So folks, the new opportunity thing has turned out as expected. I will be staying put where I am at now. Fortunately, some new projects have come my way that should keep me busy. And that is a good thing, as when I am not kept busy then I tend to go a little bit nuts in a cabin fever type of way.
That’s one of the odd things about network/systems administration: being busy is a bad thing: generally that means that something really bad has happened like an outage or a server crashed. People freak out and get real nasty as though the sky has fallen on their collective heads. You would think the four horsemen of the apocalypse were running straight up Bay Street by the way some folks take it when some systems go down. Or perhaps a pretty mushroom cloud appearing on Lake Ontario. Difficult to say what would be an appropriate reaction to those sorts of things but I am sure that it would be quite similar to a tragedy of say not getting your mail for 20 minutes or so. In short, a busy sysadmin is a bad, bad thing. Unless of course the PHB's have decided in their infinite wisdom to not have appropriate staffing levels and are trying to squeeze every last ounce of energy out of you. In that case, it really is time for a new job. So if you see your tech guy with his feet up enjoying some Internet porn, or a game of Quake then breathe easy, all is well.
So, in other news I am going away with 20 or so other techies on a guy's only "team building" three day camping weekend ( AKA total geek drunkfest ). It should be interesting, as I only know one guy really well. The rest are past colleagues of his from a previous workplace. I met them all at the first and only stag I have ever been too. Unfortunately, due to the massive amounts of tequila I imbibed that night my memory is rather "fuzzy". So I will have to be reintroduced to most of them again. Bad Boy Boo will also be accompanying me along with my trusty Nikon digicam ( the battery hog that it is ). The latter will be brought out at each night’s drunken revelry. So I should have some interesting pics to post on Monday. My first fear is that some drunken idiot will fall in the fire. My only other fear is that idiot will be me :). If hat happens hopefully someone will catch the pretty flames with the digicam. Anyways, have a good weekend all.
Well people, I went to the interview I mentioned in my earlier posts. It was with the headhunter as compared to the client. For those not versed in the technical industry every time you go for a new job you get quizzed, tested, poked and prodded with "Technical Questions" from Headhunters or HR people. This never ceases to amaze me, as they generally have no idea what they are talking about. They have a list of questions and answers, or particular scenarios that they got from (hopefully) the people that work in the environment that you will be working in. As long as corporations and recruiters continue to interview in this manner then I will never be out of work. :)
The thing is raw knowledge is not the Be All End All in the daily operation of a Network Administrator or a Support Technician. Sure, you need to know what you are doing but the key is critical thinking and analysis of a particular issue. Even when I have been put through scenario testing with senior technical people I have found that this is not analogous how well a potential candidate will do within a specific role. My take is that you should have a LAB with maimed OS's, Network Links or applications or whatever the role calls for with identified and unidentified issues and see what the candidate does with the tools available to resolve the issues. We IT people use tools people! We use knowledge bases, should the organization have the foresight to have one, especially if it is maintained and up to date. We use google! We quiz vendors! What we do not do is exist in a bubble where our only tool is our ability to memorize tons of minutiae about whateverits. I have worked with or had on a team, many technicians that come with loads of vendor certifications: MCSE's (gah!) that didn't understand Active Directory, CCNA's didn't understand OSPF, CNA's that could not understand how to add NSF objects to the file system. much less a combination of these skills on a multi-platform series of interconnected domains. But they could study transenders and pass an exam no problem but the same people could not design/troubleshoot/break fix their way out of a paper bag! But I digress ...
Anways, the interview went well and I will meet with the client next week. The base money is the same as I make now, with a bonus structure TBD. Their will be much in the way of migration of infrastructure between platforms, like going from Notes to Exchange for mail, upgrade of win servers to newer flavours, addition of Citrix servers, etc. This particular company is a small division of a large company whereas now I am at a global Enterprise company directly. It all sounds really great but for some reason I am getting cold feet. I have invested the last year of my life here. I was promoted inside 8 months here to a much higher level, ahead of many other people who have been here for years. I have good supportive contacts high up in the food chain and have about as secure a job as you can get in this day and age. It’s nice and cushy here. Do I want to risk what has proven to be nice and stable now to go to something that is unproven but more exciting, meaning bigger fish/smaller pond type thing? I just don't know at this point, I will not make a decision until after I meet with the client directly. This of course assumes that I will be given an offer, but I am (somewhat arrogantly) sure that will be the case.
So what do you think: Am I a complete idiot for going one way or the other?
What Internet Subculture do you belong to? (Stolen from Tigerlilly)
Oh Woe is you! Your LJ is full of angsty poetry and every breath is PAINFUL for you. Remember, when you are playing with razor blades, it's down, not across! Make it count! (kidding!)
WARNING: "Techese" to follow. If the next post makes no sense to you then don't worry. It only makes sense to geeks anyways.
Well All, in my intense boredom hanging around the office I have been attempting to whore myself out to other organizations. This is partly a result of complete frustration with my lack of having much to do and partly just to see whats out there as I have been off the market for the last while.
So I have an interview, Salary is a nice jump up and it seems like a much more active role. To give you an idea, I currently manage maybe 35/40 servers in multiple environments. This is all Back Office type stuff with Enterprise applications that run on windows servers with UNIX backend for databases.
The new possibility is more of an architecture, implementation and support to upgrade an existing mixed environment including *NIX, Windows, Domino servers. Then once that is under control then to support the day to day operations of said network.
Both organizations are Enterprise level but the new one is a smaller division in a larger conglomerate. It might be an opportunity to be a bit of a larger fish in a smaller pond type thing.
It seems that this new organization had their infrastructure established and maintained on a rather piecemeal basis by various contractors. Now they wish to keep their infrastructure more homogenous and in house. Definately sounds like I would be busy anyways!
I think I will at least pursue the interview that I have been offered. Quite obviously, I currently have waaaay too much time on my hands as I am on this site all the time. What do you think?
What a couple of days all. I have been home alone for two days now as everyone else is at the cottage, enjoying summer. I could not as I have to work. What can you do?
I have to say that I was looking forward to a couple of days of Peace. Instead, it seemed really empty and rather lonely. No Girlfriend, No Kid, No Dogs. Just me and cable and takeout and beer. I could have accomplished some things but instead went to the local pub on Monday and just watched Movies at home yesterday. Us menfolk are such simple creatures.
Still it was relaxing and I find it good to have some "alone time" as it rarely comes along.
Anyways, the whole troupe comes back today! It should be a shock to the system (in a good way). Anyways, thats all I have to offer today.
As Love seems to be the subject of many bloggers I though that I would add this little diddy for you all:
Love is a dog with fleas
People revel in your desecration, wounded hound of a life-long misery Fascinated by your deconstruction, We seek your warm muzzle's drooling mystery. We fly in the face of danger because, We are reckless within faithless despair. One-eyed mangy mutt that gives us no cause to hope for more than a disgusted stare. Grotesque Mongrel that robs us of all sense From him there can be no hope of respite like a bad case of classic syphilis. Our pain is won in sadistic delight. Should you see his three legged lousy carcass, covered with a nasty stench of open sores, be sure to beat his flea-infested ass! As he will not ever fail to bite yours. You will know him as He rather aptly has the euphemistic name of Lucky!
So folks, I was in a car accident yesterday. Luckily no one was injured except ole Tibby ( the car ). If you can't drive then stick to being a pedestrian. The G/F was driving but it was the other Motorists fault.
Anyways, it is a hell of a way to get a day off work.
In other news, If I don't get more to do at work I am going to start listening to the voices in my head that say " Pssst! Hey You! Buy a high-powered rifle and find a high spot!".
INSERT DISCLAIMER HERE: The previous reference is not to be taken literally but rather as a figurative device to express my current dissatisfaction in a professional sense. OK people! So don't get the wrong idea! ok, that's all I have to say about that.
Everyone that I talk to seems to indicate the following paraphrased deconstruction of conversations:
Everyone else: ok, so your bored and unfullfiled? Me: Yep, that pretty much sums it up Everyone else: Well, are they still paying you? Me: Of Course ... Everyone Else: STFU you idiot! Do you know that I would give you my right (insert gender specific body part here) to be in that situation? I work for (insert bullshit job title) and they work me for (insert obsenely low wage here) for waaaay to many hours a week! Me: but, Everyone Else: No Ands, Ifs, or Buts you punk ass sumbeyatch! Get it together! Dickhead! Me: ok, sorry Everyone Else: You Should be! Don't waste my time with your incessant whining again! Ever!
What do you think people? Am I a punk ass sumbeyatch or does some purpose and fulfillment not play a role in this? My current responsibilities are about equivilant to Lester Burnham's, after He quits his job even though it comes with a fancy title and good bucks ...
