Topic: How To Burn Out.
started by: damien_s_lucifer
Posted by damien_s_lucifer on Mar. 14 2002,00:55
The Lab just posted the job description for the person who will replace me. It's interesting, in that it essentially describes everything I did under "DUTIES", and the skills I brought in under "QUALIFICATIONS." They paid me $72K/yr.So... my question to you is - am I a lazy, unmotivated schmuck, or is this a job that would burn out ANYONE???
DUTIES: Essential -- Support and maintain the existing strategic server infrastructure. This includes monitoring the performance of the various Telephone Service Center servers; Visual Messenger, Voice Mail, Telebill, etc. Be proactive in correcting problems before they manifest to the user community. Maintain system with both performance and security patches. Create scripts and applications to support the smooth operation of the various central services. Act as principal contact for complex systems; interact with users or project teams to establish system specifications and resolve problems. Train users on implementation and operation of systems. Possess broad and in-depth knowledge and technical expertise in one or more areas. Independently resolve complex problems and issues. Responsible for the installation, maintenance, and administration of a wide variety of applications. Handle all questions and problems pertaining to hardware, software, networks, and connected network services. Develop system administration, security, and network policies and tools oriented towards efficient system management. Interface with vendors to evaluate, procure, and implement new software and hardware products. Monitor trends in the computing environment.
QUALIFICATIONS: Essential -- Excellent problem solving skills. Ability to work well in a team environment with staff from various groups within the Laboratory. Understand UNIX, and network security issues and operate within LBNL security standards. Good written and interpersonal communication skills. Must be able to work off-hours and on weekends to perform system maintenance or to repair a production server. Must work very effectively with customers and demonstrate the skill to leave customers with a positive experience. Must be able to prioritize group projects. May be assigned lead responsibility for projects with limited scope and well-defined parameters and impacts. Experience and knowledge in technical comprehension of computing and networking, procurement, and software development techniques. Demonstrated excellence in computing technology, sustained over five or more years, with two or more years experience in area of expertise. Demonstrated ability to stay ahead of a rapidly developing technology. Experience in UNIX system. Must have experience with SunOS and Solaris UNIX operating systems. Ability to program in C and Perl. Ability to analyze system, disks, and network statistics to improve performance. Marginal -- Bachelor's degree in electronics engineering, computer science, computer systems technology, or equivalent experience. Previous experience in a research or educational environment and a customer service delivery organization.
Posted by editor on Mar. 14 2002,01:13
Wow, DSL, were there 3 of you? I hope your new job is less stressful! Now I can understand one reason you and Wiley are buds!
Posted by Uberkommando on Mar. 14 2002,01:36
You did all this by yourself?I have this mental image of an unbathed, irritable, caffeine-addicted mongrel, typing furiously at 5-monitor multisystem while the phone rings relentlessly and another boss/coworker drops by every 3 minutes to ask why the email isn't working.
God bless you.
Posted by Spydir on Mar. 14 2002,01:51
you, my friend, deserve a fucking long vacation. I'd like to recommend las vegas. Seriously, you don't have to gamble or go to tittie bars to have fun. Those just add to the fun.
Posted by Wiley on Mar. 14 2002,02:56
Here's to you Mr. overworked, underappriciate, traffic guard of the information super-highway. You keep our systems running smooth as a babies ass ...even when we're sound asleep. You sir will tear your hair out and go without sleep for days ...just so our stupid email jokes will go through to our co-workers. While most people opt for a 40 hour work week, you calmly take on 50 hours more. So grab yourself a Bud Mr. Data Center commando ...you deserve it.
Posted by Spydir on Mar. 14 2002,03:08
why does that sound familiar?
Posted by veistran on Mar. 15 2002,05:08
so basically, you were like an octopus playing the drums?
Posted by Wiley on Mar. 15 2002,17:24
So do you have a new job or are you just going to take some time off? A Unix admin friend of mine burnt out one day and became a pool cleaner. He went from 80K/yr to eating Ramen in a studio appt. He was oddly happy about it though. I think the burn out will get us all in the end. I hate the nights when you know your job is over if the system is not up by 5am ...and it's like 3
0 and you are still reading your old notes.I once brought a six pack of beer into work for an all nighter and was questioned by my boss. I just said "hey, do you want it up in the morning or not?" He pretty much just left me alone with my beer, a warm parka, fingerless gloves and a thermos of coffee. All the essentials for spending the night in the server room.
Posted by damien_s_lucifer on Mar. 15 2002,20:47
I flipped out in the parking lot one morning, called my old boss, and asked if I could have my old job back. I got it 
Then I went inside and told my current boss I was resigning.
now I'm working with my old company, trying to expand it.
Posted by Wiley on Mar. 15 2002,21:15
I always ponder going back to one of my old jobs. There was one that I really liked and could keep me really happy; they just couldn't meet my salary demands when I left. They did call me up a few months later and were willing to talk, but I was in the middle of trying to go public with a new company and basically didn't call them back. (I think now that maybe I should've) I stopped in to visit them after the tech world went to pink-slip hell and I got my current job. Everybody there was asking if I was coming back; I had to tell them that no, I was just visiting. I do think about going back more and more these days though. Mainly because my job right now is just so freaking stressful ...not hard, just stressful. Basically the system I cannot go down ...ever! If it were to go down it would cost us few hundred million or more ...and I'm pretty sure my ass would be thrown out of the building. 6am-3pm there is zero room for error.At my old job I worked for local government with no stress at all. I could burn down the building and probably not get fired. It is there I learned that government workers are going to get paid whether or not they solve your problems and there is nothing that can't wait until tomorrow. Basically the same "Like I give a shit" attitude that you'll find at the DMV. Sure I hate those people like the rest of you, but I guarantee you that a DMV worker doesn't give one thought to work after 5pm. Sometimes I think that less stress would be better then a six figure income ...sometimes I even discuss the idea with my manservant while he's drawing my bath. Maybe we need a poll.
Posted by damien_s_lucifer on Mar. 15 2002,22:10
I just figure that there HAS to be some way for us IT types to make a reasonable amount of $$$ without being put thru the meat grinder. My biggest complaint about the corporate world is their extreme arrogance towards IT and IT staff. Management continues to make it clear that although we are at least as educated and skilled as they are (probably more so), they consider us to be a bunch of overpaid rank-and-file workers, one step up from the janitors. Around here, $72K / year is just enough to live comfortably. It's not going to make anyone rich, yet my boss continually told me he was "paying too much" for me.The datacoms guys were pulling in $90K/yr, and they got to forget about their job as soon as 5pm comes around. Admins, on the other hand, are expected to be at work 24 hours a day.
Here's a tip, management... if your computers are that vital to your business, maybe you should have more than one guy watching them. Maybe you should have two or three shifts.
Posted by WrineX on Mar. 15 2002,22:32
Sheeshand i thought being a SysOp is one lame ass job.
but anyhow, the guy at my school knows jack shit about computers, and it doesn't even matter.
Our school has the lowest IT resources known i guess.
But i'll be out of there in a Jiffee.
Time for gradution
Posted by Jynx on Mar. 15 2002,22:37
| Quote (damien_s_lucifer @ 15 Mar. 2002,14:10) |
| I just figure that there HAS to be some way for us IT types to make a reasonable amount of $$$ without being put thru the meat grinder. |
There is, but it requires either relentless tedium or contracts signed in blood and given back to Satan.
You think I'm kidding, don't you?
Posted by damien_s_lucifer on Mar. 15 2002,22:53
the sad thing is that it wasn't always like this. I know a couple of Unix longbeards from back in the day. Their job was over when they got off work; no one expected them to be available 24/7, and they were treated with respect by management.imho, the company that has done the most to fuck over sysadmins is Microsoft. Their software totally sucks and we have to work overtime just to keep it running... and at the same time, their marketing dept. continues to claim that MS software is easy and doesn't even require an admin.
You want easy? Buy Macs for all the employees. That will cut your need for tech support down to about 1/4 of what you'll need for Windoze. Then buy yourself a couple nice Unix servers and a hire a sysadmin to run them. You will have an IT infrastructure that works beautifully, a staff that doesn't grumble about their computers, and a sysadmin who does his job well because there is no one to micromanage him.
Posted by Wiley on Mar. 15 2002,22:55
You're preaching to the choir on that one. More then anything I hate being looked down upon (inside work as well as outside) just because IT is my chosen profession. It's seems like it is just one notch above working the fast food drive-through window in some peoples eyes. People always think I just fix people's computers when they won't print and I deserve only slightly more then minimum wage. I always have to correct them and say no, although I happen to do some of that because I know how ...that's not really my job. I tell them that I would explain what my job really is, but I'm sure most of it is well beyond their grasp and I won't bother to waste time trying. My current employer has such disregard for the IT profession that they don't even have any IT positions available. The positions don't even exist. There are officially no programmers or network engineers or desktop support personnel on the HR books (for a company of 60,000). You have to somehow end up doing the work for them as a consultant and then convince them to hire you full time for it. This does have one advantage though; in this company there are no salary or educational guidelines for them to use to try and screw me over. But I do hear you with the being looked down on shit …god it bugs me to no end. When asked in a social situation what I do for a living I always answer “I’m a computer geek” because to me that pretty much sums it up. I’m not ashamed of being a geek. When I get the rolled eyes followed by a “Oh, so you’re like a helpdesk guy?” I usually hand them one of my business cards (Vice President / Senior Technology Specialist Baby!!!) and shut them the fuck up! Keep with it …one day the world will reckolize da skillz, yo!
Edit: On the whole Microsoft issue I got to disagree a bit. I work with Microsoft daily on projects and they will help quite a bit in designing systems and being accountable for the results. This is contrary to working with a lot of other vendors (specifically Unix based solutions) who are willing to make their software run for you, but not modify it at all. And when it doesn't work they can only recommend the name of some consultant who you can call for help. On the contrary MS will stick with you until it works right ...or until you run out of money.
Yeah, you're right ...they do suck. 