Data Entry Jobs

[zom247]

Anyone here done or doing Data Entry work? I had an interview for a Data Entry Operator and just wondering if it's something that can be done long term or do you get bored doing it? The subject matter is pretty interesting which is a bonus.

 

[ddoubleep]

How long term is long term? 3/5/10 years? If it allows for some career progression within the organisation then maybe but if not then boredom could set in.

 

[Ayahuasca]

One way ticket to being a long lost soul, also a very poor salary unless you're happy with a lifestyle just above the benefits one.

 

[ddoubleep]

What is the subject matter? Surely it can't keep you engaged long term?

 

[Rroff]

Depends very much on the person and job - personally I'm quite happy to get my head down for a few hours in a fairly repetitive job but others aren't. Some places will allow for a bit of chat/banter etc. while other places and/or types of work might not allow for so much of that either due to the nature of the work or the type of management in place :s

Have to say though there is no way I'd have done it long term for like 8-9 hours a day 5 days a week for years - I used to do 4-5 hour data entry shifts like 4-5 days a week around the time I was a student and that was a totally different matter - if the pay was reasonable enough I could probably have continued that kind of level of it indefinitely but doing that 9-5 like 5-6 days a week for years I'd go out of my mind.

 

[chroniclard]

I did it on nights while at Uni, was soul destroying, actually paid for volume so if you put the effort in you could make some good cash, though if you slacked off you got peanuts. This was 20 years ago mind.

 

[On Holiday]

My first job was 12 months data entry on behalf of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, basically it'd be taking in case files from closed-down solicitors.
Absolutely zero progression, slightly above minimum wage though almost landed a warehouse job there but was let go along with the other 50% of the workforce due to Crapita losing contracts.

This was only bearable because I was able to beat my targets and had very friendly co-workers and I was rather quick so could relax and read through the interesting cases (from the Lockerbie bombing to a guy getting charged for doing 71mph on the motorway as well as some other prolific murders). If it wasn't for the interesting material I don't think I'd have done the full 12 months.

Another time I had another data entry job which lasted 1 month before I walked out because it was incredibly mindnumbing and 3 PM to 12 AM Shifts.

 

[wesimmo]

Part of one of my first jobs was taking armfuls of printer paper and re-keying the data onto Excel.

Once a month doing that for a day or so to produce management accounts was more than enough for me.

 

[Rroff]

incredibly mindnumbing and 3 PM to 12 AM Shifts.

I think evenings are the worst ones - though night shifts can be kind of brutal the evening shifts kind of feel like a no man's land.

 

[james.miller]

It takes a special kind of person to do data entry long term and not get so utterly bored of it.

 

[Zefan]

Anyone here done or doing Data Entry work? I had an interview for a Data Entry Operator and just wondering if it's something that can be done long term or do you get bored doing it? The subject matter is pretty interesting which is a bonus.

It doesn't happen to be for an enormous company that operates at the big RAF base in Oxfordshire does it? There have been a few positions filled recently, but as far as I know they're all temps. Data entry is part of almost everyone's day to day job in that office, but due to a backlog they've decided to get some temps in otherwise it'll just keep piling up I imagine quite a lot of data entry jobs might be similar.

 

[Diddums]

I can't think of much many jobs more soul destroying than data entry. Maybe a security guard in a little hut at an empty car park, but even then those guys can at least study / watch crap on Netflix whilst they're working.

 

[Dis86]

I did it for 2 weeks as high school work experience. I honestly considered walking in front of a wagon.

 

[Mr^B]

The subject matter is irrelevant - it will tear your soul apart.

 

[Sheff]

I've done it as temp work in the past, and again on a temporary basis when adding paper records to a database. It's nice to switch off once in a while but I definitely wouldn't enjoy it on a long term basis.

 

[zom247]

It doesn't happen to be for an enormous company that operates at the big RAF base in Oxfordshire does it? There have been a few positions filled recently, but as far as I know they're all temps. Data entry is part of almost everyone's day to day job in that office, but due to a backlog they've decided to get some temps in otherwise it'll just keep piling up I imagine quite a lot of data entry jobs might be similar.

No it's not. It's mainly inputting war records and being ex mil it's something that interests me so I'll just see what happens if I get it. I can listen to music whilst doing it which will give me the chance to catch up with my collection. Just need to buy a new player first.

 

[malachi]

Did it for 6 months a few years back as a temp, like others said it's soul destroying, it's up there with call centre work. After a while putting your earphones in with music and typing away will get boring after a while.

It's a good way to improve your touch typing skills though.

 

[FishFluff]

I did it for a month working for the now defunct Prescription Pricing Authority. It was absolutely awful. They had ridiculous targets for volume of input and the job was solely done using a numeric keypad.

 

[zom247]

Well, I lasted all of......... 2 days! I sort of knew it wouldn't be for me but gave it a go anyway. I just couldn't see myself sat in front of a screen inputting names and dates for 7 1/2 hrs a day. I should have turned down the offer when it was made but I got carried away with actually being offered the job. Back to my 7 1/2 hrs a day gaming now

 

[TNGL]

Back to my 7 1/2 hrs a day gaming now

How do you plan on surviving?