A Current Job Horror Story and a Question For Those in the IT Field...

[Proudiddy]

***FOR THOSE IN THE IT FIELD THAT DON'T FEEL LIKE READING THE NOVEL AND WANT TO GET DIRECTLY TO MY QUESTION, SKIP AHEAD PAST THE ASTERISKS BELOW***

 

So, I posted a year or so ago about how I was struggling to find a job...  So, I found one not long after that post, and I HATE IT.  Tons of ass kissing, dick sucking, and dry humping to work your way into the few management positions within the building and good luck ever getting them because some blood thirsty asshole is holding onto it with a death grip.  I guess my resume/life experience was fairly intimidating to some coming in, so they immediately used their power to knock me down a notch...  I was wrote up the first week of training for being less than 5 mintues late...  No matter that I was the only one in my class that wouldn't be working that shift regularly (I'm night shift) AND I was the only one with school age children that I had to put on the bus before I came in and then drive through rush hour traffic from 35 minutes away.

 

After a few more days of watching several other co-workers straggle in 5 minutes late or more, wreaking of cigarette smoke and holding fresh cups of coffee, but not having a word said to them, I started to become agitated.  I tried to ignore it though and just keep my head down and keep it moving...  A day or so after my write up, the bitch that wrote me up is sitting behind me in class talking to another otherworldly bitch about different people they mutually know in the workplace.  Mind you, both of them are in their early, EARLY 20s and fresh out of college, yet amazingly have attained positions in the training department, quickly moving up the promotions ladder in less than a years time.  Well, they talk about one person, mention how "everyone hates her, so anything she does, we write her up.  We write her up all the time."  Then they bring up another guy and one girl tells the other one how he was recently in trouble for something and the other girl replies, "NOT HIM!  We would never write him up!  We love him!  No way we would write him up." 

 

So, I couldn't contain myself anymore and transformed into my usual rage against the machine, Tupac of the workforce...  I brew on it for a day, contemplating if I should report this to the management above them and let them know what happened.  I come in the next morning and decide to confront her head on with what they said and how nonchalant and unprofessional they were in discussing such a thing in front of new employees they were responsible for training (which is why I hate the rat race in general because promotions and positions of authority aren't given out based on merit or experience, it's purely based on favoritism and who is best at kissing ass...  because these girls were not prepared to take on the roles they had been given).  So, the girl immediately panics...  She starts asking exactly what I heard.  I tell her, I'm not playing games with her, she knows what was said and the gist of it was, they write up who they don't like and they favor those they do, or at least look away from what they do wrong.  So, as expected, they go to management above them and I guess try to spin it...

A few days later, after no further resolution, and one of the girls actually laying my write up on my desk while I was at lunch for everyone to see, I go to the hiring manager that brought me in to discuss it.  She turns red in the face and looks like she's about to explode.  She tells me they won't hold the write up against me, but if I keep talking about it and don't let it go, it will reflect badly on me and negatively affect me going forward...  LOL.  She tells me the write up itself won't hurt me because even she received a "talking to" for being late before.  The word had already went around that I called them on their bullshit.  So, basically, I was being blackmailed at my new job.  So, that's cool...  I had to swallow my pride for the first time in a long time when it came to some workplace bullshit and decided, I'll make the best of it.  I talk to one of my friends about it and he says, "Yeah, you can't do that 'rage against the machine' stuff, they outnumber you...  you won't accomplish anything and they'll just come at you harder."  So, I decided to let it go, but I'm guessing it was too late.

 

I was pretty irritated.  I was excited coming into this job, had previous experience doing the exact same thing in a different setting, and so coming in, I felt like I was going to move up quickly.  Then I get hit with a write up in a record amount of time and that poo went out the window...  So, it was depressing...  Especially now that I had to accept my role as the company bitch if I wanted to keep my job, which I've never done before.  So be it...

 

So, fast forward a month or so later.  I'm clocking in 2-3 minutes late each day.  The night manager sends one of her minions to deliver another write up to me.  Okay, fine...  I sign it.  If that's their policy, whatever...  A few weeks later, they rearrange everyone's schedules, so I get assigned to a new team.  The new team leader tells me he wants me to show some improvement with my punctuality as he knows that I've had an issue with it before...  I agree but am irritated that I has been brought up again.  A day or so later, after coming in ONE MINUTE late, he comes to me with another write up.  I walk back to the office with him, as everyone looks on, knowing what is going on, and I proceed to rip into his ass.  This was three write-ups in three months, lol.  He tells me how he was given a "stern talking to" for making inappropriate jokes at work.  I ask him was he wrote up.  He replies no.  So, I say, "Do you see the difference?  You made a conscious decision to do what you did, knowing it was against policy, and yet, all you got was a 'talking to.'  I'm sitting in here with my third write up in three months for being less than five minutes late a day, violating an arbitrary policy for which there is no explicit designation of what is late.  You leave those rules in broad, general, non-standardized terms so that you can selectively enforce them on who you want."

 

Meanwhile, other team leaders are walking by the giant glass room jacking off to one of their peers wielding his workplace dick on me.  So, I argue with him for two hours and tell him that this poo doesn't motivate me, in fact, it makes me want to do worse AND see my coworkers fail as well so I can point it out and they can be wrote up too.  It would be one thing if the rules were explicitly stated and they were consistently enforced across the board on everyone, but as I said, I saw people come in everyday later than me, in the same positions.  Yet, I'm the only one setting records for write-ups. 

 

After this, I start playing by their rules and come in a bit early each day.  I HATE IT.  Not just because it is taking a few more precious moments that I don't have to be in this miserable place, but also because I know I'm not wanted here and am dealing with a bunch of snakes.  Other coworkers who knew what was going on told me it was clear I was being targeted as well.  So, after that, and getting my job duties down, I get several positive supervisor calls, coincidentally, at almost a record rate.  I have more than my mentor has gotten in three years here.  Funny, when you get those, they are supposed to go to the VP and you get an email back thanking you for it.  Yet, I never get an email under this team leader.  It takes a person going to one of our actual branches and handwriting a note to our main office thanking me for my service... 

 

*************************************************************************************************************************************************

 

Anyway, I'm now 7 months in and have received yet another write up (4 total) for being less than 5 minutes late.  I have received 6-7 positive supervisor calls, which my most of my superiors haven't even received a fraction of...  I didn't even argue the last write up, I laughed and went back to my desk.  I have since interviewed for two other positions, one paying about 8k more a year and the other paying the exact same thing I'm making in this hellhole...  Both interviews I felt I answered the questions in the exact same manner with similar answers across the board, and yet, the one paying 8k more, I get rejected for DURING THE PHONE INTERVIEW.  I get offered the lateral move...  LOL.  Just my luck.  And that is despite having vast amounts of experience doing the exact same job at both places.  Again, depressing...

 

So, here I am now, seven months in, and I absolutely loathe it.  The money doesn't make it worth it at all, but thankfully my wife does well in her career so we're comfortable.  But, obviously, as with anyone, I want more.  It definitely doesn't feel like my college education made a difference in finding a stable, solid career.  I have no real defined skill from college, and the ones that I have (film, writing) aren't ones that will bring in a check consistently.

 

As I've discussed previously, I want to pursue my creative interests in film and writing as my career, but as most books I've read and podcasts that I've listened to from professionals in the field have said, it's best to have a job as you're pursuing these interests for multiple reasons.  So, that's what I'm trying to do until I find my way with the things I actually care about...

 

And so that leaves me here...

 

I'm looking into something I can attain ceritifcation in relatively quick, that gives me a defined skill, and that will make me more money than what I'm currently making in this job/field I hate...  I don't want to deal with asshole customers anymore.  It's miserable.  I want to be respected for what I bring to the table with that skill.  From what I've gathered, you can attain certs for IT work on your own and jump into one of those roles relatively quickly...  BUT, I've also ready horror stories about people going back and getting IT/computer science degrees and then not finding anything because the field is flooded AND watered down by outsourcing.  So, for those of you in the IT-field, what is your advice?  I've also read those horror stories or more than less because people didn't take a specific track in the field (networking, help desk, etc.) and instead just took a broad approach and have little success because they aren't specifically skilled in any one discipline of it.  So, I don't know which account to believe...  is the field flooded, or is it still one of the most employed fields there are?

 

And for anyone that read all of the poo above the asterisks, thank you, and feel free to comment lol.

 

[carpanfan96]

Pm details of your actual experience level and current work place. I might have a few ideas depending on what you've done previously and what level.

[cardiackat88.]

Office politics suck MAJOR donkey dick.

I once stressed myself all to living hell fighting the tide of coworkers getting away with murder and having what seemed like a microscope on me.

The best thing that has worked for me, is to just extremely focus on myself. It is not easy by any means, but I have earned a lot of respect and I can tell the important people realize the good that I am doing.

[Carolina Husker]

Stop being late.

[Bob NC]

Sounds like if you could get to work on time a lot of your problems would be solved.

[Doyle]

If you didn't get written up for being a few minutes late I bet you would start coming in a little bit later each day.

[sharkkiller]

I understand your frustration, as I have some similar things going on. So let me be supportive before I get to the crux of your problem, as I see it.

 

Office politics sucks, and it always will, until you work for yourself. There are certain aspects of working in a coorporation that are pretty much unavoidable. Included is favoritism and unequal enforcement of rules. I have been the benefactor and the victim of both in my career. 

 

From your story, i see a common thread. You are consistently late, and are not taking any steps to correct it. Regardless of whether they are enforcing the rule equally, you still should be abiding by that rule. If you do not give them any ammunition, they will not be able to use it against you. You stated that you were late in the morning because you have children to get to the bus and because of traffic, which is understandable. But you also stated that you now work nights, which means both of your excuses are now invalid. 

 

You pretty much said you are late just because you want to be. You don't want to be there, so you come in late.

 

Regardless of how many Kudos you get, if you are late every other day, it at best evens out and you will never get promoted or any recognition. That is just the nature of the beast.

 

I understand being frustrated, I have watched many people with lesser ability and knowledge get promoted, while I sit in the same position. It gets frustrating, but I still do my job, first and foremost.

 

In summary, I sympathize with the attitudes in your work place, but I cannot sympathize with being late just to spite them. You are cutting off your nose to spite your face. Either that or you just don't care, in which case, you are not ever going to get promoted. And if you have that attitude in this job, why would anyone expect it to be different in another job.

[Lumps]

Stop being late.

 

lol seriously this.

 

sounds to me you feel entitled. If one of my workers shows up as late as you no way I'd write him up 4 times, I'd fire them. Consider yourself lucky.

 

You're misreble because you put yourself in the middle of drama and have your mind set. Grow some balls, ignore everyone, get up early, dress nice and be on time. Stay late and do your work and do it right. Bring home work if you have to. That will replace your loathing, bitching time with productive time and you will get noticed and move up.

 

harsh words but the truth.

[cookinwithgas]

Get Cisco certified, and get into IT security. You need less interaction with customers and more tech work, and hopefully can handle being on call - for example no one complains when I show up in the office as long as all my work gets done and I do my share or more dealing with after hours issues.

 

I was in a position similar to you many many years ago, I stuck with it out of sheer spite and when the inevitable firing came I walked out with my head held high and laughed when the whole management crew was sacked less than six months later. This whole "just be on time" thing is sometimes just not doable with kids, etc - it's clear that you are in a trap job and people are tightening the screws on you, If you are doing your job well and demonstrate that you want to do the right thing and are willing to work to those ends, this treatment is due to some other external force that you don't need in your life.

 

 

[sharkkiller]

Get Cisco certified, and get into IT security. You need less interaction with customers and more tech work, and hopefully can handle being on call - for example no one complains when I show up in the office as long as all my work gets done and I do my share or more dealing with after hours issues.

 

I was in a position similar to you many many years ago, I stuck with it out of sheer spite and when the inevitable firing came I walked out with my head held high and laughed when the whole management crew was sacked less than six months later. This whole "just be on time" thing is sometimes just not doable with kids, etc - it's clear that you are in a trap job and people are tightening the screws on you, If you are doing your job well and demonstrate that you want to do the right thing and are willing to work to those ends, this treatment is due to some other external force that you don't need in your life.

 

Being late occasionally is one thing, but being consistently late is another matter entirely. As was said before, if you worked for me, I would have fired you a long time ago. If you cannot do what I ask, and get to work on time, then you cannot work for me. If I cannot trust you to do something as simple as be at your desk on time, how can I trust you to do anything important?

 

It is of course understandable, especially with kids to be late some times, but as he stated, he works late shift. Less excuses then. Either come to work on time, or stay home without a job.

[Proudiddy]

Thank you cwg... I had been reading the cisco stuff was the way to go.

To the "don't be late crowd," there are a couple of points... If I truly cared about the job, then you would be right. But I don't. And a huge part of that was them setting the precedent to write me up despite the extenuating circumstances while ignoring others who were even later than me. You're also completely ignoring the part of them bragging about how they write up who they don't like and leaving the ones they do like alone. Once I saw that was the culture I went from caring and wanting to impress them to not caring at all and just accepting my role within the company.

And you are right, now that the m working nights I don't have the same reasons to be late, and I dont claim to have any other than once they put me in the hole with the first one, I just stopped caring about what they wanted. I hate the job for multiple reasons and their selective enforcement of rules is just one of many reasons. What I didnt share is that although I may have been 5 minutes late or so consistently, I also stay after work taking calls, sometimes up to 20 minutes over in a night... Guess what? I don't get commended for that, don't get kudos for that, I don't get paid anymore for doing it, nothing... So that further shaped my opinion of the place. Why give extra effort when you get nothing in return. They'll write me up for something they don't have to and ignore all of the great things I do that outweigh being 2 minutes late.

In all honesty, I have had trouble with punctuality my whole life, especially with some things that I just didn't have a passion for. So 2-5 minutes late is a huge step for me... I'm just not built to be some cookie-cutter, corporate robot-type. I don't do it on purpose, but it's just how I am. Regardless, I know I'm responsible for my actions, but the issue still remains that what is late is not explicitly stated in their policies and they do not enforce it evenly or consistently across all employees.

But the reason I asked about IT was so I could enter a field where I didnt come in without any leverage where someone ends up setting the tone for me based on their actions... I would have a lot more autonomy and essentially be working for myself in some aspects.

[TheAmericanDream]

Truth is be on time. Was taught this my whole life. I'm the guy who is always early for everything. Better to be early than late. Also if you don't like the job find another.

[h0llywood]

Start your own company. It feels good not having someone tell you what to do.

But at the same time, no matter where we are, as humans, it is just in us to bitch about everything.

[Happy Panther]

Start your own company. It feels good not having someone tell you what to do.

Indeed