job | Piss and Moan

Random application

Posted on March 8, 2023 by backuphill

Not really looking, but I am at the same time. Something happened the other day that kind of surprised me, about myself, and I have thought about it ever since.

As a little background, just over two years ago I was thinking I might lose my job. The organization I work for was being mandated by the state to require it’s employees get a poke in the arm for “immunization,” of…well, you know…. I was thinking I might lose my job because I was going to have to go through the process of basically applying for an exemption and there was some question about whether it would be granted since the process was set up to work against employees who claimed it. In the process of getting ready to lose my job, I started accounts at several online job search sites – LinkedIn and Indeed. After getting all that set up and getting alerts for job notifications set up I was granted my exemption and I have continues to work at my current place of employment.

But, in the meantime, I am still getting alerts about potential job opportunities because loyalty to employees really no longer exists in most cases so if the right opportunity came along, why not jump ship for something better? It’s a tad scary, the thought of starting over so I haven’t really payed much attention to the alerts I was getting. Well, until the other day…

I got a job notification that kinda stuck out. Basically, it would be doing the same thing I am doing but for a REALLY large company. I would be product support for customers, providing troubleshooting and documentation and creating self-help information at Netflix.

Now, I probably wouldn’t have even considered applying except that LinkedIn made it so easy. “Click this button to apply” was basically the instructions. So I did. After literally 10 clicks to verify my info, provide just a tiny bit more, and upload my resume I had applied for the job. It was so easy!

I have no illusion that I’ll get hired, or even an interview. But what surprised me was the easy for submitting an application.

Additionally, I was surprised that I even submitted one in the first place.

I am not really looking, as I said previously, but the thought of a job that would allow me to work fully remotely, for at least as much pay as I am currently receiving, was definitely attractive. And it only takes a few (or more) clickes? What is there to lose at that point?

Anyone else surprise themselves applying for a job they weren’t really looking for?

Meeting fatigue

Posted on December 8, 2022 by backuphill

This week isn’t all that different from any other week, as far as work goes. I realize meetings are part of my job, but I didn’t realize that going to meetings IS my job. At least it feels that way many days.

I was looking back at my work calendar for this week and I added up the time scheduled for me to attend one sort of meeting or another. Altogether, I will have spent 8.5 hours of my 40 hour work week in a meeting. Granted, the week isn’t over so more could be added (or some, please please please, removed).

Do my supervisors understand that attending meetings keep from doing my ACTUAL job? You know, the areas and tasks and functions where I have expertise? That for every hour of time scheduled for attending a meeting that it probably (I’m estimating here) sets me back about two hours of productive time (provided I actually feel like being productive…see recent posts…I am doing effort less…)?

Do other jobs require this much time in meetings? I mean, jobs that aren’t a supervisory type job. We all know supervisors spend lots of time in meetings because they don’t actually have a job or job functions. But that is neither here nor there.

My point is, how much time do you spend in meetings each week? Is this normal, to spend the equivalent of an entire work day in meetings each week?

Suddenly sucks

Posted on February 2, 2022 by backuphill

Work.

There is too much of it, so I write a blog post about it instead.

Seems fair.

I am actually procrastinating because I don’t really want to dive into the overwhelming list of things that needs to get done. It seems the list continues to grow every day and I am not taking many things off of it.

Work suddenly sucks. I never really thought it would get this way. Don’t get me wrong, I still like what I do and the people I work with, but there is generally a feeling of dread each morning before I go to work…and I am exhausted when I am done with it.

Our normal team of 17 is down to 14. Well, 14 and a quarter.

I say a quarter because we recently hired someone to replace a co-worker that left back in October. But, he thing with this hire is that the management went with someone who has no background, no history, no knowledge of the software at all. The new hire has a lot of technical skill from their time in the military, but no skills that actually help the team at the moment, and likely won’t really contribute to the team in a meaningful sense for probably a year. The new hire will be great once up to speed, but in the meantime it will be painful for the rest of us.

The reason we are so far behind in hiring is that we had two co-workers leave to go to other jobs in the same field at about the same time. One of those people had 18 years of experience and knowledge go with them and the other had about two years of direct knowledge and many years of ancillary knowledge go with them. We have only replaced one of them.

We also had a co-worker die recently from an extended battle with lung cancer. Again, there was many years of experience and knowledge lost as a result. We all felt this loss in different ways and we are all trying to pick up the slack since it happened. The co-worker had actually been working all the way up to two weeks before their death.

So, if you are keeping track, we are down two (basically three) positions and there is also an impending retirement coming up in the next several months. Then we will be down three (basically four) positions. They have just posted the position for one of the jobs…and we’re all hoping for some really outstanding, qualified, and experience candidates. The problem is that they are only going to be replacing one at this point.

I’m just tired. And overwhelmed.

It has to get better soon.

Do I really?

Posted on January 3, 2022 by backuphill

It’s been a week and a half of vacation and today is back to work. I am sure if you have been on vacation over the holidays, or even if you just had some extended weekends because of the holidays, your morning conversation with yourself went similarly to mine.

ALARM

“Ugh…I don’t want to get up. What happened to vacation?”

ALARM

“Seriously. Do I really need a job?”

SHOWER

“Maybe I can call in sick for one more day?”

DRESSING

“Pretty sure the next 17 years to retirement are going to suck…”

COFFEE

“I might make it through the day.”

EMAIL CATCH-UP

“Why did I get up today? Do I really need a job? Is there ANY possible way to retire early with minimal effort?”

Anyone else have this conversation with themselves this morning? Am I the only one?

Slow day

Posted on December 22, 2020 by backuphill

The work day is crawling today.

There are barely any help tickets and the only thing left to do is work on projects…and I don’t want to.

Can we all just go home now?

Staring at the screen waiting for something to happen is mind numbing.

OK, fine, I’ll work on projects.

But I am not going to like it.

Other

Posted on December 21, 2020 by backuphill

Ever had a tough time not thinking about “the other”? Specifically, “the other” things you could be doing or “the other” person/people you could be with?

Sometimes I find it hard to make it through the day without thinking about “the other” things. I am sure this is just a focus issue and somehow I have developed a little ADD in that I am isolated each day in my home office (garage). There are so many other things I could be doing. So many other things that I want to do (or maybe need to do) instead of actually working. LOL

I know, I know. Work provides the income that allows me to actually do other things when I am not at work. It is a necessary evil.

It’s just, do I have to? I mean, really? Do I have to?

The other things seem like they would be way more fun. The other people seem like they would be way more entertaining.

I suppose this could just be a case of “the grass is greener” and what I am really experiencing or feeling isn’t necessarily the truth. But still, “the other” thing, person, people, activities, job, entertainment, whatever, seems way better than what I am doing right now.

I could be wrong.

But there is no way of knowing.

So, I ponder and think about “the other” still.

Back to work

Posted on November 4, 2019 by backuphill

close up photo of man wearing black suit jacket doing thumbs up gesture

Photo by Lukas on Pexels.com

It is always strange, weird, awkward (whatever) going back to work after being out for a while. It was just two days, but everyone treats you in one of two ways:

You had the plague and they aren’t sure they want to talk to you.
They are glad you’re back and can’t wait to come visit.

I have 100+ emails to get through.

Don’t talk to me.

Two Thursdays

Posted on September 26, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

My regular telecommute days are Wednesday and Thursday. However, that last two Thursdays have had meetings in the office that I have had to attend, so I telecommuted on Tuesday instead.

As such, this is the second Thursday in a row that I have made the hour (+/-) trek to the office. And this is the second Thursday in a row that the traffic has been less that tolerable. More than an hour to work, again.

Seriously, what is with Thursdays?? Why can’t people drive on this day of the week?

I am seriously starting to contemplate calling in sick on Thursdays if I have to go to the office and can’t telecommute. Think they would notice?

D.W.D.S.

Posted on August 29, 2019 by backuphill

angry bad john art black and white emotion

Photo by Jan Prokes on Pexels.com

It’s been crazy busy at work of the last two weeks. Like no time to think, not time to breathe busy…

I think I hit my wall yesterday and today isn’t looking any better.

Today, I just “Don’t Wanna Do Squat” (you can replace the S-word with whatever you like, but this is almost a family show here….). I just wanna sit and veg out and just not do any work. I’ve had enough. I wanna check out. Cab please!

There has to be a solution for this feeling. Oh yeah, it’s called being wealthy.

Damn.

Guess I’ll do more work, reluctantly.

Do your job

Posted on June 18, 2019 by backuphill

man sitting on black leather padded chair

Photo by Jason Appleton on Pexels.com

The job I have is to help people with the software they use every day. I help them extract data from the software and help then fix issues when it doesn’t work correctly.

What I don’t like doing is their jobs for them.

We often get requests that are a are a regular function of their job, something they should know how to do after years of working at the job. Yes, there are those who are new to the position so I can understand asking for help at that point.

However, there are lots of people who call us on a regular basis to help them get data from the system they should have learned how to do by now. They just refuse to figure it out.

“Oh, it’s just easier if you do it.”

“I know it is accurate when you do it.” Um, no, not necessarily. It’s your data. We don’t know if it is accurate. We just tell you what we see.

“It takes too much time to learn this stuff.”

Good grief…just freaking do your job.

Anyone else out there tired of doing someone else’s job? What is it and why do you do it?