Working at a music store

Seventhson · 2010-08-01T13:32:31+00:00

I would love to work at a music store. My dad is on my back about getting a job. Would you need any special qualifications to work at a music shop?

Ray

X-rated Bob wrote I'm lucky in that I work in IT and find writing software to be a pleasurable activity. Maybe I'm weird.

Maybe.
Seventhson, let me just say something. I wasnt as blessed as your Dad and I have only two sons. One 22 and one 20. Now, I am not a great supporter of the system but at the same time I dont like grafting my ass off while some other adult bodies coast and chow and sleep and watch the television and use up toilet paper , etcc... while I am doing what I dont like doing so that we can all eat and crap and sleep. So, my words to them was get off your skinny little backside and do something. If all you can find is something to earn 10 bucks an hour the that is OK. You're welcome here. I just need to see some effort and in fact it's going to look OK on a CV. I have interviewed plenty people and been interviewed plenty and it does impress to see that an oke hasnt just hung for something good becasue he doesnt want to be underpaid. So maybe your Dad isnt goign to be happy to wait while you get the dream job.

Squonk

Warren wrote
++;

IT is a broad landscape indeed, so I wouldn't be too hasty to write the whole thing off as boring and humdrum. There are many sub-industries that can be very challenging and ultimately very rewarding.

Tech support might suck a bit, but it's certainly a start.

IT is quite boring but because of new trends and technology, every now and then things get interesting for a day or two at least ?

The one brilliant thing about having a job in IT is that when you get home, everything about IT can stay at work and leaves you plenty of time for guitar ? Imagine you still had to catch up on IT as a hobby!

aubs1

Ray wrote Seventhson, let me just say something. I wasnt as blessed as your Dad and I have only two sons. One 22 and one 20. Now, I am not a great supporter of the system but at the same time I dont like grafting my ass off while some other adult bodies coast and chow and sleep and watch the television and use up toilet paper , etcc... while I am doing what I dont like doing so that we can all eat and crap and sleep. So, my words to them was get off your skinny little backside and do something. If all you can find is something to earn 10 bucks an hour the that is OK. You're welcome here. I just need to see some effort and in fact it's going to look OK on a CV. I have interviewed plenty people and been interviewed plenty and it does impress to see that an oke hasnt just hung for something good becasue he doesnt want to be underpaid. So maybe your Dad isnt goign to be happy to wait while you get the dream job.

Ray, I cannot agree with you more, exactly what was going on in my mind, but you said it BEST!!! Especially your last sentence!

Sometimes people wait for someone to "sympathize" with their situation, to justify why they cannot, or will not do anything, just to have a job. 7thson, this is not aimed at you specifically, just a general comment.

Seventhson

Well at the moment I can only look for a job in December as I have to look after my little brother(5 years old). Which frustrates me. All I want to do is go and earn some money?

guitarboy2828

Squonk wrote
Warren wrote
++;

IT is a broad landscape indeed, so I wouldn't be too hasty to write the whole thing off as boring and humdrum. There are many sub-industries that can be very challenging and ultimately very rewarding.

Tech support might suck a bit, but it's certainly a start.
IT is quite boring but because of new trends and technology, every now and then things get interesting for a day or two at least ?

The one brilliant thing about having a job in IT is that when you get home, everything about IT can stay at work and leaves you plenty of time for guitar ? Imagine you still had to catch up on IT as a hobby!

IT is generally boring because the environment is boring. You sit behind a desk all day.. Both my bro's are in IT.

The one worked in CT for a company called webafrica, he loved it there. They had a pool table, physio balls, they had work socials all the time, they drank beer on the roof together. The atmosphere was kiff..

My younger bro is working for a guy (making double the $$ than my older bro), but he is a programmer and the only one.. So he sits in a little office, by himself, ALL DAY. No wonder he hates it and gets bored out of his mind.

Warren

guitarboy2828 wrote IT is generally boring because the environment is boring. You sit behind a desk all day.. Both my bro's are in IT.

The one worked in CT for a company called webafrica, he loved it there. They had a pool table, physio balls, they had work socials all the time, they drank beer on the roof together. The atmosphere was kiff..

My younger bro is working for a guy (making double the $$ than my older bro), but he is a programmer and the only one.. So he sits in a little office, by himself, ALL DAY. No wonder he hates it and gets bored out of his mind.

Again, depends on the environment. ?

I've been a programmer, a support guy, a consultant, a trainer etc. I've worked in Europe, various bits of the Middle East and around lots of Africa (including spots like Nigeria and Angola) all doing IT stuff.

It's not all pasty-software-engineer type stuff after all ?

FatBoy

Just wanna add my 2cents on the IT / Career thing. I think you shouldn't think about which jobs pay best, but rather which job you'd like doing.

I'm also in IT by the way, work from home, sometimes crazy hours etc, but it is rewarding.

When I was in college I found that 80% of the other okes there was only there because they had heard that there is good money in IT. They all chose the easiest course (general hardware and networking stuff) and didn't really pay attention. Because they didn't really have a passion for IT, they spent more time partying and lazing around than actually studying, because the stuff didn't really interest them. Then come end of the course, the only job they could get was tech support with super low salaries, which ain't fun. Now they go and moan about the college / IT etc.

My point is, that there is money to be made in any field. The problem is, you need to find the one that you are passionate about, so that you can excel at it. In any industry, its the passionate okes that stand out, and its the okes that stand out that make the good money AND enjoy their job.

So basically, ignore the money for now, just find something you could really like doing, the money will come. Sure if you need money right now, do any old job until you can do what you are meant to do.

Seventhson

Fritz Brand wrote Just wanna add my 2cents on the IT / Career thing. I think you shouldn't think about which jobs pay best, but rather which job you'd like doing.

I'm also in IT by the way, work from home, sometimes crazy hours etc, but it is rewarding.

When I was in college I found that 80% of the other okes there was only there because they had heard that there is good money in IT. They all chose the easiest course (general hardware and networking stuff) and didn't really pay attention. Because they didn't really have a passion for IT, they spent more time partying and lazing around than actually studying, because the stuff didn't really interest them. Then come end of the course, the only job they could get was tech support with super low salaries, which ain't fun. Now they go and moan about the college / IT etc.

My point is, that there is money to be made in any field. The problem is, you need to find the one that you are passionate about, so that you can excel at it. In any industry, its the passionate okes that stand out, and its the okes that stand out that make the good money AND enjoy their job.

So basically, ignore the money for now, just find something you could really like doing, the money will come. Sure if you need money right now, do any old job until you can do what you are meant to do.

I got distinctions in my course I did. I lost my passion with IT. But thanks for you impute. The only thing about Having a IT career is you need a car.

[deleted]

impute

Thanks 7thson, that little word sent me down a rabbit hole. Now I'm finding out about data imputation algorithms, gotta love the internet.

What I would have liked to have been told when I was 21 is how to PRIORITIZE. For most things in life you need MOOLA. It's pretty hard to get started with anything creative if you don't have the cash to back it up. So setting a clear boundary between what is going to cost money getting started, and what is going to bring in money when you start needs to be very clear and preferably the two should not be mutually exclusive. I think your job at the music store will be great, because it won't cost you a thing, you'll learn new skills- most importantly sales skills, and you can use both the cash and the skills to set you on a new broader, more creative path, even further your education on the side if that's what you want.

It's important that you understand that difference, because if you can't get started, you feel incompetent, and once that sets in you're in a vicious cycle. So money might not buy you creativity, but it buys you tools. And once you have tools you can get creative, be it in IT or music.

Sorry if I'm repeating what has already been said, or if what I'm saying is pretty self explanatory. It's just that I'm now experiencing "the quickening". A few years ago I was pretty resource-less and there were so many things on my to do list, all of which seemed impossible to get done. And now this year it's all started falling into place, whoopie! I also have the most important resource... time, which I'm wasting right now, oops.

guitarboy2828

Fritz Brand wrote Just wanna add my 2cents on the IT / Career thing. I think you shouldn't think about which jobs pay best, but rather which job you'd like doing.

I'm also in IT by the way, work from home, sometimes crazy hours etc, but it is rewarding.

When I was in college I found that 80% of the other okes there was only there because they had heard that there is good money in IT. They all chose the easiest course (general hardware and networking stuff) and didn't really pay attention. Because they didn't really have a passion for IT, they spent more time partying and lazing around than actually studying, because the stuff didn't really interest them. Then come end of the course, the only job they could get was tech support with super low salaries, which ain't fun. Now they go and moan about the college / IT etc.

My point is, that there is money to be made in any field. The problem is, you need to find the one that you are passionate about, so that you can excel at it. In any industry, its the passionate okes that stand out, and its the okes that stand out that make the good money AND enjoy their job.

So basically, ignore the money for now, just find something you could really like doing, the money will come. Sure if you need money right now, do any old job until you can do what you are meant to do.

So.. What I can deduce from all this is... You're rich? ?

vic

7thSon's generation is in a fix right now. Things have changed dramatically in SA over the last 15 years or so. It's not easy to get a job...any job..Gone are the days that when you qualify you walk into a secure formal job with pension and medical aid, etc. Thus the brain drain across ALL races in this country. There are BA Law and BComm grads right here in Stellies who have to make a living (sort of) by working in pubs and restaurants. Not there's anything wrong with that...but I guess you're getting my drift. There are 30 year olds of all races still living with their parents ! ☹ That's the reality of the new SA.
The youngsters doing well and can support themselves are those with a trade....the electritians, plumbers and the likes. These guys are working for themselves.
The IT landscape around here (WCape) is very volatile at the moment and well paid jobs are extremely scarce.
Things HAVE changed.....For those of you who still have a long term memory.....at 18-21 some of us were fighting a bloody war somewhere on the borders..... ☹
but we at least had the prospect of getting a proper job somewhere sometime......7thSon's generation is not in such a position imho.

Bob-Dubery

vic wrote 7thSon's generation is in a fix right now. Things have changed dramatically in SA over the last 15 years or so. It's not easy to get a job...any job..Gone are the days that when you qualify you walk into a secure formal job with pension and medical aid, etc. Thus the brain drain across ALL races in this country. There are BA Law and BComm grads right here in Stellies who have to make a living (sort of) by working in pubs and restaurants. Not there's anything wrong with that...but I guess you're getting my drift. There are 30 year olds of all races still living with their parents ! ☹ That's the reality of the new SA.

I think that's a function of the times rather than the new SA. Things are pretty bleak in the UK at the moment - and especially for kids. The squeeze is on there and fresh graduates are struggling. For various reasons

1) Education there has been sacrificed on the altar of expedience. Governments have created an illusion of keeping their promise of a better education by dumbing everything down (except the "proper" universities who are complaining about getting young people with A levels who are functionally illiterate). A couple of years ago Oxford produced figures that showed the A-level pass rate rising every year for 25 straight years. That doesn't happen without the system being manipulated.

2) Culture amongst the youth. You've got to teach them to get to work on time and that when they get there it's not unreasonable that they be given instructions and be expected to fufill them. This is less of a problem in SA actually. In England it means that when the local supermarket is looking for people to pack shelves they are going to give that job to a redundant civil engineer who is motivated by a need to feed a family rather than to a kid who is probably going to spend all day texting his buddies.

A lot of the problems that we have here exist everywhere right now. In some ways, in fact, SA has ridden the economic downturn better than many other countries. My stepson is living in Spain, and it's scarier there than it is in the UK. IE really scary.

vic

Yeah, it's tough(er) out there right now. Kids and youngsters are faced with this and need to strategize intelligently, now more than ever, about future careers and the things that make them tick....and they will need all the help they can get.

Ray

Well, old seventhson must be wondering what happened to his question that turned iinto a bit of vocational guidance and still morphing it's way thru to job market analysis. But that's the nature of threads they move along. But I cant say that I totally agree with what is being said here. As long as you help someone he is going to need help. Or maybe I do agree. Depends what you guys mean by 'help'. There are jobs. There are plenty jobs. If you are fussy and not hungry then there arent jobs but if you're hungry there are jobs. It is truly a fortunate man who can say I have lost my passion for this or for that and so I will not do it. It makes me think of the days during winter that I see these okes on the back of trucks and bakkies on the freeway early in the morning going off to one of those lekker outdoor jobs where you can mix concrete and lay bricks and lick the blood off your hands when they crack open from the cold and acid. And you say there arent jobs?! Plenty work out there for ANYONE who wants to do it. When you're on the outers and you want to get back in you do what you need to.
Sorry, maybe a bit uncalled for but Bob's point number 2 prompted it. So it's his fault. Ag or maybe I'm sitting the pot mis completely which I do a lot.

vic

Ray wrote Well, old seventhson must be wondering what happened to his question that turned iinto a bit of vocational guidance and still morphing it's way thru to job market analysis. But that's the nature of threads they move along. But I cant say that I totally agree with what is being said here. As long as you help someone he is going to need help. Or maybe I do agree. Depends what you guys mean by 'help'. There are jobs. There are plenty jobs. If you are fussy and not hungry then there arent jobs but if you're hungry there are jobs. It is truly a fortunate man who can say I have lost my passion for this or for that and so I will not do it. It makes me think of the days during winter that I see these okes on the back of trucks and bakkies on the freeway early in the morning going off to one of those lekker outdoor jobs where you can mix concrete and lay bricks and lick the blood off your hands when they crack open from the cold and acid. And you say there arent jobs?! Plenty work out there for ANYONE who wants to do it. When you're on the outers and you want to get back in you do what you need to. Sorry, maybe a bit uncalled for but Bob's point number 2 prompted it. So it's his fault. Ag or maybe I'm sitting the pot mis completely which I do a lot.

As in guidance.... ?

You see 7thSon.....there's hope for you and your generation.... Get off your backsides and start pushing them wheelbarrows. But first see if you don't like the music store job better ?

[deleted]

It is truly a fortunate man who can say I have lost my passion for this or for that and so I will not do it

Hell yeah. Sometimes people just have too much choice, so they miss all the opportunities in a single choice.

I'm going to be honest here, I'm not the brightest spark. I sure did not pay much attention in school. I kind of slid by with people thinking I'm clever, because I have clever siblings, but I'm not really. I just wanted to make people happy, which as a career choice is not really very concise, but I thought if the intention was there I would find a way. My "job compatibility" test in guidance at school said I'd probably be a brick layer or a graffiti artist, hmm.

Actually, I think I had enough sense not to try and plan my life too much, because I thought, knowing me, I'll probably make the wrong choices and end up in a pickle. So I thought I'd postpone the big choices for when I was a little more worldly wise, still waiting for that day, but I'm doing okay for now.

Oddly enough and seemingly by accident I've ended up working with people, making them happy. So even if you are your own biggest obstacle generally things will work out if you have the intention to make it work out, well for me that is. I couldn't have planned any of the things that have happened in my life. I just took the chances when they were there. Goodness knows what would have happened if I actually tried to plan anything, what a mess I would have made.

One thing I think people miss is that life is petty darn hardcore. I'm pretty (freaking) lucky, in so many ways, but I know things can change in an instant. Some people just get too comfortable thinking things are just going to stay the same. So you have to learn to take advantage of every chance that comes your way.

Wizard

Viccy wrote I'm going to be honest here, I'm not the brightest spark. I sure did not pay much attention in school. I kind of slid by with people thinking I'm clever ...

I think you're clever too ... and I don't know your siblings ...

Oddly enough and seemingly by accident I've ended up working with people, making them happy. So even if you are your own biggest obstacle generally things will work out if you have the intention to make it work out ...

I think that people usually end up where they want to be.
All those zillions of little decisions we make daily ... take us to the place we are choosing.
The trick is to find the courage to admit it to ourselves.

Seventhson

Thanks for all your advice?

I worked at a video store,at a plumbing supplies store and at a some building company. I was 17-18 years old and I hated every minute of it. The vid store was boring and the others I hated the type of people that I had to deal with(they were really scummy.)

Bob-Dubery

Seventhson wrote I worked at a video store,at a plumbing supplies store and at a some building company. I was 17-18 years old and I hated every minute of it. The vid store was boring and the others I hated the type of people that I had to deal with(they were really scummy.)

Customers or colleagues?

In any event try not to have such thoughts. You do your shift, do it as well as you can, and then leave that scene behind for the rest of the day. And DO NOT give voice to such thoughts at a new job or when applying.

EG I come to you for a job
You: Why did you leave the video store?
Me: The people I had to deal with were scummy

You immediately make a note that I might have an attitude problem. That might seem unfair, but when you're interviewing you have to make these kind of calls.

Get a job. If you can't get your dream job take what you can get and stick at it. That shows the next person you apply to for a job that you are reliable.

And when you get a job, start saving. You're young. Start saving now and maintain that habit and come retirement age (and it will come) you could be well set up.

Seventhson

X-rated Bob wrote
Seventhson wrote I worked at a video store,at a plumbing supplies store and at a some building company. I was 17-18 years old and I hated every minute of it. The vid store was boring and the others I hated the type of people that I had to deal with(they were really scummy.)
Customers or colleagues?

In any event try not to have such thoughts. You do your shift, do it as well as you can, and then leave that scene behind for the rest of the day. And DO NOT give voice to such thoughts at a new job or when applying.

EG I come to you for a job
You: Why did you leave the video store?
Me: The people I had to deal with were scummy

You immediately make a note that I might have an attitude problem. That might seem unfair, but when you're interviewing you have to make these kind of calls.

Get a job. If you can't get your dream job take what you can get and stick at it. That shows the next person you apply to for a job that you are reliable.

And when you get a job, start saving. You're young. Start saving now and maintain that habit and come retirement age (and it will come) you could be well set up.

I am actually planning to save. I am not one to blow money on things I want. I tend to be stingy with my money and only spend it if I have to.

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