Fat Pants: Epic Win, Or Epic Fail?

[MadManMike]

f**ks sake... You don't have to go to uni to get a "Posh job". You need virtually no qualifications to get into some college courses, such as vocational courses and shit like that. Talk to a careers advisor, call LearnDirect, call whoever, I don't give a shit.

What I'm trying to get across to you is that just because you've been f**king lazy and can't be arsed putting in work, you're not totally f**ked yet, but if you go and work in your Evans utopia (It really isn't that good. Seriously, f**king listen to what I'm saying), you ARE f**ked. There is nothing after it. Why have working in a f**king awful chain store be the pinnacle of your career? If you want to work in a bike shop, work in a good independent store where you might actually be able to make a difference, not just being a tiny cog in a massive corporate wheel.

QFT.

Fatty, I've done both of these - not bike related but same idea, LBS vs. Chain.

Don't get stuck in the chain stores mate.

Do some training, while it's free. If I could do it I would but I gotta get money coming in. (I'm failing at that at the moment, but I don't plan on failing for much longer).

[*Tom*]

All thease guys know what their on about especially OBM hes been there and worked for evans, listen to him. Im the same age as you, and at college i f**king hate it most of the time and want to leave get a full time job and buy a car etc, but i worked in my LBS for 2 months over the summer at first it was great thought it was all i wanted to do play with bikes, by the end of the 2nd month i was getting home and not wanting to even look at my bike, so im hoping doing this course might get me somewhere and not stuck in a dead end job, it might seem shit now that your not bringing in as much money as you could be, but in 20 years if your still working in evans you going to be pretty f**ked. You need to think more about whats ahead of you in life, house etc . . If your not getting on at school, do what other people have said, find and aprentiship or a college course on something your intersted in theres loads of courses you can do, find one that your interested in, might seem shit now but you'll be glad you did it in a few years. Just my 2pence.

[Mark W]

Bear in mind as well that you're treating "Boring 9-5 office jobs" as a sort of fall-back option, but you're living in the biggest city in the UK with a constantly expanding population. You're going to have a lot of competition for every job you go for, so don't just expect to get a job simply because it's relatively boring/unimportant. If you have no qualifications and don't try and get any, you are going to lose out. If you're living at home and only having to pay £150 a month to live there it won't really be a problem, but when you want to spread your wings, move out, buy more entertainment items and so on, you'll be f**ked. I'm paying £430 a month (incl. bills) for a double room in a kinda crappy block of flats in a relatively sketchy area - although it is pretty central. If you add onto that £30 a week for food (You can get by on less easily, but it's not much fun), that takes you to £550 a month. If you went out on a Friday and Saturday night and spent £20, that's £40 a week, or another £160 a month. That takes your total to £710 a month. That's not even including buying whatever takes your fancy that week, buying clothes so you don't have to turn up to work naked, paying to get to work if you've gotta get a travelcard/top up your Oyster card, buy lunch when you're at work, etc. Out of whatever you'd get after you get taxed (which will be less as you get past 18), that leaves f**k all. So yeah, I wouldn't be so blase about how you'll just fall into a semi-decent job later in life and be able to live comfortably.

[MadManMike]

So yeah, I wouldn't be so blase about how you'll just fall into a semi-decent job later in life and be able to live comfortably.

Again, QFT.

I'm fairly well qualified now and am finding it hard to get even a shit job!

[tomturd]

Bear in mind as well that you're treating "Boring 9-5 office jobs" as a sort of fall-back option, but you're living in the biggest city in the UK with a constantly expanding population. You're going to have a lot of competition for every job you go for, so don't just expect to get a job simply because it's relatively boring/unimportant. If you have no qualifications and don't try and get any, you are going to lose out. If you're living at home and only having to pay £150 a month to live there it won't really be a problem, but when you want to spread your wings, move out, buy more entertainment items and so on, you'll be f**ked. I'm paying £430 a month (incl. bills) for a double room in a kinda crappy block of flats in a relatively sketchy area - although it is pretty central. If you add onto that £30 a week for food (You can get by on less easily, but it's not much fun), that takes you to £550 a month. If you went out on a Friday and Saturday night and spent £20, that's £40 a week, or another £160 a month. That takes your total to £710 a month. That's not even including buying whatever takes your fancy that week, buying clothes so you don't have to turn up to work naked, paying to get to work if you've gotta get a travelcard/top up your Oyster card, buy lunch when you're at work, etc. Out of whatever you'd get after you get taxed (which will be less as you get past 18), that leaves f**k all. So yeah, I wouldn't be so blase about how you'll just fall into a semi-decent job later in life and be able to live comfortably.

You missed out the hundred odd quid that just disappears every month, on apparently nothing - even taking into account the odd sandwich and what not.

Plus if you're thinking salary, £13,000 (what I was on - with decent GCSEs, A Levels and half a degree) works out as £1080 odd a month before tax (great), £840 odd after tax (not so great). It soooon disappears.

[Fixed Pants™]

Got the job Boshed out like 5 bikes quickly, perfectly... Made the decision today

Thing is i've only got 1 month left at school anyway, so i might aswell just get my maths gcse and be done with it.

[Davetrials]

Got the job Boshed out like 5 bikes quickly, perfectly... Made the decision today

Thing is i've only got 1 month left at school anyway, so i might aswell just get my maths gcse and be done with it.

bye bye future.

[Tom_]

bye bye future.

I said the same.

[Fixed Pants™]

bye bye future.

No, Dave. You don't know shit...

Not gonna explain it, because i've already explained it to enough people on MSN.

It's not bad, and i'm gonna to college when i get bored and want a 'normal' job. (1/2/3 years maybe)

I'm so super awesome at bike mechanics, that Halfords are now virtually begging for me to stay by offering me more money etc (not sure how much more yet) but yeah, i'm awesome.

Feels good to be wanted by two massive companies.

[Fishy]

oh my god, no comment.

[Caleb]

No, Dave. You don't know shit...

Not gonna explain it, because i've already explained it to enough people on MSN.

It's not bad, and i'm gonna to college when i get bored and want a 'normal' job. (1/2/3 years maybe)

I'm so super awesome at bike mechanics, that Halfords are now virtually begging for me to stay by offering me more money etc (not sure how much more yet) but yeah, i'm awesome.

Feels good to be wanted by two massive companies.

you know you have to pay for college after 2 years of compulsary education like 3.5 k a year or so.

also you cnat be super good at mechanics can you build and true wheels to tight tolerances etc? or just build apollo's quite quick?

[Fixed Pants™]

you know you have to pay for college after 2 years of compulsary education like 3.5 k a year or so.

also you cnat be super good at mechanics can you build and true wheels to tight tolerances etc? or just build apollo's quite quick?

Yeah, i know. Which is why i've drafted in 100-200 quid a month at least, as savings, as I can more than afford to do so.

And yes, i can build fairly confidently, and true awesomely.

[Ash-Kennard]

Yeah, i know. Which is why i've drafted in 100-200 quid a month at least, as savings, as I can more than afford to do so.

And yes, i can build fairly confidently, and true awesomely.

you tit

[basher]

you know you have to pay for college after 2 years of compulsary education like 3.5 k a year or so.

also you cnat be super good at mechanics can you build and true wheels to tight tolerances etc? or just build apollo's quite quick?

whattt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At my college in burnley, its costs around 200quid for a year. And its recognised as i think one of the top five colleges in the UK i think.

[nc7r]

good to be wanted by two massive companies.

It's a bit of a shame that one of them is Halfords,who are possibly the shittest company for looking after employees, long term profitability or generally working for.

They sell shit stuff, have shit internal employee structure, no progression in to a job that pays more than 20k a year and such.

Halfords are generally the shittest company I've ever worked for.

[haydon_peter]

Yeah, i know. Which is why i've drafted in 100-200 quid a month at least, as savings, as I can more than afford to do so.

And yes, i can build fairly confidently, and true awesomely.

Or you could f**k doing full time work now and go to college for FREE.

Don't waste your money later in life doing something you could do now for free. If you are avoiding doing college now due to lack of exam results your only going to be in the same situation whenever you decide to go back into education? If you take a break from education now its going to be even harder to settle back into it in the future!

I didn't like college that much while I was there but looking back on it I have realised what a great 2 years it was!

During college you can have fun, meet loads of new people, ride your bike during all the free time you are likely to have, make use of a large amount of holiday instead of just having 20ish days per year, you don't have to worry about having to book your holiday when it suits the company, its unlikely you will be allowed to book holiday during busy school holiday periods when your mates in education are on holiday.

I would be amazed if you take home the amount of money you quoted earlier working in retail, like Tom said you are going to get raped by the tax man! If your in education you get to avoid Mr Tax man!

If you start work now when are you going to learn to drive? Speaking from experience fitting in regular driving lessons while you are working full time can be awkward.

The list goes on! Stick with education! If you can think of something you would like to do at college apply and go to the interview with a positive mind, as long as you show your adult and that your keen you would probably get onto the course even with bad GCSE's. If your results aren't good enough to do A-Levels you could do a foundation course/GNVQ which would lead you onto a BTEC and then you could even continue to University.

Sit down and brainstorm your interests and get your arse to a careers advisor now before its too late!

[Mark W]

Erm, you're about 4 pages too late for all this Tic

[Dan Campbell]

"Loads of truth"

^that^

[Janson]

i think someone should start a "the wonderful world of fatpants" thread before another good thread is ruined.

[Mark W]

Not entirely. I'm failing this year, again, anyway... Even my 6th form manager (who is safe as f**k, and definitely knows what he's doing) is willing to help me get a job n stuff.

It's pretty good, i cba to write out all the good things 'cos i'm lazy, but it's good. And biking is my passion, so why not do something i enjoy? In life, i want things to be fun/at least not the kind of job i go home and feel like never going back to work again, every night (if you naa mean?) And f**k it, if i don't get an extra grand or two a year 'cos i'm not doing something boring as f**k, i don't care.

Wow that was a load of shit. But i expect you get the general idea. All work, all play.

EDIT: On an angry note, when the f**k am i gonna get my tomorrow we work DVD? It's gay waiting...

Forgot to add - Evans shifts are the worst timing, ever. That's literally ever. 11-8. Who the f**k wants to work those hours? Start too late to really get much done in the morning, end pretty late in the day. It was f**king awful. Just takes over your entire life for working for a f**king terrible corporation.

But yeah, have fun.

[Tom_]

Forgot to add - Evans shifts are the worst timing, ever. That's literally ever. 11-8. Who the f**k wants to work those hours? Start too late to really get much done in the morning, end pretty late in the day. It was f**king awful. Just takes over your entire life for working for a f**king terrible corporation.

But yeah, have fun.

Lol.

"pwnd"

[Muel]

Glen, stop being such a tit. Get your arse to the nearest college and tell them you want to do a BTEC in something you enjoy, and this time, don't f**k it up! If you go to work in Evan's, you are restricting your options. My mate is doing it the hard way, he did a mechanics apprenticeship, and got himself working in some really decent dealerships earning really decent money, but he can no longer be a mechanic for medical reasons, so he is now 26, still living with his mum and going to college with me three days a week and working his arse off to try and keep his car on the road.

If you want to leave education, fair play. Get into an apprenticeship, at least then you will have something worthwhile on your CV!

Imagine the scene at a future employers...

"Hmm, this lad did an apprenticeship and has a few years experience under him."

"This lad has been working at Evan's for the last few years."

it's pretty obvious, you will struggle to find work that pays any more than in a bike shop.

[Mark W]

Ooooooone last thing - last summer, I did a cleaning job. I had to clean the halls of residence I'd formerly lived in, then over the summer holiday when they're let out as accommodation for people coming over to learn English/hold conferences, I had to do room servicing (Just cleaning 'n' stuff, not breakfast in bed/handjobs) and more cleaning.

You started at 9, and worked until you'd finished, which was usually about 6pm or so.

In the first week, I had to deal with cleaning toilets that were literally black and caked in about half an inch of dried on shit, had to scrub ripened human body-fat off walls, had to push shit down a shower drain-hole, and had to do a load of other stuff that was pretty f**king awful.

However, it was still better than working at Evans because I felt like I was actually achieving something. For the first week, we were each assigned lists of 8-bedroom flats, and we had to make sure all the 400+ rooms were cleaned within that week so we could let people stay in them. That week was f**king hard, like literally you'd have sweat pouring out of you because you were having to scrub super hard on tiled walls/toilets whilst letting the hot-tap run in the virtually sealed rooms so you had a good supply of hot water to help scrub the chemicals off with. It was really crap, but it still felt like I'd achieved something every day because I'd have cleaned out flat B8, or cleaned all the kitchens in C-block, or whatever. It felt like I'd put in a decent days work. As a result, although it was kinda shitty, I still enjoyed that job far more than I ever did at Evans simply because I felt like I was doing something. Helping out people I was working with, etc. Not just helping a massive company make a slightly larger profit by fleecing more f**ktards on over-priced commuting bikes and foldable bikes that don't suit their needs.

So yeah, that's all I'm saying. You don't have to do a job based on something you're interested in to lead a fullfilling and enjoyable working life. I'd often start thinking about stuff I wanted to do riding-wise whilst I was cleaning, yet when I was in Evans, I wanted nothing to do with bikes at all.

But yeah, that's just me I guess.

[Tom_]

Yea seriously glenneth, Iv spoken to you on msn about it but why spend moeny on college later when you can do it now? It makes NO sense atall. and 12k a year is not alot for a full time job.... atall.

and its a bike shop, I work in a bike shop now (I know you do aswell) but working there HAS effected my motivation to ride, just being around bikes all day fixing punctures, building up the same bikes over n over again... I cannot be bothered to then come home and ride my bike... The only perk is trade price, get your bmx, then quit lol and ride LDN and stuff with me.

edit: also listen to mark? hes speaking from experience obviously if he prefered scrubbing dried shit off bogs then surley its not gunna be great...

Edited April 18, 2008 by Tom_

[Hendrix]

whattt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At my college in burnley, its costs around 200quid for a year. And its recognised as i think one of the top five colleges in the UK i think.

Mine's £3500 a year. And you have to agree to a 4 year course. H-Dip and Degree. But yet it's a Music College? B

astar

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