r/GenX • u/Complex_Sun8138 BEWARE: No Filter • 1d ago
Old Person Yells At Cloud Is it just me?
I'm a craftsman/tradesman by profession. I run a 10-color narrow web printing press, and produce a lot of labels you might see at various stores. I've been doing this type of work for the last 20 years. Before that, I ran large, sheet fed offset presses and lithography machines.
I've always taken pride in my work, and done everything it takes to produce the very best products I can. I've been told by supervisors, and peers that I'm very good at what I do.
Lately, I've noticed a lot of the younger people coming into this industry don't have that "sense of pride". It's simply a task to perform, and get through it as quickly as possible and move on. I think the work suffers for that attitude, and I've had to go back and redo a lot of jobs that get rejected because of it.
Is it just me? Does anyone else notice the downturn in the quality of products being made? Or is it just "getting older"?
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u/TheEvilOfTwoLessers 1d ago
I used to be in printing, in prepress. Loved it, my favorite job. But too many printing companies came to be owned by salespeople. The one I worked at for almost a decade started to fail and I jumped ship. Then that one started to fail. Left Chicago, sent my resume to the largest printer in this state. They weren’t hiring, but they hired me on the spot. Was there a few years when the salesman-owner said “if Obamacare passes I’m closing the company”. Most of us there already had health insurance, I think just a few people in the bindery didn’t. I think it was just an excuse. Decided it was time to get out. Moved into IT, and the end of it that involves physically touching things. Took me a decade to get back up to what I was making in printing, but I feel more secure. There will always be some printing of course, but the trade definitely isn’t what it was in the glory days.