How do you move out of production....

[Screamingbeaver]

Okay, I've been in prepress for about 10 years. I've been at my current employer over 5 years. I've been workin' hard and bustin' my arse, and crawling up the payscale ladder. I love what I do. I love prepress. I love printing and working with all the apps. But the demands of production are killin' me. And I've recently made a few mistakes that just get me so depressed. No one mentions the 70 jobs I did that were right. Or the 30 problem jobs that none of the other mac operators could do.

Does anyone have suggestions? How does one move out of production, but still do what he loves? Does one become management? Or, maybe a consultant? Is there such a thing? A prepress consultant?

Thanks for prepressforums for letting me vent, or sulk. Any suggestions are welcome.

'Beaver.

[cari]

start your own consultancy business... find organisations in need of trainers / application support, and offer to sub-contract for them...

this way you won't need to do too much in the way of accounts and you don't have to look for your own clients... you simply work as an independent on behalf of other companies...

in the meantime your name will get out there and people will start ringing you, allowing you to start creating your own client-base.

;-)

One area to go into now is colour managment... people are gearing up for this...

[Screamingbeaver]

Thanks Cari

[Vinny]

Seems like the bad always out weighs the good. Working in Prepress I've made tons more mistakes than I ever made during my shop floor years.
Thick skin.

[Lammy]

I'm right behind ya man. I've had enough of the production scene. Just far to many crappy things happening on a daily basis for me to want to be here five days a week. Problem is I don't know anything but printing! So unless I can find a position that is management than production I'm prolly out of luck.


flippin' burgers is starting to look good.

[Screamingbeaver]

It is kind of nice knowing that I'm not the only one that is burnt on the the production side of things.

Thanks again, and good luck!

'Beaver

[mtbrider]

I'd like to shed some light on everyone that feels burnt out in production. Last week I accepted a job in prepress production after 3 years in management.

You might think I'm crazy, but the great thing about production is you don't have to sit in a meeting every 5 minutes with either the owners, customers, salespeople, or all of the above getting chewed on for things not even relevant to you. For example, being the Customer Service Manager, I was told at the job I'm currently leaving that the owner's sons will be in charge of sales. These guys would go change planning on jobs without any communication to to the CSR team. The CSR team was also told that we would held responsible if their sons screwed up a job.

This kind of political BS will ruin a weekend, if you get one. I'm happy to be back in production, where 95% of the time the problems have some logic to them.

You guys might just need a break. Try taking a vacation and putting things in perspective. Remember, The grass is always greener...

Anyway, Nice to be here.

[tuff_gong]

<<'m happy to be back in production, >>
Great, great. Now I need these word files converted to 2 color and output. They're supposed to be on the press this afternoon. And that newsletter done in Excell, it's got corrections on pages 86 and 91. And work me up a proof on that brochure, copy's not here yet, but the client needs some ideas. Can you work late tonight?

Welcome back.

[mtbrider]

Yes! I can work Late. I haven't got OT in 3 Years. About time I get paid extra. hmmm....where's my calculator.

Thanks for the welcome.

[RobR]

Find you a nice mid sized sheet fed long run commercial printer Specializing in 4/C process work with CTP running an average of 40
plates a week 1 shift and no weekends!

It's Heven!! :wink: