For various reasons I’ve been asked several times over the last few days what my ideal job would be. Good question, potentially boring answer.
A job that pays?
(Hey, it’s a start.)
I think I gave different answers each time, based on what I was thinking about at that precise moment, so here’s an amalgamation of the points I made, for future reference.
- DBA work where I’m responsible for databases and their surrounding systems, where people have me design databases and help optimize their queries and do all the stuff that developers find tedious.
- and development work, in Java or PHP or whatever language the company is wanting me to learn. I specifically like back-end stuff, i.e. reporting/data warehousing, data imports and exports, and all the stuff that front-end developers find tedious.
- I mean, I’d like a job with both DBA and dev work, in case that wasn’t clear. Thx.
- where I’m learning new skills, on the job and potentially in outside training, so that I feel that I’m getting better and my brain isn’t atrophying.
- where the work atmosphere is comfortable, and I can consider my workmates to be friends (I have been very lucky with this in the past).
- where my obsessive workaholic nature will be appreciated and not taken advantage of, that management will realize that despite my attitude I should still be allowed to go on vacation once in a while (I have had less luck with this).
I’m finished my contracts and am currently back to my unemployed state of feeling rather apathetic (I crave work like a bad junkie), except for some BCIT courses I’m taking in databases other than MySQL because there are jobs in those, at least. I’ve been contacted by recruiters for MS SQL Server DBA positions, and I wish they’d just wait a few months until I’d done more with that software than incorrectly installing it on my school computer.
In the last couple months I realized that while contract work has its benefits (pants optional, the 10-second commute, etc.), I really miss full-time work. I miss having a specific work schedule, and getting weekends off (usually). I miss having coworkers, and I spent last week visiting several former workmates and feeling all nostalgic and sad. I don’t like the uncertainty of whether or not I’ll get another client before I starve to death. I miss health benefits; I just dropped $410 on new glasses, which I didn’t think I needed until I incorrectly installed MS SQL Server due to the instructions on the front board being fuzzy. And I especially miss being around people on a daily basis through no extra effort of my own: being alone is not relaxing if you’re always alone.
If more interesting contract work shows up I’ll definitely take it, but my long-term goal in life is to go back and work for The Man and be one of the sheeple. Because all I want to do is work: I don’t want to go looking for work, I don’t want to have to prove myself worthy of the work, I just want it thrust in front of me. Hopefully with dental insurance.