I feel so inadequate
I've been working since I was 12 in a variety of customer-service jobs. From the age of 21 I had a variety of full-time jobs. Many of these jobs were shitty, boring, or shitty and boring, and yet I never flounced out of a single one.

I was born responsible and with a massive guilt complex. No matter how awful my employment was - often fairly awful - I just couldn't bring myself to leave rudely. I would line up a new job, make sure I got a good reference, politely hand in my notice and shuffle off into the sunset.

I blame my parents: I've inherited my mother's Protestant work ethic and my father's Catholic guilt. Terrible combination.

If anyone has a cure for responsibility, please let me know and I can work towards telling my current employers to ram their job sideways up their fat HR arses.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Fri 23 May 2008, 9:19, 28 replies)

Snap
On the Protestant/ Catholic combination.

I've never quit a job unless I've had another one lined up.
( Boss Keloid Got your mother's maiden name tattooed on my arm, Fri 23 May 2008, 9:33, closed)

We need a larger sample size
but, oooooo, we could be on to something here...
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Fri 23 May 2008, 9:40, closed)

I can see the protests now
"What do you want?"
"New jobs"
"When do want them?"
"After working a suitable, pre-arranged period of notice as detailed in the contract and obtaining suitable references and possible a letter of recommendation from our previous employer!"
( Boss Keloid Got your mother's maiden name tattooed on my arm, Fri 23 May 2008, 9:47, closed)

I'm the same
I've always ensured that I had something else lined up before handing in my notice. mainly because I worked for the DSS / Jobcentre for too long and knew that if I walked out I'd get fuck all in the way of benefits.

That said, the day I handed in my notice at Alnwick Jobcentre was the happiest bloody day of my working life. I may post about it later.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Fri 23 May 2008, 9:53, closed)

All of my family are Protestant
But I seem to have missed out on the work ethic.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 23 May 2008, 10:04, closed)

@Boss Keloid
Brilliant! That's my new mantra!
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Fri 23 May 2008, 10:10, closed)

I'm sorry to say that there is no known cure for responsibility.
I've tried all my life to not be responsible and apart from a couple of flashes of carefree irresponsible moments, I've failed miserably.

OOoo! I'm half catholic/protestant.
( girlinthehole, Fri 23 May 2008, 10:52, closed)

^ Which half?
Oh, and there IS a cure for being responsible.

Irresponsible drinking.
( Cawl, Fri 23 May 2008, 10:56, closed)

University
This is def a cure for responsibility. For a few years anyway. Just keep going back forever to do increasingly obscure degrees. And enjoy the cheap prices of beer to do some irresponsible drinking.
(The Ginger Penguin la la la la la la, Fri 23 May 2008, 11:08, closed)

I'm on my fourth job in 3 years
It's a guerilla career. Get in, get experience, get out and get more money. You mean nothing to them, so it's only fair you treat them the same.
(frankspencer, Fri 23 May 2008, 11:22, closed)

@Ginger Penguin
Er, I've kinda done that - I'm a University Lecturer.

@Frank - I fear you may be right. Can't believe it took me quite so long to recognise it.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Fri 23 May 2008, 11:44, closed)

:)
Sabbatical? :)
(The Ginger Penguin la la la la la la, Fri 23 May 2008, 11:47, closed)

computer science departments
don't seem to do sabbaticals. They seem to be the reserve of the Arts Faculty. Dammit. I need to get myself back into the Arts Faculty.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Fri 23 May 2008, 11:50, closed)

If you're after something in the arts faculty at your place....
I happen to have a friend who teaches in it....

But if you're successful you have to get me a job there too - a proper one with an office - sessional stuff is too unreliable and slightly scary.

*She says in a carefree "I've got a portfolio career" way*
( chickenlady b3ta's very own Elizabeth Taylor, Fri 23 May 2008, 11:53, closed)

@CHCB
Can you just clear something up for me please, as I'm a tad confused.

How is it that you work in computer science as an archaeologist?

Just curious :-)
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 23 May 2008, 11:55, closed)

ok
You know Time Team? You know the way they find a a tiny potsherd and then they recreate a huge virtual village from it? Well, my work is like that only much, much better. And with more wanky theory. And cooler graphics techniques wot I made.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Fri 23 May 2008, 11:57, closed)

I'm currently looking for a job
Any offers?
I'll do most things.
Apart from *THAT*
( Cawl, Fri 23 May 2008, 11:59, closed)

@CHCB
Now I understand. Thanks.

Sounds like quite a cool job actually. But then, so do lots of jobs until you actually do them...
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 23 May 2008, 12:00, closed)

Indiana Jones
Get yourself a whip and a funky hat and go off to fight baddies and find treasure :)
(The Ginger Penguin la la la la la la, Fri 23 May 2008, 12:00, closed)

no way would I employ you, Kaol!
Because I know you spend all your time on b3ta...

Edit: my job would be cool, except that's the research part and I hardly ever get to do the research part because all my time is taken up spoonfeeding students.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Fri 23 May 2008, 12:01, closed)

Hmm...
I do kinda spend a lot of time on b3ta.
But that's because I can do all of my work in about an hour. As I'm highly efficent.
( Cawl, Fri 23 May 2008, 12:04, closed)

Late snap
Yep, I have a catholic mother and a protestant father, so they're traits I recognise...

My last job I was doing all I could to do a decent job despite being treated like shit. I even made sure that after I resigned, I tidied everything up during my notice period so that my successor had no nasty surprises. I should really have instead had a tonne of pig-poo delivered to my nemesis' home address.

*brainwave*
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Fri 23 May 2008, 12:38, closed)

Speaking as someone who was brought up in an Atheist household
I can't really emphasize with much of the Catholic/Protestant stuff, but here's some advice.

If you've saved up enough money (or have other means of support) to do your own thing and there's a project you've always wanted to do, do it! Perhaps you should try reading the Manual (I've not read it yet but I heard it describes this sort of thing). Just make sure you don’t get sucked into b3ta or you’ll never get anything done.

As for spoon-feeding your students, try something to make them feel ashamed of themselves. The subtler, the more manoeuvrability you have if ever you get dragged in front of the HR disciplinary committee. Perhaps instead of a belltower and blood on the quad, you should let their badly spelled e-mails build up to the point where nearly every student has sent one and then go on a mass spelling-correction spree and tell them exactly what's on your mind re spoon-feeding. The campus cleaners will forever be grateful to you.
( mistaspakkaman and the inedible shifting caterpillars, Fri 23 May 2008, 13:38, closed)

we aren't allowed to upset the students
Did I say students? I meant "paying customers".


I'm burnt out. Can't even be arsed fighting it any more.

BTW, it was following my dreams that got me into this job.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Fri 23 May 2008, 14:09, closed)

.
Can't offer you much more advice right now but I'll say that after all you've been through, you deserve a lot better!!!

Although I could recommend taking up a martial art. This is a really excellent way of letting out pent up aggression in a controlled environment.
( mistaspakkaman and the inedible shifting caterpillars, Fri 23 May 2008, 14:33, closed)

I think
you should become a goat farmer.

And while tending your goats you could practice your mad hula hoop skillz.
(Bazongaloid, Fri 23 May 2008, 14:33, closed)

.
I've given this a bit more thought and here's what I have to say. I'm aware of your bipolarism and that I don't fully understand it, but I just thought I'd let out what's on my mind.

From what I read, it sounds like you've either been studying or employed almost constantly since you were 12 with very little time-off. My advice is to take a year off work and responsibility and just indulge in some "You-time". You've contributed greatly to society by writing some computer graphics books, entertaining the QOTW-reading masses with your wit and insightfulness, and goodness knows what else. You've been through a lot of shit and had lots of shit hurled at you and you seem to be allowing yourself to be defined by negativity, so it's about time you did something for yourself. You deserve it! Tell your Protestant work ethic and Catholic guilt to go and STFU! If you have to, rant at your parents about it and if necessary, rant at your grandparents for passing their respective religious badnesses to your parents (but do apologise and make up afterwards, let them know you don’t mean for them to take it too personally and hug them).

My recommendation is to work on a project you've always wanted to do and go travelling. I have several travel-recommendations but I think for you, the best one would be to spend a year in the USA and just let yourself be yourself. Get yourself a great big fuck-off motorbike with a radio tuned to a Classic-Rock station and go wherever you want under your own terms and take on whatever adventure you come across. The great emptiness of Western USA is ideal for when you just want to be alone, and when you want to party like it's 1999, New Orleans is the place to be!

USA is cheap due to the weak dollar, but the rising petrol price may slow you down. Also, any medications you need will not be cheap (although you might be able to get them cheaper if you cross the border into Canada), and do remember to get health insurance before you go.

Seeing you have some mental disorders, your existing place of work will be sympathetic when it comes round to giving out a reference. They may see you taking a year off work as a means of healing yourself. If your new place of employment demands to know why you've got a gap on your CV, just shove the CV up their 'gap'. Once you get your new job after your year-off, you may have shaken off your Catholic guilt, but you may need your Protestant work ethic back so you can get some work done.

I seem to remember just before I went on my holiday you were complaining about an insane failure rate at your university. Maybe your next job should be at a more prestigious university where there are stricter criteria for offering places to students.
( mistaspakkaman and the inedible shifting caterpillars, Sat 24 May 2008, 17:07, closed)

Cure for responsibility?
Here take a shot of this tequila every 5 minutes until desired effect is achieved.*

*Warning side effects may include, vomiting, drowsiness, waffling, waffle making, singing badly, yowling, slurring, shaking, YMCAing and the desire to eat kebabs
( TGB checking Off Topic is still shit at, Wed 28 May 2008, 16:40, closed)