Coping with data entry and copying

[ike]

Anyone else work in an office job doing data entry, filing and copying? I just spent an entire day standing/sitting in front of the copier, and came home feeling like I accomplished absolutely nothing. How do you cope with copying or data entry all day? In a previous job, a supervisor told me they’ve actually had temporary employees walk out during lunch and not return because the data entry was so boring. Anyone else feel restless about staying in one place all day?

Ike

[wordsmith]

It's not the same, because I did have other, more intellectually demanding duties, but when I worked for a newspaper, I did have to devote a percentage of most days to straight-up typesetting press releases for random spot news pieces. Drag.

When I was a paralegal, I didn't especially enjoy taking a pile of intakes and doing 15 rote, point-by-point interviews, and typing the responses/details into a template. Pretty numbing. It's got to be done, but, y'know, not by me.

[yankeeyosh]

Yep...I've had plenty of jobs, even after earning a master's degree, where I mostly do data entry or data scrubbing or something mundane (or even worse...do nothing). I guess you just have to grin and bear it...the economy stinks, and complaining certainly won't help (probably hinder), and just try to grab as much relevant experience as you can...or you could try to find a new job if you think you might be able to find something.

[PenforPrez]

It's not the same, because I did have other, more intellectually demanding duties, but when I worked for a newspaper, I did have to devote a percentage of most days to straight-up typesetting press releases for random spot news pieces. Drag.

I'm the same. I have so many more challenging things to do, but I also have to do mindless entry of customers who returned items into our customer and product database. It makes me feel tired everytime. *yawn* :p

Paul

[drummer]

I've had a couples of those jobs and yeah, it can be miserable. What can help is to listen to music or books on tape or something like that. Places I've worked like that have never had a problem with me listening to my iPod. It can help time go a little faster, though won't completely erase the fact of how dull the work you're doing is.

[wordsmith]

Interestingly, I never minded the monotony of the job I did at a factory summers while I was a college student: packing up service parts for farm equipment, inventorying hardware, unloading steel sheets from trucks.

I really just hate office work. Monontonous factory work, or farm work, I don't find half as tedious, even though it's just as repetitive. The routine tasks are almost soothing in those cases, though, not numbing. I think I just really dislike the office atmosphere, more than anything.

[Mini14]

Anyone else work in an office job doing data entry, filing and copying? I just spent an entire day standing/sitting in front of the copier, and came home feeling like I accomplished absolutely nothing. How do you cope with copying or data entry all day? In a previous job, a supervisor told me they’ve actually had temporary employees walk out during lunch and not return because the data entry was so boring. Anyone else feel restless about staying in one place all day?

Ike

I had a job doing data entry recently, sitting in front of a computer typing in numbers all day. I was only there for 6 weeks (temp job) but by the end of it I was checking my email, or the internet, or my phone pretty much whenever I got the chance (i.e. when no-one was watching), just doing anything to break the monotony. But I did realise towards the end that they didn't mind people listening to mp3 players etc, and that did help a lot to make things more interesting... I understand how you feel.

But at the same time when that job finished I had a lot of trouble finding other work.. and I felt like I should have appreciated it more while I was there, even though it was boring.

[winneythepooh7]

In my field I'd kill to have someone to be able to do these tasks. There's just not enough time in the day and in social work, we get audited pretty frequently so NEED this kind of person to help us with our charts. Otherwise we just need to suck it up and do it even if we don't have the time.


With lay-offs though, these are the first jobs going. I met with an agency we work with yesterday and the director apologized for not being able to send us paperwork we need. But her case managers are at maximum capacity, can't get in the office to do the copying and she had to lay-off all her administrative assistants. She actually invited our agency to send someone in to do the copying we need for our files. :eek:

[jrwilheim]

My advice is, if you're stuck in a job like this, go abroad. Especially if you have a master's degree. There is NO reason to filing and photocopying with a master's degree. If U.S. employers can't use our brains, screw them. There are plenty of jobs overseas.

As long as you're single, there are always tons of jobs teaching English overseas, and they're not even that hard to get. Usually all you need is a B.A. (some schools don't even care about that) and to be a native speaker.

I think this is what caused me so many problems at my first two jobs out of college. It was all this kind of crap. I had a brain and I wanted to be using it. I'm still not using it fully on this job. But at least I occasionally get to feel like I'm really helping people (maybe not as often as I'd like, but at least SOME of the time) and doing something I know employers will look favorably on when I do eventually return to the States.

[wordsmith]

Actually, you don't even need to be single to teach English overseas. One of my fellow teachers and his wife just came back from teaching several years in Taiwan.

But, at any rate, going abroad simply isn't a feasible employement solution for everyone, for many reasons.

[erika36]

I get restless standing or sitting in one place all day doing one thing. I had a filing job in which I was on my feet all day but I liked being able to move around. Now I've been applying for office jobs and the thought of sitting in one place all day makes me want to hurl.

[jrwilheim]

Actually, you don't even need to be single to teach English overseas. One of my fellow teachers and his wife just came back from teaching several years in Taiwan.

But, at any rate, going abroad simply isn't a feasible employement solution for everyone, for many reasons.

This is true. It's just a lot easier to find a job teaching English if you're unattached. I've known some teaching couples, but it's hard for a lot of schools to find accomodation for a couple (especially if the school owns or rents the apartments directly).

No...it's not a solution for everyone. I just think it's ridiculous, though, that people are expected to spend 4 years of their life getting a bachelor's, or even more getting a master's, and then spend 4-6 years doing low-level clerical crap that just requires a photocopier and a pulse. What's the point of developing critical thinking skills, etc., if we're not going to be put into a position to use them? Or if, by the time we are put in a position to use them, they've been numbed down by not being used for so long?

[caostotale]

I just think it's ridiculous, though, that people are expected to spend 4 years of their life getting a bachelor's, or even more getting a master's, and then spend 4-6 years doing low-level clerical crap that just requires a photocopier and a pulse. What's the point of developing critical thinking skills, etc., if we're not going to be put into a position to use them? Or if, by the time we are put in a position to use them, they've been numbed down by not being used for so long?

Sometimes I'll stay up almost all night reading shit on the internet and watching TV and I'll go into work the next day as a complete zombie with 2-hours sleep. I wish to Christ I could say that it negatively affected by work quality, but I can't. Even when I can barely keep my eyes focused and my brain is ready to collapse in on itself, I am still good enough for the work that's usually handed to me. Speaking of which, tomorrow the task at hand is sending about 300 identical template-based e-mails out to our entire clientele, so I'll definitely be burning the midnight oil tonight.

[winneythepooh7]

For those of you stuck in this kind of rut as well, maybe check out something in human services? Even if you have to start out entry-level, at least your day will hardly ever be "boring" and you are doing work that can make a difference.

Just an idea.

[vinsanity]

Anyone else work in an office job doing data entry, filing and copying? I just spent an entire day standing/sitting in front of the copier, and came home feeling like I accomplished absolutely nothing. How do you cope with copying or data entry all day? In a previous job, a supervisor told me they’ve actually had temporary employees walk out during lunch and not return because the data entry was so boring. Anyone else feel restless about staying in one place all day?

Ike

I was working a part-time job like this while I was in college, and all my entertainment came from chit-chatting with coworkers who were luckily very cool people; even the supervisors and managers. We would also engage in the occasional prank or two. It was a second-shift job, so we had a diverse group of people working there who also had day jobs.

[ugarachel82]

I do plenty of this as a teaching assistant as well, and I must say it's a nice break from the actual teaching I do as well. In dealing with snotty kids and redirecting behavior, it's nice to know that a copy machine and a computer don't talk back. I do enjoy it as kind of a "behind the scenes" actitivity of the day. I couldn't deal if I had to do it ALL DAY, and like a previous poster said, I enjoy the thought-provoking, hands-on, teaching work much better. Everything in balance, I suppose!