humor
Workplace witticisms, job jokes and career quips; who says work can't be a laughing matter?
Breakfast Sandwich Makers are Tools for Mourning
The Breakfast Sandwich Maker is a $15 tribute to American economic malaise. It hit the market at a time when the U.S. Department of Labor stopped counting people who gave up fruitlessly looking for work in their unemployment statistics in a desperate attempt to paint a rosier picture of the Great Recession. Well-paid talking heads in big coastal cities were telling average Joes and Janes in flyover country that the new normal was scraping by with a little help from the dole. And as so-called experts sat with garbage smiles and wagging fingers, telling flyover country to check its privilege as jobs went overseas and foreclosures stole homes, this machine made its debut on Meijer and Walmart shelves. And while its utility in the kitchen may be questionable at best, this machine and its generic knock-offs served a greater purpose: to help working-class men and women to grieve the passing of the Good Life.
Patrick Murphy, MS, LLPCPublished 7 years ago in JournalThe Price of Education and Teaching: Part VIII
It had been almost thirty days since my challenging student arrived, and she hadn't stopped cursing, crying, kicking, or ranting; the rest of the students were visibly scared, but nobody saw the damage this student was causing, and I'd already talked to half the world about it in hopes of getting some help; I was dreaming an impossible dream, er, nightmare that was very real and potentially dangerous.
Martina R. GallegosPublished 7 years ago in JournalPizzas and Pennies
I don’t want to sound like a Debbie downer, but most people generally suck at tipping. Maybe it isn’t necessarily the public’s fault, but hell I like using their ignorance as a scapegoat. The real problem is that some people go their whole lives without ever working in food service. Others try and forget how shitty the experience was once they land a “big kid” job. I digress. Tipping is important, and here’s why:
Katherine SchaeferPublished 7 years ago in JournalMy Brutally Honest CV/Resume
To Whom It May Concern, Work I'm an intelligent employee with continuous brain farts. Give me a new project or a task, explain what I'm supposed to do and watch me stare at you with foggy eyes, my mouth slightly open and a demeanor full of "huuuh?" End up overwhelmingly confused two to three days after, as I deliver what you asked for. I will take fierce pride in my work, be it conquering the markets by a product I hold dear or mucking a horse stall to perfection. I respect my colleagues and give second chances with ease. I have a hard time controlling face expressions when disagreeing. I may burst into wild laughter in the middle of a teleconference and I may not be able to make it stop. Most of my jokes are not suitable for an open office set up. I give credit to others for their work and never miss an opportunity to spare compliments or positive feedback. Be dishonest, treat others unfairly, show disrespect towards the janitor/cleaning lady or try and manipulate me, I will walk out the door.
The Price of Education and Teaching: Part VI
I was surprisingly happy that all three districts were offering me a job, and that I could actually choose who to work for. This reminded me when mom asked me if I wanted to go to school or go to work when she and I re-united in the United States, and I chose school even though I had no idea what I'd face. It was the same thing this time; I was going into this teaching world blindfolded and with earplugs in, but both disappeared in a split second. My first interview with the person who'd 'hire me' was like 'starting off on the wrong foot;' I had to wait in the lobby for over an hour because some head custodian had passed away unexpectedly. Then, when somebody finally called me in, the person whom I was supposed to speak to, was talking recipes on the phone, and she totally ignored me for at least twenty minutes; I started feeling very weird and uncomfortable but still waited patiently.
Martina R. GallegosPublished 7 years ago in JournalMy Adventures as a Pizza Delivery Driver
During the time that I have been delivering pizzas, I have acquired many regular customers. When I first started delivering pizzas, I worked the evening shift and now, since the first of this year, I was put on the day shift. Several of the customers would ask for me to deliver their food to them, when they called the store and placed their order. Although now that I am on the day shift at work, I now have the same thing going on as I did working the evening shift and more regular customers, which is wonderful.
Rhonda FarleyPublished 7 years ago in JournalFunlearn
I was reading about the importance of people having fun recently — hence the title. Well, yes, it may be obvious, people work better, learn better, live better when they have fun. So when and why have we then lost the habit of including fun in our work life (or academic life, for that matter) without feeling guilty about it, as if having fun correlated with work or learning is equal to actually not working and not learning?
Roxana RadulescuPublished 7 years ago in JournalMy Adventures as a Pizza Delivery Driver
If you have ever been robbed of anything before, it is one of the worst feelings in the world. Having said that, my story begins. First of all, let me give you a brief description of what kind of car I deliver pizzas in. My car came from an automotive auction, and the only key that I have ever had to the car is the ignition key. No door key, no trunk key. The right front fender is bent all out of whack and is held on with a zip tie. Also, there is no front grill on my car. Oh, by the way, the car is a Honda.
Rhonda FarleyPublished 7 years ago in JournalMaths (or Math)
Maths (or Math). This word strikes fear into most people or at least it brings up bad memories at school. Memorising times tables, learning equations and algebra which most of us never use.
Gregory EzePublished 7 years ago in JournalThe World's Most Epic Commutes
For many, the daily commute to work can be an incredible burden. Whether it's by car, bus, subway, walk - getting to work can be a grind.
Richard OwensPublished 7 years ago in JournalA Day In the Life of a Freelancer
I more or less ended up falling into freelancing quite by accident, even though writing for a living was what I’d always wanted to do. I came to my present job after a half-arsed sending of my CV to a content mill, not even thinking they’d bother to read it—but they did, offered me an interview online and a quick writing test and a few days later I got the job. Sometimes all the planning in the world can’t prepare you for that kind of thing happening.
My Adventures as a Pizza Delivery Driver
It is the Holiday Time of the year again and I find myself delivering pizzas to the large country music venue hotel. The hotel is beautiful at Christmas time. Millions of Holiday lights are set into place, and all kinds of beautiful outside decorations are placed all around the hotel. The hotel at Christmas time also plays seasonal music for all to enjoy. The valet parking people are all busy running here and there to park and return the hotel guests' vehicles to them. The hotel’s shuttle buses are all decorated with either big stars on the bus with their Holiday outfits on or the other popular bus that the hotel has running during the Holiday season is the famous Grinch bus. The horse and carriage rides are all out in full force, and the hotel adds a security guard right as you are approaching the front of the hotel. This would be the first of many times that I would see this security guard during the busy time of the year.
Rhonda FarleyPublished 7 years ago in Journal