The work rant!!!!!!!!

----Hello professor would you like to play a game------(Its from Wargames DUH)

#no Joshua I need to rant. (Joshua is the name of the system prof. Falken built)

---Proceed-----

Boy really wish I hadn't been woken up today twice for work related questions. I have a full time job where I work 8 hours a day 5 days a week. At my job I don't have to do much. I fix computers, make systems work so we can sell them, manage 60+ websites and email accounts for each, do service calls whenever and where ever needed, keep track of weeks of work in my head when I don't have time to get it written down into the work calendar, fix printers even though I have never been trained (Its all guess work and somehow it always gets fixed). Talk to customers and make them happy when their systems are not fixed when said due to me not being in the office. And a few other things, but still not much.....RIGHT?????

Aside from that I also maintain a few sites outside of work that I started way before beginning my current full time job. These sites can take another 40 hours a week out of me so as you can tell my weekends are pretty precious to me. And on top of that this weekend one of my kids (I have two) wasn't feeling so hot, So I took a day off work to be home with him. Barely any contact related to work on Friday. But Saturday morning I get two calls pertaining to work. One to ask me for help on a blackberry cell phone (I own one that does not make me support) the other to ask if a system from Friday was done (I wasn't there call the tech who was).

So here is what I am going to do from now on since I know this is bound to happen again.

First time: I'll help the person with whatever I can then let work know I need an additional $75.00 added to my paycheck for that week.

Second time: I'll get rid of my work phone and get a personal phone. This will remove any need to think that since I have a work phone I should be obligated to work at anytime.

Third time. I'll simply hand in my 30 day resignation letter and worry about finding work elsewhere.

The real sad thing is I never get away from work. And I don't think anyone really does. No matter what your profession or area of expertise people are always going to bother you. Like when someone find out a person is a doctor its never "Hi nice to meet you." its always "Can I ask you a question?" Same for us geeks, we just don't have to look at strange rashes.

Most times I can't even goto family gatherings without being piled with questions. Wouldn't be a problem if I had my own company and I could simply say "Wait till Monday and come see me, I'll give you a good deal on whatever part/service you need" Instead I have to spend my time fixing peoples stuff then waiting for payment if I ever get it. In a year on average at my $15/hr rate I probably give away a few thousand dollars of free help. Many times I don't mind because its on my terms. But when I get calls related to work on days I don't work it irritates me. Firstly because if I do decide to do the work I might "MIGHT" get my base hourly rate from my job for it. Otherwise its free or they will get invoiced the $75/hr and I get nothing. Secondly I usually get into work 8:30am - 8:45am and most days don't take lunch and work till 5pm so by the weekend on a good week I have put in my 40hrs. This means weekend work is overtime, and even at that pay its not worth my time or my families time for me to work even more.

Lately I have lost interest in my job, too much work and not enough incentive. I get paid an hourly rate, no benefits, no paid vacation, and no bonuses. I am A+ certified which to me means nothing but to the IT industry means an average pay of $15/hr and currently working on NET+ and Security+ certifications. I have a solid 14 years of experience in my skill set. I work on Windows, Mac, and LINUX.

In the past I have done data recovery for FBI agents investigating an Ebay scam. I have taught college classes as a substitute teacher at the Quincy Vatterotte college. Spent countless hours teaching the elderly how to use computers for free. Been referred to more then one time as a companies "Star" technician, Goto guy, hacking deviant, even fired by one company as a security threat only to be hired again later at higher pay. I have collected (And sadly lost) hundreds of letters from happy customers and three letters of recommendation two from the same employer.

I have a nack for figuring out problems, probably why I like metal puzzles. I have installed windows on machines with no floppy, usb, cd-rom, or network card without actually installing the operating system while hooked up to another system. Written countless linux bash scripts to automate tasks, parse logs, filter traffic. Built dozens of specialized servers for just about every task imaginable. And learned more pointless but useful stuff then anyone I have met so far.

I don't know jack about Microsoft Server editions but I am learning. It has never been a need since everything Microsoft server does I have always used Linux. Including roaming profiles, ldap user authentication, samba file servers, print servers, network monitoring and access restriction. etc.

So basically at this point I should either be running my own business or working for much higher pay. Instead I'm an entry level tech making entry level wages. And this weekend crap is getting on my nerves. A person can only play dumb for so long before they get tired of it. This geeks has had enough and in the next following months I'll be seriously deciding weather its worth it to continue the work I am doing or look for something more suited for my skill level and pay grade.

----End of line----(Its from TRON if you don't know)