Burnt out on this Job

[LeeB]

I have been a iGen operator for about 5 years now. The place that I work for is very unorganized. I am the work flow. I organize all of the work orders in a way that maximizes my production. Everything is last minute and my production is constantly interrupted with rush jobs. I am also the only shift.

I am at my breaking point.


Any advice? Other career options? What do some of you guys do to keep you going in this industry?

 

[peels]

I feel your pain.

Mine is the same way....Friday at 3pm is when the big rush jobs hit....everyone scatters like roaches when the light turns on. I am also the lone shift, though I'm constantly told that will change.... still waiting. Its either feast or famine here. That's the nature of the beast.

But i have learned to roll with it... so

don't "break", just bend. GTFO when you need to... I take occasional long lunches...go see the Mrs. Or go jog at the park.

 

[LeeB]

That is another thing I do not take breaks or lunches. And I can really relate to the Friday @ 3:00 ********. I get 90% of my work Thursday after I have gone home. So every Friday I come into a pile of work. The sales reps sit on Facebook all week long and put their work off to last minute. Drives me CRAZY!

 

[peels]

I gotta take that break...just step away. Sometimes it's the best way to solve a problem. Can be Better than throwing tools and swearing like a sailor. Though the latter has a very therapeutic calming effect.

Not to be a "negative nancy"...but youre gonna get those "facebook all day" types no matter where you go... sadly.

Personally, I love the jobs I get Friday afternoon at like 3. have to be done that day...so I ask, "when did we know about this?" "oh 8 this morning" "and, I'm just NOW hearing of it?"

or a hurry up job thats oversized...and everyone magically forgot specs on Igen. have to redesign job from scratch almost.... I do the programming too. At least the layout portion.

good times good times....

 

[LeeB]

Well I dont know if it is good or bad to hear that customer service and sales reps are just as bad elsewhere.

If I pulled the crap they pull I would not have a job. Funny how that works.

 

[Swifty2]

May I suggest a beer of the month club LOL.... same thing here..every day at 3pm a ton of work
shows up and I miss my after-noon break. No biggie I had a 10 min lunch break already today LOL
guess we should be happy that we have work and a steady pay-check...to pay for the beer of the month club LOL

 

[Bill Borcicky]

A man once told me its either a lot of work or nothing at all. how true this is. I told my boss I'm going to take every thursday and friday off, thats when the roof falls in. Yet its crazy friday afternoon, just get colors washed up to change colors and he walks up to me " you still got those colors on the press?" back to square one....... and yes most rush jobs hit us around 3 pm. It wouldn't be right if they would come through the shop before then. I kinda got use to losing my mind in the afternoons.

 

[LeeB]

Its not really the amount of work I have a problem with it is the inability to recognize that they need a better system to manage it. Me sacrificing my personal time and working overtime is their only solution. Sounds like I am not alone though I guess that makes me feel worse? Ha ha..

 

[plotter]

unfortunately ths is the game we do, i am always having rush jobs and we have to try too keep the customers happy, or we wouldnt have any work and be out f a job. by the way iits 8pm here and im having a break cause ill be working til about 11. ps i started at 7 this morning. this job came to me at 3.30 lol

 

[LeeB]

Well I know now that working some other place will probably be the same so I guess I need a career change.

 

[Bill Borcicky]

Working in a printshop really for the most part isn't all that bad. Sure you do get in tight spots once in a while...well ok , regularly, however I had found that finding good help is the toughest thing I had encountered. I may be a print manager/ 4 color pressman, but I also have to run the folder, rossback collator several single color machines etc.... in printing, most shops you must be flexable enough to carry the job all the way through the shop if needed. hired employees won't always do several jobs even if they have nothing to do but wait around. This is what seperates a regular employee from a "Big Dog". You sound like "Big Dog" material. You know what needs organized. I think if you actually sit down and talk to your boss you might actually do some good. If the boss don't like what you say, boss just says no. then again boss may say yes you have a point, and address the issues.

 

[plotter]

i love my job to be honest, but i own the business. i would never ask someone to work later than 6 if i wasn't prepared to do it myself, and usually there isn't enough profit in some jobs to pay the overtime. hence why i do it myself...

 

[LeeB]

I have talked to them about the work flow and about how unorganized everything is but my manager says " That is just how print shops are!" Worst excuse for bad management. Its like your car running like crap and instead of fixing it just telling yourself " That is just how cars run!"

Apparently being better and more efficient is not a priority.

Oh well.. Keep on chugging right?

 

[peels]

I've been doing this for a long time now... I've learned to appreciate the work I have, as maddening as it is..

Story goes....back when my company first got into continuous form printing, and first got the nexpress(2006-ish), there was ALWAYS a crazed Friday at 5pm rush to get signoffs out to clients. I was the guy that got them all running.... Basically If we get approval sooner, we can start sooner, thereby avoiding OT for production. Well after about 3 months of 12 hr days 7days a week...and having a brand new baby at home... I kinda flipped (sorta like you are right now). Had a "meeting" with the director. I asked "is the nonsense ever going to stop?" (add in some profanity) He says "probably not" LOL "there are tons of other printing companies out there with close or even better pricing, but I WILL NOT lose business due to lack of customer service, and nobody does what we can do" then said...if you need a break...take one. just don't leave us hangin.

Ive been "all in" ever since.

then, I was handed the igen (no training) on a whim. It was a few months of hell. thankfully I had you guys(big hug) , and I already have good rapport with technicians. Plus years of experience with Xerox and Kodak equipment... Took awhile, but i'm pretty confident with Igen now... I can do whatever it takes and then some. I get handed jobs with layouts for other equipment and regularly have to turn them same day. I call that "putting out fires" its better than telling an already upset client we arent going to make their maildate because the B&W's ran outta stock.

I try to take pride in what I can do. It helps get through the day and stay motivated. But when its time to not do printing, I play hard too. My brain usually hurts after a day of printing. I saw beer mentioned....that helps.

good luck to you.

 

[LeeB]

Yeah, I do not drink or do drugs so I am pretty much screwed.

Thanks everybody!

 

[peels]

Yeah, I do not drink or do drugs so I am pretty much screwed.

Thanks everybody!

LOL good for you. really.

don't get too discouraged. My other famous mantra: "could be worse...."

 

[Swifty2]

Well I know now that working some other place will probably be the same so I guess I need a career change.

Not too far behind you.. I am a press operator being converted to digital. for the past 15 years its has been--1 job at a time!!! this digital I want 10 jobs done now crap is killing me LOL

 

[LeeB]

I generally do about 30-50 work orders a day. Unless we have a bigger variable data job that is bogging me down. My press men tell me that I just operate a copier.

On top of just printing. I have to deal with sales reps and CSR's because they can not fill out a Purchase Order with all of the information that I need to save their god damn lives.

I also have to deal with the art department when I am having art issues because apparently that is not in a CSR's job description and they cant get off facebook long enough to do so.

Also EVERY Friday we have a big variable job that is between 13,000-25,000 letters that have to be done by Monday. I usually get art at 2:30 . So EVERY Friday i have no idea what time I am going home. It is a really great reward for busting my *** all week to make everything happen in the digital world.

I know it all could be worse but I am just plain old sick of my expectations being so high and all of the office people sitting on facebook all day and walking around drinking coffee and gossiping.

 

[Swifty2]

No complaints with my co-workers!!
Everyone works hard!!!

 

[peels]

Also EVERY Friday we have a big variable job that is between 13,000-25,000 letters that have to be done by Monday. I usually get art at 2:30 . So EVERY Friday i have no idea what time I am going home. It is a really great reward for busting my *** all week to make everything happen in the digital world.

I know it all could be worse but I am just plain old sick of my expectations being so high and all of the office people sitting on facebook all day and walking around drinking coffee and gossiping.

Ive been there buddy...

Friday at 4pm Get the "need these to go out tonight!!!" spend 3 hours programming, setting up on igen. get them done...only to find...

The sales rep left and my samples don't go out in the mail.

"well it sure is a good f***in thing I stayed and stressed over these...." having to even work out extra day care for my kids at the last minute....