Document scanning job

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Hi all:

I just got a temp job prepping documents to be scanned. Some of you may be interested in something like this if there is a document scanning facility in your town/city.

Every day, I get a banker's box full of folders and I have to sort them and prep them according to specific instructions. It is super easy, and I can wear headphones. I work the day shift, but 2nd shift is 3:30pm-11pm, and 3rd shift is 11pm-7am for you loner night owls. Basically it's good because you don't really HAVE to interact with people all that much if you don't want to. And I can wear comfy clothes. I don't have to dress up and wear makeup if I don't want to. Most people are in jeans and t-shirts.

Now, I went to one of the best universities in the country, and last year, I made $55k. So why am I working for $8.50 an hour? Because every high earning job I have ever had led to burnout, due to requirements that I socialize at work, interact with LOTS of "personalities (as they say), do a lot of customer service, and conform to seem like a posh elegant conservative as opposed to the funky liberal artist that I am. Burnout.

The mornings are nice and quiet, and getting out at 3:30pm is great because then I have dedicated time during my period of high energy (the evening) to write and do my artwork, and I get to bed early so I can wake up early. I like the structure. It's not challenging, so in order to keep my brain happy, I'm putting things like Richard Feynman's physics lectures on my iPod and I'll probably do some sort of language learning software in addition to lengthy and difficult novels like Proust's A Remembrance of Things Past. Maybe I'll do all of St. John's reading list! Some Marcus Aurelius and some Cicero. That might be fun.

So what I get is: Structure, Quiet, Low Work Stress, Low Social Stress, Some Pay, No Burnout, an Opportunity to Grow via Feynman Lectures and Proust, and a Dedicated Time to do Creative Work. Also, because I get paid so little, I'm learning to be VERY FRUGAL, and now I'm saving for a condo! WHO KNEW! When I made a lot more it was like, ooh, look at all the things I can buy! Now it's like, where can I put my money to the best use! It's sad that it took a DRASTIC pay cut for me to look at money this way, but whatever works!

I think I'm going to work here until I can get an early AM stocking job at Costco - higher pay, stick to the early morning hours.

Do I need an expensive Bachelor's degree for this? No. But this lets me retain the energy to focus on my passion during my own time. Remember, Einstein worked as a clerk, and had a lot of time to hang around and think all day.

If you're at a crossroads, and thinking of what to do next, this may buy you some time to figure that out without lots of burnout.

You're caning it at life, making a contribution to society, giving yourself the ability to do the things you want, keeping your brain occupied and healthy, and learning new skills especially planning. You've discovered first hand that you don't need a lot of money to be happy. Full of win!
So what is your diet like now compared to before?

I'm glad that you have found something that works for you. While I don't want to stay at my current job forever, I am okay with it and in many ways it's a good fit for me. However, my boss keeps dropping hints about promoting me, and that worries me because it would mean my job would be much more "people involved" and less "task oriented." Doing those simple, repetitive tasks is what I love about the job!

Your situation sounds a lot like mine, except that I haven't found a suitable new job yet. I lasted about 2 months as a software engineer that paid nearly $60K but quit due to the constant social requirements of the job. I was burned out everyday to the point where I couldn't function and enjoy life. I have a master's degree in a scientific field with programming background.

I live at home with my mom for now, so I have enough money to carry me over for a while until I figure out what I want to do next. Like yourself, I'd rather be in a lower paying job that I can handle socially than have a higher paying job that I can't.

Hi TreeShadow!

I absolutely hear you on this, and if you have a formal diagnosis, when/if you are offered a promotion, that might be the time to come out. Last year I was an Executive Assistant at a hedge fund in NYC, and the CIO's right hand guy saw that I was smart, and started giving me the same stuff he was giving the interns (Harvard MBAs, etc...) A lot of this was basic market research to see which way the wind blew for certain companies...and it required a lot of cold calls to regular people. I had crying meltdowns in the bathroom from this, and I eventually asked him if there was a way I could do something else instead. Because I'm smart and I pass, I always thought I could do whatever anyone gave me to do...now I see that leads to burnout. I don't have a formal diagnosis, but organizing my life as though I do is soooo helpful for my sanity and happiness!

If I had a formal diagnosis at the time, and was given the same sort of research jobs (basically...market research, the worst), I would probably have a private chat with HR and this analyst, and say, "I am so honored, and so flattered that you see this potential in me. Thank you for this offer. I do regret that I must decline. I don't want to seem ungrateful, so now seems an appropriate time to tell you why -- I am autistic/have Asperger's, and might not be the best fit for a more people-oriented role. I am, however, quite open to taking on greater responsibilities in areas that play to my strengths, such as technology (or whatever your strengths are). You could also just leave out any mention of AS and just say that you're happy with your current role, and feel that it is a good fit for you, and do not think that you are the right person for this other role. If you do it right, they will probably be surprised, but impressed with your honesty, self-knowledge, and humility. I've read stories of talented engineers, etc., who were promoted into managerial or administrative roles, and became very unhappy, and negotiated their way back to their previous positions, where they became once again happy and productive. Good luck!

When I was doing the marketing thing, I thought up an IT project I could do for the Analyst...and he was totally on board! And IT pitched a f*cking fit because they only saw me as a temp-to-hire secretary even though I have experience as a programmer. (I'm a good programmer, I just don't have that much interest in doing it unless I can also do my creative work.) When I had that Executive Assistant job, I cried weekly if not daily in the bathroom from stress, and often slept from Friday at 7pm to Monday at 7am.

Now, it's only been a week at this scanning job, but I come home every day refreshed and full of energy! That is a new feeling! And it's still daylight out, and the fall weather is so pretty and picturesque!

I think I would program again if I did front-end/back-end programming and design for websites. If I ran my own little business. (Executive function! Eep!) I might study graphic design as voc rehab... I also use all that time during the day in my head to think up ways to work from home and make more money and build wealth...

How has my diet changed since I changed jobs? Well, horror of horrors, I'm on food stamps (which I paid into, with the gobs of taxes I have paid, so there, food stamp haters), so I have a buffer. I don't get a lot, and have to use my own earnings to supplement. The food stamps will likely go away in December, since I just started working and I think I'm just over the income limit now (I have no idea how people survive in this country on minimum wage...)

I eat mostly Paleo, and I keep my eyes open for good deals. My diet is A LOT simpler than before, and I repeat the same meals all the time, to save money and to counter decision fatigue. My staples are organic eggs, chocolate almond milk, grass-fed beef, bacon, chicken sausage, kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, sauerkraut, apples, coffee, and coconut oil. Occasionally I will buy almond butter for a portable snack. Eating high fat, medium protein foods helps my attention, focus, and mood stability. When I eat this way, people always tell me I'm quite pleasant to work with. Someone just today introduced herself at my new job and said that she was happy to see me working there, since I always smiled, and it's nice to be around people who smile. When I don't eat this way, or eat only simple carbs, oh my god, I'm a sodden mess!

Last edited by kalli889 on 01 Nov 2013, 8:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Thanks, Kernel! This is really great to read and to have support. I have a lot of richie rich normie friends in NYC who only know my passing persona, so I have a lot of status anxiety around them. Thank god I'm in the middle of nowhere, flyover country for the winter so I can have peace and quiet at my humble little job and not feel like crap about it!

Hey,

One of my friends looking for document scanning for very long time and I am also recently shifted from Canada to California, So, I also have less knowledge about this place, so please suggest me something for him????

Thank you in advance.

Hey ,
If you want your work to be more easy then you can also distribute this work to the companies who are providing onsite document scanning services . It will be beneficial for both , the company and you . You can get more work and you can distribute that work by spending a small amount . There were many companies across world who were providing this type of services to their customers from long time .
I hope you have found my information helpful .