We herewith bring forth yet another round of the Axis of Weevil Thursday Three!
And entirely appropriate to the occasion, given the amount of stuff I have to do, it this week's questions are both supplied by our intrepid University Research Cadre AND deal with work! Hard to beat that, my friends.
SO, to get right into it:
1. What is the thing you like best about your job?
2. What one thing--mind you THING (i.e., not people)--that you would like most to change about your job?
3. What do you wish people knew about your job that you think they don’t?
Now, just because you don’t get a paycheck DOESN’T mean you can’t play along--working at home with kids is just as much a job as coming to work in a dead gray civil-service job of never-ending meaninglessness.
Not that I know anyone with a job like that.
Also, don’t get yourself into trouble by being more forthcoming than you should if you think it might get back to Those In Charge. Other than that, feel free to play along by leaving your answers in the comments below, OR by leaving a link to the answer on your blog.
NOW THEN--WORK!
As for my answers--
1. Well, there is good pay and good benefits, and it’s inside work, and the odds of being crushed by a steam roller are relatively small, and I get to leave at 5:00, and it’s not particularly onerous, despite my constant complaints.
2. It would be nice to actually be able to do something creative, since that was the original job description, rather than being relegated to brevet assistant trainee to the acting assistant vice-assistant peon. Then again, there is more free time in such a posting.
3. I would like people to know that just because I work in this job doesn’t mean I am a complete idiot. I get along relatively well with the brain I have, and the fact that I don’t rip a new one for certain fair citizens who come in here full of bluster and protestations about how much they pay in taxes is not an indication of mental incapacity. It is merely that I’m being polite.
So there you go.
What happened to Jim? I'm not supposed to be first, am I?
Well, I'm up, anyway.
Posted by: skinnydan at November 10, 2005 09:15 AM1. Leading things I like about my job: occasionally get to dig into some math for a new project, also get to do some teaching. Otherwise, all Terry's good things apply to my job too. Since I've worked as a mover and moving truck driver, laborer on a turf farm, potwasher and oyster and clam opener at a seafood restaurant, I appreciate having an office job (especially at age 54).
2. My job as an engineer is more maintenance than development. Development's more fun.
3. In place of 'people' I'll talk about my boss. He (and at least one of his bosses) think that I'm just being uncooperative when I say that training one of our younger people, with a BS, say in math, physics or aero space engineering to be equivalent to an MS level electrical engineer with 25+ years experiance is not practical.
I had to leave a space "aero space" so the p0rn filter didn't stop the posting of my comment
Posted by: steevil (Dr Weevil's bro Steve) at November 10, 2005 09:35 AM1) I am GOOD at what I do -- and the bosses know it -- and there is enough variety that it isn't boring. Also, I haven't been cussed or flipped off since I quit teaching school!
2) One boss ALWAYS puts things off until the last possible minute, and we have to rush to meet the deadlines.
3) In the words of a man I worked with years ago, "Just because you see me do it don't mean it's easy."
It's okay, Skinnydan--but just don't rub it in in case he says anything about it.
And Steevil, maybe you could convince your bosses to let you start an Rocket Surgeon In Training Blog where you write posts about stuff they should know. I hear that blogs are very popular with the youngsters, you know, and it would be a good way to reach them at their own level of understanding. Throw in a couple of pictures of cheerleaders, too.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at November 10, 2005 09:41 AMOh, and Kathy, that last one is a good one--I get that sometimes from people who think that just because I don't get all flustered and upset that what I'm doing must be pretty danged easy. Until they try it. It's like watching those guys who do plaster work on This Old House. It looks so easy, but until you've tried to do it yourself, you have little clue about how hard it is to learn to make it look so easy.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at November 10, 2005 09:44 AMAero-space is p0rn!? Who knew!?
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at November 10, 2005 09:46 AMI've been earning my keep around here. Well sort of. I'll be up later after my next class.
Posted by: jim at November 10, 2005 09:53 AMI'm up! Now back to work. We're going to the library for story time.
Posted by: Sarah G. at November 10, 2005 10:02 AM1. Like: unstructure on-my-own time is nice, but the best thing is getting computer problems that I initially have no idea on how to solve them, yet I have to (and do) find a solution.
2. Dislikes: being on call 24/7 (I posted on this yesterday).
3. I don't think some people appreciate what it is to be on call all the time, even if I don't get all that many calls.
I’m finally up. I was in class a couple of hours today you know.
Posted by: jim at November 10, 2005 11:17 AMThe filter picked the 4 letters 'er0s' out of 'aer0space'
1) Being a parrot mom presents a whole array of new challenges.
2) I could do without the constant food-chucking.
3) Big birds are more emotional and sensitive than other people might imagine.
Posted by: Janis at November 10, 2005 04:15 PM