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View Full Version : Thursday morning employment depression.



D
16-05-2002, 10:39
It's being one of those days, again. B'ah!

Anyways, your help and overwhelming knowledge is required... Basically, I'm something of an oddjob at the moment.

I work in the headquarters of an International Christian denomination, which until recently was a superb atmosphere, and generally a pleasant enough place to work. My work mainly centred around Accounts/Insurance matters, I'm also as good an IT manager as they're going to have (Responsible for first line support, backups, blahdiblah..) and seeing as I'm the heftiest bloke in the office, I also get lumbered with the heavy lifting when it's required.

Now, this is all well and good, but the new Director of Finance (almost laughing whilst considering his title..) is a bit of a prat, to say the least. He's come in, he has NO financial or management qualifications AT ALL... and he's basically, stirring everything up, trying to do things his way, and he's causing one heck of an upheaval amounst the staff. He isn't liked, and generally, he doesn't have a blind clue what's meant to be going on, changing things willynilly, confusing us, and ultimately, spending a LOT of the organisations money on acheiving sod all.

A few examples...

We bought a document management scanner, new server machine to run alongside our existing server, and five new desktop machines to begin the phasing out of older and more decrepid machines..

My opinion is asked (which was nice.) and I told him what we would need and so forth. He then, quite openly does his own thing.

The new desktops are... useless. Well, they're fine enough machines (Dell black-cased efforts.) but.. the monitors that came with them are smaller than the monitors they've replaced, upsetting a few staff who had their big monitors snatched away when they weren't paying attention... We're a finance department, and the new machines.... won't run Sage in DOS!.. magical... Pentium 4's are incompatible with Sage in DOS mode, anyone who works with sage can verify that the half-assed Windows version is useless..

The server machine... all well and good.. however, we've had to purchase £420 worth of DDS4 tapes to use with it, as surprise surprise, the old tapes were DDS3 and we couldn't get them to work...

The five figure document management software and scanner hasn't even been touched once as far as I know in the 2 months it's been here.. :rolleyes:

And so forth..

But anyways, now to the real dilema.. Pretty much, as staff, we've had it, the lady I share an office with has had enough, and is pretty much victimised along with two other gals along the corridor.

However, I'm generally a nervous wreck when it comes to even contemplating steps into the unknown, blahdiblah. I need (not want.) to change jobs.. but to what?

I've never known what I wanted to be, become, or do, and to this very day, I'm unsure as to what I want to do, or even, could do..

I have only my GCSE's to my name (9 A-C's), I dropped out of my A-levels/Adv. GNVQ, and am currently falling behind with the first part of an Open Uni degree..

I've thought of teaching, but in needing the full time salary, I'm having to do my degree the part-time Open Uni route which will take umpteen years.. Strong line of teachers throughout my family, and it's the one possible career move that's remained a constant throughout all my thought, but it raises the question, would I be any good at it.. Possibly, but heck, who knows.

I enjoy computers, and I do find the IT part of my job more fun than the clerical side, but as far as a career path, I just simply wouldn't want it.

Writing and music are passions, but I doubt my skill. Music is a passtime and shall remain on that level. Writing is something I cannot force, and in a dead-line driven environment I think I would come a cropper due to this.

Basically, I'm stuck. I know not what I wish to do, what I can do, all I know is, that I need to get out of here (Oh, the cliche..)..

Any thoughts, advice or ideas? I'm feeling a bit lost, here lads.

Cheers.

Chris_Lacey
16-05-2002, 11:07
I am having similar thoughts myself mate, particuarly about am I enjoying my job, does it give me any satisfaction etc etc...

And I can honestly say I still don't know which direction to turn in, IT just isn't very satisfying most of the time, and when it is you get no thanks from the useless f*ckwits who broke it or whatever...

But it pays the bills...

D
16-05-2002, 11:11
It's a case of finding some vaguely fulfilling, compelling and that will generate enough desire to hack away at it for as long as it takes...

Just had a wicked thought.. Become a long hauler.. huge artic with a ramp on the back and a little garage area to keep the car a la Knightrider :D..

With the storage space above or something, just roam the country delivering stuff, watching telly as I drive around, then blatting around new roads every day in the SX when time allows...

:cool:


/wakes up.

:(

Leon
16-05-2002, 11:15
I know just what you mean, but I'm now playing a game to get what I want, doing lots of manipulation etc. Very bad for life but I'm gonna get what I want.
I never thought I could force writing either, but look at me. 13 deadlines for 12noon MAX on Monday...
STRESS
I'm strung out on Pro Plus, ginseng, painkillers and booze...
sigh


You ain't alone mate. And from what i've seen of your writing, i think you should go for it

dave_s13
16-05-2002, 11:24
Totally unconstructive reply this but you need a degree then a PGCE to become a teacher which is a right load of fuking bollox if u ask me.

An example from the girlfriends shool:-

-numpty tw@t does a degree in womens literature
-numpty tw@t can't get a job with that degree so stays and does a masters in womeds literature
-numpty tw@t still can't get a job so does a PCGE and bemoves a teacher of IT.

This IT teacher is $hit and knows fuk all about IT whereas a man like yourself with good working knowledge and a bit of common sense could do the PGCE and be a much better teacher.

They'd have a LOT more teachers if there was no requirement for a degree, it'd work much better if you could do say a 2 or 3 year course (where you got paid) that taught you about the subject then how to teach.

Good luck with whatever you end up doing.

Jezz_S13
16-05-2002, 11:33
D this guy sounds like the head of systems here, doesn't know his arse from elbow, bought £100K of Compaq rack mount stuff to build a SAN (Storage Area Network), which doesn't work and is poorly supported in Netware 5/6 and our backup software, the ironic thing is the dumb ass is giving a presentaion to all other universities in SW today on building a SAN. LOL :D:D:D

I could rant on forever about this muppet, fortunately he's not my boss anymore, I moved next door to the network team, my boss is cool. :) My missus is still under him though, yet she know's more than him, does her head in.
The systems team will set something up, he comes along patronises everyone saying how stupid they are because they got it to work then proceeds to click willynilly all over the gaff and **** it all up. Then takes the credit when the systems team fix it in his whake of destruction.
It's a 2-3 day cycle.

Jezz.

Chris_Lacey
16-05-2002, 11:34
What about my GF? Did a degree in AI and Computer Science, works as a developer, has just taken a job as a college lecturer, no PGCE needed, and the college puts you through a teaching certificate whilst you are being paid :D

D
16-05-2002, 11:34
Wherever I looked, one of the pre-requisites for the PGCE was a degree..., hence the Post Grad. part of PG :(

I've not specified my Open Uni degree, as I'm likely to chop and change subjects for the duration of the degree. Currently doing Humanities wise. Work is fine, but struggling a little with the organisational side of things.

Leon
16-05-2002, 11:42
My dad's a teacher and on-site trainer for NQTs. I'll have a word if you like, see if there is a way of doing it without the degree first...

D
16-05-2002, 11:44
GrrrrrrrrrrrrrAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!! :mad: :mad: :mad:

BEEEEEEEP"Daniel, why is my e-mail not working?"
"The exhange server's fallen flat on it's arse."
"Oh, so it's not working then?"
"That's right, I'm just rebooting the second machine now."
"That's okay, then."

...


BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP"Daniel, why is Lotus not working?"
"BECAUSE IT'S ON THE SAME SERVER YOU PRAT! :mad: :mad: :mad: ".. (Actual words, not used..)
"Oh, Lotus isn't on the new machine then?"
"No, all that the second machine does is Exchange and Domino."
"Oh, why's that then?"
"Because some twonk did ZERO research when buying new equipment and as a result the entire system, which was never much cop in the first place, is virtually in a disorganised wreck. Goodbye!" (Actual words, only dreamt..)

:(

Filmidget
16-05-2002, 11:47
Become a train driver!

I didn't believe the pay when somebody first told me - start on at least 26k and if work overtime and some of your leave can achieve 40k!!!

Pity they mostly seem to be miserable moaning gits though... (but not sure why...)

Or work on Railway possession management - I earn the equivalent of 1.5 weeks of my quite well paid 9 to 5 job just by working 1 nightshift at the weekend. Within 6 months and a couple of courses this will jump to over 2 weeks of the 9 to 5 pay. Would leave you plenty of time for music and writing…

Cheers, Phil

D
16-05-2002, 11:48
That'd be cracking thanks, Starionman. Can't really see any way of wangling my way onto a PGCE when all I've got is my GCSE's mind, I was shocked enough when they let me do an Open Uni degree.. :rolleyes:

Someone mentioned Mentoring, as a way to get closer to teaching, but again, they're hardly going to be keen to let someone ill-qualified scholastically (yet quite competently qualified in the school-of-life, which frankly, is far more important in Mentoring IMO.) anywhere near their schools.

Back in 10, just going to see if the server's decided to switch itself back on yet. Wouldn't blame it if it just stayed switched off to avoid the hassle..

D
16-05-2002, 12:15
I did actually have an application form for the London Underground a few months back, pay is rather good, shift hours aren't though, plus I didn't fancy commuting on the M4 for an hour each way at all hours..

"The cause of this latest rail disaster is unknown, although it is thought the driver, a trainee named Daniel Mills, was not concentrating on the track ahead, instead relying on controlling the train with his knees whilst he read a Japanese car magazine... a full enquiry is to follow."

Keith_C
16-05-2002, 13:23
Originally posted by D
I did actually have an application form for the London Underground a few months back, pay is rather good, shift hours aren't though, plus I didn't fancy commuting on the M4 for an hour each way at all hours..

"The cause of this latest rail disaster is unknown, although it is thought the driver, a trainee named Daniel Mills, was not concentrating on the track ahead, instead relying on controlling the train with his knees whilst he read a Japanese car magazine... a full enquiry is to follow."

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D