The $%*! frustration thread

[Mauron]

I haven't had any luck getting Geiger's SNES9x working again, which is a pain. I'll have to switch to BSNES+.

Apart from that, things are running pretty smoothly now, apart from needing to reinstall stuff still.

At least with work computers there's someone handy to fix everything.

[Boo the Gentleman Caller]

Current bitching from Boo:

So I'm a contractor. I have been for about 4 years at a Fortune 500 company. Up until about a year and a half ago, I worked in a part of Information Management that is 90% contractors, with an abysmal contractor-to-FTE conversion rate. The pay was good, I had flexibility in changing job roles / orgs / different projects, so if things got stagnant or icky I could move on with minimal effort in regards to applying and interviewing.

All in all, I built a solid reputation and 1.5 years ago was headhunted to go to a non-IM org and bring in some of my expertise with project management. They offered to eventually convert me to FTE when they were able, one year max, and we had a handshake agreement for a nice bump in pay and hefty bonuses. I had a friend in that org who loved it, loved the management, and she couldn't sing enough praises for it. So... I went for it.

A year and a half later I have no FTE. None of it was in writing, so there's no really any recourse on my end. We have been undergoing a reorg for about four months, and there's been a ton of unease all around. There are no open positions, no budget, and no way to convert me. They keep asking me to stay, they promise they will when they are able.

To be honest, I'll definitely be making more money if I get converted. I'll also have that nice bonus (which, even at the lowest amount due to tenure, is like 5%+ of base salary). My benefits will also be cheaper.

But I'm getting frustrated. It's like a carrot dangled in front of me and I have no actual timeline to believe in.

I really like the people and the work. But I know I could be making more as an FTE employee, whether here or elsewhere (the contractor versus FTE argument is not always true; contractors don't usually make more money unless you have a very specific skill set, and oftentimes we're treated as second-rate citizens). There's also been another opportunity knocking, but I don't really trust it. It would mean more money, but more than likely more stress and less work-life balance. And it's in a different industry (manufacturing), which is a shrinking industry.

Do I take this random opportunity with good pay and potentially more unhappiness, or do I stay where I am and continue to hold on to hope that they will finally make the conversion happen?

I feel lost and unsure of the right path. It's frustrating.

[chrono.source]

It's very unfortunate that you seem stuck in this situation. What is your end game? What do you want to be doing in ten years? Does it work well with your family life? Always think long term; also stress/unhappiness is never a good choice because it makes you.... well..... stressed and unhappy

I  have taken this advice to heart. I don't work in the most well-paying industry: Hospitality. But my hours are great (7-3) and I have job security with some alright benefits. I get to see my family for a nice amount of my day, and it works well for me. I'm not saying this is for everybody but I talk with a lot of high powered execs with tons of money that travel a lot and the one thing they all agree on is that they wished they spent more time with their family and less time with their careers because in the end their careers became just another thing in their life.

I hope this helps. Whatyever you choose, make sure it's what you want, not what you THINK you want, or what society TELLS you that you  want.

Good luck.

[PrincessNadia78]

I'm in a similar position Boo. I mean, I was technically converted but I'm on part-time status so it's really not much different. I did get insurance through my husband but it's costing us so much money. Also, his boss is being a jerk lately and my husband is getting fed up with it, which I don't blame him.  For me, I really like my job and the people I work with. I'm pretty happy here, I just hate that I'm working all these hours and it's not going towards anything. For me also, it's difficult because I'm told I'm high on the list to be made FT but my boss is always talking about how he has too many full-time people. So like you, there's no timeline. I understand the frustration. I like the company and the coworkers so I stay.

So this is my thought: have you thought of using this opportunity you have as a bargaining chip? I mean, maybe if they know someone else is interested in you maybe they'll convert you. Anyway it's just an idea. I'm in a similar boat and I've been burned so much by work over the past couple of years I'm content to be at a place I'm happy at, even if it means I wait. How long I will wait... that I don't know.

I wish you the best of luck, please keep us updated!

[Lord J Esq]

Just from the way you describe the situation, Boo (i.e., I could be super wrong), it sounds like there's actually a correct answer here: You should keep the current job. The few percentage points of pay increase are nothing compared to a job you like and coworkers you like. Could it be that what's troubling you deep-down is the sense that you're missing out on something better? Because if so, the solution for that is a lot more complicated than whatever choice you make in this case.

[ThatGuy]

You know what the psychologists and whoever that study this consistently say? After around 75k a year... probably depends on cost of living where you are, etc... Happiness doesn't really go up. It's like, once you're comfortable, no worry about the bill collectors, you can, within reason, do what you want, buy what you want, in the day-to-day sense of things... people don't get any happier.

So, forward momentum is good, but in my opinion, not at the cost of work-life balance, to use a trendy phrase. For me, the only job I'd want to do more than 40 hrs a week (30 or 20, if we're being honest), is the kind of thing I do even without getting paid. So, I'm working on that, but in the meantime, I do what I must without going insane.

Now, if everything I just wrote makes your upper lip curl slightly and your nose wrinkle, this isn't the path for you. But! If you found your head slightly nodding as you read it, maybe your focus sharpened as the words became images in your mind... well, think about it.

[CptOvaltine]

A year and a half later I have no FTE. None of it was in writing, so there's no really any recourse on my end. We have been undergoing a reorg for about four months, and there's been a ton of unease all around. There are no open positions, no budget, and no way to convert me. They keep asking me to stay, they promise they will when they are able.

To be honest, I'll definitely be making more money if I get converted. I'll also have that nice bonus (which, even at the lowest amount due to tenure, is like 5%+ of base salary). My benefits will also be cheaper.

But I'm getting frustrated. It's like a carrot dangled in front of me and I have no actual timeline to believe in.

Speaking strictly from a business point of view, and not knowing ANYTHING about your situation or company except what you've posted, I would be extremely cautious of this company.

I've seen it time and time again, big companies promising benefits and pay raises, then they milk someone dry all the while promising it's coming down the pipeline until they finally let you go and say it just didn't work out. Now, I'm not saying that this is your situation, but if they are unwilling to put anything in writing, then that's a huge red flag in my book.

If it were me, and I loved the potential job, I would be willing to be a bit flexible and willing to give them some more time on the condition that they put in writing their intentions and a timeline for converting me to the position we initially agreed on.  If they refuse to do that I would seriously consider moving on.

Just my two cents!

[Boo the Gentleman Caller]

Yeah, so update from Boo:

I pretty much decided to stay up. I love the current org I'm in, even if they haven't converted me in the time they originally promised. I get to work from home, I'm really good at the work, and have a very positive reputation. They've even offered to transfer me to a BPE role so they can convert me faster when they are able (since this switches where my contractor budget comes from).

There was an email on Friday to managers that "Boo is next in line for FTE. End of story." in response to other managers starting to push for their people to get FTE conversions (which snowballed because my boss raised the issue).

I did do a final interview at the second company that is trying to recruit me, but even if they offer it, I'm not going to take it. It's a 45 minute one-way drive. I've done that before, and it sucks. Plus that's an hour and a half of unpaid time away from my children 5 days a week. And the upward mobility doesn't seem to be there due to it being a smaller manufacturing company.

In the long run, the pay is equivalent, it's just a matter of now versus later. I can hold out another six months or so, and if I still don't have FTE in my current job role, I can split without burning any bridges (given the circumstances of them having still not converted me) and can go to another job and make the money I should be working.

Six months is allI will continue to wait for, though.

[CptOvaltine]

Yeah, so update from Boo:

I pretty much decided to stay up. I love the current org I'm in, even if they haven't converted me in the time they originally promised. I get to work from home, I'm really good at the work, and have a very positive reputation. They've even offered to transfer me to a BPE role so they can convert me faster when they are able (since this switches where my contractor budget comes from).

There was an email on Friday to managers that "Boo is next in line for FTE. End of story." in response to other managers starting to push for their people to get FTE conversions (which snowballed because my boss raised the issue).

I did do a final interview at the second company that is trying to recruit me, but even if they offer it, I'm not going to take it. It's a 45 minute one-way drive. I've done that before, and it sucks. Plus that's an hour and a half of unpaid time away from my children 5 days a week. And the upward mobility doesn't seem to be there due to it being a smaller manufacturing company.

In the long run, the pay is equivalent, it's just a matter of now versus later. I can hold out another six months or so, and if I still don't have FTE in my current job role, I can split without burning any bridges (given the circumstances of them having still not converted me) and can go to another job and make the money I should be working.

Six months is allI will continue to wait for, though.

Sounds like you've thought it through and have a solid plan! If the pay is the same and yoyou can leave whenever on good terms, it sounds like you're making a good decision! Best of luck!

[Boo the Gentleman Caller]

Well, the pay won't be the same NOW. Just after the contractor-to-FTE conversion. That could be another six months, which sucks.

But long-term it's the better path. Less immediate benefit, but from a mental health headspace, it's the better of the two options.

I still wish I found that "special something" I was really passionate about and could flip that into a career.

[CptOvaltine]

I get that. It's important to have your job be at least bearable. haha  Honestly, there really isn't that "special something" where work is always fun...at least not in my experience.

I love what I do, and would consider it my dream job, but there are still days where I would rather do ANYTHING else then to go sit at my computer and compose.

Either way, I hope the conversion comes sooner than later for you. Having that extra pay boost can really reinvigorate a person!

[PrincessNadia78]

Yeah, so update from Boo:

I pretty much decided to stay up. I love the current org I'm in, even if they haven't converted me in the time they originally promised. I get to work from home, I'm really good at the work, and have a very positive reputation. They've even offered to transfer me to a BPE role so they can convert me faster when they are able (since this switches where my contractor budget comes from).

There was an email on Friday to managers that "Boo is next in line for FTE. End of story." in response to other managers starting to push for their people to get FTE conversions (which snowballed because my boss raised the issue).

I did do a final interview at the second company that is trying to recruit me, but even if they offer it, I'm not going to take it. It's a 45 minute one-way drive. I've done that before, and it sucks. Plus that's an hour and a half of unpaid time away from my children 5 days a week. And the upward mobility doesn't seem to be there due to it being a smaller manufacturing company.

In the long run, the pay is equivalent, it's just a matter of now versus later. I can hold out another six months or so, and if I still don't have FTE in my current job role, I can split without burning any bridges (given the circumstances of them having still not converted me) and can go to another job and make the money I should be working.

Six months is allI will continue to wait for, though.

That sounds like a good, solid plan. I don't blame you for wanting to wait no longer than 6 months, I wouldn't want to either. However, that email sounds promising, so hopefully it'll happen soon for you. Please keep us posted!

[PrincessNadia78]

Sorry for the double post, but I need to post something I'm frustrated about today.

So for those who don't know, I work in a call center. I've been having computer issues on and off for the last week. Well today my phone isn't ringing. I've missed calls because I was helping someone else and wasn't watching my screen when my call came in. I emailed the right people but haven't heard back. this is super frustrating and it's MONDAY which is our busy day!

Argh!!   

[Boo the Gentleman Caller]

I know call centers can have insane metrics to meet (length of call, buzzwords, etc)... Surely you wouldn't be held liable for a malfunctioning computer (when you have a ticket in), would you?

[PrincessNadia78]

Not at where I work. Also, here I meet or exceed all goals so they know I wouldn't be doing it on purpose. There's also emails. So I'm good! I do have to say, this is the first call center where I'm BELOW handle time. It feels sooooo good! Honestly, the only "mark" I have against me is my attendance. If I never got sick, all my metrics would be perfect! Damn sickness!