Taking an opportunity and leaping out of comfort zone

[Tyre Tread]

Good to hear things are going well. You're still eating the elephant!

Just re-read our exchage of 30th July.

I was thinking of you the other day as I am about to go for my first interview where we are moving to.

[funkyrobot]

Tyre Tread said:

Good to hear things are going well. You're still eating the elephant!

Just re-read our exchage of 30th July.

I was thinking of you the other day as I am about to go for my first interview where we are moving to.

Yep, thanks.

Good luck with the interview.

[Tyre Tread]

funkyrobot said:

Yep, thanks.

Good luck with the interview.

Thanks!

[funkyrobot]

Brief thread update as at work.

Been in the current job well over a year now and ....... I'm really fed up.

I've been working my bottom off, learning lots of new things, trying as hard as I can to get things done, but it simply doesn't seem to be working.

I've come to realise that the job involves me being a bit of a punchbag and a sponge for the stinking attitude of my co-workers. I said at the beginning there was a lot to do, but the scale of the problem is now clear.

The job itself is quite difficult because I'm pretty much supporting a company of 50 odd PC users on my own. We utilise an IT contractor company to do the bits I can't do. However, this is a local setup and is run by a chap who seems to spend more time in his wife's shop than tending to our needs.

The big project that I was hired to administer is also a right mess. The choice of supplier etc was decided before I started. They have turned out to be utterly useless. Time is proving to be a big issue as I'm expected to work on the big project, but at the same time run around fixing all of the other problems we see every day.

The users I have to deal with on a daily basis are also some of the rudest, most arrogant people I have ever met. There also seems to be a hell of a lot of dead wood that I have to try and work with.

I guess you get this at every company. However, I left my old place as I was fed up with dealing with plonkers and not being recognised, and it seems to have happened again.

I have a very clever and intelligent manager who doesn't really seem bothered anymore. As he should be, he is concentrating on his job. However, he still wants to be involved in my job and takes over when he sees fit. He leaves the rubbish jobs to me, but won't let me deal with the bigger stuff on my own. It can be quite irritating at times.

I have a team catchup meeting this afternoon to discuss the general rubbish attitude I am facing every day. I need another one to one with my manager though to discuss the finer details though.

So, a year on and I feel like I'm heading down the same road that I ended up in the last job. I need to have a good think about what I'm doing with my life. It's getting to the point where I'm struggling to want to work for others.

Mini rant over. Hope everyone who has contributed to this thread is having a better time of it.

[Pferdestarke]

Sorry to hear things haven't improved and in fact seem to be worse than you first thought.

Sounds like you should use them for your salary until you're ready to find another opportunity. You'll never alter the mindset of an institution and especially if you're seen as "The IT Guy"

You'll be leaving at some point so do what is required with little fuss and when the time is right for you, market yourself to others where there is less risk of a repeat.

Or can you set up yourself?

[funkyrobot]

It is a shame. I was quite excited about the role. However, it has proven to be something people think they can just abuse. Even though I'm here to help, you wouldn't think so. Certain parts of the company need a real good arse kicking. However, their management aren't really bothered. They are more interested in driving around thinking they are important.

Thanks for the advice. I shall do just that, use it for the pay and just take a look at what else is around. I need a good job at the moment as I've been the sole worker in the house since the birth of our daughter last year.

The self employed option is a very good idea. However, I do have confidence issues so going down that route would need a lot of thought and planning. In terms of what I can do, I have found out that I'm quite handy at fixing and working on PC's. It would be nice to try something completely different though. We'll see.

[Pferdestarke]

Do you know of any recruitment agencies specialising in your field for those with your skill set?

I know what it feels like to have a reduced household income when children are young. Has the adjustment to being a father had an impact? Has your partner coped well with the demands of a baby on her/you?

I ask because all can contribute to your overall Low feeling and if work isn't underpinning it with some degree of fulfilment it can be the last straw.

I'm speaking from some experience of the above.

PM me if you wish to discuss more.

[funkyrobot]

Pferdestarke said:

Do you know of any recruitment agencies specialising in your field for those with your skill set?

I know what it feels like to have a reduced household income when children are young. Has the adjustment to being a father had an impact? Has your partner coped well with the demands of a baby on her/you?

I ask because all can contribute to your overall Low feeling and if work isn't underpinning it with some degree of fulfilment it can be the last straw.

I'm speaking from some experience of the above.

PM me if you wish to discuss more.

Not sure. I can take a look.

Thanks for the offer of help. My home life is the best part of my existence. I'm ever so happy that, at the moment, my fiancee can be at home with our daughter. I think that if anything, the home life has made the work life even more difficult as I've been wondering what I can do from home.

[funkyrobot]

I'm officially on the hunt for a new job.

I've been trying to make it work, but events that have happened today have helped me make my mind up.

In the last few weeks, I've worked late pretty much every day. I've been hours late going home. I've been trying to prep a new system for acompany of workers who aren't really bothered. I have been abused, I've been spoken to like a piece of crap, and have even been harassed in the toilets at work about an issue.

To top it all off, I've had a 'chat' from my manager today. Apparently, even though I'm running around supporting 70 odd users on my own, and am trying to get a new system delivered, I haven't logged some outstanding issues effectively enough. Apparently, making others do some work and making people responsible for what they have to provide me with is a no-no.

I feel quite upset as I'm absolutely knackered and after a horrible day today, I've had this 'talk'. I've had enough.

To make matters worse, it seems that others get away with doing nothing, but everything is expected of me.

So, on with the job hunting.

[Bobhon]

Sounds like time to move on perhaps. Better to walk out the door than to be carried out after a nervous breakdown.

[Bertrum]

My Stern Advice.

1. Stop looking back, stop finding out how the old company is doing. Its in the past and not relevant.
2. Stop looking at what everyone else is doing, its not your issue and it makes you seem 'difficult'. Focus on yourself.
3. Sort your contractor out, if he isn't providing the service they are paid to provide get rid of him and find another.
4. Go to your manager and tell him you don't have enough time and advise him that you need an assistant. Provide evidence, likely cost and how it will improve the service. Thier is no way you can run a system project and support 50 plus users.
5. Communicate with the people you are implementing the project for, if you don't tell them what you are doing they will assume you are doing nothing, and therefore get annoyed.
6. Find a mentor, someone senior who can help you through the issues (not your boss).

Unfortunately, the issues are related to you and how you manage your work and working relationships and not the company you work for. If you go to a new company in a similar position you will encounter the same issues.

In summary. Work smart not hard, focus on yourself not others and communicate upwards effectively.

[funkyrobot]

Bertrum said:

My Stern Advice.

1. Stop looking back, stop finding out how the old company is doing. Its in the past and not relevant.
2. Stop looking at what everyone else is doing, its not your issue and it makes you seem 'difficult'. Focus on yourself.
3. Sort your contractor out, if he isn't providing the service they are paid to provide get rid of him and find another.
4. Go to your manager and tell him you don't have enough time and advise him that you need an assistant. Provide evidence, likely cost and how it will improve the service. Thier is no way you can run a system project and support 50 plus users.
5. Communicate with the people you are implementing the project for, if you don't tell them what you are doing they will assume you are doing nothing, and therefore get annoyed.
6. Find a mentor, someone senior who can help you through the issues (not your boss).

Unfortunately, the issues are related to you and how you manage your work and working relationships and not the company you work for. If you go to a new company in a similar position you will encounter the same issues.

In summary. Work smart not hard, focus on yourself not others and communicate upwards effectively.

Thanks for your advice.

1. I don't talk to anyone from the old company. Haven't done so for a while.
2. I try not too. However, when people are tasked with their own work for the project and they don't do it, it's hard to control.
3. The contractor in question has been working with the company for ten years. My manager will not allow me to consult with any other company.
4. I've tried this. Admittedly, I didn't do it with figures for time saved etc, but I am not allowed an assistant.
5. I communicate, a lot. I am regularly in contact with people about things. The office block isn't that big, so I see everyone many times a day.
6. This is the main issue. My mentor should be my manager as there isn't anyone else with suitable knowledge. I'll see if I can approach anyone else. However, if I do, it will not go down well with my manager.

I'm stuck really. Thanks again.

[Bertrum]

1. ok,
2. How do you manage those people? Have you escalated it? Is it shown on your plan that those tasks have been missed?
3. No excuse for providing terrible service, provide your manager with evidence of poor response times. Benchmark said supplier against potential alternatives.
4. You need figures. You also need to include in your bench marking exercise above.
5. Being in regular contact is not a measure of effective communication. See point 2. Provide the people with the plans and data. Update regularly.
6. Your Mentor should NOT be your manager. Your mentor can be from a different company. A Mentor is for wider advice they don't need to be experts in your field. Use Linkdin, contacts of contacts etc. find someone doing what you want to do.

You are not stuck. You just need to change your approach. 'Insanity' doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Edited by Bertrum on Wednesday 18th November 14:17