Refusing to work

[Full Metal Bolshevik]

One of the things that the Right loves to say in my country is that benefits should be given only to those who really need and taken away from them as soon as they refuse a job offer.

I finished secondary school 2 years ago. During the 1st year I tried University which I loathed, I hate getting up early (it's like torture to me, after doing so for 8 straight years I just had enough), but the main reason is that the degree had mathematics and I would certainly fail since I didn't have math in school (ok I had, but failed hard so I changed to humanities which had a different easier math, which is math applied to social sciences like statistics and probability), my grades for University weren't good enough for me to be able to choose another degree.

I dropped out after a month and I did nothing the rest of the year except sending a few CV's to no avail.

Last year I've lived in Belgium since I have family there, I tried to get a job but failed, sent many CV's but rarely got a reply, when I did it was negative. My lack of Dutch and my imperfect French didn't help.

If I want to think positively I can at least say my French got a lot better.

I returned at the end of August and have sent a few more CV's in my country and some to UK (at least I know English). Interesting that I got more responses from UK than my own country, but they all said I had to be there present for an interview even after I suggested a Skype one. I won't move there without a guarantee of a job obviously.

I'm currently registered as unemployed and will probably be contacted soon to follow a formation of some sort.

But I don't even know if I want to.

What's the motivation for working 40 hours a week to be paid less than 500€ a month? I don't like to say I'd rather be homeless than do that, because currently I'm blessed that I have parents with an ok income which grants me access to my beloved computer and internet. But I really don't see myself doing a 40 hour/week job I loathe. During the time I was in Belgium, my cousin's boyfriend took me to his work (he's self-employed), for a few days to get experience and motivation. It was just a 6 hour day, the pay was great and even then I disliked working. Sure it felt good after the day ended because at least I had a sense that I was productive, but that experience only made me admire even more people who work for many days, for many hours something they dislike, because I think I'm not capable of doing that.
I don't really know if I should continue to look for work. But is there any alternative?

I wouldn't mind working if it was something I liked, like working with animals, but usually those type of jobs demand people who volunteered first.

The only alternative I really see is if I do something myself, which I admit I've been lazy and stuck in this procrastination routine. But I don't even know if I have the talent.

[Crabbensmasher]

Yeah, most jobs these days don't require any emotional attachments. If you're working a service job, at wal-mart for example, you have no motivation to work hard, or more importantly, feel pride in what you're doing. After all, it's not your store, you don't care if it profits or not, you're stuck with little room for advancement, and you probably don't even believe in what you're doing. You've got moral qualms with it.

I figure the best kind of job, is one which benefits people directly. Like imagine living 100 years ago, working a farm to provide for your community. Of course the hours are long, the pay isn't great, and it's a big responsibility, but it's your responsibility. If you have good harvests, or your calves are healthier than others, you actually feel pride in your work. You can say 'Hey, I raised these cattle'. Also, you're directly contributing to the community, and people recognize that. You have a vital function to perform in society, somewhat like a doctor. The community needs you, and you've built a relationship with them around your trade. It's fulfilling.

Now compare that to working as a cashier at wal-mart. You're exactly right, there is no motivation. You work like a dog, get paid dirt, and at the end of the day, nobody knows you exist. Suddenly horse shit doesn't sound too bad.

What I figure is going to happen to me after college, is I'll get roped into small business somehow. It's a growing trend for younger people, and it's not that they want to go into business for themselves, it's that they have to. Almost everybody has a couple friends who want to get into business, and they might need an extra hand. Chances are, the thing will be gone within 5 years, but you get some experience under your belt, and possibly a bit of cash. Of course you've got to work your ass off, but again, you will have a bit more motivation to get up in the morning.

Same goes for skilled trades. Whatever you can do where you'll feel a bit of pride in your work. It makes everything a lot more bearable.

[Full Metal Bolshevik]

Does anyone know paid apprenticeships around Europe? There's jobofmylife in Germany, where they claim they pay some money while teaching you then there's a good chance of a job.
Does anyone have any feedback on it? Or another similar thing but in another country?

[Arlekino]

Just little irony what would look like if when workers lost the jobs demonstrating to keep jobs ah what are glory for the business bosses, how about if workers walk with flowers, beer and don't give a fuck because lost the jobs. that would teach the bosses I wonder how reaction from capitalist elite?

[Full Metal Bolshevik]

Well, today was my first day of work after finding a job.

Terrible! 8 hours standing up doing something a machine could easily do, I'm not kidding, any graduate engineer could make a small machine to do what I did today. Was thinking about quitting, my family wasn't that disappointed with my thought on quitting which I found it surprising since I'm used to stay at home and doing nothing all day (playing lol and watching series mostly).
That place drained my will to live for 8 fucking hours.
Do a boring thing for 8 hours is hell, I'd still give it a chance if it was 8 boring things for an hour each to get a bit of variety. But it seems that's not productive, because they'd rather have specialized sheep.

And then there's image like this one, http://d24w6bsrhbeh9d.cloudfront.net/photo/ab5K3eb_700b_v1.jpg making me want to not work more and more.
Not that by playing lol I'm living a fullfilled life, far form it, but way way better than what I went through today.

[Ele'ill]

I like doing 8-10 hours a day for 40-45 hours a week, sometimes 50, and still not really being anywhere close to affording rent on an efficiency or one bedroom apartment.

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

It's fucked.

I feel so lucky to be in a county where there is a sort-of-adequate minimum wage, which means that there is at least a choice of being unemployed and literally broke, or in some shitty service-sector job and at least getting some money (say £6.20ish per hour if you're aged 22+).

I can't imagine being in a situation where you've gotta go through that shitty labour for 50 hours per week and are still literally taking home pennies. That's worse than alienation by itself - it's demeaning on top.