Reality vs ideal reality of 9–5 jobs just like yours

Find out what two people with normal everyday jobs are like in reality and what they would like them to be.

Des and his ideal day as After Sales Support at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Auckland, New Zealand

“I wake up ten mins early & step out of bed wiggling my toes into our new, plush shag pile carpet. I put on my work uniform which is ready for me, get into my late model company car with no frost on the windscreen & turn on the heated seat option.

Des Parsons

I play my favorite songs while driving to work with almost no traffic on the roads as it’s the school holidays.

I arrive at work and am able to park right outside my office. On the way to my desk, I greet and chat with my fellow colleagues. No one is coming up to me with a problem – so I arrive at my desk relaxed and calm.

I open my emails to find they are all full of compliments and praise for being great at what I do. Then I sort out all the days problems before midday and go upstairs to the cafeteria to have a fabulous three course lunch served by our five star cafe.

Because I’ve done all my work by midday I knock off early to go and have my facial and massage on my way home.”

But this is what it is really like

Rolls-Royce Auckland © Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd.

“I wake up later than I should, so I rush and get downstairs to make coffee which didn’t turn out as good as it did yesterday.

I run down the driveway in the rain (again) to get into the car. I put on my music & head off to be stuck in heavy traffic due to everyone taking their cars because of the rain.

When I arrive at work I see that there are no car parks close by so I park down the road.

Walking wet into the office, only so that I am confronted by people with problems and complaints, which never seem to end.”

“I manage to get up to the cafeteria for late lunch to see, they are serving chips, salad & lasagne and the cook isn’t in the happiest of moods.

After lunch I go back down to work and spend far too long trying to sort out faults on a problem car. This is costing the company time and money and will eat into our budget figures for the month.

I manage to get away from work later than intended while it’s still raining so it’s a slow drive home.”

What would Andrea like her ideal day to be like as Office Manager at electroplating company, Auckland, New Zealand

“My ideal day would start by getting a phone call from my boss to arrive to work at midday. Just because I was working too hard lately.

I arrive at work and the staff have just gone to lunch so the factory is quiet and the phones aren’t ringing.

Andrea Mary Walsh

What would Andrea like her ideal day to be like as Office Manager at electroplating company, Auckland, New Zealand

“My ideal day would start by getting a phone call from my boss to arrive to work at midday. Just because I was working too hard lately.

I arrive at work and the staff have just gone to lunch so the factory is quiet and the phones aren’t ringing.

There is bouquet of flowers waiting for me on my desk. Flowers are from a customer, for whom we managed to do his order on time.

Afternoon is quiet and the phone rings only from time to time. All the phone calls are to compliment me on my professionalism. The orders that have come in are of high dollar value. They come to us with all the correct paperwork and purchase orders. Also they have an achievable date to complete them by.

I have my 15 minute afternoon break complete with a strong cappucino coffee. Because I am not interrupted, I am also able to complete my banking procedures on time.

I am now finished for the day. I stop by my local library on my way home to choose a book or two. Then I remember that there was enough dinner left over from the previous night, so I don’t have to cook.”

Reality is different:

“My alarm goes off at 6 AM and I am so tired, I stay in bed until 6.35 AM. By that time I know that the morning will be a rush.

Industrial Electroplaters LTD building

The phone starts ringing almost immediately. It’s a customer saying how desperate they are for their job and how soon can it be ready. I put the call through to the foreman and no-one answers it. So I have to walk all the way down the factory and try to find the job and due date myself while keeping the customer holding.

I manage to download the times from the Time Clock to see a couple of key staff are away so know pressure will be on the others. It’s 10 AM before I know it and go up the road to get my boss and myself a coffee.

When I sit down a truck arrives wanting someone to drive the forkhoist to unload it. In the meantime there are other interruptions and when I get to my much awaited coffee the foam is flat & the coffee cold!

When 3 PM comes around I manage to finish my lunch. Just in time for our van driver to deliver all the work he has collected on his daily drop off/pick up run and the van is full.

The sorting, checking off, loading into the system and then taking down to the various departments takes me till 4.15 PM.

By 4.30 PM it’s home time. I realize that I forgot to take something out of the freezer this morning. So now will have to do battle through the supermarket and then go home and cook.”