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RE: Turn a Bad Job into a Good Experience

Steve Jones - SSC Editor — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 18:51:12 GMT

I'd agree as well. I search for fit first, technical experience/challenge next. Not that technical skills aren't important, but I think that the people are more important.

RE: Turn a Bad Job into a Good Experience

TravisDBA — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 18:43:18 GMT

[quote][b]Jeff Moden (8/29/2010)[/b][hr]On the flip side of all this, people make a huge difference either way. A great job can suddenly become a major PITA based on a change in someone's attitude.[/quote]I could not agree more Jeff! 98% of job satisfaction on any job is the people you work with and for. If you work for a jerk, it will negate everything else regardless of how much money, challenge, or benefits you get on the job. When I interview for a job it's the number one thing I concentrate on, If I detect the person I am going to work for is arrogant, self-serving, or generally a pompous a**, I will drop consideration on that job immediately, regardless of the offer they make to me. The job of DBA is stressful enough as it is without having to deal with a 14 carat gold a-hole daily on top of it. :-D

RE: Turn a Bad Job into a Good Experience

Jeff Moden — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 07:09:20 GMT

On the flip side of all this, people make a huge difference either way. A great job can suddenly become a major PITA based on a change in someone's attitude.

RE: Turn a Bad Job into a Good Experience

grantg81 — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 22:07:16 GMT

Just what I needed to read!

RE: Turn a Bad Job into a Good Experience

TheSQLGuru — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:59:01 GMT

Nice stuff Tim - oh, and good to see you at SQL Saturday 28 in Baton Rouge this w/e!! Another thing I have found to be important and telling about an individual is how you behave and handle LEAVE(ing) one job when transitioning.

RE: Turn a Bad Job into a Good Experience

TravisDBA — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:28:48 GMT

What dosen't kill you in life tends to make you stronger. It's all one big test! :-D

RE: Turn a Bad Job into a Good Experience

SQLRNNR — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 12:41:00 GMT

[quote][b]Andy Warren (8/16/2010)[/b][hr]Good thoughts, and I've thought the same about bad/weak managers, you get chances to do things that you might not with a stronger and more capable manager. Still, it's easy to fall into a rut and stay past the point when you should have left. The trick - with no easy answer - is figuring out when that time is![/quote]I like that you bring up the bad/weak manager topic and also the topic of knowing when to leave. Though bad jobs can be good for the career, they can be extremely detrimental to the esteem as well as the career if you don't figure out the right time to leave.With a bad/weak manager you could be belittled on a daily basis in private or public. You could also be expected to accomplish things that have never been communicated or communicated entirely differently (I know that can happen despite the manager) and then be subject to the belittlement.Granted, even with bad managers there is plenty to learn. For some, a bad manager means you learn how to manage and do the job for the bad manager. This can also teach one how to deal with adversity and work well under pressure. However, it is essential to keep your self aware of the situation and prepared to leave at the appropriate moment. Bad employers deserve as much loyalty from the employee as they give.

RE: Turn a Bad Job into a Good Experience

Daniel Bowlin — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:56:51 GMT

I have had a few jobs very similar to the one you write about. They are all a part of my experience and contribute to my current skill set. They were definitely worth doing the time...for a while...to get a broad perspective and learn about some far flung things I might not have learned otherwise.

RE: Turn a Bad Job into a Good Experience

yosiasz — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:51:12 GMT

Awesome article!! So I am not the only one in the same boat. Back then it did suck but now looking back it was well worth it!

RE: Turn a Bad Job into a Good Experience

david.stein-1140863 — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 10:22:24 GMT

Great editorial Tim. That's just what I needed to read right now.

RE: Turn a Bad Job into a Good Experience

j_e_o — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:05:28 GMT

The best thing you can do when you discover that you are in a bad work situation is to first, learn from it and second, start looking for another job. With regard to the first point, I mean learn everything: policy, practices, process, management, politics and coworkers that contributed to the bad experience. All of this will come in handy later on. It is not enough to recognize that you were bored and not challenged enough. You have to figure out why the situation you are in is as bad as it is. Just doing the analysis puts you more in control of your current situation. You might find you can improve your work environment and turn a bad job into an acceptable one (and you get to ignore my second recommendation).One very important point: when in a lousy work environment, it doesn't help to complain. It does help to point out problems and recommend solutions.

RE: Turn a Bad Job into a Good Experience

Steve Jones - SSC Editor — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 08:31:06 GMT

Glad you've moved on, and a nice editorial. I agree that these challenging jobs help you learn, but I agree with Andy. Easy to get stuck there.I think you need to keep talking about this with your spouse/family, and keep looking for something new when you are struggling in your job. You don't want to get stuck in a crappy job for a long time.

RE: Turn a Bad Job into a Good Experience

chrisn-585491 — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 06:55:24 GMT

While the situation I'm currently in isn't bad, it is a dead end as far as growth and any real challenges other than boredom of doing the same tasks. So I'm hitting the books, databases and code to bootstrap myself out of here.

RE: Turn a Bad Job into a Good Experience

Andy Warren — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 05:49:57 GMT

Good thoughts, and I've thought the same about bad/weak managers, you get chances to do things that you might not with a stronger and more capable manager. Still, it's easy to fall into a rut and stay past the point when you should have left. The trick - with no easy answer - is figuring out when that time is!

RE: Turn a Bad Job into a Good Experience

John.Sansom — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 02:23:15 GMT

Great article, it really struck a chord with me.These types of in the trenches roles build character and I consider them almost a rite of passage to becoming a well rounded and versatile Data Professional.After all, how will you know when you hit the big time with a dream job if you’ve always had it easy? :-)

RE: Turn a Bad Job into a Good Experience

Mike Decuir — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 22:14:35 GMT

The exact kind of situation you describe is actually what turned me into a DBA. My soul was getting crushed regularly and the saving grace was that because I was pulled in so many different directions, I had the opportunity to get a very wide base of experience and figure out what I was most passionate about. As frustrating as the experience was, I am glad I had it, though it would have been nice if the stay at that job was a bit shorter.

RE: Turn a Bad Job into a Good Experience

Jeff Moden — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 22:08:24 GMT

Perfect and well said. I had one job where I quite literally did just about everything for the company from learning how to run a letter folding machine to pulling and terminating CAT-5 and CAT-3 cables to planning the electrical load for a new office to writing my own (small) database. It was a LOT of hard work and I wouldn't trade away a minute of it. Someone would have to go to school for 20 years to learn all that. Heh... life is school and I'm still learning. What a blast!

Turn a Bad Job into a Good Experience

Tim Mitchell — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 12:02:37 GMT

Comments posted to this topic are about the item [B]Turn a Bad Job into a Good Experience[/B]