I've discovered something about me in the past few weeks: I like to be challenged, but not overwhelmed. This applies both to work and home. Work is what has brought this realization to me most recently. I have not been busy, but I have got one large project that requires some research, attention to detail and is filled with things I'm not sure how to do. This is not overwhelming, it's simply a challenge. None of it is impossible, and each time I get stuck it just takes a little reading to figure out how to proceed. It's also filled with lots of MS Access and Excel - more on that later. I feel pretty good about things at the end of the day and even Amanda has mentioned that she's noticed a change in my personality lately.

This is because I used to be overwhelmed. I had a phone at my desk with a regular direct dial number, as well as an 800 number that rang only at my desk. Two pagers and a cell phone. Email. And instant messaging. That, on top of all the people who were in the office constantly knocking (or pounding) on the access-restricted door to my office. 130 salesreps and about 150 customers, all of whom only had me to answer their questions. All of whom thought they were the most important person in the world at the moment they needed me. And they were important, I don't deny that. Anytime the machine you use to run your business and make money quits working, it's important. My point is that I was the only one in the state to help these people. If I had to travel more than two hours away from the office, you could pretty much count me out of the office for the day. That meant no help from me for anyone who happened to be in the office to see me. It meant that someone else (from our huge 4 person IT department) had to stop doing their job to help someone I should have been able to help. There was obviously a flaw in the system. Well, obvious to me at least. I even told my employer that I would take either a raise OR another person with the same job title and responsibilities to help me out. Either one would help me be more motivated - and I actually didn't want the raise as much as I wanted someone to help me out. I'd arrive at about 7am and leave promptly at 5pm. But work didn't end just because I left the office. It didn't actually end until 9pm when I could count myself mostly off-call for the night. I won't even mention weekends....

Compare that to what I have now: my hours are fairly flexible (I don't actually have to be here until 8:30 AND it's closer to my house), I make more money, no cell phone or pager or 800 number, when I leave at 5 I am done for the day, I have one project to work on and lots of resources to help me, my weekends are free. I never appreciated the healthcare world when I was in it prior to working in IT/IS. It sounds contrived, but I didn't realize how good I had it until I didn't have it anymore. I need to come read this when I start to lose motivation or focus and remind myself what life used to be like.

As for the project I am working on. I mentioned it requires Access and Excel. No problem really - they tested me before I got the job and I passed with flying colors. I ended up spilling the beans to my manager the other day about how easy the test was. I'm positive they're going to discover they gave me the wrong test. I told him how they gave me an hour to complete it, but it only took 15 minutes - and that was only because I insisted on reading every word of every set of directions. I told him that nothing on the test has anything to do with what I'm expected to produce with either program. I told him that, from an employer standpoint, I didn't think it was an accurate assessment of a candidate's knowledge of the programs. He only responded that he has never seen the test, and that lots of applicants have only scored in the 50's and 60's.

I really should learn to keep my mouth shut.

previous - next

duh - 2008-09-15

hi mac - 2006-12-12

corporate whore - 2006-11-03

new - 2006-10-05

elvis costello sings for you - 2006-09-27

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What I Read(for fun and amusement)

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