Sometimes I wonder what exactly my job is. It seems to change from day to day. I don’t know whether I am allowed to make decisions, so I always end up asking my boss. It’s frustrating to have to ask whether it is okay to use your initiative. I knew what my old job was, three years of doing a job usually means that you know. I feel like I’m in some sort of no-man’s land, I'm neither just a programmer nor a manager. The worst thing is not knowing, really, what is wanted from me. Even when I ask, I don’t really get a clear answer – perhaps I am not asking the right questions.
But still I stay at the company, still I go on complaining. Why? Because I don’t think that it will be any better anywhere else. The only reason to move is if it improves the quality of life outside of work. There are three factors which could contribute to that:
- Better weather – do as some of our friends have and move to a country with a better climate
- Nicer area – I don’t know that there are many cities which could compare with York though
- Significantly better pay – which would pay for the better living outside of work
In the current windy, rainy, horrible weather we’re having in the UK, the first of those reasons has to be the one with the most draw. I don’t really know where I would go, though. Australia is a favourite, it seems, and there would be benefits to going to Australia – like they are in the region 2/4 bracket for DVDs and PlayStation etc. That means that you can have your stuff shipped out (preferably successfully, eh Chip?) and not have to replace it all. That said, I haven’t been to Australia. I don’t know if I’d like it. The preferred option, for me, would be Florida. I have family there, which would mean someone to call if I needed help desperately! (Though I have enough friends in Oz now, provided I was in a nearby place to them) The flight is shorter from the UK to the US as well.
Of course, it would be difficult to get back to visit family for Christmas, and that would be sad. I’d feel bad taking Leon away from his family too. It’s not like I can just up-sticks and leave like single people can. If I want to go somewhere else, I have to consider Leon getting work and two lots of family. Also I’m quite close to my family, and Leon is quite close to his family. The funny thing is, three years ago I probably wouldn’t have given the family situation a second thought!
Oh, this has turned into a very long post. I’ll stop now.
3 comments:
I'm in a similar position, but have essentially taken the stance that anything my boss doesn't engage himself in, I'm responsible for, and just get on with it. This is causing (I think, he's not really saying anything directly) considerable friction, but I'm prepared to create a confrontation on it. Judging by his behaviour the last few weeks, he's a lot more afraid of me than I am of him.
Latest issue was an email from him to my customers suggesting that he, not I, should be in the resourcing meetings. I'm going to go anyway. No doubt nothing will be said until my review, which I'm expecting to be interesting. It might be interesting for him too, because I've got no intention of rolling over and taking any criticism of my work this year.
Oh, it's been shipped successfully to Australia...
Anyway, one dig deserves another - emigration has only one M!
I've corrected it now. Thank you. I always get it mixed up with going the other way, which I also can't spell - so haven't tried.
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