Yeah...my boss worries about me....because I'm satisfied with being a sysadmin
for the rest of my life.

Though I tried the management thing once in a previous/non-profit life.  I
have enough trouble managing my own time, but to have to manage other people's
time.  Though I guess being the only technical guy, managing non-technical
people at a non-profit....the people there need to be micromanaged, but I hate
that and didn't do that.  They complained I wasn't doing my job by making them
get stuff done on time.  Also having a budget and accounting for every cent
was pain too....but being the P.Eng., I was trusted with it. (for several
non-profits)

But, then again, when I started out...I thought I would be a software
developer for my whole life.  Except that working for companies that don't
provide continuing education and keep moving forward...(there was still need
for my old skills, but the mature software product was cut down to only 3.5
FTEs for its continued maintenance, and I didn't have enough seniority)

Plus we might be going through the flattening of the org chart thing here....
addressing budget issues through attrition.

The people that have left us recently...have fallen into two groups.  They are
pursuing their dream.  Some to be SysAdmins at their dream company or job. 
One admin left and took a paycut, because he dreamed of working at OSL.  Or
some external dream force.  There was a group of sysadmins that were avid
Quake players....in the weeks leading up to QuakeCon, they were unproductive,
because they'd be all about QuakeCon at work.  They now have SysAdmin jobs
somewhere in TX.  Others because SysAdmin wasn't their dream job.

And, then the other group....more money.  And, from what I've heard...they are
leaving with 20% to 50% pay increases.  And, the University would only offer
them 3-5% increases as counter offers.  One guy got a 50% raise, and its a
telecommuting job.

Also, I took a 40% paycut to be a SysAdmin in .edu.  I just didn't know that
it would be 6 year later, and not much has changed.  Most of my take home
increase, is because the federal government is taking less out now.  The
University did give us 2.5% raises at the start of the year (first time we've
had a non-state raise), but I'm taking home less because my health insurance
jumped 40% this year.  Though they say we were having it good before....last
year the auditors went through, and found that the state had gotten too far
off track from 95/5 or 60/40 for insurance premiums in trying to cushion us
from the hikes from the insurance companies.  So, the big jump was to fix it
so that I'm back to paying 5% of my premiums.

I wonder if I should apply for one of those jobs....only problem is what does
it say if I only do it to get another 5% raise, and would that (still) be
enough.  I exceed expectations in my review every year....but merit raises are
done by cutting up the state raises, so some get less than the full state
raise and others get more....and there haven't been any since 2008.

On 05/02/2012 11:04 PM, [email protected] wrote:
> On Wed, 2 May 2012, Atom Powers wrote:
>
>> I would be concerned if any of my directs were satisfied being a SysAdmin
>> for their entire career.
>
> what career do you think they should be moving into?
>
> Saying 'management' doesn't work, there should never be a need for as many
> managers as there are line workers so there just won't be slots for them to
> move into.
>
> David Lang

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