"Good Enough for Government Work"
(rant started)
I've been in IT since the days that DOS was the dominant operating system for PCs. Windows didn't even exist yet, and when it did come out...it was an app running on DOS. While I have spent most of my life fixing computers, I have held other job titles like electrician, mechanic, plumber, electronics engineer (that is my formal training...though I make most of my money as a systems analyst) For the first 20 years of my career, I was working for private companies not associated with the government. But then I got an offer to work as a government contractor overseas. It was a unique position that required IT skills, plumbing skills, mechanical skills, electronics engineering...
It paid well because there were very few people who could do it.
Joined a shop with two other people. My boss was being groomed for bigger and better things, so he was mostly not present. My other co-worker did a lot of traveling and national guard duty. Even he was technically on duty in "our" shop, he was often borrowed to help at other shops.
Better than 60% of the time I was on duty, I was alone in our 3-person shop. Our numbers reflected that, as I had twice as many closed service tickets as my co-workers did, COMBINED.
The bulk of our work was mechanical. When I started, it was common to have 30 or more tickets open (and closed) each week. But I was a good mechanic who worked HARD. Over time, reliability improved. In other words, the equipment I was maintaining had much better "UP" time because it was being very well maintained.
Because I was doing my job well, our tickets dwindled to the point where we were averaging 5-10 tickets each week. Even then, there were fewer mechanical problems and (relatively) more computer issues to work on.
Most of you reading this probably see this coming from years away, but this was my first government gig, so I was honestly shocked.
I got called into the big boss' office one day (about 3 years on the job, at that point). I was told that my performance was superior. Because the equipment we service was more reliable, the government calculated they could save money by eliminating some service jobs. First, our team was cut from 3 to 2. I was the last one hired, so (ironically) I was the first fired.
I had LITERALLY worked myself out of a job. I was efficient enough to convince the government that I wasn't needed anymore. :( Lesson learned. If you are working for the government (even as a contractor) do NOT be efficient. Your paycheck depends on your workload staying steady or increasing. If you use your brain to find a better way of doing things, the better way is...YOU are given the pink slip...
(rant over)
I landed on my feet. Immediately got a job offer with less responsibility and higher pay. Eventually, my two (previous) co-workers QUIT. Ironically, they could not handle the work-load without me. They were literally six months behind on service tickets when they walked away from the job. I don't blame them. They were buried. I KNOW that...
Shortly afterward, two things happened. First, I was informed that my good job was moving somewhere *I* did not want to move. Second, I was informed that the position of my former boss was open again.
I applied for the position of my former boss, with HIS recommendation, along with recommendations from many people (including high-ranking customers) that I used to work with. The job was given to the son of a friend of one of the hiring managers. The kid was just out of college, had no real-world experience. At first, that decision pissed off a LOT of people. In hindsight though, I dodged a real bullet.
While I was interviewing, I was informed that (if I was chosen) I would have to hire two people to work under me. That made sense. SOMEBODY (along the line) had figured out that the workload actually justified three full-time people. However, after the unqualified kid was hired as the new manager, that plan changed. The new plan was, the kid was going to be the boss of a single person shop. Let me speak plainly here...if you were Superman, you could not handle the job alone.
I have lots of friends, so I hear things. Mostly former customers complaining LOUDLY that their equipment always breaks down and spends forever in the shop. But I know one thing for sure...
THAT KID IS SET FOR LIFE...
He's so the OPPOSITE of efficient...so his job is very secure...
"Good Enough for Government Work"
I've been in IT since the days that DOS was the dominant operating system for PCs. Windows didn't even exist yet, and when it did come out...it was an app running on DOS. While I have spent most of my life fixing computers, I have held other job titles like electrician, mechanic, plumber, electronics engineer (that is my formal training...though I make most of my money as a systems analyst) For the first 20 years of my career, I was working for private companies not associated with the government. But then I got an offer to work as a government contractor overseas. It was a unique position that required IT skills, plumbing skills, mechanical skills, electronics engineering...
It paid well because there were very few people who could do it.
Joined a shop with two other people. My boss was being groomed for bigger and better things, so he was mostly not present. My other co-worker did a lot of traveling and national guard duty. Even he was technically on duty in "our" shop, he was often borrowed to help at other shops.
Better than 60% of the time I was on duty, I was alone in our 3-person shop. Our numbers reflected that, as I had twice as many closed service tickets as my co-workers did, COMBINED.
The bulk of our work was mechanical. When I started, it was common to have 30 or more tickets open (and closed) each week. But I was a good mechanic who worked HARD. Over time, reliability improved. In other words, the equipment I was maintaining had much better "UP" time because it was being very well maintained.
Because I was doing my job well, our tickets dwindled to the point where we were averaging 5-10 tickets each week. Even then, there were fewer mechanical problems and (relatively) more computer issues to work on.
Most of you reading this probably see this coming from years away, but this was my first government gig, so I was honestly shocked.
I got called into the big boss' office one day (about 3 years on the job, at that point). I was told that my performance was superior. Because the equipment we service was more reliable, the government calculated they could save money by eliminating some service jobs. First, our team was cut from 3 to 2. I was the last one hired, so (ironically) I was the first fired.
I had LITERALLY worked myself out of a job. I was efficient enough to convince the government that I wasn't needed anymore. :( Lesson learned. If you are working for the government (even as a contractor) do NOT be efficient. Your paycheck depends on your workload staying steady or increasing. If you use your brain to find a better way of doing things, the better way is...YOU are given the pink slip...
(rant over)
I landed on my feet. Immediately got a job offer with less responsibility and higher pay. Eventually, my two (previous) co-workers QUIT. Ironically, they could not handle the work-load without me. They were literally six months behind on service tickets when they walked away from the job. I don't blame them. They were buried. I KNOW that...
Shortly afterward, two things happened. First, I was informed that my good job was moving somewhere *I* did not want to move. Second, I was informed that the position of my former boss was open again.
I applied for the position of my former boss, with HIS recommendation, along with recommendations from many people (including high-ranking customers) that I used to work with. The job was given to the son of a friend of one of the hiring managers. The kid was just out of college, had no real-world experience. At first, that decision pissed off a LOT of people. In hindsight though, I dodged a real bullet.
While I was interviewing, I was informed that (if I was chosen) I would have to hire two people to work under me. That made sense. SOMEBODY (along the line) had figured out that the workload actually justified three full-time people. However, after the unqualified kid was hired as the new manager, that plan changed. The new plan was, the kid was going to be the boss of a single person shop. Let me speak plainly here...if you were Superman, you could not handle the job alone.
I have lots of friends, so I hear things. Mostly former customers complaining LOUDLY that their equipment always breaks down and spends forever in the shop. But I know one thing for sure...
THAT KID IS SET FOR LIFE...
He's so the OPPOSITE of efficient...so his job is very secure...
"Good Enough for Government Work"
41-45, M
