Does anybody actually enjoy the place they work?
-
What is it that makes it enjoyable? Do you have a good manager or a poor one but good co-workers? Is the work exciting or is there some other perk to the job that helps you forget how boring the work is? There are a lot of great programmers on this site, I'm curious if you were able to find jobs you enjoyed. If so, how long did it take you to find it?
Dustin Metzgar wrote:
What is it that makes it enjoyable?
A combination of things. I have a great manager and supervisor, I even have a good project leader even if we sometimes clash on issues dealing with work pressure. And I have had much, much worse in the past, I know all of those are at least trying. The primary thing is content, and usefullness. Much of what I do is used often and thus gives a sense of worth in that I am actually doing something that is used. Variety is another, R&D monies are always a plus, but not always available. Still the variety and chance to try something no one has tried before is great fun. Currently augmented reality is a blast. :)
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
-
Dustin Metzgar wrote:
What is it that makes it enjoyable?
A combination of things. I have a great manager and supervisor, I even have a good project leader even if we sometimes clash on issues dealing with work pressure. And I have had much, much worse in the past, I know all of those are at least trying. The primary thing is content, and usefullness. Much of what I do is used often and thus gives a sense of worth in that I am actually doing something that is used. Variety is another, R&D monies are always a plus, but not always available. Still the variety and chance to try something no one has tried before is great fun. Currently augmented reality is a blast. :)
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
Jeffry J. Brickley wrote:
Much of what I do is used often and thus gives a sense of worth in that I am actually doing something that is used.
Cool. Everytime I see a client using software I had written it's very encouraging. It does make you feel useful.
-
Yes and it takes many things - management, people, environment and work. The only problem is that the better we do the more work gets thrown at us. Elaine :rose:
Trollslayer wrote:
The only problem is that the better we do the more work gets thrown at us.
Sometimes I feel I could use a little more work.
-
Absolutely! The boss is as bright as I am, and more knowledgable in our field - something I've very rarely experienced. The company is small and agile, and everyone has to wear several hats for it all to work, so it's never boring. The company culture is relaxed, except during a power system emergency, and ad hoc trips out to breakfast or unplanned barbeques are frequent. When the occasional emergency strikes, all hands turn out together, fully professional and on the jump. The boss' one shortcoming is that all tasks are equal in his mind, and though all he cares about for weeks is task X, out of the blue he'll demand to know why task C hasn't been completed. We're working on him in that respect. Best of all I'm doing real work, not service crap suitable for crackheads and high school dropouts, but real engineering designing and maintaining power services for a tribal population. It requires all of my engineering judgement (though admittedly very little of the engineering ability I needed in electronics design), and a lot of gut-level knowledge about electrical physics to do the design wrk and determine causes after the fact when problems do occur. It's a great challenge, but not an insurmountable one, and a fun and necessary field in which there are far too few new entry-level candidates. If the trend doesn't reverse, in 10 years this country will be outsourcing electrical substation and transmission system design and construction. The existing pool of experts is dying of old age, and no young ones are entering the field. So, yes, I was able to find a job I enjoy. How long did it take? Fifteen years since the last one, and worth the wait...
"...a photo album is like Life, but flat and stuck to pages." - Shog9
Roger Wright wrote:
The existing pool of experts is dying of old age, and no young ones are entering the field.
I wonder what keeps the younger crowd away. Is it that they just don't know about the job or because it seems like an undesirable profession on the surface?
-
Roger Wright wrote:
The existing pool of experts is dying of old age, and no young ones are entering the field.
I wonder what keeps the younger crowd away. Is it that they just don't know about the job or because it seems like an undesirable profession on the surface?
Probably the latter; it's hard, dangerous work, and the crews are required to be out in the absolute worst kinds of weather. But those who do it are dedicated, proud, and well-deserving of respect for what they do for all of us. For some people the respect is worth everything...
"...a photo album is like Life, but flat and stuck to pages." - Shog9