Here are a few quick observations about my blogging . . .
Lately, I’ve realized that my job just isn’t as fulfilling to me as I imagined it once was. Then again, maybe it’s because this is the second longest job I have ever had and I am starting to get bored with it. Three and a half years is a long time. In my field, information technology, it is a common belief that if you stay in the same position for more than five years, you become stale. That being said, unless something VERY lucrative pops up, I don’t plan to step into unemployment in this economy.
Don’t get me wrong. I love working for Mercer University. The benefits are excellent. Insurance is decent, although expensive. My leave benefits are the best I’ve ever had. I, along with my spouse and dependents, can go to (a very expensive) college for free. I have lots of friend here and I was even recently elected to staff council a few months ago to represent fellow staff members’ concerns to senior university administrators.
But in my particular job, there are no real challenges anymore. It’s just the same old crap — budget limitations, putting out fires, and figuring out how stupid end users can be. You would think that as long as technology has been around, our population would have developed some basic computer skills. You would also think that hiring managers would expect that from employees. You would think that the powers that be would realize that Information Technology is an investment and that you’re just not going become more productive and cost efficient without it.
Along with all of that, there are no advancement opportunities in my current job. Here at the law school I work at, there seems to be a notion that you aren’t qualified to do anything unless you have a law degree (J.D.). Apparently, there are these magical fairies that sprinkle analytical and problem solving skills on you like pixie dust during the three years that you are a law student and that some how makes you better than everyone else. What they don’t realize is that I, along with many other IT Professionals (non-lawyers), have the ability to analyze situations and develop solutions. And on top of that, I could walk through the law school and point out many, many students and alumni who lack those skills, even though they have taken on six figures worth of debt trying to acquire them.
As far as fulfillment is concerned, I’ve been thinking a lot about the role I play in the overall scheme of things. On a simplistic level, I support people as they become lawyers or while they teach people to become lawyers. I don’t even like lawyers. Because of my job, I do have quite a few friends who are lawyers, but I like them because they are people, not because they are lawyers.
Let’s take a look at how the public perceives lawyers. If you asked the average person about lawyers, they would tell you that they make tons of money and they are all ambulance chasing crooks. Now, I know better than that, but when the average person finds out that I am contributing to the creation of what they consider overcharging crooks, then I’m judged just as harshly. Although I have never been one to care about what people think about me, I do wonder if this is where I am supposed to be. Is this my mission in life? My destiny? Is this God’s plan for me?
I guess until I sort things out and find my true calling, I’ll continue to help lawyers who help themselves.
My Latest Run
