May be getting a new job

[Checker]

Opened my work email the other day and saw a job opening in our company for someone to man an IT help desk. That department is expanding and is really just resolving connectivity issues over the phone with customers. If the problem can't be resolved over the phone or via remote access then a tech is dispatched.

I gave it a lot of thought and threw my name in the hat today. I'm really hoping to get it. Pay would be just marginally better (even considering my current auto allowance) so that is a small incentive as well. Honestly though, after 10 years of sucking toner I'm ready for a change. Wish me luck folks.

[blackcat4866]

I wish you luck pal, but you will miss the field work. It's a little clausterphobic going to the same office every day, punching the clock, then answering a phone all day.

Mostly I hope this is what you really want, and if yes, that you get it. =^..^=

[Checker]

I wish you luck pal, but you will miss the field work. It's a little clausterphobic going to the same office every day, punching the clock, then answering a phone all day.

Mostly I hope this is what you really want, and if yes, that you get it. =^..^=

Thanks BC. I appreciate that. You are correct about the negatives ... believe me I have considered them.

[prntrfxr]

Plus Side
1. no traffic issues
2. although you will still deal with idiots, you won't have to look at them face to face.
3. all the tech tips, shortcuts and info you need will be at your fingertips
4. no more carrying a heavy toolcase
5. you can bring your lunch and not have to eat it while driving
6. you can talk about stupid people with co-workers (if there are more of you in the office) in the office and vent.
7. No security checks, flights of stairs to climb, or parking problems.
8. More money and more energy to enjoy it.

Minus Side
1. You still have to deal with idiots and because there is no travel time to break it up, it will be more frequent.
2. The boss can check on you whenever they want to
3. It is likely they will have some kind of tracking software, so be careful what you pull up on the screen (you're not that kind of guy so this shouldn't be a problem)
4. Sometimes you will get antsy in the cubicle or chained to the desk, but if you're real busy you won't notice too often and eventually you'll get used to it.
5. Co-workers are closer so if you have a personality conflict you can't avoid them like you could when you work by yourself in the field.
6. Some offices have a lot of internal politics going on between departments. Keep your head down and your mouth closed until you figure out the sides. I made that mistake once and everyone in my department stopped talking to me because they thought I aligned myself with the other side.

Have fun!

[Checker]

6. Some offices have a lot of internal politics going on between departments.

Thanks for breaking it down some. This #6 minus side is the one that always gets me. I worked in a cubical before (software support center) and it was a real study in human nature ... almost laughable the way folks interact in the workplace.

[prntrfxr]

Did you get the job?

[Checker]

Did you get the job?

Thanks for asking. No, I didn't. I am a little disappointed, but the fact that I do have a job already takes the sting out of the rejection a little.

[prntrfxr]

Sorry to hear that. Sometimes I want to go more into tech support and less hands on. I'm getting too old to do this physical stuff anymore. The machines are getting cheaper. Crap gets deeper and since the economic downswing I feel like I'm wearing a lot more hats than I used to be.

I'm kind of stuck, because they'll never put me on the phones. They don't have anyone that does what I do on the level that I do it. Not tooting my own horn, I just have more experience. Job security is not what it used to be so I have to sit tight and deal with it. There are days when I love my job and can't imagine working anywhere else. There are also days where I would give just about anything to be doing something else. Most of the problem is dealing with management. Don't get me wrong, I have great bosses, but they're not and never will be technicians. Trying to explain things we have to deal with is sometimes like trying to beat your head against the wall. Then again sometimes they surprise you. I just got the big boss (accountant type) to check off on a big purchase for the tech area (never saw this coming). So we're getting new shelving. A cart for moving parts from the front to core returns department. A new little cart with drawers for my tools for me (I don't have room for the big one I have now):D. Some dollies for the trashcans and containers so the girls don't hurt their backs and some additional lighting.

The hard part is the waiting for things to change. You took a chance by taking the bull by the horns to make something happen for yourself. Sometimes things don't work out, but sometimes it works out for the best in the long run. There'll be other opportunities, so don't give up buddy.

[blackcat4866]

You can always tell a field tech. The knees of his trousers are getting thin, and it takes him 10 minutes to crouch down behind the machine. It's just as well. You would have been bored. =^..^=

[prntrfxr]

I like being a tech, but sometimes I need a break and want to try something else. I've done it before, worked 6 years as field tech, worked for a container company for a year and then went back to being a tech (not in the field). It's been about 9 years since I did it. It's getting to be that time. Working on starting my own company, not anything to do with technical work, though. Of course, there are techs and there are techs. I'm not the kind who takes my work home. I don't have a garage full of copiers or machines in various stages of repair (or disassembly) and I don't have mechanical hobbies. (hobbies are art/music related) I can't be the only one like this.