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Old 06-16-2008, 06:44 AM   #1
blackwater1110
 
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Goth jobs?

Hey all,

So I recently graduated college (yay...?) which presents me with an interesting conundrum. I wish to retain all of my current stylistic elements while simultaneously not starving on the street, re-applying nailpolish and hairspray nightly, or becoming a weekend goth. So my question to yinz, is: what are some goth-friendly jobs out there in the real world? Ones where I could realistically tie back the deathawk in a ponytail and get away with polish. Ideas?
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Old 06-16-2008, 06:46 AM   #2
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Stop over doing your look and get a real job.
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Old 06-16-2008, 06:47 AM   #3
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Dude, it's already hard enough to get a job these days. Forget about keeping your "cool" look and bite the bullet. I'm so sick of people thinking that their look is so important that they need to get a job that allows it. Yea, it fucking sucks that you have to look a certain way, but it's just the way it is. Suck it up.

If you do get a "goth friendly" job, congrats.
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Old 06-16-2008, 06:50 AM   #4
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It will be near impossible when oil will become 200$/barrel
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Old 06-16-2008, 06:59 AM   #5
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While completely ineffectual, your posts reminded me of another point. Is goth fashion really only available to high-school and college kids, weekend warriors, and the independently wealthy? I, for one, don't find normal clothing very appealing, and intend to dress as I do out of aesthetic preference for the remainder of my life. Since you two seem to be talking from a "been there, done that" attitude, how did you confront this?
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Old 06-16-2008, 07:03 AM   #6
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You don't. Generally, people grow up and realize that paying rent and not dying of starvation is a lot better than dressing like a twat.
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Old 06-16-2008, 07:20 AM   #7
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I didn't realize that "growing up" meant submitting to a culturally-enforced set of norms prescribed to curtail one's individuality, consciously repressing self-expression and individual freedom in exchange for the privilege of survival. If that's what growing up means, call me Peter Pan. Do you enjoy being a round peg in a square hole, Ducky?

Does anyone have anything constructive to say?
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Old 06-16-2008, 07:30 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blackwater1110

Does anyone have anything constructive to say?
I do.

Stop being a smart ass. When Duck said "grow up," he didn't mean conform, he meant decide what's more important--a good job, or dressing in a way that prevents you from getting a good job.

Like Badteccy said, it's very difficult to find work right now, so you have to be perfect in every way, and that includes hair and makeup.

When you find a job low on the ladder, they own you. Keep doing the best you can to make more and more money, and get more and more power, and then consider the luxury of dressing how you want.



Also, I wonder: Why do you want to be able to dress noticeably goth at work anyway? Work is for working, and while it would be nice if we got to express ourselves in everything we do, we just don't. At work you should be focused on what you're doing, not focused on your clothing.
You can always change when you get home.
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Old 06-16-2008, 07:32 AM   #9
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Yes, but because we're not telling you to dress like a cliché, then you won't see that what we're saying makes sense.

What are your qualifications, for a start. There are very few jobs that don't involve you wearing a uniform of some sort, even if it's a suit. You could always be a drug dealer, they get to wear whatever they want. Or try get a job where ever you buy your retarded clothes in the first place, maybe they're looking to hire a walking cliché.

Good luck not dying!
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Old 06-16-2008, 07:44 AM   #10
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I agree with Duckman and Ophelia. I lucked out and worked with computers for a summer and my boss happened to be goth in the 80's, so she didn't care what we wore. Now that I'm going to work for gamestop, I get to wear the super awesome gamestop uniform like everyone else. And hey, I don't care, money's money no matter what you wear while making it.
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Old 06-16-2008, 08:03 AM   #11
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1. Stop being a smart ass. Noted.
2. I'm not looking for a good job, or a career, or for a place on the ladder, or to be owned, for that matter. I'm looking for money, but not at the expense of my freedom. I'd much rather starve and be free than be a whore.
3. I don't intend on going to work all gothed up. But I won't cut my hair, and I don't think it's fair to make me remove nail polish daily, either.
4. I don't mind wearing a uniform--that has a practical function, namely distinguishing employees from everyone else.
5. Ducky, I haven't insulted you once. Fuck off with the pithy remarks.
6. This is supposed to be theoretical. I am sort of looking for work, but mainly I'm trying to compose a list for future reference of things I could do/make that are sources of income.

Let me get the ball rolling with ideas I came up with:
-translator
-english teacher
-tour guide
-bartender
-bouncer
-promoter
-trucker

Any other ideas?
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Old 06-16-2008, 08:07 AM   #12
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Listen, if you want to survive in the world, you need to give up that attitude. You WORK for a BOSS, there's a reason why we give them these terms. You are obliged to do what they want, otherwise you don't get paid. Where does it end? You don't want to make copies for someone, but you have to to get paid, any different than dress? I don't think so. You need to really think of something that's going to rake in the cash in order to have a good life. Don't think you can get by on a mall salary forever.
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Old 06-16-2008, 08:14 AM   #13
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Unless you want to live with yr parents forever.

I've already said, go hand in a CV to where ever you buy your totally awesome goff clothes, if they won't hire you, you can either ask your folks for more pocket money, go on welfare, or buck the fuck up and stop being a dick head. If dressing a certain way and wearing nail polish all the time is REALLY such a big deal, then you have a 5% chance of someone hiring you. Unless you'd be a massive asset to a company (Which I doubt), then it's not gonna happen.
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Old 06-16-2008, 08:33 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bleedingheart344
Listen, if you want to survive in the world, you need to give up that attitude. You WORK for a BOSS, there's a reason why we give them these terms. You are obliged to do what they want, otherwise you don't get paid. Where does it end? You don't want to make copies for someone, but you have to to get paid, any different than dress? I don't think so. You need to really think of something that's going to rake in the cash in order to have a good life. Don't think you can get by on a mall salary forever.
It ends where my job ends. Whether or not I'm wearing nail polish has nothing to do with my capacity for performing said job. Making copies for someone is part of my job; whether I wear my hair the same as the guy next to me is not. In theory, what my boss thinks of my hair is none of his goddamn business. Thanks for reminding me, however, that the real world has little to do with how things actually are. Consider my cushy collegiate bubble burst.
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Old 06-16-2008, 08:47 AM   #15
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Our work here is done.
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Old 06-16-2008, 08:48 AM   #16
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Seriously, when you feel the need for your goffickness to define everything that you do, you're one sad motherfucker.
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Old 06-16-2008, 09:05 AM   #17
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Bloody hell, blackwater's not suggesting going to work with a foot-high green deathhawk wearing nothing but ripped fishnets and knee-high platform boots. Getting a job while still keeping an 'alternative' style really isn't that difficult, especially when you manage to still look tasteful.

I know a hell of a lot of goths with perfectly respectable jobs, and not a single one sacrifices their style for it. A good number of them are professionals in their field with PhDs sitting on their shelves right next to the hairspray and black nailpolish.

Now... one job that every single young goth in Melbourne seems to get at some point is working in a call centre in customer service and all that stuff. None of them have much of a dresscode, and all they care about is that you're able to talk on the phone. It also pays pretty well in comparison to other no-experience-required jobs.

Also working in nightfill at supermarkets and departments stores - perfect for anyone nocturnal, and graveyard shift has good rates.

Aaaand for earning some extra cash, selling stuff on eBay is pretty easy.

In terms of later careers/education, I've noticed that anything involving a higher education like a masters or PhD generally won't have any problem with how people look. It seems once you get to that point, it's mainly your knowledge and skills that matter.
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Old 06-16-2008, 09:10 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by I Am Great.
You don't. Generally, people grow up and realize that paying rent and not dying of starvation is a lot better than dressing like a twat.
For that, i now respect your opinion, good job. could not say it better.
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Old 06-16-2008, 09:17 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cicero
I know a hell of a lot of goths with perfectly respectable jobs, and not a single one sacrifices their style for it. A good number of them are professionals in their field with PhDs sitting on their shelves right next to the hairspray and black nailpolish.
I'd imagine the PHDs might have something to do with that.
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Old 06-16-2008, 09:21 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by I Am Great.
I'd imagine the PHDs might have something to do with that.
That was part of my point... getting an education also helps get jobs, regardless of gothiness.
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Old 06-16-2008, 09:32 AM   #21
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You think he'd be hired if he DIDN'T have any PHDs but still dressed like a mook?
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Old 06-16-2008, 09:36 AM   #22
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Depends on who the employer is, but as long as he didn't go all out with a deathhawk tied back, etc, then yes, a lot of jobs would hire him, especially as a college graduate.
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Old 06-16-2008, 09:39 AM   #23
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Call Centers
Insurance Outsourcing

Those are the two kinds of jobs I know off hand.

Blackwater, I understand where you're coming from. I know what you're really saying. No, it really doesn't have anything to do with weather you can wear fishnets to work, it has everything to do with not having others impose their will on you. I get it.

I'm getting ready to cook some breakfast, so I'll leave you with something a bit cryptic until then. If you don't make fashion an issue, then they wont. I'll explain later.
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Old 06-16-2008, 11:02 AM   #24
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Thank you to Kontan and Cicero. Some of the insults I'm getting here seem a little off-the-wall given what I've said about being willing to tone it down. Mainly, I started this thread out of curiosity; I already have work as an English teacher at a kid's summer camp that will pay well enough for the rest of the summer; I'm thinking of this more in terms of future opportunities, specifically international opportunities since I don't plan to hang around the US that long.

I tend not to believe the doom-and-gloom advice, due to a personal experience, where I wore rainbow-colored nail polish to work as a bagger at a grocery store and the manager took issue with it, so I quit and got a job that payed twice as much where they let me wear whatever I wanted. But then, that could have been a fluke.
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Old 06-16-2008, 11:06 AM   #25
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I'd vote that. I look like a hippy, and I have trouble getting jobs. Of course, it doesn't help that I have a record, but a lot of potential employers have told me that they don't care about that given my turn-around.
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