I'm sorry to say that users will always be users. They will never change. They will never learn. They don't want to or need to.
If your customers are coworkers, you should be able to expect a certain level of professionalism from them.
If your customers are external, you're pretty much stuck with however they treat you, unfortunately.
The burn out rate on that job (for me) was at about seven years, n00b to vet, entirely due to lack of respect from customers and lack of support from the person to whom I reported.
I recommend you grow your skills, start thinking about the next level, and be aware that, unless you are able to accept the abuse of your customers, you may not be wired for that job. I certainly am not.
Every job in IT involves a certain level of customer support; in some other IT jobs, however, you may have a more informed and professional-behaving customer base. I've been programming / webbing for a few years and really like it.
Be well. Get lots of sleep. Eat right. Exercise. Floss. Take good care of yourself during this time of stress.
Good luck.
katie
Beautifully said.
I'm a programming n00b.
All I have done for the past year is study one language after another (both OOP and procedural).
At the end of the day, it really is all about algorithms and methodology.
It's about best practices with regard to sucking every bit of information you can from your customer and providing the appropriate solution to the problem they're asking you to solve.
It's also about knowing enough about the tools available to you to determine which is the best for the particular application and then applying the appropriate methodology within those tools to accomplish that goal.
Beyond that, it's only syntax. That's the easy part.
My first impulse is just to say, "Yawn".
What a sound-bite-laden pile of tripe.
The interviewer pandered.
Romney couldn't have been more generic and uninspired in his responses.
At the end of the day, I say "Next!"
... While at the same time kiss a lot off the right ass and do everything you can to make your coworkers look bad. I've heard through the grapevine that *some* companies are truly meritocrasies. In reality, however, it's about politics and perception. Your true value as a manager or leader has nothing to do with it. If you want to be promoted, remember that you only have one customer: the person who will be promoting you. Everyone else is a secondary consideration only insomuch as their perception of you becomes a topic of conversation with your one customer.
I've seen it work.
Seriously, though, best of luck to you in your career!
My experience pretty much matches yours with the exception of the Atari2600. After Leisure Suit Larry, I graduated to Castle Wolfenstein. It was the first game I played until I beat it.
I have spent three decades looking for the ultimate PONG experience. I remember Moraff's software in the early '90s. They were a little shareware operation. Their Pong offering (can't remember the title now, darnit) was something to which I became quickly addicted. They earned my money and then some!
Our company is part of a global conglomerate. Our local office has about 300 employees. We do strictly manufacturing. OUr only customer is the owner of the global conglomerate, so we don't need to maintain a db of products or customers. Our extranet is simple. Our intranet is a third party package. I strive to find ways to be visible with the improvements we make so that the company sees me as a necessity rather than a luxury.
Your situation sounds difficult, but typical. Sounds like a project management issue, primarily. If the project doesn't have sponsorship from someone at the top, it's doomed. Your sponsor should be your advocate and in a position to override the senseless ramblings of an underling.
Of course, you also have to show value add throughout the life cycle of your project. Not always easy.
Best of luck to you.
thekitty
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I'm sorry to say that users will always be users. They will never change. They will never learn. They don't want to or need to. If your customers are coworkers, you should be able to expect a certain level of professionalism from them. If your customers are external, you're pretty much stuck with however they treat you, unfortunately. The burn out rate on that job (for me) was at about seven years, n00b to vet, entirely due to lack of respect from customers and lack of support from the person to whom I reported. I recommend you grow your skills, start thinking about the next level, and be aware that, unless you are able to accept the abuse of your customers, you may not be wired for that job. I certainly am not. Every job in IT involves a certain level of customer support; in some other IT jobs, however, you may have a more informed and professional-behaving customer base. I've been programming / webbing for a few years and really like it. Be well. Get lots of sleep. Eat right. Exercise. Floss. Take good care of yourself during this time of stress. Good luck. katie
Beautifully said. I'm a programming n00b. All I have done for the past year is study one language after another (both OOP and procedural). At the end of the day, it really is all about algorithms and methodology. It's about best practices with regard to sucking every bit of information you can from your customer and providing the appropriate solution to the problem they're asking you to solve. It's also about knowing enough about the tools available to you to determine which is the best for the particular application and then applying the appropriate methodology within those tools to accomplish that goal. Beyond that, it's only syntax. That's the easy part.
My first impulse is just to say, "Yawn". What a sound-bite-laden pile of tripe. The interviewer pandered. Romney couldn't have been more generic and uninspired in his responses. At the end of the day, I say "Next!"
My experience pretty much matches yours with the exception of the Atari2600. After Leisure Suit Larry, I graduated to Castle Wolfenstein. It was the first game I played until I beat it. I have spent three decades looking for the ultimate PONG experience. I remember Moraff's software in the early '90s. They were a little shareware operation. Their Pong offering (can't remember the title now, darnit) was something to which I became quickly addicted. They earned my money and then some!
Our company is part of a global conglomerate. Our local office has about 300 employees. We do strictly manufacturing. OUr only customer is the owner of the global conglomerate, so we don't need to maintain a db of products or customers. Our extranet is simple. Our intranet is a third party package. I strive to find ways to be visible with the improvements we make so that the company sees me as a necessity rather than a luxury. Your situation sounds difficult, but typical. Sounds like a project management issue, primarily. If the project doesn't have sponsorship from someone at the top, it's doomed. Your sponsor should be your advocate and in a position to override the senseless ramblings of an underling. Of course, you also have to show value add throughout the life cycle of your project. Not always easy. Best of luck to you. thekitty