Which job would you take?

[nightcrawler13]

I recently started a new job with Appliances Online, they promised me the world, and delivered me a dystopian globe

The perks are incredible, but the targets they told me in the interview were a lie, and the only way to succeed at the job is through pushy assumptive sales techniques which makes me very uncomfortable

I have two job offers to start from Monday....

Job 1 - Friends of the Earth (street fundraising)

- pros -

weekends off, £9ph, very social, outdoors, 10-6 shift, make a difference to the world

-cons-

can be hard to hit target, on my feet all day, outdoors

Job 2 - Totemic (http://www.totemictrading.co.uk) head of internet sales,

taking photos, listing on ebay, answering queries, etc

-pros-

something I've never done before, can listen to my own music/uni work all day, no sales targets, indoors

-cons-

minimum wage, 45 hours, 9-6 shift + sundays, selling chinese imports zzzZZZ

about the same money each month for both, I just work more hours to get them in the internet sales job

I'm going to leave anyway in June so it's not a career of any sorts

which would you choose??

[jump]

No offence but I can't stand charities that pay people to raise money.

[thetime]

Friends of the earth.

Once you get in to the life of mortgages, babies, material stuff you won't have much time for charity work.

Edited July 31, 2013 by thetime

[LondonTom]

Send your CV off to more companies would be my choice. Both options sound horrendous.

Maybe the internet sales job, at least you'd maybe get to slack a bit?

[lost]

what's happens with the charity one if you don't hit your targets?

[nightcrawler13]

10 a week, if you don't hit you get Performance Managed, then let go if you continue to not perform

I'm good at sales in all honesty, I did street fundraising 6 years ago and really enjoyed it...

however, times change, people like are a lot angrier about being stopped outdoors.... but then it means I get the weekend to myself and an extra hour in the morning to do uni work

hard decision!

[TheGayTent]

Send your CV off to more companies would be my choice. Both options sound horrendous.

[nightcrawler13]

I'm still looking for more jobs, but I need to eat and pay bills ya know?

My sister is in the process of convincing me to move to Australia till May of next year to work, and then come back for Glastonbury...

My final year of Open University is all essay based, so no need for exams...

the pay is supposed to be decent down under?

Edited July 31, 2013 by nightcrawler13

[russycarps]

do the charity one I reckon. Better to be outside than chained to a desk like the rest of us poor saps. You'll meet some nice people too.

Ultimately, you're still raising money for charity too even though the method is questionable.

Would be an easy choice for me.

[TheGayTent]

Pay is good in oz, BUT cost of living is high too

Edited July 31, 2013 by TheGayTent

[pink_triangle]

I personally cant stand street fundraising, if I want to give to charity I will put some money in a box but forget it if you think your getting my signature. However a jobs a job and it must be an effective way of fundraising or they wouldn't do it.

[Spindles]

I have been told that, of the money raised by street fundraising, the largest chunk goes to pay for the actual act of the fundraising and there are several people to get paid before the charity will see theirs. That means that signing up by a street fundraiser you are signing up to employ them, their managers, area managers, admin teams, etc, none of which actually help to do what the charity are supposed to be about.

Most charities are bullshit anyway, with far too much of the money going to pay inflated salaries for people who wouldn't really know work if it shat on their knee.

I'd go for the internet job, it might be dull desk work but in the long term the best part of a year of that would look better on the CV.

[pink_triangle]

I have been told that, of the money raised by street fundraising, the largest chunk goes to pay for the actual act of the fundraising and there are several people to get paid before the charity will see theirs.

[TheGayTent]

How many people are told stuff and believe it without checking?

[Ed209]

Pay is good in oz, BUT cost of living is high too

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

As much as I'd love to help out Friends of the Earth I'd go for the Sales job and learn how to import and market stuff. OK, it'll be a ball ache but it could provide you with the know how to do it yourself in the future. Plenty of wealthy people have made it by just bringing ideas from abroad over to this country and the west in general. I wouldn't mind having a bash at that myself only I'm currently deeply involved in practicing the art of inertia.

[kaosmark2]

Same issues with charity fundraising.

Desk job will,look better on cv

Wouldn't want to do either for 11 months though. I'd find another option if you've got any chance

[nightcrawler13]

I think I've decided that I'm going to go to Australia in October, so whichever job I choose is only going to last for 2 months...

The Chinese guy, he is very sweet, and I think I'd feel bad letting him invest in me as a person and then just jetting off, he was pretty much saying he wanted me to get involved in the business, and as good an opportunity as that is, it is not something that is worth giving up the opportunity to travel at this point of my life. Plus if I only stay for a couple months it won't look good on my CV really?

In regards to peoples negative opinions of 'chugging', you're all being a bit silly really? If charities spent more money on it than they made, why would they do it? For every pound spent on newspaper or tv ads they make £1-2 pounds back, so it's more about raising awareness. For every pound spent on street fundraising they make £5-8 back, which is why they do it. If you'd rather put money in a box somewhere then by all means go and do it, but a lot of people need that person in front of them to make that decision, I think the days of pushy chuggers are gone, the media ousted them and they've had to change their methods (which is good, don't get me wrong!). I like talking to people, I like the fact I'd be saving bees/polar bears/your great great grandchildren, and it'd only be for 2-3 months, so I'd escape before the bitter winter comes rolling in!

do the charity one I reckon. Better to be outside than chained to a desk like the rest of us poor saps. You'll meet some nice people too.

Ultimately, you're still raising money for charity too even though the method is questionable.

Would be an easy choice for me.

[russycarps]

Thanks, your reply really hit me

[pink_triangle]

I have a feeling the people who seem to get angry at chuggers do so out of a sense of guilt. It is not pleasant to be reminded of how selfish you are in this way, hence people get angry, rude and upset.

[russycarps]

I disagree many people just choose to give to charity in a different way. I often say to chuggers if they had a box I would put them money into it, however as they dont, I cant. When I give to charity I want to do it how I want and when I want. I have known people who have signed up and then been swamped by extra begging letters, the less people that know my address, the happier I am!

[pink_triangle]

that's fair enough, but I mean the people who get angry and are rude to the chuggers. Seems like you arent one of them! but there are a lot out there

[TheGayTent]

My view in general is that a "no thanks" or walking the other side of the street is generally sufficient. However (even in recent time) I have observed some being incredibly pushy to people, in those cases I have every sympathy for anyone losing their temper.

[eFestivals]

I also find it strange that people seem to think everyone working for a charity should do so for free.

It's a dilemma, but I think ultimately the idea falls apart from the literal contradiction in the idea of "paid charity workers".

char·i·ty

/ˈCHaritē/

Noun

The voluntary giving of help, typically money, to those in need.

If people are not motivated enough to do those good works for free, are they doing good works for others, or are they doing a job to support themselves?

Paid charity workers has led to a massive expansion of the charity sector - but not the resulting good works!!!

On top of that we now have charities being set up in the name of loads of people who die in tragic circumstances, and where the point of the charity is more about family members keeping the memory of their lost one alive - and themselves paid by the charity for doing that - than it is about helping others.

It also lets the govt off the hook of their r4esponsibilities to both those in this country and those around the world who are exploited for the benefit of this country.

Imperialism continues at the same pace as it ever did.

Edited August 1, 2013 by eFestivals

[russycarps]

My view in general is that a "no thanks" or walking the other side of the street is generally sufficient. However (even in recent time) I have observed some being incredibly pushy to people, in those cases I have every sympathy for anyone losing their temper.

Edited August 1, 2013 by russycarps