I hate my job too

I was going to write a lengthy novel about this, but I might lose my job soon so I'll post and be as brief as possible. Why you might ask? Because the management are a bunch of clowns. They are too cheap to buy stuff that is needed, as a result stuff keeps breaking down. They did agree to allow me to upgrade all the computers to xp a few months back. So I began to do that. I realized that it's like pulling teeth trying to actually get them to sign the PO's needed to make the actual purchases, so instead, I start installing Windows 2000 with the licenses that I have in order to get the job done. They find out, think that I have "changed the plan" without telling them,.. get concerned that AutoCAD 2005 will not be compatible once it's time to roll it out, and then tell me that they will be talking with me later on today about it. I still have not been talked to, but it's just a matter of time. Who knows,.. maybe they just want more info about why I have installed 2K instead of xp. Maybe they will fire me. Not because my tech works sucks (when it actually shines,.. I have turned that place upside down from the crap heap it was before),.. but instead because I do not know how to work through the red tape properly. That is my biggest problem. I have done excellent tech work,.. but we will ignore that part of it and instead focus on how you are not playing our game properly. Instead of being just an IT tech,.. I have to be an IT tech who knows how to play this game and is able to adapt to the rule changes that happen everyday. In addition, I have to know how to go through 14,000 different managers to get anything done,.. answer to the employees who are screwed because their P3 900MHz Win98 computer keeps crashing when it tries to attach 20 5 mb email attachments while working on Autocad drawings directly from a server and get blamed for anything that goes wrong,.. especially stuff that goes wrong as a result of something somebody did 5 years ago. No,.. I am not exaggerating. On top of that, I get questioned on why I do the things I do. "This servers IDE hdd is not good enough,.. we need to purchase SCSI drives instead so that engineers can work on their projects". 27 emails later, back and forth, of me explaining the differences between SCSI and IDE to upper management -- and we still have a server that doesn't quite work right.

I friggin give freaking up. I do,.. I honestly give up. I don't know what else I need to learn,.. but obviously just being a tech isn't quite good enough anymore. There's this whole drama part that I'm supposed to be doing that I do not want to do.

Oh,.. and did I mention that when I began looking for new work that there's lots of jobs to be had? Yeah,.. take a look for yourself. Google, Yahoo, etc. They are all hiring. Well,.. that is,.. if you have a friggin masters degree for some oddball job description that nobody has ever heard of before.

Google job: $687,987 per/year
Sr Level Guru Whatchamacallit:,.. Must have 20 years of C++, Java, Unix, ABC, 123, ability to design interfaces using JoeSchmo 2.0, blah blah blah,.. a PHD, marketing background, ability to walk on both hands while chewing gum and pressing ctrl + alt + del at the same time, willing to massage an old ladies feet and time to run in figure 8's through the parking lot. If you are east indian,.. we will pay you $9 dollars an hour and you are guaranteed a position. We will pay for your rent too.

Please send resume to we_will_never_actually_look_at_your_resume@google. ha!you'll_never_work_for_us.com.

Other job: $5.00 p/month
entry level nobody: Must be willing to work 14 hours a day, for 7 days a week. Why? Because this is the only job you can find that MIGHT hire you. Bwahahahaha!!

Retail: $8.00 per/hour
Sales associate for XYZ corp: Stand on your feet answering to stupid people all day. Be able to say things like, "Will that be all for you today?" Must be able to lift heavy objects as you will be stacking piles and piles and piles of stuff up in an exact order while a "supervisor" stands there and watches you telling how you are doiing it wrong.
Meanwhile: Rent= $1K p/month , other bills $500.00 , utilities: $300.00 per month, etc. Food/water/electricity: Optional at this point.

Webhead I feel your pain. In my opinion, the computer industry is still in its infancy. Let me give you an example. I had an onsite at a woman’s house the other day. We were talking, and she told me that she had to call a plummer in to unclog her kitchen sink. The plummer comes in, uses a snake to clear the drain, and 30 minutes later when its done, she gets handed a bill for $350.00. Same thing with auto mechanics. These places of business have been around ALONG time. They have been established, and people know that if you have to get a plumber, or take their car to the mechanic, it’s going to cost a lot of money, but we just take it up the pipe and pay. We as consumers are accustomed to that. It will be YEARS before computer repair, and the charges that apply, are taken seriously.

Simple solution, learn the red tape. When I was presented with the same thing, I learned the admin ****. When the I's are all dotted and the T's crossed, you will be suprised at how quick managers respond you your requests. They do this because they trust you. Your admin performance makes their job easier.

When life presents a problem like that you can lock your jaw, take the responsibility, and get it done or you can do something else..

IT is always a game. It took me a year at this place to learn the game, now I have management wrapped around my finger. Only problem is that we were bought out, and now the new company is starting to change the rules to their game. Feelings are strong throughtout though that they game will have one less player in this department at this site.

It is the people and their attitudes towards me that I hate. The top executives treat me right, vp's(not senior) on down treat me like crap. The more middle of management someone is, the worse their attitude. Complete lack of respect for me trying to do my job, keep them happy and stay up to date all the while making crap pay(but better then a lot in this town), no resources and no paid training.

Webbie - you work for my company?

Been there.

Still there.


My first job was netadmin for a state-funded hospital. Red tape was on the menu everyday.

I am now working for a state-funded eHealth investment firm. Red tape holds everything up.


I know it sucks, and that there are a myriad ways to get the job done faster, simpler and sometimes much cheaper, but if they want it done a certain way then it just has to be done that certain way.

They report to investors, committees, etc. who all demand that your superiors' decisions and management be accountable to them in return. Playing ball with that is not "selling your soul to the man", (although it feels like it) it is just playing by the rules.

An employee who executes mandates within the parameters will be protected should anything happen. One who operates outside the parameters will become a scapegoat - no matter what his skillsets are, no employee is irreplaceable. And if your superior feels that ending your employment will secure his own position... well...

I've experienced this firsthand.

But I'm still rooting for you Wrrby. Hope it works out. https://forums.windrivers.com/images.../2005/03/1.gif

Tell them that AutoCad 2005 works fine on the "rock solid" Win2K platform and that SCSI drives generally work more reliably, transfer data at faster rates and take a portion of the load off the servers' CPU thereby extending the longevity of the machine, money saved.

Unfortunately "the game" is a critical part of how business gets done. Learn to roll with the punches. You will have to learn sometime or start your own business and then learn an entirely new game.

The main thing in that type of environment is "CYA", as in Cover Your A$$. Trust me when I say that the people you answer to have covered theirs already. I for one, chose to get out of that sort of environment, and went into business for myself.

The fact is, however, that most IT people (geeks/nerds) lack the competetive "social skills" to function well in that kind of environment. Many of us got to where we are by obsessing over the computers, and neglecting to nurture relationships with other people.

This makes it difficult to see the relevence of some of the "peripheral" game playing that goes on in the corporate environment, but that stuff is VERY real to the people you work for. That is why they are all fascinated with Trump and his TV show.

Good luck, Wrrby. For what it is worth, I hope you get to do what you like best.

Thanks everyone. Every single one of these posts has helped. :)

BTW - a corporate "talking too" is usually someone saying something, you saying OK and that's that.


Know this - it's easier to do things and ask for forgiveness than play the game sometimes.

Anything dumb happening that might come back to haunt you?
Express your concerns in an e-mail to those causing the issues, word it gently.
Keep every single e-mail you have in a personal folder (mine is labled CYA.prf).
Do what they ask even if it's stupid.
When people call you on the phone and discuss things, e-mail them with what you understood the conversation to be about.

The best advice ever given was from homer simpson. "No lisa, you don't rant and rave about the things that are wrong, you do your job half assed like everyone else".

Do your part right even though it's part of a half assed system and collect your check each week and come home and enjoy life. They asked for it wrong, you told them why not to do it and they did it that way anyway. Nothing new...

They just took away more of our job responsibilities, I just found out after over a week of them doing it. :sad:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cleetus

They just took away more of our job responsibilities, I just found out after over a week of them doing it. :sad:

---

But as long as they don't take away any pay, that's a good thing, right?

I can feel your pain, I'm going through this crap every day, and I had to learn the "red tape" stuff too. Upper management has no idea about computer stuff and they are cheap... like in questioning the need a $10 SCSI terminator or considering a 500MHz PIII with 256M RAM adequate for CAD design (argument: "it was a very good machine when it was bought 5 years ago" :confused:)
About doing stuff on your own I think you made a tactical mistake here. Not by installing Win2K, but by not suggesting them that it would be a good idea to do it before you started. They hate you doing something without their prior approval. This is how I get all my stuff done.
Also make sure that you keep all important communication in a safe place (ex on a CD), when someone is let go I disable their access then forcefully log that person off so they cannot change or copy anything.
And as said.. "verba volant, scripta remanent" (words fly, written things remain). Document everything, one day it might be your job insurance.
Good luck Webby!

WebHead, some pointers on your rant...

You are saying that you tell them to upgrade, then they don't, so you end up installing Win2k. Stop doing this, they're never gonna spend money to upgrade because you come around and upgrade them.

You said somewhere that a win98 system keeps crashing. Tell them they need to upgrade because win98 isn't supported by Microsoft anymore, so therefore none of the third party software (like Autocad 2005 for example) is not designed to run on win98. Also no more security fixes for 98, so they're hurting security, etc etc. You're gonna have to think of what you can do to force their hand to upgrade. (I'm planning a friendly little notice before budget time to give to the managers with win98 systems where I work)

You say you encounter alotta redtape in regards to getting them to buy stuff. Where I work, I just print off what they need and give it to the manager of that department to worry about ordering. That way the problem is in their hands not mine. They call you back to fix something and they haven't followed your upgrade recommendations, you politely remind them and politely stonewall them as best you can.

Also you say you get allotta redtape going thru "14,000 different managers to get anything done". I've gotten in the habit of clearing it with the manager of the department when they want something installed or changed or even a friggin' desktop shortcut. Alotta computers get shared where I work and that clearance from the dept. manager eliminates alotta he said she said bull.

That sorta stuff has helped me CYA and smoothed things where I work, hope it helps. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by a d e p t

One who operates outside the parameters will become a scapegoat - no matter what his skillsets are, no employee is irreplaceable.

---

Great point.

All of you have excellent insight on this topic, really seem to know your stuff and all the info you all have given me has really made me understand what I need to do. Thanks so much! :)

So when is the "meeting" going down?

Sounds like they have painted you into a corner, bro. This kind of sh*t happens to me quite a bit. I work for a bunch of wannabe-MBA-types and 20-year-bankers. I am the lone wolf at my site when it comes to software and O/S support. I support over 1,000 users and 30+ servers. All of our hardware and network support has been outsourced. So I have the lovely job of playing traffic cop with those clowns. And when the vendors don't want to play ball, it gets dumped on me. The vendor and I have a love-hate relationship because they see me as stealing money from them when I am doing the work they should have done under contract.

And since I work for businessmen who have no clue about IT management, I get asked all the time to "bend the rules" (aka "stretch your ethics" or "do something illegal").

Over the years I have learned their game. It's all a matter of language. If you speak to them in megahertz and gigabites, you will lose them at hello. If you speak to them in dollars, risk, liability, lawsuits, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, you are talking their language. When it comes to licensing I have actually taken the time on my own to read up some on the software piracy law and stay current on recent lawsuits. That way I can go back to that manager that asked me to install the "bootlegged" copy of Microsoft Project for his staff that if someone ever blew the whistle on him he could be looking at millions in fines and maybe jail time. That may or may not actually happen, but it's usually enough to scare 'em.

As for questioning your judgement, you have to remember that YOU have the power, not THEM. You just have to remind them of that occassionally. My favorite method is whenever a senior executive in my office has a nasty email or PC problem, I hop right into his office and have the problem fixed before he even has a chance to call our helpdesk and open a trouble ticket. When I do this, I have a 100% completely captive audience with that executive. While I am fixing their PC I am sure to drop a word or two about one of my major projects I am working on or some major problem I solved last week. Do this a few times and you will have them eating out of your hand, and you only had to deviate slightly from your normal process.

The bottom line is you have to make the business manager look good. The better he/she looks, the better things will look for you.

My advice may be too little too late in your case, Wrbby, and it certainly does not work for everyone. But ever since I committed myself to this philosophy I have continued to stretch my limits and matured immensely.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by a d e p t

So when is the "meeting" going down?

---

I'm not sure. Maybe they changed their mind. Nothing has been mentioned of it and they have joked around with me already several times. I'm confused. :D

Thanks KoB. More good stuff. I'm thinking of going over this whole thread later tonight and just taking notes on all this stuff so I can try and practise and hopefully get better at this game/red-tape stuff.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by KINGofBLEH

As for questioning your judgement, you have to remember that YOU have the power, not THEM. You just have to remind them of that occassionally. My favorite method is whenever a senior executive in my office has a nasty email or PC problem, I hop right into his office and have the problem fixed before he even has a chance to call our helpdesk and open a trouble ticket. When I do this, I have a 100% completely captive audience with that executive. While I am fixing their PC I am sure to drop a word or two about one of my major projects I am working on or some major problem I solved last week. Do this a few times and you will have them eating out of your hand, and you only had to deviate slightly from your normal process.

---

This was my policy at my last job, and I had some powerful allies by the time I finished there. Great advice from KoB.

KoB :thumbs: You are a king really.

Was with the same problem like webby, Good God you have shown a better light and thanks for other guys too, great Forum Great people. :thumbs2:

So, Wrbby, you still employed today?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tekboy

So, Wrbby, you still employed today?

---

Yup. I guess I just got a little paranoid. Not quite sure what is going on, but at least I can count on a paycheck for the time being.

They're just waiting for after the holidays to give you the boot.https://forums.windrivers.com/images.../2005/03/1.gif
They will look bad to all the other employees if they let you go now.

If your Christmas bonus is a copy of Windows 95, might be time to update the resume.https://forums.windrivers.com/images.../2005/03/1.gif