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[Zaptruder]

So what do you do firstly? and what's the work place like?

I mean, is it a very stuffy atmosphere or is it a pretty chill place?

How about buying stuff and bringing it in? For example can you replace an office chair with one that you purchase yourself? Or replace an office mouse (say a one button mac mouse) with a mouse of your own?

What about food? does the office order in? Go out to eat? Have a cafeteria? Can you eat food at your desk while working?

I haven't worked in a corporate environment before.. but the training place I'm with right now is a corporate training centre, and it's just a kind of cushy and plush that I've never experienced before.

 

[kgHavok23]

 

[aoi tsuki]

i miss my cushy office jobs. They weren't exceptionally great, but i'd much rather have a job where i get my work, people leave me the fuck alone (micromanaging managers aside), and i get an hour lunch, than the shit retail job i've got now where i've got to shove products down people's throats like some well-hung skull-fucking retailbot.

Sorry... i'm bitter.

 

[imastalker co.]

as of now, im working from home.

now that im doing photography though, i guess you can say my work enviroment is all over the place.

 

[belgurdo]

Basically a small library, 30'X20'. The staff (only six people including me) is friendly, but since I'm the only dude working here it gets kind of lonely since I have no one to relate to (and I'm not going to sit around gossiping with a bunch of 30> year old women anytime soon.) A nice benefit is that when I don't want to work I can crack open some comics and relax in a corner of the building

 

[Scrow]

you're a gigolo?

 

[Scrow]

i miss my cushy office jobs. They weren't exceptionally great, but i'd much rather have a job where i get my work, people leave me the fuck alone (micromanaging managers aside), and i get an hour lunch, than the shit retail job i've got now where i've got to shove products down people's throats like some well-hung skull-fucking retailbot.

Sorry... i'm bitter.

i stopped doing that a while ago. I read books or do crosswords while working at my liquor store. I don't do any product pushing.

 

[Jewbacca]

I work at Target.

My immediate manager is a fucktard and doesnt know customer service (or guest service) if it thrusted its big black dingy down his throat and came outta his butt.

But we recently got a new store manager and I'm real buddy buddy with him and asked him to get this guy off my asshole, which he has
Bye bye immediate manager buwahahhaa.

 

[Manders]

work in an office. no more, no less.

 

[speedpop]

Well first off the bat I am a bar attendant at a Bowls Club. It's a shitload better than the Irish Pub I left and is very easy to chill and relax.

The chairman is a bit of a lunatic but decent enough to keep the job and the bar manager is hilarious at times - I'd swear he was gay due to all the hate he puts on women and marriage.. a favourite pastime of his is reciting the words "46 years of marriage.." rambling onto something about women. BUT he can piss me off when he is stressed :lol

Co-workers and regulars kick arse - they make the job great.

 

[Dilbert]

I'm an engineer. The workplace is an older high-rise office building (11 stories) near LAX, and compared to some of our other facilities, this particular building is less than impressive. My desk is like one of those massive metal schoolteacher desks from the 50s, and it's not terribly comfortable. In fact, come to think of it, a LOT of my furniture has that "built to survive a nuclear blast" feel.

The provided "ergonomic" chair is pretty uncomfortable, but I think I need to be promoted a couple more times before I can get a better one. The company was nice enough to get me a laptop and docking station (with an 18" LCD monitor) since I travel so much, although I have personally sprung for some other tech which I consider to be essential: a more comfortable optical mouse, a 802.11b/g PCMCIA card for accessing WLANs on the road, and a small wireless mouse for traveling.

The food availability sucks -- you pretty much have to drive to get any "real" food. There is a cafe in another building (about a five minute walk away) which is OK, but not great. The cafeteria in the parking structure...shudder. I eat at my desk a lot so I can read over documents at the same time, although occasionally I'll go out with coworkers or bring a book to lunch to read for fun.

The other funny thing is security. Since I work for a defense contractor, badging/ID/access codes are important, but we have some STUPID policies. The Pinkerton guards in the lobby are fairly clueless -- one of these days, I want to walk by them with a stack of blank paper bookended by bright red SECRET cover sheets just to see if they say anything. They also have a ridiculous policies of posting a guard at the entrance to the parking structure who has to physically touch your badge to verify that you are actually an employee and not an imposter. Why is that so dumb? You could drive up with only a driver's license, tell them that you're here for a meeting, and they will let you through. It also doesn't protect the building from, say, car bomb attack since you could just pull into the driveway between the high-rise and the parking structure without impediment.

What's the saying? Security through hassle is no security at all?

 

[Fowler]

I love my working environment. I'm a writer for a TV evening news show. We don't have cubicles but desks clustered in groups of four, with low walls that allow you to see your colleagues (though not what they're doing). This really helps communication both for work and socially -- there's a great camaraderie. I used to be a little conscious of the lack of privacy this offers, but honestly it does help the mood to be able to chat with the people around you so freely and easily.

We're in a little office cluster some ways out of central HK (though in HK terms, that means you're 10 minutes away), so while there are plenty of places to eat a lot of them are shut at night. And working on an evening show, we don't eat lunch in but dinner. This makes life a little tricky -- the joke is we only have four different places to order food during the five days of the week -- but it's not really a big deal. We just order in and eat at our desks whenever we can.

 

[kgHavok23]

you're a gigolo?

.....no. i was implying tha....ah nevermind, its not even worth it anymore

 

[Mejilan]

I work for a massive insurance company, NY office. Cubicle for me, though it is a spaceous and somewhat isolated one. We have the typical office amenities, such as an unlimited supply of free water (closet full of cases and cases of individually sized Poland Spring water bottles), constant fire drill alarms and evac drills, and some of the most expensive day-to-day food in history. Pays well, at least, and it's dynamic and different enough to be interesting. I hate jobs that become too routine, and this is not one of those, thank goodness.

Food in the area is good, but expensive. Lots of restaurants, from solid NY delis to high class business lunch locations. I generally bring my food back to my desk and eat it there, but sometimes eat out with coworkers, or even get delivery (rarely.)

People are awesome. I get along with everyone, even those I don't particularly like (not many of those.)

In regards to furniture and computer accessories, if I need something, I just order it. I don't bring it my own stuff, though I could, if I wanted to. Only thing I keep on my desk is a spare iPod charger.

 

[Wellington]

I'm a field engineer for a construction company. My job(s) rocks.

Up until last Friday I was working on a 32 story courthouse in downtown Brooklyn, 330 Jay St. (http://www.wirednewyork.com/brooklyn/12metrotech/default.htm http://www.330jaystreet.com/) since then I have begun work on a central utility plant at Saint Francis Hospital in Long Island.

The awesome shit about my job is that I have no office, and basically, I'm as up in there as any construction worker and laborer. Everyday at 330 Jay I would walk to my little room that I had set up to hold my drawings and document, and go handle my business, though it was a bit different than where I am at now since the building was almost done when I got there. Where I am at now I walk around with my drawings in hand set up shop on whatever gangbox or mound of dirt is available give out my directions there and just watch. It's like having an army of worker ants everyday. Only thing that is really tough right now is that if we make a mistake and accidently hit like a gas line or a water line then someone can die since it is a hospital.

Basically, the entire jobsite is my office. The atmosphere is wide open air, and I can pretty much do whatever I want. The only real qualification other than an engineering degree is that you have to be at least somewhat decent at being able to communicate and relate to people. Getting along with everyone around you makes getting shit done so much easier. I have to drive out if I want to buy food, usually I just bring lunch in. Though there is what we call the 'roach coach' that shows up at coffee break and at lunch.

I would never ever trade this for a deskjob.

 

[mj1108]

So what do you do firstly? and what's the work place like?

I mean, is it a very stuffy atmosphere or is it a pretty chill place?

How about buying stuff and bringing it in? For example can you replace an office chair with one that you purchase yourself? Or replace an office mouse (say a one button mac mouse) with a mouse of your own?

What about food? does the office order in? Go out to eat? Have a cafeteria? Can you eat food at your desk while working?

I haven't worked in a corporate environment before.. but the training place I'm with right now is a corporate training centre, and it's just a kind of cushy and plush that I've never experienced before.

I don't think my working enviroment could be any better. I'm a PC Tech for our local school district. It's a very "chill" enviroment. My coworkers are great, my bosses are actually cool...lots of joking around between everyone and we somehow manage to still get our jobs done. When we need anything (for ourselves/our jobs) we're told to get a price, fill out a purchase order and they'll sign it and we'll get it (it's like having a blank check...but the district is doing VERY WELL...so it has it's privledges ).

I usually go home for lunch unless we all get together for lunch (usually one day a month). We had a working lunch this last week where the district paid for everything.

My tech job with the district is specialized (meaning I handle only certain things), so come time for the afternoon it's really "just me". So I can take care of things on my own, at my own pace....and if I want to stop for a break I can do so whenever I want. Then if I'm out and about going between school sites and use my own car I get paid for mileage, which is some nice extra $$$.

It's quite possibly the best job/environment ever.

 

[gblues]

I work as a Customer Service Rep at DirecTV.

Environment is above-average call center fare: fairly comfy seats, a supportive boss, excellent co-workers, free gym room (which I never use) and free satellite TV.

Can't bring jack in, and the workstations are locked down very strictly (note: this hasn't stopped the computers in the Internet lab from getting riddled with spyware). But since we're on the phone pretty much non-stop, it's not like this is a downer.

We also get lots and lots of freebies. Got an RCA 5-disk DVD changer in a drawing a couple months ago.

Atmosphere is very positive, which is quite rare in a call center (much less a customer service one). We've got a cafeteria, and the food they serve is actually pretty good.

Nathan

 

[nitewulf]

alright, i work as a design engineer for Consolidated Edison (ConEd), the largest power prodiver in NYC. we used to own power plants, but in recent years we sold off our power plants and decided to become a strictly "transmission" company. basically we are a cable and tunnel company. we buy power from other companies, transfer it over high voltage transmission lines for miles, bring it near the city to our substations, step it down using transformers for residential use, and transfer it to end users via another cable network.
we have a lot of facilitites that basically need constant maintenance and upgrading. as part of a team i modify existing substation designs and put in relays/circuit breakers as needed. we are putting in lots of new semiconductor relays and phasing out old electro-mechanical relays. and it'll take decades to cover them all.
so i have a corner desk. flat panel monitor/workstation/drafting table/optical mouse/swivel chair. everything provided by the company. co-workers are very nice, its an old company so people have been here for decades. since they have been around each other for so long, it's like a big family. they all have their idiosyncracies and the atmosphere is quite laid back. im basically among a new generation of engineers replacing retired engineers. my immediate supervisor is hilarious and quite helpful. usually i get my projects and then left alone to do them. of course after done i have to co-ordinate with others and get the drafts on the field so that the actual devices could be installed and so on.
we have a cafeteria, but the food is expensive and could use a bit more variety.
but since my office is at union square in manhattan...very trendy area, with NYU and New School nearby, we have lots of restaurants that one can go to. i just go across the street to a gourmet deli, absolutely fantastic food, and anything you can imagine, they have it. coldcuts, italian, sushi bar, roasted chicken, salad bar, hot food and so on.
i usually bring it back to the cafeteria and eat there, though im sure i can eat it at my desk as well. when the weather gets warmer ill just walk to the square and eat lunch there.
another good thing is the starbucks coffee inside the cafeteria which i get everyday. im just used to starbucks drip coffee since the college days and its a perfect continuation of that tradition.

 

[goodcow]

alright, i work as a design engineer for Consolidated Edison (ConEd), the largest power prodiver in NYC.

Lower my electric bill.

 

[nitewulf]

Lower my electric bill.

i'll get right on it!

 

[Vinzer Deling]

Starting a job Monday. We build army vehicles, a lot of them are going overseas to Iraq. It's my way of helping out with the war effort and making a some good money.

 

[Zaptruder]

Here's a thread I forgot to revisit... haha. Bump for a second round? Pretty intresting reading some of this stuff.

 

[dskillzhtown]

I am working at an oil exploration company. Basically we create tools to see if there is oil in the ground and what kind of oil it is. We create the tools and also can do the survey as well. My part in this is creating internal sites that get data upload and dynamically make the page. Also, we do regualr internal sites like HR, Finance, etc. I have a cube, work on a laptop, have my PSP as a daily fixture on my desk. Just started here, the pay is great, but the work has been pretty boring so far. I keep getting promises that it will get a bit more interesting soon. But I don't mind, like I said the pay is really good. It would be nice not to have a desk jockey job, but that is what my education and work history points to.

 

[Slo]

A cube farm.

 

[Tuvoc]

I work for my dad's trucking company. The atmosphere is pretty crazy. I dispatch the trucks so I have to keep tab of 26 trucks and that tends to get a little stressful at times but its cool. If I'm not stressing out about a truck being late or breaking down, I'm passed out because its so quiet and boring.

I have a Gateway here but its running on 56k. Apparently we can only get broadband thru satellite or some shit like that so we haven't gotten around to speeding up our internet connection. Occasionly I'll just bring in my laptop or PSP to keep me busy.

There's no dress code here so I'll pretty much wear shorts and a t-shirt most days of the summer. I guess they don't care too much about tattoo's either because my partner has 2 sleeves and I have a giant koi fish on my left arm that is always visible.

As for food we eat a lot of Chipotle. We're right outside of a business district so we have a lot of little restaurants and pubs that serve lunch. My favorite thing to eat is the Hot Butter Garlic wings from this place called Bradley's down the street. You get a dozen huge wings for 4 bucks. Also, we have a lot of black drivers because we're a minority company so I get the scoop on the best polish boys/chicken wings/soul food in Cleveland.

Funny story:

One of our driver's told us about this place called New World Market on Union and E117(for those of you who know Cleveland). He said there were these burgers called "world burgers" that we wouldn't be able to eat because they were so huge(I think they weighed 1 pound). They also said the place was muslim owned so I'm thinking "cool, I'm not gonna get dirty looks for being in there because I'm white." So my mechanic and I drive out there and we get there and as we walk in I notice there is not one middle eastern person in there. They are all black. And I'm getting the dirtiest looks I've ever gotten from one of these little restaurants in the hood. Even the employees are looking at us funny. Then I noticed on the walls there were these "Million Man March" posters with pictures of Phera Kahn(sp?) and pictures of Malcom X on the walls. Sure enough we got our food and got the hell out of there before we got lynched by the black muslim community. I ended up eating the burger and fries in 5 minutes. We called them and told them how fast i ate it and they told us we had the record for the place. But I doubt they'll be telling anyone a white guy as the record time for eating their biggest burger. :lol

 

[djtiesto]

I'm an engineer. The workplace is an older high-rise office building (11 stories) near LAX, and compared to some of our other facilities, this particular building is less than impressive. My desk is like one of those massive metal schoolteacher desks from the 50s, and it's not terribly comfortable. In fact, come to think of it, a LOT of my furniture has that "built to survive a nuclear blast" feel.

The provided "ergonomic" chair is pretty uncomfortable, but I think I need to be promoted a couple more times before I can get a better one. The company was nice enough to get me a laptop and docking station (with an 18" LCD monitor) since I travel so much, although I have personally sprung for some other tech which I consider to be essential: a more comfortable optical mouse, a 802.11b/g PCMCIA card for accessing WLANs on the road, and a small wireless mouse for traveling.

The food availability sucks -- you pretty much have to drive to get any "real" food. There is a cafe in another building (about a five minute walk away) which is OK, but not great. The cafeteria in the parking structure...shudder. I eat at my desk a lot so I can read over documents at the same time, although occasionally I'll go out with coworkers or bring a book to lunch to read for fun.

The other funny thing is security. Since I work for a defense contractor, badging/ID/access codes are important, but we have some STUPID policies. The Pinkerton guards in the lobby are fairly clueless -- one of these days, I want to walk by them with a stack of blank paper bookended by bright red SECRET cover sheets just to see if they say anything. They also have a ridiculous policies of posting a guard at the entrance to the parking structure who has to physically touch your badge to verify that you are actually an employee and not an imposter. Why is that so dumb? You could drive up with only a driver's license, tell them that you're here for a meeting, and they will let you through. It also doesn't protect the building from, say, car bomb attack since you could just pull into the driveway between the high-rise and the parking structure without impediment.

What's the saying? Security through hassle is no security at all?

Hmm, this sounds *AWFULLY* familiar... You wouldn't happen to work at the same company as me (PM me), jinx? Pinkerton Security and touching your badge... LOL, we had that policy at our plant too for a while... but now I can just flash my badge and they let us by.

Anyways, my workplace is in a large, 3 story plant, consisting of several buildings. The atmosphere is downright 50's factory... inside it's nicer, they've been spending a lot of money redoing the bathrooms and the hallways. I work at your typical cube, with a decent chair (compared to my last job) and a bit of privacy... doing coding - Visual C++ and Visual Basic, mainly.

Our cafeteria makes damn good breakfast, but their lunch is rather mediocre. There's several good places to eat (eastern Nassau county, Long Island) nearby, me and my friends go out every Wed to eat - usually at this AWESOME Mexican restaurant down the road. But we have all sorts of food, LOTS of Indian restaurants in nearby Hicksville, delis, pizza places, Chinese food, all of the chains...

 

[cubicle47b]

I work for a small programming company in Tennessee. The building is a small business incubator that’s actually a part of the local University (that I graduated from). It houses 4 or 5 other small businesses. We have two rooms, the main work area (room for 4 corner desks and a couple desks by the door) and a small office for the co-owner where management has meetings and gives demos of our products. The desks and chairs are nice and comfortable and the environment is very informal. I’m the senior programmer and I essentially hired the other programmers here (two others, both good friends of mine, I actually live with one). I have my desktop PC and I remote desktop to the development and production servers.

When I first came here I designed / programmed all day long but I’m finishing up my product (about 7 months of work – 35,000 lines of code) and am just starting on the core design of the new version of our main product so I’ve been slacking. About half my day is spent on GAF. My roommate spends half his day on Metafilter or playing Net Hack. We have a kitchen but I always go out to eat at lunch and our tester keeps us in constant supply of candy (she's evil). We have a bowl with about 8 lbs. of chocolate sitting next to us. It's awful.

 

[bjork]

I manage an anime shop in So Cal, and it's probably more laid back than any job I've ever heard of. I don't care if workers bring in their own music, their own food, their own funiture, or whatever else.

We've got a small fridge for food, a plasma tv to play dvds on, and we play all kinds of music... the guys play that whiny emocore bullshit, the girl plays soundtracks, and I play The Chronic.

I figure, if the place is at last halfway cool, people will be more inclined to work better. It's not always true, but it does seem to work for the most part.

 

[Sumidor]

 

[demi]

I'm a buser / host. I seat you. I put you on the waiting list. I clean tables. I get free food...and I play my DS. The end!

I hate you people and your desk jobs I want one

 

[olimario]

It's like this, but much bigger with dimmer lighting...
...And much nicer projectors.

 

[Outcast2004]

I'm a Graphic Designer/Prepress technician for a national real estate guide.

Pretty lax environment, good boss who doesn't try to act like one. Being one of the 2 "go-to guys" solidifies my place here pretty tightly. We do a bit of everthing. Prepress, graphics, IS support (yes this is rolled in) and on call 24/7.

Down side: getting callded in at 2 AM to fix a PDF file for press. Sucky pay (only about 1/2 of what I could get elsewhere, but dead market)

Upside: Stroll in about 9 or so.... relaxed environment and it's not like I actually have to work. I wouldn't consider this a "real job".

Hell, I'm typing this.. FROM WORK!

 

[WasabiKing]

Marketing and Pre-Press for a Direct Marketing Firm that deals directly with car dealerships. We do all sorts of mailers, invitations, letters, etc... I use Macs during the day, PCs at night, so I'm pretty fairly grounded on those debates that occur here in OT.

They don't care what I do, since I bust my ass and get the job done. I shoot film for our printer, or create PS, CTP-ready files for my vendors, joke around with another one, or drink beers during lunch before returning the office, they know I won't leave until everything is finalized. I play Soundgarden as loud as I need to, and I manage 7 people in project management and graphic design.