The Afterword

Musings on the byways of popular culture

Menu

Navigation

You are here: Home / Forum / Go on. Cheer me up. Please

Go on. Cheer me up. Please

by 148 Comments

Two weeks ago I applied for a job – not an amazing job, but a decent one. Like a twat and a buffoon I got my hopes up. My hopes of having a job that wasn’t a trap, a dead end, a repetitive trudge where I’m lorded over by intellectual pygmies who are all confidence and no competence, and a total and utter waste of my life.

This evening the rejection came. I wouldn’t say I’d taken it badly, but according to my browser history about an hour ago I googled “I want to die”. I was fast-forwarding to how I’m going to feel on Monday morning knowing This Is The Way Your Life Has To Be For Ever And Fucking Ever, Better Luck Next Time Pal.

Only music can save me from thinking life if completely worthless. Please oblige me.

1

Comments

    • I didn’t even get that – just a centrally generated email from HR instructing me not to ask for feedback because they don’t have time, the poor wee things. Well I don’t really have time to spend hours on applying for a job but I still fucking managed it thanks.*

      Anything involving Sid G. is life-affirming, Dodgedude.

      (*I am NOT bitter)

      • They never do have the time because employers like that don’t really give a shit about anything beyond what they can get out of you for your salary and their HR department care about nothing but hanging on to their own careers and salaries.
        That’s been my experience.
        Working for employers who don’t value people is generally not a happy experience. You’re almost certainly better off elsewhere.

  5. I know the feeling and empathise.

    Here’s something from around 1971- Groovin’ With Mr Bloe. Someone has done a nice video juxtaposition for it too.

  6. When I’m feeling kinda low – an upbeat record like that Katrina and the Waves one makes me feel much worse.

    Our artistic spirit must rests on secure foundations – succour and true joy can only be gathered up again by returning to the great works of our time. Let these simple, serene songs remind you of true inner peace. From here we build.

  8. In my rich history of not getting jobs I thought I really wanted, I almost invariably learn – sometimes not until years later, granted – that the position was a poisoned chalice of some sort. The company goes out of business, it gets bought by pricks, a new manager is introduced who turns out to be a spectacular dick, etc. etc. So look forward to that time when you will make the same discovery about your non-acceptance. And in the meantime, enjoy some Johnny Paycheck.

  14. You get letters ?

    I’m in the job market first time in 30 years and at a touch off sixty it is a rotten place to be.

    My experience is they say if you haven’t heard from is after a week assume you’ve failed.

  15. A slogan we had in the Miner`s Strike back in the day – “Don`t let the bastards grind you down”, I`m lucky Moose, I`ve just said fuck it done my 50 years of toil. However 10/11 years ago when I felt the need to give something back, I was a self employed electrician, I applied for a job of support worker. I was knocked back a couple of times by smarmy know it all twats. I later learned that the companies who had knocked me back were some of the `bad ones`, they don`t exist today. I kept at it and succeeded at the 4th attempt and went on to enjoy helping others at just above minimum wage, then as a coordinator, not much more pay. I loved it. The point is keep at it, I don`t know what you do or want to do but you seem to be `your own man` even if you are a cunt, joking ; )), keep at it but then there`s always the music… Good luck mate.

  18. I woke up this morning and knew exactly what I was going to post. They’ll all be familiar, as I’ve posted the first two before and you’ll definitely have heard the third, but all three properly make me smile, and even give a me tingle sometimes.

    Audition scene from Pitch Perfect:

    Old movie dance clips set to Uptown Funk – unbelievably joyful:

    And finally Donny. Goosebumps when the crowd start singing. Magical. And take note of the song title xx

    Hope you have a good weekend.

  20. Have you ever thought about moving abroad – new perspectives and all that? I have no idea what’ll cheer you up in these circumstances, but there’s a Pete Kember song I’ve had on repeat for a couple of days now. The lyric is resigned, but the music has a quiet, understated majesty that I find incredibly moving and uplifting. I hope you do too. Good luck.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh7hNSHmNH8

    • Moving abroad would be my thought. I’ve never understood how people can spend most of their brief time on this planet doing something they don’t enjoy. I knew at a very young age that wasn’t for me and that early conviction has only strengthened with age.
      I don’t know if you have kids, Moose, but it seems to me that having kids is the only reason to willingly sacrifice your own enjoyment of life. If you haven’t, move somewhere really cheap. Nowadays, with Skype and the net, it’s easy to stay in touch with UK friends and family. Rent out your house in UK and live off the rent. Or if that’s not an option, do part time work (teaching English?). If a feckless fop like me or a macho sex-God like h.p.saucecraft can do it, anyone can.

      • Yeah. The answer to your question is responsibilities to other people, Gary. I can’t speak for anyone else but when I started in my career, and for many years afterwards, I adored it. By the time I stopped adoring it I was senior in my profession and had two children. It’s not that people choose to do jobs they don’t like: they either have no choice or they liked it when they started and then got stuck.

      • Yes, I’d agree with that, although Brexit could severely narrow the options with regards to living in the EU. Here in Spain, you can rent or buy for a fraction of UK prices. Food and booze is a lot cheaper, and there is always lots of sun and clear blue sky to lift the spirits.

        • We are just starting to plot leaving the UK when I’m too old to keep pushing flight cases around for a living (about 10 years or so). Greece looks favourite at the moment although my wife wants to keep a place here.

      • If your present circumstances allow, or encourage it, a dramatic physical displacement – preferably to a country where the weather isn’t shit and a round of drinks and a bag of crisps doesn’t cost thirty quid – will put a shine on your boots, a spring in your step, and a song on your lips. Ho for the open road and all that. If such an option isn’t open to you, obtain job satisfaction at work by carefully engineering the career ruin of your “superiors” through anonymous sabotage and treachery in the workplace. You’re smarter than they are. Be merciless.

      • “Move somewhere really cheap” – dude, I live in Hull. The only place cheaper is medieval Iceland. (cue joke about prawn rings)

        As to HP’s point about sabotaging the careers of my superiors, I do that without even trying. Though there’s probably some more fun to be had in that direction.

        *consults Roger the Dodger’s Book of Wheezes*

  23. Listen to Gary fine advice, Moose.

    Do like me and move to a country where the sun shines 12 months a year and the booze is cheap.

    Er well, …almost anyway.

    But when you do head for Heathrow, your packs packed to start a new life, I think you should also give some thought to the Afterword. How great it would be for us to have a blogger in some new far-flung corner of the world.

    Imagine how popular your posts would be if you were blogging about the metal scene in Siberia or the reggae bands of Antarctica!

    Failing that, there’s always Morocco……

  28. Don’t know how to post clips. Just as well. Wouldn’t want to start a trend of frenetically posting innumerable clips and then manically responding to my own posts. That way madness lies.
    What I would suggest (apart from listening to Da Doo Ron Ron on constant rotation) is to buy ‘What coilour is my Parachute’ and work through that or a book called, IIRC, ‘What job do I want to do?’.
    You are not imprisoned on a galley ship – you can make efforts to change your life. Only one person can do this though and you have to be willing to make your very best efforts and accept that you will often face rejection.

    • Your last paragraph struck a chord with me. 22 years ago I was stuck in a rut, properly going nowhere and pretty broke, when a casual acquaintance said, “If it’s not working then do something else.” It was so obvious yet it took someone else to say it. Honestly, it changed my life and gave me the kick up the arse to get out of the mess I was in.

    • This is good advice that I may well take, being in bit of a work rut myself. The main problem I have with changing up my life is that all I have ever wanted to be is an astronaut or a member of The Rolling Stones circa 1973, and it’s going to take one hell of a self help book to pull that one off.

      • Moving is a no-no for me. Moving to our current house – which I love – was a very long and stressful process which I wouldn’t want to put the long-suffering Mrs M through again. She already has to put up with various ongoing health conditions and a husband who likes Kluster.

  29. Nice thoughts all. Yes you have cheered me up.

    One of my major talents is sitting on my arse feeling sorry for myself – perhaps I should have left that off the application.

    Seriously… thanks.

  30. Moose the conclusions I’m reaching are:

    1. networks have very limited benefit. Unless you are a complete gun and a position is bang on your attributes then people will say best of luck and get on with their lives.

    2, Jobs have really tight requirements because everything has got a specific course for some narrow task so they will say “must have XYZ” and they mean it. Your sweet talking application saying I don’t have X and Y but I do have Z just doesn’t cut it ,especially as the first cull of applications is often done by a computer looking for keywords.

    3 I’m realising that all my world of experience and competencies mean fuck all if you don’t fit the box. Switching careers seems to mean you must take time out and get the qual they insist on and then maybe then that qual plus your other stuff might count for something. Course by then I’ll be even older than now. But it’s like Ian said further up, what do you really want to do leads to what is it that they want that is going to get me a job doing what I want to do and then alas figuring out how to get whatever it is they want.

  32. Moose, that’s a pisser.

    I shan’t have you upset. I’m packing my whoopee cushion and I’m coming to stay for a month.

    Watch this over and over again until I get there.

  36. Why didn’t I think of it? What a disconsolate Moose needs is some hot Coco.

    Quadron – Hey Love

    And now for the hard-core Quadronaires, here’s a short doc about them playing live with a full band at the Concert House in Copenhagen.

  37. Moose, you know that if I had a spare job I’d give you one.

    “You can take your stinking job and shove it right up your arse!” Or something – it’s right at the end.

    Flowered Up – Weekender.

  38. A postscript:

    Today, just as I’m starting to repress my disappointment, they mistakenly sent me details of the presentation task as if I’d been invited for interview…. and I had to spend the rest of the day thinking about how I would have totally shredded that motherfucker!

    (This isn’t a mistake, I think it beats the Yvonne Fair version… just)

  39. Here’s something that might cheer you up Moosey. I discovered Tina Turner’s 1974 album of country covers this morning, a must for fans of country soul (sadly never released on CD). Here’s one of the two Dylan songs from it:

      • Thanks luv.

        “I picked this for its sound quality” is going to be my go-to excuse from now on for fruity content. That said, the images of Nick Cave and some auld coffin dodger put me off me stroke somewhat. (Not much, mind – momentum and all that)

        Anything that tries to rescue TT’s reputation from 80s stadium naffery and reassert what an outstanding singer she was is A Good Thing. It’s a sad truth, but in much the same way that David Bowie was making some of his best music when he was nearly overdosing, Tina Turner made her best music when regularly getting the living snot beaten out of her by Ike. Sorry.

        She’s due a Rick Rubin-inspired renaissance, non? Except I think she’s kicked up her high-heels for good.

Leave a Reply