May 20, 2010 at 7:38 am
Is the original editorial about being asked to do something outside of or percieved to be beneath your job title, or just working at a different vocation for an equivalent amount of pay?
Because, you know, "get things done" means that if the reports need to be in the FedEx truck by 4 PM, I don't mind at all hand collating next to the printer at 3:45 (indeed, I have done this), even if the reason we're in this crisis has nothing to do with my regular role. Meeting the short term goal is, I presume, a pressing issue for the organization, though I would modestly suggest outside of the crisis mode that it may be better for the organization from a cost-benefit perspective (including opportunity costs, etc) to hire an additional admin assistant or intern -- but if the company wants to pay me tech professional rates to get the job done, it can be a rational decision, and I do have a problem with anyone who has a problem with that.
May 20, 2010 at 7:40 am
For me I've always said that who I work with and who I work for are more important than what I do. In other words the working environment is more important than my day to day tasks. Saying that I love what I do.
I'm currently a consultant in the SQL Server space and have no plans to change, however 8 years ago I was doing Access and Excel development, 11 years ago I was doing ASP 1.0 development. Before that I went to school for electronics, while it's always been in the technical field, the roles have changed over the years.
What I truly am, and I think many others are in this profession are, is a problem solver. I think we have the ability/talent to take a complex problem and distill it down to base level and attack it ruthlessly. Imagine if we used that talent/ability in other arenas, such as medicine?
However with the barrier to change so high especially for those with families it won't happen. But I also think that's why you find out many people in IT have very interesting hobbies, anything from playing music, producing music, studying and collecting things, etc. Basically we use one side of our brain all day and want to exercise the other side sometimes.
May 20, 2010 at 7:43 am
I think for a short term I'd do other work at the company to help out. I'm not too proud to clean the server room or dump the trash, just part of the job.
If i couldn't work in IT I'd find another job that would pay the bills and be happy with it. Paying the bills keep the family happy and that's more important than working in a specific job.
May 20, 2010 at 7:53 am
It used to matter to me, and I used to think that working in healthcare, I was making a difference. Now that I'm on my 10th yr in healthcare, I realize healthcare may not be giving all that much back to society. Now that I'm tracking hospital acquired diseases, obesity induced diabetes and other very preventable diseases
I often wonder if I could do more good as a personal trainer - helping people stay away from healthcare! Or maybe a as a chef - making healthy meals so people can stay away from healthcare.
I'm realizing that working in healthcare is no different than selling cars or providing any other commodity.
So no, the job does not matter anymore.
May 20, 2010 at 7:55 am
I think there are definitely multiple questions within your one question.
1 - are you working for the job, or the money?
2 - if your passion paid the same amount, would you be doing that instead?
3 - are you willing to do what it takes to get the job done, or just willing to do what your job description entails?
4 - do you think some jobs are beneath you? why?
my answers would be as follows:
1 - I'm working for both at the moment, I get to learn new things every day and earn enough to keep my family above water, while earning a degree (which work helps to finance). However, this is a stepping stone to other things. I want to be better at what I do, but I also want to grow beyond what I do.
2 - definitely. I started out as a musician, and if I could have stayed in my home town and made the money that I do today, I'd still have been doing that. There is no thrill like performing music that is absolutely and completely yours and getting applause for doing so.
3 - I always want to do what it takes to get the job done, which can lead to over-extending myself sometimes. The most fun I've ever had was working where I do today when we were 1/5 the size, and everyone had to pitch in. Everything was chaos and department structures were so fluid that it literally wasn't worth time making an org chart, but you knew you could call on anyone there to do anything that needed done, and we were all on the same page. Now that we have 'matured' and things have stabilized, people are tied to their job descriptions more, and you have to convince them to help you.
4 - I personally can't understand folks who are out of work and don't go get a job SOMEWHERE. I have worked fast food before, and I'd do it again. I'd pick up trash, I'd deliver flowers, have a newspaper route, anything if it meant that I was bringing in some money for my family. I am choosing to work where I work and to gain more skills by coming here/attending training/going to school because I want to get the higher-paying jobs and to have the choice between interesting options, but I would work anywhere I had to.
Side note - If I could make the money I make now, I'd go work for 1-800-GOT JUNK, because when those guys came to pick up my stuff, they just chucked it off the second story balcony and everything exploded in the back of the truck. I'd probably get sick of that eventually, but I was unabashedly jealous!
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"stewsterl 80804 (10/16/2009)I guess when you stop and try to understand the solution provided you not only learn, but save yourself some headaches when you need to make any slight changes."
May 20, 2010 at 7:58 am
bnordberg (5/20/2010)
It used to matter to me, and I used to think that working in healthcare, I was making a difference. Now that I'm on my 10th yr in healthcare, I realize healthcare may not be giving all that much back to society. Now that I'm tracking hospital acquired diseases, obesity induced diabetes and other very preventable diseasesI often wonder if I could do more good as a personal trainer - helping people stay away from healthcare! Or maybe a as a chef - making healthy meals so people can stay away from healthcare.
I'm realizing that working in healthcare is no different than selling cars or providing any other commodity.
So no, the job does not matter anymore.
don't lose hope! We need to change things, definitely, but a focus shift to preventative medicine (as is being discussed for healthcare reform) is how to do that. Just keep talking about it, the more people you tell this story to, the more change you can make!
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How best to post your question[/url]
How to post performance problems[/url]
Tally Table:What it is and how it replaces a loop[/url]
"stewsterl 80804 (10/16/2009)I guess when you stop and try to understand the solution provided you not only learn, but save yourself some headaches when you need to make any slight changes."
May 20, 2010 at 8:25 am
Doing stuff outside of your job description all depends on whether Sarbanes-Oxley auditing standards are strictly enforced at your company or not. Sar-Box is very clear about doing jobs outside of your prescribed job description as filed with HR. We even have seen auditors going around asking people this kind of thing and if the employee said that he/she did do things outside of their job description. the company got nailed on it. So, be carefull answering these kind of questions out there in the work place. The company could get in trouble over it and that will most probably come back on you. 😀
"Technology is a weird thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other. ...:-D"
May 20, 2010 at 8:28 am
I could completely relate to the comment in the article that 'job titles held no meaning for him'. Given that I have been working as a 'technical consultant' for the last few years, my responsibilities have ranged from DB Developer to Business Analyst. I have been required to give myself a 'title' on a few different occasions, and have always found it to be an interesting exercise of determining how the client organization/culture defines their own internal positions. Often times I am required to take on multiple roles on a given engagement, and it is that flexibility that has helped me gain a measure of success.
The work itself though does matter to me. I can't deny the importance of compensation, but I personally need to get something else from my efforts. The work environment and interesting challenges/tasks do have an impact on my sense of job fulfillment.
Career paths often take a natural progression, and my interests, opportunities, and personal strengths have all played a part in the reason I do what I do today. So I guess I would have to say that yes, given the same money and benefits I would be doing the same general type of job.
--
Brian
May 20, 2010 at 8:34 am
TravisDBA (5/20/2010)
Doing stuff outside of your job description all depends on whether Sarbanes-Oxley auditing standards are strictly enforced at your company or not. Sar-Box is very clear about doing jobs outside of your prescribed job description as filed with HR. We even have seen auditors going around asking people this kind of thing and if the employee said that he/she did do things outside of their job description. the company got nailed on it. So, be carefull answering these kind of questions out there in the work place. The company could get in trouble over it and that will most probably come back on you. 😀
All the more reason for employers to have job descriptions match actual duties. Didn't realize that one. What exactly is that supposed to be enforcing?
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How best to post your question[/url]
How to post performance problems[/url]
Tally Table:What it is and how it replaces a loop[/url]
"stewsterl 80804 (10/16/2009)I guess when you stop and try to understand the solution provided you not only learn, but save yourself some headaches when you need to make any slight changes."
May 20, 2010 at 8:34 am
Admittedly, I've been in the workforce for just over 2 years, but from my little experience I've come to understand a fundamental basic of job satisfaction. The specifics of what I do (ie: admin a database or support a network) doesn't really matter as long as
1) I'm good at it and
2) It's challenging
In honesty, if I were offered a job today that paid better but was boring/tedious, I wouldn't take it as the extra X dollars a day wouldn't be worth the 8 long, tiresome hours I'd have to deal with every workday.
~Insert into dbo.Forum (Opinions) Values ($0.02)
May 20, 2010 at 8:46 am
I am one of those people that seems to be able to do anything I am tasked with doing. Managers always complement me on a job well done, even in those areas I had no expertise in previously. Sometimes I do better than other times, but I always find a way to exceed the requirements at least a little bit, within the time given.
The downside of this is that I have never been allowed to become an expert in an area. I have been a warehouse manager, salesperson, a purchasing manager, a C++ developer, a Crystal Reports writer, a consultant - business analyst, a consultant - backup and recovery, a VB developer, a database developer, a technical analyst, an application analyst and a DBA. A number of these roles were concurrent. All of them have been at only 5 companies. Currently I am the admin for over 20 medical and business applications while being the DBA for over 30 databases.
Sigh.
With the economy even free training is being turned down because they don't want us out of the office, and they don't want to pay mileage.
Happiness would be working for a company that understands investing in your loyal, key employees pays dividends. Send those people to training. Pay them market values. Reward them based on their performance. Differentiate.
Dave
May 20, 2010 at 8:48 am
If all compensation things were equal, then it would come down to hours required to work. If that was equal as well - I would still be doing what I am doing now. Unless I got to be an astronaut or something like that.
I chose this career path and I like it. There are other things I would like to try sometime. If there was no choice in two jobs, then the obvious answer would be to take whatever job presented itself to support the family.
Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
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May 20, 2010 at 8:58 am
Sure the job matters. It gives me a chance to use my skill sets to make a difference in the lives of people. Every keystroke that I can save somebody means less stress in their life. Whenever it is shown that we have "bullet proof" lot control on food stuff contributes to food safety. I sleep very well. Then there is the whole software ethics thing:
There was someone who approached us with a challenging wireless data collection idea. They were based in one of our western cities. You know the one. Whatever happens there stays there. We have a reasonably small device that has cellular (wireless mobile) connectivity and a credit card reader. The were going to issue these to their "field service" persons. These women needed connectivity in hotel rooms, back alleys, car seats, wherever. "You want us to barcode hook..."
Umm. We usually do such a good job that our customers reward us. Typically with product samples. :w00t: How could I ever explain that "it's the job"?
ATBCharles Kincaid
May 20, 2010 at 9:03 am
TravisDBA (5/20/2010)
Doing stuff outside of your job description all depends on whether Sarbanes-Oxley auditing standards are strictly enforced at your company or not. Sar-Box is very clear about doing jobs outside of your prescribed job description as filed with HR. We even have seen auditors going around asking people this kind of thing and if the employee said that he/she did do things outside of their job description. the company got nailed on it. So, be carefull answering these kind of questions out there in the work place. The company could get in trouble over it and that will most probably come back on you. 😀
I love IT, technology, telecommunication, datacommunication, and especially love data and databases. My work has always been my passion.
Up until this job I was asked to do anything and everything IT related in "Crisis" situations. The companies were smaller and those situations seemed to happened daily. I enjoyed the variety of work and the change of pace. Now because we are under SOX and HIPPA rules there is strict separation of duties. I find myself bored more often. It is nice to have one thing to focus on but I'm accustomed to being able to focus on several duties at once.
This change has led me to expand my personal time and I'm enjoying life a bit more. I hike 10 miles every weekend in the desert mountains around me. I spend more time with my wife and children. I've been able to get myself in physical shape and am seeing health benefits.
Would I do something else for the same money? Not work wise, again I love IT, databases, etc. Would I stay at home and play with my wife and kids for the same money? Heck ya.
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May 20, 2010 at 9:09 am
I think most people in IT are there because they enjoy the work and benefits. There is always more to learn and changes to adapt to. While a lot of us don't mind helping out wherever we are needed, the problem occurs when these temporary tasks become permanent. When an employee leaves a company, someone must step up and take on that employee's job until a replacement can be found. In today's world, more and more often, a replacement is never hired and those tasks get done by the existing employees. As a result, 40 hour work weeks turn into 50 plus hour work weeks. Two weeks of vacation become one week, maybe.
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