Computer field

[SwordsMaster]

No big deal that you didn't get the job, m8. There'll be plenty of other opportunities. When that's happened to me I figured it was just karma, letting me know that wasn't the one. Next?

That's what I thought too. Thanks anyway. Besides, what is a man like me doing in China? They have 20 million more men that women! That's wrong!

I don't know what HHRR is ... a form of employment agency? Employment agencies usually play their cards close to their chest, making it difficult to get important details until after you commit. I've not liked using them for that reason among others.

HHRR stands for Human resources, i.e. the recruiter/s... They usually know next to nothing about the technical or more practical parts of the job. Or they like to pretend to be dumber than they are...

I did twelve years of IT time for a US state government (California). I left the government a while back, and now I'm in the private retail business doing IT, as I mentioned. My experience is broad rather than deep; I'm an 'expert' at nothing, but can function well doing a variety of things IT.

I've enjoyed being a product manager (called a 'technical project leader' where I was), but don't care to be personally responsible for the motivation and performance of others. I've passed up administrative managerial positions in favor of more technical, product-related roles. I like visualizing, designing and making things that delight my customers and enhance their efficiency and effectiveness. I don't mind planning, organizing, scheduling, communicating, training, etc., but I don't enjoy trying to herd cats, I mean, manage (sic) people. I leave that to the project leaders.

Currently I'm working as a systems integrator, dealing with a wide variety of production retail devices and systems on a distributed regional team. It's interesting, but I miss development. Support is constantly hectic. Projects have a nice curve to them.

I can't really relate to missing development. That is one part I have never enjoyed much. Updating/upgrading is one thing I do like moderately, developing from scratch on the other hand is not my cup of tea.

Making people work is something I do quite well... I don't know why, but setting up priorities, breaking down the work, and setting deadlines are a few of my strong points. Somehow I end up doing those things in pretty much every project I've been involved in throughout college. Go figure.

For some reason people don't like to argue with me... Must be a rugby thing.

I'll trade you the sig line for some of that short burst for this week. We're in the middle of "going live" with a replacement for our central production system: 36 stores, and some of the stores in our regions are quite large, four in Manhattan. I feel battered and bruised already, and we've got a ways to go yet. Gah.

Done!
I love Manhattan! Personal tip: sleep 6 hours. Sleep more and you will notice that you've underslept, sleep less and you'll be still tired. Then have 2 espressos on your way to work, and eat every 4 hours something fibrous and energetic.

I have some hangover tips too if you want them. I'll share them after you "go live" to avoid unnecessary temptations...

What "insight" I have has come from working with both really good, and really crappy managers and leaders, quite a few of them over a good many years. Often they were my customers, when the projects were to provide tracking systems for this or that or another thing. I learned a lot about managers/leaders doing those projects. Heh, I've also spent many years criticizing them too, and you need to be on your toes when you go up against the leadership machine, lest you find yourself designing and executing new ways to polish the toilet with a toothbrush.

Ah,the joys of working for the Man, man.