The more things change... (1 Viewer)

[Vassago]

I can't believe even Pat left. What is happening around here these days?

I'm still not working in Access, but I have finally left a company that completely killed my motivation after 20 years. I now have a new job that I absolutely love. I'm also getting to experience and learn so much new tech, every day I'm thankful that I finally had the courage to change jobs.

Sometimes the grass really is greener. If you are in a job with terrible management where you are not appreciated or treated fairly, don't let them take advantage of you. You deserve better. At the very least, just do the bare minimum until you cash find something better. Don't break your back for them. I think I'm older and wiser now than when I started, so I can say so.

How is everyone? It's nice to see some familiar faces still around. I don't think I've been here since Covid started.

 

[moke123]

I don't think I've been here since Covid started.

Yea, January of 2021. Welcome back. Congrats on the new job.

 

[Isaac]

Congrats on the new job. ~3 years ago I found a job that emphasized sql server and snowflake development and was lucky to get it (lucky meaning I wasn't totally qualified but they took a chance on me anyway). 3 years in and I now want to retire from this company some day - meaning for the first time in many years, I'm not 'keeping my eyes open' for a new job, I actually want to just stay here permanently. The company has been known to do small layoffs around once a year to reshuffle things, so I may or may not get that chance, but if I am lucky enough to I believe I will stick around indefinitely. It's a great feeling to be stable, glad you found something that is worth YOU

 

[Vassago]

Yea, January of 2021. Welcome back. Congrats on the new job.

Thanks!

Congrats on the new job. ~3 years ago I found a job that emphasized sql server and snowflake development and was lucky to get it (lucky meaning I wasn't totally qualified but they took a chance on me anyway). 3 years in and I now want to retire from this company some day - meaning for the first time in many years, I'm not 'keeping my eyes open' for a new job, I actually want to just stay here permanently. The company has been known to do small layoffs around once a year to reshuffle things, so I may or may not get that chance, but if I am lucky enough to I believe I will stick around indefinitely. It's a great feeling to be stable, glad you found something that is worth YOU

Yeah, just be mindful of changes. I felt that way at my previous company as well. Then, a lot happened and ownership and management changes occurred that made the place just... a shell of what it was. I hope it doesn't happen to you. It took about 13 years and a move on my part across the country before things really started going downhill, naturally AFTER I moved. Oh well, I'm happy now.

 

[Cotswold]

Changing management predicts so much but often gives so little.
I have lost count of the number of companies that took 50 years to get to where they were and were then destroyed in less than five with a takeover.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Working as an employee of a military contractor was interesting because you learn patience. In 28 1/2 years as that kind of contractor, I changed jobs 8 or 9 times (depending on how you count a corporate buyout). With a different manager for each change! And yet my business phone number and street address changed only 3 times. My job title changed 9 times but my job duties never changed even once - until I learned Access well enough to be productive with it about 25-30 years ago and added (not replaced) an extra couple of tasks. I outlasted all but one of the contractor companies, and even for that one I was enjoying it enough that I stayed 2 1/2 years past my nominal retirement age. But the Navy finally did something that told me it was time to go - and I did. They escalated the requirements and I wasn't willing to go back to school for another round of certificates.

Having said that, I can also admit to having run into a management team that lost me because they were a bunch of conniving sharks and showed me their true colors. The first real-world company I worked for got bought out after 12 years and after a lot of gyrations, they dissolved the branch where I worked. I had talked with them at length about them taking over our product line, but they basically screwed over a customer because they had a bug that would be expensive to fix and they said "He didn't have enough retainage on his contract, so we cut him loose." I had valid reasons to not take the required transfer/relocation, so I parted company with them. But they were definitely the type to take the fun out of business.

 

[Vassago]

My company was getting cheap even though we were making record profits. As an analyst, I had access to enough info to know they had the money. They stopped being willing to pay people what they were worth. When people left, they refused to hire anyone and just expected everyone else to pick up the tasks without the pay to go with it. The new CEO micromanaged the entire department, not letting the business leaders make any decisions regarding pay or hiring. Eventually, all of the leaders in my department left and the guy who took over was like a come of the CEO. When my boss eventually left, he recommended me for a promotion, but the new CEO clone refused because he wanted someone he could micromanage the team over and control, so I suddenly had a less qualified boss with no leadership skills over me in a VP position. They also didn't give raises to the entire team, claiming we were capped, for years. My pay was basically decreasing as costs of living were skyrocketing over the last 7 years.

I couldn't do it anymore. It especially hurt to see my team suffering over their decisions. I reached out to some old coworkers and jumped ship to work with them. I'm not in "management" anymore, but honestly haven't been happier. I feel like I'm part of a good team again with a company that has a vision.

 

[Isaac]

sounds like you landed in a great place!

honestly, I don't pay much attention, if I'm being honest (don't tell my bosses this) to the communications from the higher ups. It's all written in corporate-ease lingo and just so, so far removed from the everyday-lingo honesty that would appeal to me to listen to. I do keep my connections fresh though, any time there is a layoff I'm the first to reach out via linked in and make sure people feel remembered - including managers - so they remember me in turn in case they end up recruiting and I'm out the door.

I asked for and received an 8% raise this year, so they are indeed the type who will listen to reason, a good omen I think.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

I'm not in "management" anymore, but honestly haven't been happier.

Working for my first real company, I worked my way through the corporate ladder until I was about to become the VP of the Project Programming team. But I had to turn it down because it was at the time that my mother was in a nursing home with (then) 2nd-stage Alzheimer's Disease, and it was progressing. (Eventually made it to 4th stage... truly ugly. 'nuff said.) Anyway, shortly after that, the company got bought out, and the new buyers would have dumped me (as a VP) in a heartbeat. But I avoided getting dumped and lasted another several months before the big relocation occurred. Missed the people who took the relocation. Didn't miss the avaricious new managers.

When I switched to the Navy job, I settled in as a high-level sys admin with a specialty in DEC hardware. For the 28 1/2 years I held that job, I enjoyed most of it. Just a couple of government types rubbed me the wrong way - but I had the last laugh because they got "sideways" transfers and their replacements left me alone to do my job. Anyone who understands the government knows that a "sideways" transfer means your career advancement potential just fell to SQRT(-1) - the imaginary number.

 

[Vassago]

@ColinEssex hasn't even responded. I'm hurt.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Col was here just a couple of weeks ago. Maybe he's in shock to see you back. I wasn't in shock, but I have to admit surprise. On the other hand, the job issues you mentioned would distract ANYONE for a while, so I perfectly understand.

 

[Vassago]

Col was here just a couple of weeks ago. Maybe he's in shock to see you back. I wasn't in shock, but I have to admit surprise. On the other hand, the job issues you mentioned would distract ANYONE for a while, so I perfectly understand.

Well, I hope I don't miss him. I need him to correct my grammar... for old times' sake. Quick! I need to make a mistake! Come on, phone! "Autocorrect" me!

 

[Vassago]

UtterAccess also bit the dust...

https://www.access-programmers.co.u...s-about-utteraccess-owner.334495/post-1972018

Whaaaaaat!!!???

I had no idea. I never really went there. This was always my Access home.

 

[pono1]

Holy Guacamole. Not only does this forum still exist, but so does my user account. Seeing some familiar handles from way back when. Very cool.

Pat Hartman left the building? Wo.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Holy Guacamole. Not only does this forum still exist, but so does my user account. Seeing some familiar handles from way back when. Very cool.

Pat Hartman left the building? Wo.

Also Uncle Gizmo. A few have left voluntarily, a few were shown the door. One great big happy family.

 

[Galaxiom]

I've not be around here much for a couple of years. Haven't done anything new in Access for a long time. My work focus became much more oriented towards SQL Server, especially integrating with a multivalue database system that has been quite a challenge.

My old Access applications are still in use, one for as long as fifteen years without requiring any maintenance whatsoever, aside from pointing at different SQL servers as they were upgraded. I recently expressed my surprise, as I thought it had been superseded by modules added to the main system. The worker who uses it told me that it is still used because my application works so much better than the equivalent provided in the main system.

About three years ago the company decided to introduce a hybrid between the original locally hosted system and popular cloud based customer information system. Two backends with overlapping data and no direct access to the cloud backend.

The result is a Frankenstein's monster abomination that has been a data synchronisation nightmare. I could have told them this would happen if they had bothered to ask, but the first I heard it was presented as a fait accomplis. So much of my time has been taken up trawling logs for lost data.

The long and short of it is that it has seriously dampened my enthusiasm. I'm doing my best to keep it going but it isn't very interesting anymore. Even writing about it now makes me wonder why I keep going. It comes down to my sense of commitment to do the best for our customers.

However I'm now nine months from retirement age where the government will pay me a pension, which, combined with my superannuation, should be quite livable. My own mortality is in my face and I am wondering about my priorities.

My wife was diagnosed with a very serious and difficult to treat cancer that she has now been fighting for eighteen months. I've progressively reduced my work days, eating up my accumulated leave entitlements from eighteen years in the job.

I'm now down to working one day a week, instead enjoying gardening, landscaping and building at home in between supporting my wife through her ordeal. The (often literally) concrete achievements at home are giving me a lot more satisfaction than "pushing sh*t uphill with a pointy stick" at work. (It is probably an anachronistic Australian expression but it does paint a picture that should be quite obvious.)

 

[NauticalGent]

My wife was diagnosed with a very serious and difficult to treat cancer that she has now been fighting for eighteen months.

Sincerely sad to read this. I wish you and her all the best...

 

[AccessBlaster]

I've not be around here much for a couple of years. Haven't done anything new in Access for a long time. My work focus became much more oriented towards SQL Server, especially integrating with a multivalue database system that has been quite a challenge.

My old Access applications are still in use, one for as long as fifteen years without requiring any maintenance whatsoever, aside from pointing at different SQL servers as they were upgraded. I recently expressed my surprise, as I thought it had been superseded by modules added to the main system. The worker who uses it told me that it is still used because my application works so much better than the equivalent provided in the main system.

About three years ago the company decided to introduce a hybrid between the original locally hosted system and popular cloud based customer information system. Two backends with overlapping data and no direct access to the cloud backend.

The result is a Frankenstein's monster abomination that has been a data synchronisation nightmare. I could have told them this would happen if they had bothered to ask, but the first I heard it was presented as a fait accomplis. So much of my time has been taken up trawling logs for lost data.

The long and short of it is that it has seriously dampened my enthusiasm. I'm doing my best to keep it going but it isn't very interesting anymore. Even writing about it now makes me wonder why I keep going. It comes down to my sense of commitment to do the best for our customers.

However I'm now nine months from retirement age where the government will pay me a pension, which, combined with my superannuation, should be quite livable. My own mortality is in my face and I am wondering about my priorities.

My wife was diagnosed with a very serious and difficult to treat cancer that she has now been fighting for eighteen months. I've progressively reduced my work days, eating up my accumulated leave entitlements from eighteen years in the job.

I'm now down to working one day a week, instead enjoying gardening, landscaping and building at home in between supporting my wife through her ordeal. The (often literally) concrete achievements at home are giving me a lot more satisfaction than "pushing sh*t uphill with a pointy stick" at work. (It is probably an anachronistic Australian expression but it does paint a picture that should be quite obvious.)

Keeping you and your family in our thoughts. Best wishes.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

My wife was diagnosed with a very serious and difficult to treat cancer that she has now been fighting for eighteen months.

My deepest sympathies. Being reminded of the mortality of others very quickly makes you respect your own mortality. It also makes you more firmly appreciate your loved ones. Forgive me for being the armchair psychologist, but my own experience with my mother gave me a parallel emotional low spot. I have been through a similar if not identical situation.

I'm doing my best to keep it going but it isn't very interesting anymore.

It is entirely possible that your private life is coloring the other parts of your life. Your focus isn't on your job and that makes it difficult to hold any interest other than one of the most important people in your life.

My own mortality is in my face and I am wondering about my priorities.

I have to say I perfectly understand. If you and your wife can come through this relatively intact, it CAN get better.

There is a quote that I first heard on an episode of NCIS, though when I later researched it, it was attributed to Winston Churchill. "If you are going through Hell... keep going." If you can make it through, that cloud that is currently over you WILL have a chance to lift. Life CAN be pleasant again, even if it takes a little effort.

 

[pono1]

Also Uncle Gizmo. A few have left voluntarily, a few were shown the door. One great big happy family.

The Watercooler, in my memory, always had some sort of controversy going on. But there was some pretty good laughs too. Looks like Rich flew the coop long ago

Also Uncle Gizmo. A few have left voluntarily, a few were shown the door. One great big happy family.

I sort of remember tempers boiling here back in the day. But there were also a lot of laughs.