to get OUT of the business ...

But G_Town ... I have CATS ... do they kick the same as dogs (by the way, I have only one leg)?

Don't get me wrong from my original post. I was venting ... although I truly AM ready to get out of this end of he biz, I do +basically+ enjoy my job. We, who have been doing it for almost 25 years are, through education from job longevity, the best at it (bragging) and are usually the survivors of layoffs and 'acquisitions'. One of the best crews I ever worked with were the few remaining souls of layoffs and cutbacks. I really miss that job and those people. Anyway ...

I realize that my job security comes from others *not* knowing what the heck they are doing. The biggest problem I have now is that it's just plain getting worse and like I said - more and MORE - it's the +prepress people+ that are becoming responsible for even the +most *basic* file execution+. With increasingly tighter deadlines, fewer people and faster systems, it's becoming a younger man's game. Today I was the preflighter, the assembly person, the proofmaker, the platemaker and the designer. Luckily today, like most other days, I did *not* have to be the CSR, the teacher and IT person, I Ieft those hats at home this morning.

I'm tired.

 

[G_Town]

Re: Ready to get OUT of the business ...

Cat's are actually more fun because they emit that load shreak when propelled across the room via boot power. rrrRRRRREEAARRR!

Being that you're a prepress person you'll find a work around to the one leg thing I'm sure.

Yea I guess a lot of folks that have been in the game as long as us types (25 years or so) have had enough, but I apparently am a sucker for punishment or maybe it's that for the last 9 years or so I was the dpt. manager and now I am just a grunt again I'm really enjoying it all again with out the headaches of dealing with everyone else.

Whatever it is I hope I don't get "tired" anytime soon.

What are some of you that are "Ready to get OUT of the business" planing on doing for a living? I'm curious if it's related to the biz or are you all packing it up completely and become Chefs, Plumbers and School bus drivers?

Lets hear about it.

Edited by: G_Town on Jan 10, 2008 9:51 AM

 

[Andy]

Re: Ready to get OUT of the business ...

Not quite Friday, but...

Last night in the UK there was a program on BBC2 about "What Britain Earns".
It was very interesting to see the brackets of pay [£0-10K, £10-£20K,
£20-30K, £30-40K, £40-50K, £50-75K, £75-£100K, £100-£500K, £500-£1million,
£1million+ - IIRC] and see what jobs fell into which brackets. 90% of people
in UK/GB earn < £46K. The one job that stuck in my mind was a plumber who
worked in London (at high-class up-market clientel) who last year earned
£110,000.00 (yes - really!!). At the end of the program, my wife & I said to
each other, why are we planning on sending our boys to University and
thinking they should get math/science/computing/... degrees!! Pick up a few
spanners and plug a few leaks instead...

Regards,

Andy.

Andy Cave,
Chief Executive Officer,
Hamillroad Software Limited.
www.firstproof.com
www.hamillroad.com

 

[disbellj]

Re: Ready to get OUT of the business ...

cosmotcat,

If you wear all those hats, then definitely turn a deaf ear to anyone telling you Walmart is too much for you. You do a lot (just like most on here) and are under-appreciated (just like most on here). And anyone wanting to kick someone when their down is low IMO. You go cosmotcat, don't let anyone get you down. If you see an alternative career you want, go for it! The printing industry's loss, but your gain!

Don

 

[PeterA]

Re: Ready to get OUT of the business ...

More worrying Andy is that I know at least three very good printers who were just fed up of being laid off or worrying about being laid off - they have retrained with the gas board - starting money was £30,000 as a trainee (so I understand) and who can blame them.

Peter

 

[Tech]

Re: Ready to get OUT of the business ...

30,000.00 GBP = 58,743.51 USD

This is how weak our dollar is right now...

 

[PeterA]

Re: Ready to get OUT of the business ...

I dont wish to be rude but can we have some of the money back we lent u guys - we are all suffering here because lots of your mob - just didnt understand basic Mr Micawber (wifes spelling) .

Peter

 

[kaiserwilhelm]

Re: Ready to get OUT of the business ...

I am going to go down as one of those who loves his job.
I have eight children (same wife / same marriage / no, not
Catholic or Mormon and I DO have a TV in the bedroom!)
I feed my family. I own my house (so does the bank).
I have been in since 1990. I saw strippers for 4 years
and have a TRUE appreciation for what they did.
I think a whole separate thread should be written about
people who do not understand stripping and how I
see that they STRUGGLE with trapping.
I am now a working manager.
Let me say this. If I had remained at the job I was in
in 95 when I got into electronic prepress I would be
earning 1/2 of what I make now. I have no degree....
but I make much more than my friends with one.
I (through the massive help of the good lord) have
always been two steps ahead of the others. I REFUSE
to stay stagnate. I have now incorporated our DP with
our prepress. Again, I say, if I stayed stagnate my value
to others (and to myself) would not grow.
Gripe if you want. Kick the cat. (OK, do that no matter
what). The point is life is what you make of it.
Yes, the people that send us files are not only getting
dumber, they have reached the bottom of the line.
So, what do I do to combat that? I take a 250 mile
trip (company nickel with free bed, food, and beer).
I spend two days and teach them how to send me
a proper PDF. Works like a charm.
My two cents..

 

[Colorblind]

Re: Ready to get OUT of the business ...

Thumbs up! Now THAT'S refreshing!

 

[macdudeken]

Re: Ready to get OUT of the business ...

yes, refreshing, but I was thinking how does his wife let him out of the house to go on these 250 mile jaunts with EIGHT kids??!!!

 

[kaiserwilhelm]

Re: Ready to get OUT of the business ...

Nobody said she was happy about it
She gritches and gritches but ultimately
comes around. Probably only 1-2 times
per quarter anyway.

 

[prepresstroll]

Re: Ready to get OUT of the business ...

Holy Cow. You "CosmoCat" have taken the words right out of my mouth. One of my FAVORITE Customer Service Reps sent me a link to this thread under the subject heading of "Misery loves Company". A long time ago in a galaxy far far away I was a stripper. Then computers came along and took all my fun away. I learned the computer and all attendant software so I could continue smelling paper and ink. Why? I am currently uncertain but I recall there was a reason. Or maybe I was still capable of logic and reason. Today however I am a shadow of my former self. I have tossed logic and reason aside and bow to the absurd on a daily basis. Now that I know for certain that I am not alone...

Would you like to super size that meal?

Trolls know when to stay under the bridge.

Edited by: prepresstroll on Jan 14, 2008 8:19 PM

 

[G_Town]

Re: Ready to get OUT of the business ...

Chris you and your positive attitude have no place in here.


hehe, I almost clapped when I read your post but then thought better of it (they already think I'm a little looney here). I especially like your comment about making more than your friends with degrees. I was perpetually taunted by a couple of "friends" during and after high school about how they were going to college and I wasn't yada yada, and now they are either unemployed or working in jobs totally unrelated to their schooling.

This biz has bought me a house, cars a couple of motorcycles and allowed me to have a beautiful wife (lets face it ya gotta have a J.O.B.), two beautiful daughters, two stupid dogs and the means to enjoy it all.

As a young man in High school I had many a doubt about my future, turns out I had nothing to worry about

Edited by: G_Town on Jan 15, 2008 10:02 AM

 

[cjwworld]

Re: Ready to get OUT of the business ...

I have been fortunate in my type of work to be able to 'teach'. I have found that I schedule training to colleges and other customers on file creation and PDF creation. I also would make it a point to do some Photoshop training, so that the pictures would be set right.

Just last week, I went and setup 8 PCs on Adobe CS3. I made sure the Distiller settings was correct, I created an pictures tone action in Photoshop. I also made sure the colors setting were correct to match our press.

Yes, this can be time consuming but it helps me in outputing the PDF's. Sometimes, it takes years for a customer to finally produce an pdf that you do not have do a thing with. I also deal with High Schools and colleges and I have to setup training every year because there would be new students come in, but it is worth it.

 

[MagMan]

Re: Ready to get OUT of the business ...

Wow!!

I'd wish I had read this post 2 years ago. Thats when I got out after 28 years in the business. i started as a plate maker, then a stripper and then electroic prepress. Back in the days as a striiper life was good. But back then noone (customers) understood what strippers did. But these days any one thinks they are an expert in file prep. ("I have a computer, I can do it")
I have turned to the dark side, now I am working at a company as a "Graphics Developer" and I send my files to the poor souls at the shop that I left. I do miss the printing business but not all the headaches.
I don't think that most shops are willing to put the money into training customers they can't see the returns. They think If its not making money for them right away then its a waste of time and why do we need to train customers isn't that what the prepress department is for "fixing files" I would love to get into training, but not sure I could get enough cutomer interest with all the so called experts out there.

My 2 cents worth. Though I have some more change in my pocket

 

[disbellj]

Re: Ready to get OUT of the business ...

Todd,

Ever since I posted on this thread, the Lord has been telling me I'm wrong and need to apologize. As anyone can tell from the period of time that has passed since I posted on this thread, that it's taken me awhile to agree with the Lord and obey Him.

So this post is to say I'm sorry for cursing and really for getting involved in any way in this thread. It was not up to me to moderate this thread. Whether or not you were wrong was and is not up to me to say. So I'm sorry, I was wrong, and I ask for you to forgive me. Whether you do or not is up to you. BTW, I am deleting/removing my old posts on this thread if I can.

Don