Eel Snave wrote: ↑Tue Oct 30, 2018 10:47 am
So I just got a huge-ass raise yesterday out of NOWHERE. 11%, no new responsibilities added. They explained that they're trying to retain certain people and that they're recognizing people who are good contributors and I'm like "WHY ME." Weirdest thing that's ever happened to me.
It's a good feeling. Twice in 20 years here, they have done competitive position evaluation and retention consulting and both times saw me getting explosive raises "out of nowhere". The lost one so so explosive they had to put me on a five year schedule for it take effect. It ended up being a 25% raise over five years (now greatly injured by benies cuts). The horrible thing for me is they keep giving me more money and then, in turn, raise expectations, demand higher goal setting, and want me to want more. This just accelerates my path to burn out.
Yay you! When I was shown a raise a trajectory, I was happy with a dose of I'll believe it when I see it, but they followed through, even when they canned my boss as costing too much in human capital
Lost one of my gigs, which has me kinda bummed out. However, that's the nature of gig work - higher education giveth, and then taketh away. It was a course on environmental health and a good four year run, so now I guess I'll have to focus my attention on horrifying people here instead of in a lecture hall. I've been looking for work a bit more local (it's a ~90 minute one way drive for me to get to work now, 1x a week) but all the opportunities are further east.
Still, I'm going on 10 years as a temporary hire with my other teaching gig (which is both awesome and depressing), so I guess that's something.
My wife has management experience in her industry. She has been previously been offered to be a manager for her current company and turned it down. After suffering under a number of managers ranging from untrained, incompetent, and actively hostile, she’s finally considering seeing if the door remains open, because she knows she’s better than all of them put together.
My career really sucks ATM - tons of work, relatively little income, but new challenges so that's cool... But can I brag on my wife?
She's taken her keynote speaking business from zero to 6 figures annually in just two years, she's in demand from Fortune 500 companies, and she's being flown to Geneva to deliver an address next year.
Despite all of that, the very best thing is that she often gets letters (like real in-the-mail letters) months after the fact from people that have heard her speak, telling her that she's literally changed their lives for the better.
I'm so crazy proud of her I cannot begin to express it
Last edited by geezer on Fri Nov 09, 2018 3:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Fri Nov 09, 2018 3:10 pm
My wife has management experience in her industry. She has been previously been offered to be a manager for her current company and turned it down. After suffering under a number of managers ranging from untrained, incompetent, and actively hostile, she’s finally considering seeing if the door remains open, because she knows she’s better than all of them put together.
Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Fri Nov 09, 2018 3:10 pm
My wife has management experience in her industry. She has been previously been offered to be a manager for her current company and turned it down. After suffering under a number of managers ranging from untrained, incompetent, and actively hostile, she’s finally considering seeing if the door remains open, because she knows she’s better than all of them put together.
She needs to do it
For a long time I have avoided moving into management because I like being a developer. As I get older it is harder to keep up with technology and I start to think to myself that I can't be any worse than most managers I've had in my career. This fall I took on the role of "Development Adviser" for a couple of college hires as a sort of test step towards management. It's more of a pure coaching role than direct management but I'll be looking at their feedback on my performance to help decide if I am willing to make the move. I don't like people in general and am really not a fan of office politics, but I generally get along very well with coworkers. We'll see.
Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Fri Nov 09, 2018 3:10 pm
My wife ...
She needs to do it
I've been trying to push her to do something for the past few years. She was made of an example of at her last place of employment over a minor policy breach, and she took it really hard.
Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Fri Nov 09, 2018 3:10 pm
My wife has management experience in her industry. She has been previously been offered to be a manager for her current company and turned it down. After suffering under a number of managers ranging from untrained, incompetent, and actively hostile, she’s finally considering seeing if the door remains open, because she knows she’s better than all of them put together.
She needs to do it
For a long time I have avoided moving into management because I like being a developer. As I get older it is harder to keep up with technology and I start to think to myself that I can't be any worse than most managers I've had in my career. This fall I took on the role of "Development Adviser" for a couple of college hires as a sort of test step towards management. It's more of a pure coaching role than direct management but I'll be looking at their feedback on my performance to help decide if I am willing to make the move. I don't like people in general and am really not a fan of office politics, but I generally get along very well with coworkers. We'll see.
My best friend is like that. He hates the politics and bullshit, but he's a low key but sneakily brilliant guy and a dedicated hard worker and has become a no bs, totally merit-based manager who isn't afraid to be honest with his team and his boss. His CEO took him to dinner thIs week and he's being groomed for big things. Point being, if you're good and honest, the right company will see that and reward it. I hope it works out for you!
Last edited by geezer on Fri Nov 09, 2018 10:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Fri Nov 09, 2018 3:10 pm
My wife ...
She needs to do it
I've been trying to push her to do something for the past few years. She was made of an example of at her last place of employment over a minor policy breach, and she took it really hard.
Yeah - I think most of us would be shaken by that. Imho it's important to accept it, understand that sometimes you just get hosed through no fault of your own, and move ahead with improving your life. It doesn't mean she's unqualified, or somehow lacking, she just drew a bad straw.
My boss sent out an email last night to all the "Managers" in the company. He's making December "tell me what you do" month.
He wants us all to religiously punch in and out for all our time, including lunches (we're all salaried). He wants us to all send him our weekly schedules and where/what we expect to be doing each Monday until January. He wants to schedule a day to sit and observe (job shadow) with each of us once.
I know the other managers here are busy all the time and have a dozen people reporting to them. I'm the only manager with no one reporting to me; manager in title only. I run the IT Department (of one), and I've got it nicely streamlined and set up so I just check the gauges and turn a few dials now and then. I'm not at all certain how I'll be able to entertain my boss for 8 hours, even if I do manual event log checks and firewall reviews. My days can be crazy-busy, or slow as death. On slow days, you'd wonder why you hired me. On crazy days, you'd understand why. I have no way to force him to see the right kind of day, because they just happen as they happen.
Black Lives Matter
2021-01-20: The first good night's sleep I had in 4 years.
Paingod wrote: ↑Thu Nov 29, 2018 8:17 am
I have no way to force him to see the right kind of day, because they just happen as they happen.
Patently untrue. A few special scripts scheduled to trigger at the right time on the day in question and you can be super busy fixing all the things.
On the other hand, he might wonder why you've let your environment remain so unstable. At my employer, we would love to pay our production support staff to sit around idly all the time, but considering our IT staff numbers in the five digit range there's little chance of that every being reality.
Paingod wrote: ↑Thu Nov 29, 2018 8:17 am
I have no way to force him to see the right kind of day, because they just happen as they happen.
Patently untrue. A few special scripts scheduled to trigger at the right time on the day in question and you can be super busy fixing all the things.
I know I could do that, but it's not my way. I take the trust my employers place in me seriously. I might poke around here and read the news or watch YouTube videos when I have time, but the job comes first. I don't think I could bring myself to sabotage anything, even if it meant saving my job.
coopasonic wrote: ↑Thu Nov 29, 2018 10:11 amOn the other hand, he might wonder why you've let your environment remain so unstable.
There'd be no question. They've got me running servers and PC's that are all well beyond End of Life and I've let them know it repeatedly. I'm currently prodding them monthly to replace 50 Windows 7 computers before January 2020, when support ends for it. My take on HIPAA compliance is that if we're knowingly running an OS without regular security updates, we're exposing patients and in violation of the law.
I'm already wringing my hands over how I'll handle it when February 2020 rolls around and I'm still running 40+ Win7 machines (I expect a few to die before then). Legally, I'm obligated to report the violation. I don't want to. I'd rather quit and make it someone else's problem.
Black Lives Matter
2021-01-20: The first good night's sleep I had in 4 years.
Paingod wrote: ↑Thu Nov 29, 2018 8:17 am
My boss sent out an email last night to all the "Managers" in the company. He's making December "tell me what you do" month.
He wants us all to religiously punch in and out for all our time, including lunches (we're all salaried). He wants us to all send him our weekly schedules and where/what we expect to be doing each Monday until January. He wants to schedule a day to sit and observe (job shadow) with each of us once.
I know the other managers here are busy all the time and have a dozen people reporting to them. I'm the only manager with no one reporting to me; manager in title only. I run the IT Department (of one), and I've got it nicely streamlined and set up so I just check the gauges and turn a few dials now and then. I'm not at all certain how I'll be able to entertain my boss for 8 hours, even if I do manual event log checks and firewall reviews. My days can be crazy-busy, or slow as death. On slow days, you'd wonder why you hired me. On crazy days, you'd understand why. I have no way to force him to see the right kind of day, because they just happen as they happen.
If you happen to have a slow day at the appointed time, perhaps you should be prepared to explain in detail the measures required to make things operate so smoothly in the first place. A well-run IT environment is the poster child for an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure. Just don't undersell that ounce.
"What? What?What?" -- The 14th Doctor
It's not enough to be a good player... you also have to play well. -- Siegbert Tarrasch
Yeah, I plan to. I really don't see my boss wanting to sit behind me all day while I read through Event Logs and research errors or warnings. I'm prepared to do that until he falls out of his chair and crawls out of the room if need be. I fully expect him to discuss with me what I do and then leave it alone. He has never once questioned what I do here in 2+ years. Things work, service is prompt and professional, and everyone's happy... but I need to be prepared mentally for a day with no OO or news and spend 8 hours grinding through mundane tasks to punish him for sitting there...
Black Lives Matter
2021-01-20: The first good night's sleep I had in 4 years.
coopasonic wrote: ↑Thu Nov 29, 2018 10:26 am
Yeah I am not seriously suggesting you do anything underhanded, I am just saying you *do* have a way. It may not be moral or ethical, but it exists.
edit: What Max said.
Don't forget to explain the financial impact of things going wrong, and the financial impact of things going right. He might not be able to connect the dots himself. Don't over do it though. He's going to be inundated from every angle just how important each and every manager is to the health of the company. He's going to get sick of it pretty fast, and being less tolerant of exaggeration or even just excessive detail. It's a balancing act. Pay attention to his body language and demeanor and adjust accordingly.
Your point is valid though. Explaining to your boss what the consequences are if the things you're checking (that check out A-ok) go awry could take up considerable time, and scare him to death (hopefully). It would help if there has been an event in the recent past that you could explain how your actions work to prevent such events, and how this particular event was "an act of god" that no amount of planning or money could have stopped. Ok, maybe leave out the money thing if you need more of it.
When you have one of those busy days, document the issues, actions taken, root cause analysis, and steps to mitigate future occurrences. Then hand the report to the boss. Every. Single. Time.
GreenGoo wrote: ↑Thu Nov 29, 2018 10:36 amPay attention to his body language and demeanor and adjust accordingly.
Dude's body language and demeanor even in essential meetings is "I don't want to be here" ... He's the best/worst manager I've ever had. He completely leaves me alone to do my job, but he also leaves me completely alone. I have no backup if there's a problem, I can't get anything approved for expenses, and I can't get him to push back on things that need to be pushed back on.
He's a part owner of the company, too. No one is above him to force him to try harder. I think this "initiative" is coming at an angle from the one owner (there are 4 in total) who has an agenda for the business, and he's an unwilling participant. For his part, he'd be content riding the business as a stagnant horse into retirement and selling off his share for a million dollars.
Black Lives Matter
2021-01-20: The first good night's sleep I had in 4 years.
Paingod wrote: ↑Thu Nov 29, 2018 8:17 am
My boss sent out an email last night to all the "Managers" in the company. He's making December "tell me what you do" month.
I envision a FTF conversation where you loudly claim that you're a people person, damn it! Try not to turn purple.
I've had several companies do this sort of nonsense. My current employer gave up a year ago - but here they just asked to categorize time spent in about 20 different categories. At a previous employer, I would put an entry "4 hours - time tracking" or something to that effect. Tracking every little thing takes a lot of time.
We use project management software to track our days. There are bucket categories for us at the department level that I work for. "Education" gets a fair number of hours.
Jeff V wrote: ↑Thu Nov 29, 2018 11:21 amAt a previous employer, I would put an entry "4 hours - time tracking" or something to that effect. Tracking every little thing takes a lot of time.
A couple of jobs ago, I had a manager decide she needed to know what I was doing all day, every day and she asked me to give her an outline of my activities. I presented her with a two-page summary where my time for the day was broken down by into small increments and each task I did was entered start/stop. It was a real pain in the ass to do it, but after the second day she told me to stop and never asked for it again.
Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Thu Nov 29, 2018 11:26 am
We use project management software to track our days. There are bucket categories for us at the department level that I work for. "Education" gets a fair number of hours.
Which is good. Part of my day is spent looking over news feeds for relevant Tech news and reading up on it. From trends to threats. It's valuable info, and not something they can just tell me to do on my own time since it's a direct benefit to the business.
Black Lives Matter
2021-01-20: The first good night's sleep I had in 4 years.
Paingod wrote: ↑Thu Nov 29, 2018 10:16 am
There'd be no question. They've got me running servers and PC's that are all well beyond End of Life and I've let them know it repeatedly. I'm currently prodding them monthly to replace 50 Windows 7 computers before January 2020, when support ends for it. My take on HIPAA compliance is that if we're knowingly running an OS without regular security updates, we're exposing patients and in violation of the law.
I'm already wringing my hands over how I'll handle it when February 2020 rolls around and I'm still running 40+ Win7 machines (I expect a few to die before then). Legally, I'm obligated to report the violation. I don't want to. I'd rather quit and make it someone else's problem.
This sounds like an opportunity to schedule some meetings to highlight this or other issues while your manager is visiting. Hearing about the problems first hand as others talk through their end often provides validation. It'll also look proactive (if they care about that) and you lower the risk of being idle.
So my wife has a superpower that allows her to leave any job interview with an offer in hand. Unhappy with her current employer's effort to "take care of her" with her annual raise, she had an interview last week Monday with a nursing home that's half the commute from her current job. She walked out with a substantially larger salary offer, and a schedule that eliminates back to back double shifts every other weekend (currently, that's balanced by a 4 day weekend every other week). The shifts are different, and will allow her to be home before I leave for work, so I won't have to get my daughter up early and hand her off in the parking lot.
Her current employer (in spite of the salary and schedule, my wife really does like the place) offered a salary match, with the possibility of exceeding the offer. They really don't want her to go so she spent most of the week on the fence. I did sympathize, she's worked at enough poorly-run facilities to appreciate what good management does in terms of levels of stress. She had orientation at the new place yesterday and seems she is impressed enough to move forward. While her hourly rate is significantly higher, the 72 hour biweekly schedule will be a wash with 80 hours at the lower salary of her present job. It seems they also have a nice monthly bonus for perfect attendance - one reason all of her past employers have hated losing her is that she's reliable in a business where unreliability abounds.
My daughter has worked at a hospital for about seven years. She asked them for a reduced schedule so she could go back to school and obtain a higher degree. They refused so she gave her notice. When D day approached they agreed to the reduced schedule.
Jaymann wrote: ↑Thu Nov 29, 2018 11:44 am
My daughter has worked at a hospital for about seven years. She asked them for a reduced schedule so she could go back to school and obtain a higher degree. They refused so she gave her notice. When D day approached they agreed to the reduced schedule.
The reduced schedule should help get my wife back to school too. She's approaching the limits to what an LPN can expect; she believes the next step to RN can mostly be done online. An RN would open up management options in the nursing home industry - she would be good in that sort of role because over the past 5 years she's paid close attention to what works and what doesn't. How she goes about getting her RN is another question - ultimately, if she wants maximum options and salary she should strive for BSN. Her LPN was achieved via trade school, and there are programs to get her to RN without taking the additional coursework needed for a BSN. How much credit she would get for general education from 3 years university in the Philippines is to be determined.
My career... Is stalled. I just got a delivery job a few months ago after working for my dad for a decade, and turned me and it into a wreck, both physically and emotionally. The current company wants to be avant-garde, but the way it goes about it left me ambivalent, with changes that simply makes no sense. Fortunately, I can ignore most of it. But almost mandatory over-time is a PITA.
Basically it goes like this: We're a delivery company, and we take vans out all over the place, dropping 50-80 boxes. That's par for the course. Now I know how those UPS guys feel. Any way, it's the way they schedule that rubs me the wrong way. The original work description ways 40-50 boxes. That's very doable in 9 hour workday (including lunch and 2 breaks). However, when they up'ed the workload to 70 boxes, THEN introduced separate loads (in the same van) so you have to look boxes in two separate places, things got messy. Then they introduced a barcode system to make sure we got both loads, and things got ugly indeed.
I've been dealing with them by ignoring half of their system... I basically don't scan the barcodes at all. It's optional, and it slows me down a couple seconds at a time. I also mix the loads (putting the "dry" loads with the matching "produce" loads) so I can grab them at one go, rather than looking for them each and every time. I grab the dry loads for the next 5 orders, "stage" them with my next produce loads at the rear of the van, and that made my life quite a bit easier.
But the way the schedule these vans are just dumb, IMHO. What they do is a mix of "mutual aid", and "roaming help"...
Mutual aid: If one guy finishes early, he can go help out the other guys. Unfortunately, this rewards lazy bums, and creates extra work for those who work efficiently. Obviously not all people who can't finish early are lazy bums (sick, accident, etc.) some could have bad luck with a lot of apartments and such. But really, everybody was talking about "pace yourself, don't finish too early" behind the office's back. And mutual aid is like across cities. I think I ended up helping a guy in San Francisco when I finished in Benecia, which is like 40 minutes away.
Roaming help: They also schedule one guy with only like 10-20 boxes, basically extra light load, then sends him driving all over the area trying to take another 10-15 boxes off different people. That sounds like the most stupid thing ever. The time the two drivers have to coordinate, drive to meet each other, and transfer the boxes, then go drop the orders, sounds like 20-30 minutes wasted. I did it for one day. I ended up only dropping 30-40 boxes that day, and spent half the time driving here and there.
Basically, the load varies, as not all people order on the same day, but our driver schedule doesn't seem to vary. Add the need to help out others, the work was okay mostly, but it's starting to drag with the rainy season.
I honestly don't see myself working this long-term. OTOH, dispatching 50 drivers doesn't sound fun either.
My game FAQs | Playing: She Will Punish Them, Sunrider: Mask of Arcadius, The Outer Worlds
Jaymann wrote: ↑Thu Nov 29, 2018 11:44 am
My daughter has worked at a hospital for about seven years. She asked them for a reduced schedule so she could go back to school and obtain a higher degree. They refused so she gave her notice. When D day approached they agreed to the reduced schedule.
The reduced schedule should help get my wife back to school too. She's approaching the limits to what an LPN can expect; she believes the next step to RN can mostly be done online. An RN would open up management options in the nursing home industry - she would be good in that sort of role because over the past 5 years she's paid close attention to what works and what doesn't. How she goes about getting her RN is another question - ultimately, if she wants maximum options and salary she should strive for BSN. Her LPN was achieved via trade school, and there are programs to get her to RN without taking the additional coursework needed for a BSN. How much credit she would get for general education from 3 years university in the Philippines is to be determined.
According to my daughter, advanced degrees from the Philippines are considered with equal weight from the hospitals. She has seen employees with marginal skills but that magic piece of paper leapfrog over her. Thus her motivation for a higher degree.
Jaymann wrote: ↑Thu Nov 29, 2018 11:44 am
My daughter has worked at a hospital for about seven years. She asked them for a reduced schedule so she could go back to school and obtain a higher degree. They refused so she gave her notice. When D day approached they agreed to the reduced schedule.
Healthcare is expensive.
My wife and her generation of nurses are experiencing fairly extreme pressures that would result in them being replaced by newly minted nurses at much cheaper rates. Even taking into account a somewhat subjective viewpoint from the inside, it's clear that Hospitals in my city have started valuing accounting over care. My concern is that people die every day in hospitals. Who's going to notice if there is a trending increase in deaths?
Lawsuits can and do apply pressure to a hospital to maintain a certain level of care, but a decrease in care can be harmful without warranting a lawsuit with merit.
According to my daughter, advanced degrees from the Philippines are considered with equal weight from the hospitals. She has seen employees with marginal skills but that magic piece of paper leapfrog over her. Thus her motivation for a higher degree.
[/quote]
Maybe advanced degrees, less than that, it's hit-or-miss. The local community college determined that my wife's 3 years general ed (she was thinking to go into teaching at the time) at a university plus two years in a practical nursing program at what here would be a trade school added up to 2.5 years of community college before she could be allowed to take the LPN exam. She got a little more credit with an accelerated program that cost a bunch of up-front cash and had her LPN in about a year.
Regarding her new job, she initially applied at another location with the same company. Both locations are about the same distance travel. I told her to call them back, maybe they'll have an internal bidding war. Unless she is already attached to the place she had orientation at yesterday. She said no, it's pretty much a hole, but she's planning to bolt as soon as a new nursing home opens nearby anyway. The outer construction seems mostly complete, I'd guess it'll open in spring.
This is a recent phenomenon in this particular hospital (which is actually just a giant organization of multiple physical hospitals) to the best of my knowledge, and quality of care is absolutely dropping. Whether that results in more deaths or just more patients lying around in their own filth has yet to be determined.
Do you have stats on time between shitting the bed and being cleaned? Yes, I realize I'm the one who brought up deaths.
Believe it or not your stats appear heartening to me. Like I said, that's good.
Jeff V wrote: ↑Thu Nov 29, 2018 2:32 pm
Maybe advanced degrees, less than that, it's hit-or-miss. The local community college determined that my wife's 3 years general ed (she was thinking to go into teaching at the time) at a university plus two years in a practical nursing program at what here would be a trade school added up to 2.5 years of community college before she could be allowed to take the LPN exam. She got a little more credit with an accelerated program that cost a bunch of up-front cash and had her LPN in about a year.
When I was in post-secondary education almost nothing from a college was transferable to a University. At least nothing technical. No math. No science. Taking Engineering technician in college? Start over at square one in a University engineering program. Similarly other math or science based degrees.
I bought into that idea then, but with more experience I realize it was more elitism than anything, which helped me feel superior. In retrospect the Universities were just preserving their reputations too as opposed to practical reasons.
Today colleges actually offer government accredited degrees in certain subjects (although what they offer is more limited than a University), which are theoretically equivalent to a University degree of the same name. So not only should the material be transferable, they should be equivalent.
My point being that things have changed significantly in this area in Ontario over the last 30 years.
EvilHomer3k wrote: ↑Tue Oct 09, 2018 9:34 pm
I took a job a few months ago in database management. I like the guy I work for, the people I work with, and the place I work at. The work, itself, is good but it's pretty siloed and limited in both scope and challenge. Just a day ago, someone in another department gave their two week notice. I am thinking about applying for their job. I am pretty sure it would be a step up in responsibility, pay, and enjoyment. I did this job before for 10+ years and loved it. The issue is that it's internal and I have only been at the current position I'm in for a short time. I feel I'd be pushing them back at least a few months before they could get back on track.
I truly think I'd be a better fit in the other position. I don't particularly like being under someone else (in my area) even if they are great to work for. While I enjoy the work, half of the stuff I've done is because I've asked to do it. I've been training for two months despite having a much higher level position the last place I worked and doing the job of my current boss for almost as long as he's done his (and having more experience in IT overall) It's not that he's bad at his job (he's quite good) it's just that I'm being eased in so slowly despite having a few years of experience and it's frustrating. An example is that we are planning on upgrading our current system but are pushing it back because the guy in the other position was going to help with some of the programming. I'm honestly hurt that he wouldn't have even considered asking me to look at it. I have a lot of experience with exactly what we can't do which is causing us to push the upgrade back.
I think it's in my best interest to apply for the other job but I'm not sure how to tell my current boss. He's a good guy, does an excellent job, and truly owns his area (maybe a bit too much). I'm also not certain I'd get the job (though I think I have a very good chance at it as I have quite a bit of experience). My current boss has been here quite a while and is friends with the guy leaving. I know what I should do but I'm just not sure of the best way to approach it.
So, flash forward a few weeks. No one has been hired for that position but, my current boss left a few weeks ago and I was named interim senior administrator of administrative systems (database management). Been doing it for a few weeks now and should end up taking the position. It will be about a 25% raise overall. Pretty happy with how things turned out.
That sound of the spoon scraping over the can ribbing as you corral the last ravioli or two is the signal that a great treat is coming. It's the washboard solo in God's own
bluegrass band of comfort food. - LawBeefaroni
EvilHomer3k wrote: ↑Sun Dec 02, 2018 11:12 pmI was named interim senior administrator of administrative systems (database management). Been doing it for a few weeks now and should end up taking the position. It will be about a 25% raise overall. Pretty happy with how things turned out.
That's awesome!
Where I work, I think some of the other managers are as stressed as I am about this "Month of Review" we're going through. One of the location managers quizzed me on how I had handled some of the self-eval and scheduling questions, like she wanted to make sure her answers were good enough. My wife said last night that, in her opinion, this is just plain bad management and it's creating a hostile workplace. I don't know that I'd go that far, but it is causing stress to feel like my boss is going to be breathing behind me for 30 days - starting today.
It doesn't escape my attention that a full time IT position for a company this size is somewhat uncommon. It would be easy to outsource my job to a vendor - but it's the other things I have that save me from thinking that's the plan. I'm the HVAC guy. The office furniture guy. The heavy lifter & mover. The handyman. The vendor coordinator. The Audio/Visual guy. The Phone guy... I bring a lot more than just "I keep the network tidy"... Sure, someone else could do all that stuff - and they'd need to find someone additionally to manage the IT vendor.
At any rate, I feel like I'm currently inside the movie Office Space, waiting to be called into the conference room... and I'll probably feel that way all month.
Black Lives Matter
2021-01-20: The first good night's sleep I had in 4 years.
Jeff V wrote: ↑Thu Nov 29, 2018 2:32 pm
Maybe advanced degrees, less than that, it's hit-or-miss. The local community college determined that my wife's 3 years general ed (she was thinking to go into teaching at the time) at a university plus two years in a practical nursing program at what here would be a trade school added up to 2.5 years of community college before she could be allowed to take the LPN exam. She got a little more credit with an accelerated program that cost a bunch of up-front cash and had her LPN in about a year.
When I was in post-secondary education almost nothing from a college was transferable to a University. At least nothing technical. No math. No science. Taking Engineering technician in college? Start over at square one in a University engineering program. Similarly other math or science based degrees.
I bought into that idea then, but with more experience I realize it was more elitism than anything, which helped me feel superior. In retrospect the Universities were just preserving their reputations too as opposed to practical reasons.
Today colleges actually offer government accredited degrees in certain subjects (although what they offer is more limited than a University), which are theoretically equivalent to a University degree of the same name. So not only should the material be transferable, they should be equivalent.
My point being that things have changed significantly in this area in Ontario over the last 30 years.
My wife seems to believe that possessing a LPN license should set her educational baseline at a certain level. Whether or not that's true we'll see.
So her present job didn't come up with a better offer than simply matching the salary of the other place. Still she had a difficult choice - she likes where she's at (despite having to play games like this to get paid), but liked the schedule and closer proximity of the other place. In the end, she had me write an email graciously declining the new job offer and staying where she's at. But then she dropped an ever-other-week Tuesday afternoon shift (so that I wouldn't have to WFH in the afternoons every other week), so with one day less per pay period, the increase is a wash.
I do think she'll be more inclined to pick up additional shifts when offered, at least during the winter. She did so this past Friday.
From what I understand of nursing, it's the same up-or-out pay chase as most other industries. The more letters behind her name, the better. And then there's the technical vs. management track. Bonus points if you land at a facility that will pay for continued schooling.
My aunt was a cardiac surgery nurse, and did quite fine for herself. Unfortunately, cancer took her before she could enjoy retirement.
