TOTALLY FRUSTRATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 3

[Kocheace]

As the subject line suggest, I'm frustrated with were my career is going. Which is absolutely nowhere. I have 3 years experience. My first job was a contracted position (8 months) as an Access Database Developer. Three months after completion of the database I was hired as a customer service rep. for a copy center. Two months into that stint I was promoted to a supervisory position in the Imaging dept. where I've been for the past 2 years.

I made my superiors aware of my desire to want to utilize my programmings skills in the organization. They complied and allowed me to develop a database/web app. to be used internally. They've hinted to me that they're trying to develop a more technical division of the company. I initially was excited when the opportunity arised to develop an app. (Access/SQL) for one of our clients. To my disappointment the deal didn't fall through.

It seems as if I have regressed in regards to my responsibilties in the orginization. My job duties currently are no different than an operators! I've gone on 3 interviews in the past 2 months. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm frustrated. I'm not being developed, I never made a significant pay increase after being promoted, and I feel as if I'm just being screwed.

I've made up my mind that I'm going to move on once an opportunity arises. I not sure how long that's going to take so I was wondering if I should make my superiors aware of my frustrations, which would alleviate some of the stress and potentially lead to more responsibility and pay, or should I keep my mouth shut and move on?

Sorry this thread is so long

Say 'ello..... to my little friend!

 

[dilettante]

This is just off the top of my head, but I've been doing a lot of thinking along similar lines.

One idea is to sit tight, smile though your heart is breaking, and bear it. Do your job as if you're glad to have it ('cause we all ought to be). Make whatever effort you can to improve your skills on your own - whether new ones or simply deepening your existing ones.

Think of yourself as an independent contractor, and concern yourself with your reputation as a solid, reliable performer who wants their business. I call this "taking back your life and career." Today's management culture will treat you like a cog if you let it.

... then bide your time until the economy improves. When a stable opportunity presents itself, drop these guys like a hot potato. Make a clean, mutually pleasant break, but get out. Consider them a poor client, but don't burn bridges.

Thinking you're being screwed doesn't help you, it just depresses you. You need to step back, take a breath, and develop a plan. Then carry it out.

 

[Craftor]

Hi Kocheace

Sorry to hear about your job woes. I'm not sure what your contractual obligations are like to yuour company - but what about starting your own business on the side - as an ad-hoc developer doing contract work? If this doesn't interfere with your company's work - this could possibly be a way for you to increase your skills and make yourself more marketable in the areas you'd like to work.

Are there no other internal areas where you could maybe do developement? I'm thinking along the lines of web based systems for knowledge management and content maangement (which can be implemented without too much fuss as long as you don't get too complex) or database apps for employee knowledge?

Hope this helps and hope things do get better for you.

All the best

Craftor

 

[Recce]

Hi dilettante,
Thanks for your reply. You said it..... My situation may not be as bad as Kocheace's but, taking a step back and taking a breath is probably what I should do 'cause, I have learned that nobody is indespensible and developing an attitude hardly ever solve the problem.

 

[DrJavaJoe]

If you can think of a development project that will improve the company take it on and do it even if it is on your own time. For one you'll get experience and two you'll impress upon them your dedication and value to them. Build something that makes them dependant on the skills you offer so that the salary may increase and makes yourself feel important. Take the opportunity that working for a solid company offers, they are paying you now so they obviously are doing something right, and make the company a better company by developing systems that make them more efficient. Worst that can happen is you learn new skills, make them more money and they don't appreciate it, but with more skills you are more attractive in the job market so you can find the job that you are looking for.

 

[Kocheace]

Dilettante,

I was thinking along the same lines myself. As a matter of fact, that's exactly what I've been doing. I recently sent an email to the head of one of our departments, which is whom I've done development work for, and asked if there are any other projects that I can work on. I've received no reply via email or in person. Is that a good sign or not? Anyway I guess I'll continue to set goals for myself, whether I'm assign more projects or not, to improve my skills on my own.

Say 'ello..... to my little friend!

 

[Kocheace]

Has anyone else had a similar experience? If you have would you mind sharing your experience to help myself and others who are in circumstances of this nature?

Say 'ello..... to my little friend!

 

[jrbarnett]

Kochease,

You know the sort of things that the department does, so if you can think of a system that needs doing, or an existing system that needs improving (or rewriting from scratch), then take the initiative and do it, don't wait to be asked.

For example, at a former employer where I was employed in support work, we were told by the head of department (bosses boss) to record our workload, to effectively justify our time, without providing anything to record it with, so I wrote a system in Access to record calls, time taken, outcome and reporting on who did the work, and the workload creator grouped by person and unit and undertaken by each member of the departmental IT staff.
Although it has since been rewritten in MySQL and PHP, so my Access system isn't used any more, it just proved that it could be done and how to do it.

John

 

[dgillz]

DrJavaJoe hit the nail on the head. I was in a rut several years ago and I had this manual process I had to deal with that drove me nuts.

So, on my own time, I took a small slice of this project (one of about 13 product lines, the issue cost estimating) and I automated it. This went from a totally manual process to where the user literally had to answer only a few questions, and the cost estimates came out in presentaion quality.

When I was ready, I asked for a meeting with my supervisor and showed him the app. I explained that this was only a small piece of what needed to be automated, and to show him how good it was I had a new cost estimate in front of me. I told him I could do it in 2 minutes with my app and that to do it the current way would take 20 minutes. Then I backed up my claim.

Within a month, I had more IS projects being thrown at me than I could handle, and we had to start prioritizing which ones I did next.

Remember the classic line from Chevy Chase in Caddyshack? "Be your future Danny, Ma-Ma-Make your future".






Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Exact Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports

http://www.trianglepartners.com

 

[CajunCenturion]

Kocheace - Life and careers are full of cycles, with ups and downs, and they ebb and flow, just as the business economic cycles turn. I suggest that you ask yourself a few questions. Are you frustrated with your career, or is it your job, or is it your current assignment, or is it simply who you work for, or is it something else? Is it something that you can change, is it something that you want to change? Before reacting to anything, be sure that you're reacting to the right thing. Before taking any action, look at the big picture, including the state of the economy and/or IT in your neck of the woods and match your actions with the real problem.

Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[Recce]

That is also very true....importand to think about all of those things...life is very deep and complex.

 

[Kjonnnn]

For whatever reason the phrase "I'm not being developed" stuck out from the post.


YOU are reasonable for YOUR developed. If they place where you are is not utilizing all the skills that you believe you have, you need to find somewhere that does, and not be angry with your present employer. It just seems your tryn to make THEM fit your program, and not the other way around.

 

[Kocheace]

Kjonnnn

You made a good point in regards to making THEM fit my program instead of vice-versa. Its true. Not only from my view point, making them fit my program, but also from THERE'S as well. I guess what I'm trying to say is that we're both guilty of trying to make each other fit what we invision the roll to be!

Say 'ello..... to my little friend!

 

[VBACT]

Four years ago I was bankrupt, broke and you guessed it, divorced. Four years later, I have quadrupled my income...every year, am extremely happy with where I am, work about 16 hours every day, have no stress, and love every minute of my days. My simple prescription...for every choice that I made I asked myself a simple question....WHY!

 

[Onyxpurr]

I was in this position. What I did? Worked on projects throughout the company and got a degree. I'm glad I got my CIS degree, with this I also developed other skills in VB, C++, COBOL, SQL, ASP, Java, HTML and this has helped me develop my career immensely. I also took side jobs, outside of work, doing Access database. However I do feel by expanding my range of languages has helped too.

 

[Mike555]

Getting frustrated never helps the situation. Keep getting frustrated and you will eventually do something you'll regret, like leaving your job with nowhere to go. I have to say that it is (humorously of course) somewhat concerning to see a reference to your 'little friend' at the bottom of your post.

I was in a similar situation once. I had specific skills and qualities that simply were not needed for my position. You have specific strengths/skills which you are good at, and your employer has a specific role for you to fill. Keep on working with miscellaneous tasks and projects in which you can utilize your skills until something better comes about.

--
Mike

Why make it simple and efficient when it can be complex and wonderful?

 

[Kocheace]

Mike555,

In relation to this threads subject line..... I think its down right Hilarious. I never looked at it in that light before. Thanks for this laugh. I needed it!

Say 'ello..... to my little friend!