Reply
Mon 7 Feb, 2005 12:21 pm
I'm in the United States Navy. Have been for about 8 years. I work in the fast-paced and exciting career field of Information Technology...or atleast I have been until I got to my most current assignment. Recently the US government has decided that there are too many federal employees. So they figured the best way to solve that problem would be to contract out as many jobs as they could. Good for the government, bad for yours truly. All the fun and enjoyable aspects of my job here have been contracted to 3rd party vendors...call it "outsourceing". So now I'm stuck; a Navy E-6 with 8 years of telecom and IT experience, doing administrative paperwork.
I hate my job now. So much so that I dread comming to work everyday. If I'm lucky my boss might hand me a spreadsheet to update or a word document to proofread. But mostly I'm expected to go ask for work. Sorry, but never have been one to ask for work. I prefer to be tasked.
So I sit. I surf. I sit some more. I gave up smoking so there's 5 minutes of every hour that I have to sit some more. I'm trapped here. My assignment doesn't end for another 11 months. My boss is a government worker who doesn't understand how the military works and is only trapped in his own little admin world. I can't quit, the Navy doesn't work that way. Still have 2 years on my contract. I can't leave, my wife has a job she loves and the pay here with the cost of living increases are really nice. That and I'm in debt up to my eyeballs making it a little difficult to just up and leave.
I guess my real question here is, what do I do to make my life more enjoyable? As of right now, my worklife has nothing to offer. My social life is nil as I don't have any actual friends aside from my wife and child and my family is about 12 hours away. I'm miserable most of the time and I really think that my work is to blame for part of it.
Take any scene from Office Space and that is my life. I just don't know what to do anymore.
I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot of you, Dravenfall. ;-)
Some of my very favorite posters are those who are trapped in jobs they hate. I've actually mourned their getting new, better jobs 'cause that means they post less.
If there's really nothing you can do about your job (it seems like asking for interesting work/ creating projects has potential), I'm sure you'll be able to amuse yourself here... during working hours.
After working hours, there is a lot more you can do. There must be some sort of military clubs/ sports teams/ nights out/ movie nights/ something. It seems like you have a support system right there that you just need to start taking advantage of.
Good luck!
Thanks for the insight Soz. (by the way, nice quote)
You are right about one thing, I probably will become an avid poster. I'm a member of 3 or 4 different forums and I enjoy this kind of exchange.
As for the military support, its different here than it has been in any other location I've ever been. Because I'm in the DC area, I practically was forced to live a lengthy ways away from the base I work on due to cost of living and housing. I commute an hour and a half each way, 5x a week, just so I can have a house. So its difficult to get really involved with anything on the base.
As for the rewarding work, that too is questionable. I could, theoretically ask to be included on some important project, but the management here seems to think that my skillset is more usefull in an administrative assistant aspect. Add that to the millions of dollars the Navy has spent training me to be a technical expert and you get a the position of glorified secretary. I'm the kind of person who enjoys hands on work, not paperwork.
Anyway...not to be a downer...hahahaha......
Sooooo how is everyone else doing? heehee
(if you can't laugh at yourself, then who can you laugh at?)
My sympathies to you. This whole idea of down sizing and doing things more cheaply can be devasting to workers, as your letter shows.
What do you like to do when you are not at work? Is ther some way an interest -- whether theatre or fishing or painting or home remodeling -- can become more of an active element in your life?
Do you have children? Can you participate in things with the kids, even if it just taking walks with them or helping them with homework?
Do you read? What about a men's book group?
As a enlisted man, you can not become involved in poltics, but are there community issues that could benefit from your guidance?
Finally, what about your wife? Are you paying enough attention to her needs? Would she like a Sunday picnic or a Saturday movie or would it please her if you took over some of the cooking duties? Is there some adult education class you two could take together? Yoga? Italian cooking? Ballroom dancing?
Oh, bummer. Outsource the work, but keep the worker around, and occupied below his skill level. Military Intelligence at work.
Will you be able to stay current in your field, though.
Hey, that might be an idea. Get someone (employer most likely, maybe military) to pay for classes to keep you current?
The coursework is possible. I've already made them send me to a few courses. But they make me feel so guilty, like I'm shirking off responsibilities. It comes in tides it seems. For instance, this morning, I'm handed 4 documents, each with a deadline of yesterday and I'm to make changes, phonecalls, coordinations, ect. ect. Just things that I'm not used to doing in my line of work.
My son is only 2 and my wife is pregnant with out second son. So the major activities are somewhat limited.
As for me, I'm sort of reclusive. I'm a tech geek who loves games, computers, the net and role playing. I am a huge fan of the arts, however, but finding others who meet any semblance of my other interests as well around here seems to be a little difficult.
It does feel good to get this all out in the open. I appreciate everyone's kind words and advice. I'm trying to make the best of a bad situation and it is a small consulation that all the workload that others can't get done on time, I'll have done in a matter of minutes. Thanks everyone! So far I think this forum is full of great people.
Actually the young kids part is an entree in some ways (though yes a barrier in others.) (I'm currently a stay-at-home mom with a 4-yr-old.)
You can take your 2-year-old to various classes -- Gymboree is one brand that illustrates the type, but there are usually more local ones. You can take your 2-year-old to storytimes at the library or local bookstore chain. Even just taking your 2-year-old to the playground is a good way to meet other people. And there are plenty of dads who do this btw.
Doesn't seem like there's any reason to feel guilty for taking classes. If they have policies that allow it, go for it. Your training is what allows you to be the person who cleans up everyone else's messes, and for sure they appreciate having such a person.
Welcome to A2K, Dravenfall. I'm sorry to hear about your work situation. I have also worked places where I was asked to do things that basically were not what I had been doing or what I was hired to do. It is quite a switch to go from technical work (interacting with a computer) to administrative and coordinating work (making phone calls, etc...). I really feel for you. It's a confidence booster and you have no way of quitting.
One thing you could do is make work for yourself that is of the kind you like to do. Is there an office process that you could figure out how to automate? Something you could make more efficient by using technology? How about figuring out how to make all of your phone calls through your computer? My sister just set up something like this and it is very interesting.
If that all fails, you could go the negative route. Screw up so badly that they find something else for you to do.
As much fun as screwing up royally would be, just don't think its in my nature. Ha. Hopefully, I'll start to feel some fullfillment soon. Its not too bad. Could be worse, I could be underway on a ship for 6 months and not able to see my family everyday.
I don't suppose there's a chance to go to places at lunch?
The National Gallery is having a new show on the photographer Andre Kertesz. The Building Museum usually has interesting things on exhibit..
Would be interesting but unfortunatly I'm a little far away from downtown. I do enjoy going down there from time to time. I'm actually kicking myself that I haven't been to the Native American museum yet.
If I were you I would spend more time reading novels or science fiction or surfing the
WWW.
Judging from your situation, they are the most convenient pastime.
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace