Six-week review.

[reddragdiva]

Half way through my three months' probation. My boss loves me and all I do. My predecessor (the full-timer before the consultant) apparently spent months making the Unix side look like an impossibly hard job, with tickets open for weeks; my habit of doing what little work there is to do and closing stuff quickly makes said predecessor look like an incompetent and me like a hero. (And never mind that if a query is emailed or phoned directly to me instead of coming via the helpdesk, I file the ticket only when I've actually solved the problem, thus keeping the life of each ticket to about five minutes. Our metrics for September were fantastic. Here's to management by statistics!)

They are now looking into finding more for me to do, e.g. remote admin on other sites. Keep my mind ticking, more strings to my bow. It must be admitted that I could slip into fatal complacency here so easily.

Sadly, to do my turn on-call, I must learn the international NT network setup. So that when (not if) I'm on call and get paged at five in the morning, I can do more than say "no idea." Bah.

(Although I shall continue to look confused and lost at users if they ask me anything about MS software. "How do I save a file?" "Sorry, I'm the Unix guy, I don't know anything about Windows ..." Also, must spend my NT training asking how you do each task at the command line.)

Comments

[damerell.livejournal.com]

I've kept away from Windows work through a process of strategic incompetence, too. You have to be very careful to avoid accidentally learning anything about it.

[reddragdiva]

As I understand it, most of the out of hours calls are about RAS not working properly. Fundamentally because NT networking is ill-considered from the ground up. I do get money for this. And I suspect I am being paid enough to put up with this shit.

[hellsop.livejournal.com]

Awww... "no idea." is such a fine answer, too.

[marnameow.livejournal.com]

Yay! Go the Australian!

International NT network setup sounds like hell in a pickle-jar.

Oh - you have more mail. I'd recommend not coming over for a few more days, though, because I'm still somewhat broken, and you *don't* want to join me in this, believe me.

[kraant.livejournal.com]

I file the ticket only when I've actually solved the problem, thus keeping the life of each ticket to about five minutes. Our metrics for September were fantastic. Here's to management by statistics!)

Unfortunately or fortunately I'm pretty sure my boss is quite aware how long specific things would take to do and would look at me funny if I did that.

Things may be going more corporate over here soon however...

[reddragdiva]

Hah. My boss lives or dies by stats, so told me it was best to do it this way. It would have to get back to the customer for anyone to give a shit, and this is unlikely.