to think if your first office job is in your 30s its too hard to adjust

[spegal]

Hi,

I've started an office job in my 30s, its been a month and still just finding it a miserable and boring existence. Such dull conversations and other people seam to delight in pointing out minor mistakes or picking arguments over little things. To be honest I really don't care about it all, I'm just like whatever its not like anyone is going to die if something isn't perfect.

I'm coming to the conclusion I'm just not an office 9-6 kind of person. Maybe if I had started in my 20s I could of coped. But now I've had such a great life not sat in offices it makes it so hard.

Am I being stuck up or does anyone see my point of view?

Might just stick it out till Xmas for the cash

I'm not a troll! I can be outspoken, yes, but my post was very honest OP (and I don't think it was vile or hateful). Can you not see how offensive your opening post could be seen, to people who have spent many years toiling away in office jobs?

Don't believe a sodding word of it. You have not got two degrees, you can barely string a sentence together.

What are your degrees in OP? Just interested.

The thing is with office banter is that you don't know the people involved so it won't be that interesting but as time goes on you will become more involved.

Would Susan's new house be more interesting if you knew that Susan and her boyfriend had spent the last 2 years saving for a deposit while living in a house share with a scary bloke called Boris and you had taken part in the regular "Is Boris actually a vampire?" conversations?

James's new car is far more fun if you knew his old car was constantly breaking down and had been there on the day that he gave a lift to a client site to the rather pretty intern and conveniently broke down in the middle of nowhere.

Jack's endless discussions of his "holiday of a lifetime" and everyone else's fascination with it makes far more sense if you knew that 18 months ago Jack's wife was diagnosed with breast cancer and when things got really grim they agreed that when she recovered they would go on a really special holiday to celebrate. She got the all-clear just before you started.

All of these are true stories (admittedly from over 10 years of office work.)

Office banter is difficult - you don't necessarily have that much in common with team mates and anything even vaguely political is obviously risky but once you get to know them, their histories and their families, it can become really enjoyable to talk to people who are very different to you.

Ok so to some extent is it about the importance of what you do? Or is it just you want to do something fun?

I know no one likes a pedant but it's been bugging me all the way through the thread so I have to say it:

It's would have not would of.

I would be surprised if this hasn't been pointed out before in the course of 2 degrees.

I think she is German. English is her second language.

Wow Cheerful Yank! I hope you get the loan! that would be amazing. But obviously, only if it's a profitable business. No point sinking yourself just so that you don't have to say "I work 9 to 5" at parties.

I bloody hated office work. Drove me to distraction, I needed the money though... Such is life!

I have a degree also and working in an office drove me to he decision that I need to use it.

"most just want to pay the bills and compartmentalise"

yes! I admit that this is what I want. Ok, not the most boring job in the world but nothing stressful. Something I can do easily. I am content at home, I have so many projects I am working on at home. I have friends, children, I'm learning another language, I have netflix

Minlille it could be, it's bring driven into the ground now. :( But I have a lot of ideas and we may qualify for arts grants.

Sorry for the hijack, Op. Either suck it up or find something less well paid but more fun, is my advice.

OP I'm not being nasty but you really don't do yourself favours here with regards to advice, the inevitable ribbing from MN etc.

If you're anything like you are here at work then no wonder you find it hard to fit in. Maybe it's the condescending attitude of "I know that already" to us here, some of us who did try to help you.

I'm out but good luck Little Miss Special Snowflake Spegal.

Floozey see I think that's part of OPs problem, clearly she has no idea or limited idea of people skills and how to word a new post as to not give offence.

Like I said before (and this isn't really a criticism) the OP as no experience in offices is probably putting her foot in it, coming off wrong given her past experience. If she wants to succeed in this job best thing to do as suggested earlier by someone else is to get her head down and work. Minimal contact, let coworkers come to her etc.

So what were your degrees in and all your training - have you been studying towards a particular industry - what type of job were you imagining for yourself - lots of interesting work is office based so is the work interesting, are you on a chosen career path? If so you might need to suck it up while you work up. Are there options for you? Whatever it is it isn't what you hoped for so work out what you want and go for it.

However - you are not better than your job or your colleagues so Yabu for being snooty about them

minlillehus ah thanks, I'll let it go then.

I absolutely think you should jack on this office job as you are clearly far too creative and this job is just below you. It sounds boring as hell and you sound wonderfully fun, fascinating, clever and not at all entitled, naive and patronising.

Dump those crappy office workers with their mundane conversation and fly out into the world and make your mark doling out cheese cubes.

I started working in an office when I was 30. Before that I was in retail & health clubs, neither 9 to 5 jobs. I had great fun in general but did find office politics difficult & chit chat was so tedious. I also found older male colleagues, my bosses, to be dinosaur sexist pigs. The men in my previous jobs were not old boys club types. My social life was great, as I was working there during the good times. Work hard, play hard. I found the 9 to 5 routine a bit boring, so I did a degree at night college. Am not the sort to veg out in front of Corrie, unlike most of the women in my office. Suppose I found it had good & bad points. The money was good though!

Op, seriously. What are your degrees in? Not to take the piss out of MA Pottery, but to actually help you.

I think she is German. English is her second language.
In which case her English would be far superior to the standard displayed here and she certainly would NOT be using 'would of', 'should of'.

What did you train in and are you working in that field?

Op I have two degrees and I was in full time work by 22, how on earth has it taken you over a decade to do two degrees? What were they in?

Cubes of cheese and Marmalade on same thread is making me want to read the Alex James "i love jacket potato" thread all over again.

TBF, i know someone who took over 12 years to do the first part of his doctorate in Romano-British swords and spears, but he was self-funding and essentially using the university as an upmarket retirement home.

OP, you need to do some reflecting and figure out whether it is the office you hate, or the job. If you worked in the same office, but with funky, creative types, who talked about interesting stuff but knew when to shut up, would the job be better? Or is it the idea of working 9-5 full stop? Why did you quit the cheese cube job?

I'm with you op. I worked in an office for 6 months.
The work was ok but the women I worked with were cliquey bitches.

£12 an hour?!