RE: DBA - Job boundaries & perks

The CEO of the place I am now, just asked everyone in the company (less than 100 of us) to send him an email with our top 10 "best and worst" things about our site and the company. And he MEANT it. He'll read them all, and will actually listen and try to make changes where possible.

At the staff meeting, when he handed out the bonus checks -- it was like a graduation. He called your name, you came up and shook his hand, got the check and EVERYONE applauded. We sang Happy Birthday to a couple of people.

There is a LOT of work to do here. Long hours at times, work through lunch, work evenings and weekends at home. My junior DBA has to glare at me to get me away from my desk for a break. And I'm still barely running in place to keep up. And it gets frustrating at times (when I actually get 5 minutes to do my real work, and make an improvement I keep telling my boss "see what I can do when you let me do what I'm supposed to do?")

I, like Jeff, took a pay cut to come here. And I've had offers since for a LOT more money. But the attitude of the people here, when I can get them some information from the database that they can't find, or when I speed things up, well.... an email saying "thanks, you rule" is why I stay.

Tech is usually the "forgotten stepchild" of a company. No one knows who you are, what you do, and they only know your phone number to call and complain.

Not here.... we do company outings, heck, we went bowling (and boy am I a lousy bowler -- and my teammates, kids half my age, just kept encouraging me and cheering me on). We know names and faces.

Sometimes the perks are not tangible.... and usually those are the perks that are really worth it. I have enough money to pay my bills and buy myself the occasional toy. More money won't make me happier. Being appreciated does.

Rachel

>From: paquette stephane <stephane_paquette_at_yahoo.com>
>Reply-To: ORACLE-L_at_fatcity.com
>To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L <ORACLE-L_at_fatcity.com>
>Subject: RE: DBA - Job boundaries & perks
>Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 00:21:04 -0800
>
>I worked in a startup at my previous client, my best
>souvenir is wearing jeans at work.
>My worst souvenir is the times when the owner came in
>the IT room and asked the developpers to work in the
>production environment to be able to deliver on
>schedule.
>Since the startup was owned by a major corporation, no
>IPO so no future gold :-(
>
>
>--- Jeffery Stevenson <jeff_at_mpv.com> a écrit : >
>Well, I'm working a startup job now and I really
> > like it. I essentially
> > took a pay cut and the possibility of future "gold"
> > is always nice, but the
> > thing that convinced me to join this team was the
> > work environment. A lot
> > more freedom to be creative and get work done...a
> > lot more input on the
> > architecture of the system (where they actually
> > listen and follow through on
> > the advice!), and a lot more fun in the work
> > environment (of course that
> > could be that its a good group of people I'm working
> > with). The future is
> > really bright for this company, but even if they
> > fold tomorrow (extremely
> > doubtful), I'm having fun with my work and getting
> > an opportunity to learn
> > more, so it will have all been worthwhile. At least
> > you have a lot of
> > long-term DoD contracts you can fall back on in your
> > area. :) BTW, Scott,
> > how's the modernization of that personnel data
> > system coming along?
> >
> > Jeffery Stevenson
> > Chief Databeast Tamer
> > Medical Present Value, Inc.
> > Austin, TX
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > [mailto:Scott.Shafer_at_dcpds.cpms.osd.mil]
> > Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2000 10:57 AM
> > To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L
> >
> >
> > Bill, at least you're still employed. I went after
> > the startup dream and
> > ended up with a pink slip when they folded up...
> > Not a fun time.
> >
> > --Scott Shafer
> > San Antonio, TX
> >
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: WIlliam Thater [SMTP:thaterw_at_telergy.net]
> > > Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2000 6:26 AM
> > > To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L
> > > Subject: Re: DBA - Job boundaries & perks
> > >
> > > "O'Neill, Sean" wrote:
> > > >
> > > > How do you protect your "private life" time from
> > your role of DBA?. Do
> > > you
> > > > have formalised detailed job contracts with your
> > employer covering such
> > >
> > > i'm supposed to have a private life? damn, obody
> > told me. why am i
> > > always the last one to know? as for my contract,
> > i'm on call 24x7x365
> > > including holidays and vacations. i hope you
> > don't work for a startup
> > > like me. i won't do it again, i was sold on the
> > dream. i was stupid.
> > >
> > > and the only perks are that i get everybody else's
> > cast of PCs and i get
> > > to do all my own tech support.
> > > --
> > > Bill Thater Sr. ORACLE DBA
> > > Telergy, Inc thaterw_at_telergy.net
> > >
> >
>----------------------------------------------------------------
> > > "Only two things are infinite, the universe and
> > human stupidity,
> > > and I'm not sure about the former." -- Albert
> > Einstein
> > >
> >
>----------------------------------------------------------------
> > > --
> > > Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ:
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> > > Author: WIlliam Thater
> > > INET: thaterw_at_telergy.net
> > >
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>
>=====
>Stephane Paquette
>DBA Oracle
>stephane_paquette_at_yahoo.com
>
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Received on Fri Dec 22 2000 - 07:20:53 CST