Conference 7.286::digital

re: .0

This may sound silly, but the first thing you need to do is figure out what
you want to do.  Then we can try to give you advice on how to reach your goal.

I commend you for wanting to find a job you enjoy, even if it means a pay cut.
If you are going to do something for 50+ hours a week, you sure better enjoy it.

Bob

    Your friend may want to consider transferring his skill set in the
    teaching end of the business.  Seems Ed Svcs is always looking for
    instructors.  Teaching (if you are good at it) is a good ego builder
    and there are few same-same days.
    
    If he has good software skills he is certainly in the right industry,
    and the right company at the right time.  

... or if standing up and delivering is too daunting, try course 
development, for example talk to someone in an ESDP group. They work on 
a *very* wide range of contents and the variety of delivery methods also
provides challenges. If you're a good communicator, then you can build
on this by gaining more ID skills.

Peter

(ex-ESDP)

    Assuming that you work in a engineering environment and that you
    have interest in/ minimal understanding for the content of what 
    you are describing (in your tech writer job).
    Then why not taking advantage of expertise availability (the engineers)
    the ducumentation (what you and other folks wrote there) and start
    digging deeper into the technical stuff. Then when people start
    to realize that you do know what you are writing about, it might
    become possible to find a more rewarding technical job.
    (e.g testing the product, etc...)
    It sure is a longer way to get there, but it probably is less
    risky than dropping your present job for an uncertain future.
    /fred
    

    I knew a Cost Center Manager of a hardware group in the MILL who
    grew tired of it. He entered a Programmers training program. That's
    just what he's doing now, programming. When you figure out what you'd 
    like to do, go for it!
    
    Jim C.

    It's becoming the norm to change jobs and even careers.  The question
    becomes "how".
    
    .1 has got the right starting point - figure out what you want - not
    what you don't want.  There are a number of courses that help assist
    you in doing this:
    
    career assessment
    Digital Time Mastery (yep it really does!)
    Investment In Excellence
    
    I teach high performance motivation - a lot of which has to do in
    knowing what you want.  Feel free to give me a call at DTN: 446 - 2576
    or EMS me at Tim Briscoe @MWO if you'd like to talk one-on-one.
    
    The Employee Assistance Program can help guide you to many services
    (not all for free) that can help.
    
    Outside of Digital are community services that help through this
    process also.
    
    In answer to your specific question - do I know of anyone who has done
    this.  Yep in fact quite a number.  I've seen SWS people move into
    sales, Admin into SWS and sales,  SWS to Admin, personnel to sales,
    personnel to SWS, admin (secretaries) to SWS, to training.  But in all
    those cases, the drive was to improve their salary/benefit situation -
    and they were willing to add to their current workload to do so.  It
    won't be easy.
    
    Also,  Digital is tightening it's belt these days - few recs are being
    filled and there is a lot of competition for any position.
    
    

    A person suggests that he/she might like to take a step downward in
    the career ladder, and the first place that comes to mind is Ed.
    Services. No wonder some of us have an inferiority complex :^)
    
    That aside... I've heard it said that some people prefer to do
    development (which involves long projects and the occasional crunch to
    meet a deadline) and some people prefer to do support (which involves
    lots of day-to-day firefighting and not as much planning ahead). Within
    Ed. Services, course development tends toward the former, and
    instruction tends toward the latter. 
    
    So if you think you'd prefer working reactively, you might be more
    comfortable in a support organization than an engineering organization.
    The same technical & communication skills can serve you in either kind
    of work.
    
    					Val (ESDP)

    If you have technical knowledge in VMS, ULTRIX, or NETWORKS and if you
    like
    to work in a team environment, talking to customers, reactive, and you
    don't mind relocation you may want to call the CSC (Atlanta or
    Colorado). I know they have many open reqs.
    

It also helps to think through all the tasks you've done in your various jobs,
and try to identify which ones were the fun ones for you.  Once you can identify
the things you'd like more of and the things you'd like less of, you have
a basis to start career planning.

The book What Color is Your Parachute has some practical exercises for
doing just this.

- Are you tired of working by yourself?  Are you looking for more people
  interaction?  (Your comment about w.c.2 made me wonder.)

- What is the most stressful for you - deadlines, responsibilities, research
  by yourself...?  Are you tired of your product set, or tired of writing?

- Do you want more support from/interaction with management?

- How do you define a 'fun challenge'?

- Is your preferred mode working with people, ideas, or things?

- What does a good day look like - meetings, time alone to think, 
  unexpected challenges and problems to solve, supporting other people
  and their projects?

This may not be relevant at *all* to you, but have you considered having
a physical and being evaluated for depression?  If there's a remote
chance that there could be underlying physiological or biochemical causes,
it's worth ruling out or treating.  

Holly

    I highly recommend this person purchase and read:
    
    	What Color Is Your Parachute?
    
    /se
    

    Sounds like (to me) that you are getting stressed out on your
    job.  (how's that for instant Psycho-therapy? :-))
    
    When's the last time you had a decent vacation?  I don't mean
    a three day weekend here or there, but a 2 week trip to anywhere.
    Sun & Sand, or a good book, a cold lemonade and a hammock?
    
    Take some time off to get things in perspective, then go talk
    to someone you trust in personnel to see what options they might
    be for you within Dec.
    
    Lynne   

                -< Changing jobs -- finding happiness -- how? >-

>    always been rated a 2, but I have a very difficult time doing the job.
>    I hate coming into work every day and it is a struggle (which seems,
  Most of the people I know in DEC have a hard time coming to work in the morn-
ing. This is not a happy time for DEC or for DECcies.

>    What can I do?  How can I find a job that I'd be happier in? 
  The previous replies cover everything I would have said, except to read the
OASS::JOBS conference often (if you aren't already doing so).

> Is it possible to "move down" to a wage class 2 job?  Is there anyone I can 
>    talk to in the company about how to do this?  Has anyone else done this?
  I have never heard of anyone doing this voluntarily, and I don't think this
is the way to go. 

    I can not identify anyone who has made the move from WC4 to WC2 in
    Digital.  But it does happen.  Like the case of the manager in the
    mill recited earlier, people do move down to accept less responsibility
    and a career change.  I remember reading somewhere where a senior
    executive of a major corporation had routinely changed positions,
    stepping back into a secretarial role several times times her rise
    up the corporate ladder.  Each step was a planned move to get the
    relief for the pressure, and to get prespective on what needed to
    be done next in her life and that of the corporation.
    
    I will not presume to question wether stepping back into a WC2 position
    is or is not the correct thing to do.  I will second the previous
    comments that you need to identify what is fun and what causes your
    stress, because you might just move down to a more stressful position
    and then would not have the pay to assuage the stress away form the
    job.
    
    I will sound one note of caution.  At a time that DEC is going thru
    such turmoil, announcing to a large audience your dissatisfaction with
    current position and desire to potentially move to one which might have
    a shrinking need could lead to unproductive speculations about your
    worth to the group you now serve.  It takes a highly sensitive manager
    to understand that you have needs which are not being met by your
    current activities and that you are willing to take the risks and
    potential loss of prestige that is necessary to step back into a
    better position, where better means more satisfying to you personnally.
    
    Good Luck, I am sure you will need to speak to personnel at some point
    in this process and seek their assistance in identifying positions
    which would be more satisfying.  I hope you can find someone suitably
    sensitive to your personal needs.  I wish more of us had the courage
    to admit we might have to step back to move ahead personally as well
    as professionally.
    

I'm in the process of taking a few steps back.  I've been a manager for a 
number of years and, having now experienced it, I know I prefer being a 
technical individual contributor.

As others have mentioned, personal satisfaction is important to me and I think 
my personal productivity is linked to it also.  So I'm hoping this is a good 
move both for me and for Digital.

In the process I'll be dropping 4 SRI levels.  But that's not as important to 
me as the other factors.  And I'll be working my way back up over time.

-  David

 
    In 1986 I moved from a Wage Class 4 job to a Wage Class 2.  The position I 
    held was eliminated (Sales Administrator).  I chose a position that I felt 
    would teach me some valuable skills that I did not have.  Overall, it was 
    a good choice.  I now know lots more about our products and how to use 
    them.   I have also been promoted to a Wage Class 3 position.

    My feelings are that you must find the job that interests you, then decide 
    if you want to make the Wage Class change, if there is one.  

    	The mystery guest in .0 is very wise to recognize that his/her	
    	job is causing stress.

    	My life was miserable when I hated my job.  Throughout my career
    	I have been a "2-year resident", loving the job for 6 months,
    	willing to tolerate it for the next year, and looking forward
    	to a new position for the rest of my 2-year commitment.  Finally
    	I found a job that I like as much now (28 months) as I did when
    	I started.  I switched from project-oriented software development
    	to my current Customer Support position.  At the time of my 
    	switch I was a Sr Software Engineer, and I started here at the
    	CSC two job levels below that at Specialist II.  Salary ranges
    	were broad enough that I could retain my (then) current salary.

    	People warned me about taking a cut in job level.  I ignored them
    	and never looked back.  I have since been promoted, and have
    	continuously retained a 2 performance level.
    
    	I would have probably considered a cut in pay to do something I
    	enjoyed.  Hating your job affects so many other aspects of your
    	life -- starting with your general level of ambition and energy.
    
    	But don't jump jobs for the sake of change unless you know that
    	change is right for you.  If you hate the new job too, not only
    	have you put yourself into that 2-year commitment, but if you
    	also lowered your job level in the process you have pigeon-holed
    	yourself into that new level -- jumping out of the pan into the
    	fire.
    
    	Joe Oppelt