I was a CSA for 4 years before my promotion..definitely a lot of stories!
Sure, Picadilly Line stations between Ealing Common and South Harrow.
Do you enjoy your job?
- Thread starter flibbage0
- Start date
Principal Product Engineer (QA) for a large security business, very interesting work, get to travel now and again and work with some decent people. Finish each week very proud of what I do. Been there for 10 years and travel 80 mile round trip a day, costs me over 300 quid a month petrol and I have no plans to leave anytime soon.
Overall yes, I really enjoy my job (Product Owner for an Analytical/Calculation Engine product at one of the big database/analytics vendors). Sure it has its frustrations (resourcing, marketing etc.), but it is interesting and challenging, well remunerated, and gives me a mix of international travel (in Vegas at one of our conferences in 2 weeks time), and home-based work the rest of the time 
Been there for 19 years
although only 18 months in Product Management (in consulting before that). Don't intend to go anywhere else unless things change for the worse.
Been there for 19 years
although only 18 months in Product Management (in consulting before that). Don't intend to go anywhere else unless things change for the worse.
Odd you mentioned that as I'm feeling exactly the same way. I know things move quickly in IT but despite doing it for a couple of decades I've never felt like I have less input into new technologies or support to learn them than these last few years. It's progressed to a point where anyone in my organisation can literally buy in whatever tech/platforms they want and demand support for it. Then if I have no knowledge of the technology/platform they've bought it's assumed I'll spend my own time and money to learn it.
It's worrying and frustrating situation to be honest....
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Associate
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1. Yes, most of the time. As with most things in life, people are often the most difficult part. Or rather, difficult people are the worst part. Best part is I more or less do what I want.
2. Facilities and IT Manager (lol), tending towards the IT side at the moment, trying to do more in-house and not outsource issues we have to external support. Hoping to get on the following courses soon:
End goal is to be a real IT Manager with a small (or large) team.
2. Facilities and IT Manager (lol), tending towards the IT side at the moment, trying to do more in-house and not outsource issues we have to external support. Hoping to get on the following courses soon:
- ITIL (not sure which yet, but will be level 1)
- O365 Admin/ General use
- Active Directory
End goal is to be a real IT Manager with a small (or large) team.
Are you doing this through self study and/or are your workplace contributing towards the course in terms of time and money?
I'm finding when I ask for any kind of training (o365, networking, Azure,,ms,etc) I just get told to "keep my skills up to date, learn on the job or figure it out".
Associate
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Remains to be seen at the moment. They've confirmed ITIL, but I might have a struggle getting the more hands on stuff approved. I need to get prices still.
That sucks man, it's a shame when companies don't see it as an investment for their business as well. There's only so much you can learn online, and I'd have thought they would want you to get it right first time on the job, therefore training would be a benefit. I can only speak for myself, but when I'm learning on the job there's a lot more trial and error.
Yeah, I'm personally wanting out of the IT support sector as it's degenerated into a free for all where management buy in whatever tech/platforms/systems they want on a whim each month and expect me to spend my own time/money training. I don't see a future in it anymore.
Associate
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That's a shame man, have you thought of trying a different company first?
Mines like that to a degree, but I'm supported by top level staff in software control. Mainly to reduce cost, but I also argue it from a security perspective.
1. I'd say 15% enjoyment, 65% ambivalence, 20% dislike.
2. I work as a controller for an exams awarding body. On the surface I have an ideal situation; no commute, pleasant office premises and currently work a four-day week due to childcare. Very little day-to-day management input at all as I'm enabled to get on with my job as is. I could easily go an entire day without needing to speak to a colleague, if I so chose. However, it is marred by the fact we are a very small team (and company) constantly up against the tide. The only deadlines that count are our own and we let our centres and students take the ****, which puts more pressure on overstretched resources. We don't manage change well enough as upper management are always involved in too many projects simultaneously, which often means the provision of important information is overlooked; this would be easily alleviated by better time management and preparation and by consulting the staff members directly involved day-to-day. Staff reviews therefore become a formality, aspects which would improve the running of the office are given lip service but with little tangible change. We also use dreadfully old tech which doubles, trebles or quadruples the time it takes to do certain tasks.
Eventually mid and lower-level staff become disillusioned and move on; a company of 12 people had has 14 staff changes in 3 years. It's not sustainable. The frustrating thing is that there are dedicated, talented people available, the flaws are obvious, many are fixable with little cost and it would not take much to make it a more rewarding experience; reversing the Elvis song: "a little less action, a little more conversation please." It should be blindingly obvious, but time spent properly planning change comes back to you in spades by not having to re-do things ad nauseum, fixing problems and correcting misinformation that still rumbles on 12-18 months later.
2. I work as a controller for an exams awarding body. On the surface I have an ideal situation; no commute, pleasant office premises and currently work a four-day week due to childcare. Very little day-to-day management input at all as I'm enabled to get on with my job as is. I could easily go an entire day without needing to speak to a colleague, if I so chose. However, it is marred by the fact we are a very small team (and company) constantly up against the tide. The only deadlines that count are our own and we let our centres and students take the ****, which puts more pressure on overstretched resources. We don't manage change well enough as upper management are always involved in too many projects simultaneously, which often means the provision of important information is overlooked; this would be easily alleviated by better time management and preparation and by consulting the staff members directly involved day-to-day. Staff reviews therefore become a formality, aspects which would improve the running of the office are given lip service but with little tangible change. We also use dreadfully old tech which doubles, trebles or quadruples the time it takes to do certain tasks.
Eventually mid and lower-level staff become disillusioned and move on; a company of 12 people had has 14 staff changes in 3 years. It's not sustainable. The frustrating thing is that there are dedicated, talented people available, the flaws are obvious, many are fixable with little cost and it would not take much to make it a more rewarding experience; reversing the Elvis song: "a little less action, a little more conversation please." It should be blindingly obvious, but time spent properly planning change comes back to you in spades by not having to re-do things ad nauseum, fixing problems and correcting misinformation that still rumbles on 12-18 months later.
Most days I get home tired, I see my other half for an hour before bed time then up again early. I am working all day xmas eve, xmas day, Boxing Day and NYE.
I spend most of the day dealing with very poorly patients, knowing that the decisions I make could hurt someone, end my career or kill someone. The stress carries on when you get home, you spend your minuscule home life going over your decisions, the situations you were in, the patients you lost that day.
I feel absolutely privileged though every single day. I feel like I make a difference, even when the vast majority of my work is a thankless task.
So yes. Enjoy my job very much even though it consumes my life.
I spend most of the day dealing with very poorly patients, knowing that the decisions I make could hurt someone, end my career or kill someone. The stress carries on when you get home, you spend your minuscule home life going over your decisions, the situations you were in, the patients you lost that day.
I feel absolutely privileged though every single day. I feel like I make a difference, even when the vast majority of my work is a thankless task.
So yes. Enjoy my job very much even though it consumes my life.
I don't mind my job. Interesting and good to chat with students which makes it different each day. I don't wake up with dread each day and I can cycle to work in 6 mins. Means I can get home for lunchtime each day and back in work in 12-13 mins which gives me roughly 45mins at home each lunchtime. I'm back home and in my livingroom about 5.07pm each day which is handy
Before my twins arrived I was able to lie in to 8.15am, up shower and breakfast and still be in work before 9am.
Before my twins arrived I was able to lie in to 8.15am, up shower and breakfast and still be in work before 9am.
Soldato
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For me this is a bit of an odd one,
The work itself ( plastic injection moulding ) can be extremely monotonous and terribly boring. However, the small company i am currently working for is brilliant. No political correctness, good laugh with all the blokes and the girls in the office.
Nobody goes crying over a swearword i lost my last job for swearing once as they said i was bullying someone for telling them to **** off. It's a super relaxed environment with lots of cake as the bosses daughter makes cakes for a living so we get the ones that are not visually perfect.
So do i enjoy my work? no, but i enjoy my workplace and that's good enough for me as i know it's a lot better than most people get.
The work itself ( plastic injection moulding ) can be extremely monotonous and terribly boring. However, the small company i am currently working for is brilliant. No political correctness, good laugh with all the blokes and the girls in the office.
Nobody goes crying over a swearword i lost my last job for swearing once as they said i was bullying someone for telling them to **** off. It's a super relaxed environment with lots of cake as the bosses daughter makes cakes for a living so we get the ones that are not visually perfect.
So do i enjoy my work? no, but i enjoy my workplace and that's good enough for me as i know it's a lot better than most people get.
Theoretically we have a clinical supervisor, one of our consultants, who we can discuss things with.
In reality, you have no chance of getting time with them, nor would you want to discuss things that are worrying you.
So no. My fiancé is also a doctor so I am blessed with that, I can come home and rant and go through my decision making process, and she'll critique or back me. Without her, my mental health would suffer!
You're a real hero. Puts my academic library work into perspective. I admire people like you and wish you well
1. Yes love my job - pretty much get to work on what I want to work on and have a huge amount of flexibility. Work from home unless I want to be in the office
2. I'm an IT Architect specialising in unified comms + collaboration and end user computing (Office 365 and all the products in the suite and anything end-user based). I'm the lead engineer/architect for everything in my area of technology.
2. I'm an IT Architect specialising in unified comms + collaboration and end user computing (Office 365 and all the products in the suite and anything end-user based). I'm the lead engineer/architect for everything in my area of technology.
1. Yes, absolutely, 100% of the time
2. Software developer, architect, systems engineer, quant and generalist - currently running a set of quant strategy funds with a total of $8bn invested - I work in a team with 3 other quant researchers and portfolio construction specialists.
2. Software developer, architect, systems engineer, quant and generalist - currently running a set of quant strategy funds with a total of $8bn invested - I work in a team with 3 other quant researchers and portfolio construction specialists.