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Thread: when your job requires you to act like another type

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    Default when your job requires you to act like another type...

    I got hired to do a job I very much enjoy, but my super ego boss expects me to take on the role of my contrary (and often my super ego). I think I've underestimated the effect this has had on my job performance. I'm supposed to do a shitload of computer work, for example, and it ends up getting drawn out longer than it needs to take because I just cannot force myself to just sit there and work on that kind of thing all day. I can hyperfocus and get a lot done in a day, but I can't do that if errands, like picking up my son from day care or going to umpteen million doctor appointments a week, interrupt my schedule. I cannot hyperfocus when I know I need to leave in three hours.

    Most would probably agree that nothing makes time drag or saps your energy more than doing nothing all day. To me, this computer work is pretty much doing next to nothing all day. If I wanted a desk job, I wouldn't have become a Home Inspector. And if I wanted to be a software developer, I would have gone to school for it.

    If I would tell my boss this stuff (and I sometimes do), he would say that he doesn't want me sitting around on a computer all day either, that he'd much rather have me out there doing inspections, and that there isn't that much computer stuff that needs to be done, as far as he can tell. He would point out that I'm not putting in full 40 hour weeks right now. WELL I CAN'T FORCE MYSELF TO SPEND ALL FUCKING DAY WORKING ON STUFF I DON'T EVEN ENJOY DOING. (That's why I end up here so much. It wouldn't be so bad if it was only for a few months or something, but it's been over a year now.) He'd also say something along the lines of, "We need to get you better, kiddo. I hired a healthy young person who had no trouble carrying the 28 ft ladder or working fulltime. How many hours a day are you doing your exercises and stretches? Did they say when you'll be better?" AJHFUIEWH FWUIEHGFKJHSDAUI SHFUIHEGIUWGE OIWHGUOIEGH FIUOCDHQOIRHUOEHT VUYHRPUOIWHEV IUWEGHRCUWIHECTU IWHEUWGH {OVUIRWEH VRTUIOWETUETYUIO CHROPIQWECR OIWPETPUIOET VUEHUIOOIWERH WERH IAKJOIRWHGOIWEHG IWOEH WVIQ{WOIERUJIOEWRHGOW(# KIFJIOE VRJQWEIORJWEQI KLSEIEWGNEJFNIE*LKASHFSA OIEHFWOIERF WQWIRJHIHFHALPQPOWJERWQFN OIEHWOEIRHOWIERPIQPJ CHOIEWHROIUWQEHHNAL IWHROUEIHRWUETRH QOWIERHQOLIFNOIQWRHGOHUQWEBF OMGWTFBBQ



    Anyways....

    I do have some control over the type of work I do, in the long term. Once I finish up another couple of big computer projects my job responsibilities and the type of work my company takes on will change for the better. I'll probably only have about 15 hours a week of computer work to do on average (only?! UGH). About 15 hours a week will need to go towards networking and promotional type activities, which isn't too bad other than that he would want to be do those types of things way he would do them, which is not my style. That's not much of a problem though when I consider that the networking I'll be doing will be very beneficial (even pivotal) for my long term goals as well (not work related). I'll probably spend at least 15 or so hours a week on site at inspections. I'll also be earning a lot more money each week at that point, and the work will be more suited toward my interests and personality. Sigh. I just have to get through these big computer projects first. It's going to be easier now that there's an end in sight, but I feel like I have been half asleep for the past year (which is how long I've been spending most of my time on this shit), and now I'm trying to snap myself out of it so these next projects take me a few weeks instead of a few months. Ugh. I've always been the type of person who likes to find the most efficient way of doing things, but it's never required sitting silently in front of a computer all day before.



    The question of the thread is regarding dealing with people who expect you to fill the role of another type. I lived with my contrary for over 3 years... trying to meet his needs in the relationship forced me to try to act like my super ego parter, which pretty much broke me. Now I've got a situation in which I'm expected to act like my contrary... which isn't nearly as bad, but leaves me feeling pretty stifled, as if I'm not really living. It feels like I can't spend my time like this and grow as a person. The only solution with the contrary I lived with was to kick him out. I don't have the same option with the super ego partner I work for. Even if I could just stop working for him (I'm contractually obligated to work there for over two more years, or I have to pay him back for the cost of training me which isn't really pocket change), I wouldn't want to. In spite of my complaints, he's a good person and a good boss, and I like where the company is headed and my place in it. When I look at it objectively, I'm in a really awesome position. Even if I just look at what I'm doing right now... I get paid a decent hourly rate to work from home... a lot of people would love to have a job like that! I'm not "a lot of people" though, I don't like working on a computer from home. It would actually be easier if I had an office to go into because then it would be easier to hyperfocus.

    So... for those of you who have experience in dealing with situations where you were working closely with (or working for) someone from your conflicting quadra, how do you stay sane? How do you avoid losing yourself to the aspects of your job which simply don't interest you at all when they're supposed to be 80% of what you're doing right now? (I know that some people have an easier time with boring work than others. I'm someone who can't handle work that I don't find interesting... similar to how some people just aren't right for customer service or really aren't well suited to do a job with a lot of heavy lifting, etc.)
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    I don't know about anybody else, but I'm in the same situation with my IT/Programmer career at this point.

    I really do like working with my hands and seeing the fruits of my labor, and using my brain and my hands an equal amount of time. I also feel the need to just get the hell away from a desk, as far as I can. And lots of variety.

    So as you can see, I picked a bit of a wrong career.
    It's boring.

    And I CANNOT HANDLE BORING AT ALL. I completely shut down after about 1 hour. I don't know how some people make it through life doing boring (for them) work. I'd rather shoot myself than spend a year utterly bored at a job.

    And I avoid going insane by reading about stuff I like, and reading lots of wikipedia cuz I'm a curious motherfucker
    I also walk around alot, and to lunch because I miss the ol Sun. It's hard, very hard to stay sane or to keep myself from falling asleep on my desk.

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    @joy: early in your career you end up having to adjust to a lot of work tasks and situations that are not ideal for you. so what you end up doing over time is assessing your strengths and weaknesses realistically and also doing informed realistic assessments of different kinds of jobs and environments.

    to put it bluntly you have to put your time in doing stuff you don't want to do before you get to have your ideal job. then you can fuck around! hahahaha

    in your ideal job, you can effortlessly get everything done, and quickly, too, because your strengths and the situation match. this leaves you loads of free time for your ideal pursuits. then you can kick back and enjoy your life instead of focusing on work all the time.

    don't worry, you only have about 15 years to go. this ideal job will follow a mid life crisis.

    life begins at 40.

    ILE

    those who are easily shocked.....should be shocked more often

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    Quote Originally Posted by diamond8
    @joy: early in your career you end up having to adjust to a lot of work tasks and situations that are not ideal for you. so what you end up doing over time is assessing your strengths and weaknesses realistically and also doing informed realistic assessments of different kinds of jobs and environments.

    to put it bluntly you have to put your time in doing stuff you don't want to do before you get to have your ideal job. then you can fuck around! hahahaha

    in your ideal job, you can effortlessly get everything done, and quickly, too, because your strengths and the situation match. this leaves you loads of free time for your ideal pursuits. then you can kick back and enjoy your life instead of focusing on work all the time.

    don't worry, you only have about 15 years to go. this ideal job will follow a mid life crisis.

    life begins at 40.
    Ack, I'll be dead in 10 years.

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    Quote Originally Posted by diamond8
    @joy: early in your career you end up having to adjust to a lot of work tasks and situations that are not ideal for you. so what you end up doing over time is assessing your strengths and weaknesses realistically and also doing informed realistic assessments of different kinds of jobs and environments.

    to put it bluntly you have to put your time in doing stuff you don't want to do before you get to have your ideal job. then you can fuck around! hahahaha

    in your ideal job, you can effortlessly get everything done, and quickly, too, because your strengths and the situation match. this leaves you loads of free time for your ideal pursuits. then you can kick back and enjoy your life instead of focusing on work all the time.

    don't worry, you only have about 15 years to go. this ideal job will follow a mid life crisis.

    life begins at 40.
    This post reeks of shit.

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    Quote Originally Posted by discojoe
    Quote Originally Posted by diamond8
    @joy: early in your career you end up having to adjust to a lot of work tasks and situations that are not ideal for you. so what you end up doing over time is assessing your strengths and weaknesses realistically and also doing informed realistic assessments of different kinds of jobs and environments.

    to put it bluntly you have to put your time in doing stuff you don't want to do before you get to have your ideal job. then you can fuck around! hahahaha

    in your ideal job, you can effortlessly get everything done, and quickly, too, because your strengths and the situation match. this leaves you loads of free time for your ideal pursuits. then you can kick back and enjoy your life instead of focusing on work all the time.

    don't worry, you only have about 15 years to go. this ideal job will follow a mid life crisis.

    life begins at 40.
    This post reeks of shit.
    really? that's a fairly vague statement...care to expand? do you have work experience that tells you differently? if so what?

    ILE

    those who are easily shocked.....should be shocked more often

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    One of my first jobs was working the counter at a 7-11. I lasted 3 weeks.

    The best job I had was being a roadie/stage crew for a big music festival which was - well, I don't know why it clicked so well - but it was seriously so good. Would do it again in a heartbeat.

    My current job allows me to set goals and physically achieve them, but I have to do a lot of interpersonal shit as well which is really, really draining. I went to a party once that my co-workers threw, and no one could believe the way I was acting because at work I'm usually so burned out I just get cranky as hell.

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    How is your boss's type the problem? When the work needs to get done,
    someone has to do it...
    “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.”
    ― Anais Nin

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kim
    How is your boss's type the problem? When the work needs to get done,
    someone has to do it...
    QUOTED FOR TRUTH
    Obsequium amicos, veritas odium parit

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    Well, being ISTp, any job is the job of another type coz were just too lazy....hehe!

    Really though, I remember taking a job when I was younger, that was selling things to people as they came into the shop, giving general advise and assistance but also getting people to buy more, or to try and make everyone at least buy something.

    2 days later I quit..........lol
    Friendly ISTp
    Interested in everything, yes, EVERYTHING
    Flower's motto: Life's too short even to do the things you want to, let alone the things you dont!!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kim
    How is your boss's type the problem? When the work needs to get done,
    someone has to do it...
    It's not that simple though. I got hired to do inspections, and somehow I ended up developing inspection software. And he wanted me to learn how to code so I could design a second website and run both of them. And he has me writing a lot of content for report forms, too. And selling software. And sometimes running errands. Lots of stuff that isn't Home Inspection. He tried to convince me to answer the phones sometimes, too, but I drew the line there.
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    that's shitty. it could be that you work with a bunch of morons who can't do code and you are the only person capable.
    asd

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    I'm the only person period.

    That's why I'm sort of expected to fill the role of my contrary. He and I are a team, and he handles all of the stuff he's good at and expects me to handle the rest. (I told him we were going to hire a company to design and run the websites, btw. I don't think he understands just how involved stuff like that is.)
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    My job wants me to be ESxj.
    SEE Unknown Subtype
    6w7 sx/so



    [21:29] hitta: idealism is just the gap between the thought of death
    [21:29] hitta: and not dying
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    Quote Originally Posted by flower
    Well, being ISTp, any job is the job of another type coz were just too lazy....hehe!

    Really though, I remember taking a job when I was younger, that was selling things to people as they came into the shop, giving general advise and assistance but also getting people to buy more, or to try and make everyone at least buy something.

    2 days later I quit..........lol
    Haha the other day i went into the service station with my friend and i said "hey dude you can get 3 chocolate bars for 3 dollars what do you think?"
    The girl behind the counter leant over and said "Hey do you want my job?". I laughed and was like "nope".
    ENFp (Unsure of Subtype)

    "And the day came when the risk it took to remain closed in a bud became more painful than the risk it took to blossom." - Anaïs Nin

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    Quote Originally Posted by Joy
    Quote Originally Posted by Kim
    How is your boss's type the problem? When the work needs to get done,
    someone has to do it...
    It's not that simple though. I got hired to do inspections, and somehow I ended up developing inspection software. And he wanted me to learn how to code so I could design a second website and run both of them. And he has me writing a lot of content for report forms, too. And selling software. And sometimes running errands. Lots of stuff that isn't Home Inspection. He tried to convince me to answer the phones sometimes, too, but I drew the line there.
    Yeah, that's really shitty. You are NOT alone, Joy. This seems to be a trend all over nowadays. It's like computer programming and ad hoc software development being dumped on rookies or whomever will take the load is the new cruelty. And if you hate it now, you're NOT going to warm up to it. So be careful that you don't compromise too much with this job. When your time is up with this employer - when you're free to move on - you may already want to be prepared to do that, to have something lined up. Otherwise, who knows what else they'll dump on you in the future. There is some truth to the fact that most people get grunt work, especially early in their careers. But some people also get dumped on *the rest of their working careers*. So it's important to establish how much you'll personally accept and accomodate versus when you'll take the initiative to try and move into a better position in another company, rather than compromising and trying to make do TOO much with where you're at. There's nothing wrong with looking for greener grass in your profession (when you're able).

    Maybe you need more perceptual variety and sense of frequent, concrete accomplishments (among other things) in order to enjoy your work more. Not sure if this idea will help at all or not, but maybe you could mentally break up your programming work into more bite-size pieces, for a more concrete and immediate sense of accomplishment. Also, maybe even structure your code in ways that you find visually appealing. You could even have some limited fun with how you name your variables, etc. It MIGHT help your creative side get a pinch of gratification - ie, stir your imagination a bit? Also, is there some favorite music you could play at home that will help you "get into the zone" so you can begin hyperfocusing more quickly? Through repeated play, maybe your brain will take that as a cue that it's "coding time" and help you settle into it. You might even try fast-paced music (like techno).

    Programming work has become "the new clerical junk" most people don't want to do, but it's still "needed" everywhere. People in all kinds of professions are expected to do it at some point or another. Just don't let yourself get stuck too long, and bear it out. You'll do fine.

    And don't feel bad about "needing to enjoy your work to be able to do it." This is true for everyone. Some people are just more aware of this fact about themselves than others. So don't let anyone put you down for this.

    Hang in there, Joy. You won't be doing this forever!

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    Quote Originally Posted by flower
    Well, being ISTp, any job is the job of another type coz were just too lazy....hehe!

    Really though, I remember taking a job when I was younger, that was selling things to people as they came into the shop, giving general advise and assistance but also getting people to buy more, or to try and make everyone at least buy something.

    2 days later I quit..........lol
    Yeah, let someone else do the hardwork. I'd rather be snowboarding.

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    Quote Originally Posted by astralsilky
    Quote Originally Posted by Joy
    Quote Originally Posted by Kim
    How is your boss's type the problem? When the work needs to get done,
    someone has to do it...
    It's not that simple though. I got hired to do inspections, and somehow I ended up developing inspection software. And he wanted me to learn how to code so I could design a second website and run both of them. And he has me writing a lot of content for report forms, too. And selling software. And sometimes running errands. Lots of stuff that isn't Home Inspection. He tried to convince me to answer the phones sometimes, too, but I drew the line there.
    Yeah, that's really shitty. You are NOT alone, Joy. This seems to be a trend all over nowadays. It's like computer programming and ad hoc software development being dumped on rookies or whomever will take the load is the new cruelty. And if you hate it now, you're NOT going to warm up to it. So be careful that you don't compromise too much with this job. When your time is up with this employer - when you're free to move on - you may already want to be prepared to do that, to have something lined up. Otherwise, who knows what else they'll dump on you in the future. There is some truth to the fact that most people get grunt work, especially early in their careers. But some people also get dumped on *the rest of their working careers*. So it's important to establish how much you'll personally accept and accomodate versus when you'll take the initiative to try and move into a better position in another company, rather than compromising and trying to make do TOO much with where you're at. There's nothing wrong with looking for greener grass in your profession (when you're able).

    Maybe you need more perceptual variety and sense of frequent, concrete accomplishments (among other things) in order to enjoy your work more. Not sure if this idea will help at all or not, but maybe you could mentally break up your programming work into more bite-size pieces, for a more concrete and immediate sense of accomplishment. Also, maybe even structure your code in ways that you find visually appealing. You could even have some limited fun with how you name your variables, etc. It MIGHT help your creative side get a pinch of gratification - ie, stir your imagination a bit? Also, is there some favorite music you could play at home that will help you "get into the zone" so you can begin hyperfocusing more quickly? Through repeated play, maybe your brain will take that as a cue that it's "coding time" and help you settle into it. You might even try fast-paced music (like techno).

    Programming work has become "the new clerical junk" most people don't want to do, but it's still "needed" everywhere. People in all kinds of professions are expected to do it at some point or another. Just don't let yourself get stuck too long, and bear it out. You'll do fine.

    And don't feel bad about "needing to enjoy your work to be able to do it." This is true for everyone. Some people are just more aware of this fact about themselves than others. So don't let anyone put you down for this.

    Hang in there, Joy. You won't be doing this forever!
    Thanks astralsilky. :-)

    I actually sort of like that kind of work.... the problem is that I have to do too much of it, and I've had to do it for too long. What you said about accomplishment is interesting because my boss and I had a conversation about it. He said that I was doing a really good job on this stuff, and I said, "Well, I've done a lot of work on it." He said, "No, you don't just work on it though. Anyone could do that. You actually accomplish stuff." It's funny because that's exactly what I feel like I'm not doing.

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    Maybe you're just sick of working on stuff like this. Maybe you figure you don't like it (or maybe the environment) as much as you thought.

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    I work at home, and there's too many distractions and appointments and stuff.

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    I'm the type of person who very much enjoys going to different job sites and talking to different people everyday. I get to see a lot of cool stuff. When I'm doing inspections, I look at and talk about buildings all day. What could be better than that?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Joy
    Thanks astralsilky. :-)

    I actually sort of like that kind of work.... the problem is that I have to do too much of it, and I've had to do it for too long. What you said about accomplishment is interesting because my boss and I had a conversation about it. He said that I was doing a really good job on this stuff, and I said, "Well, I've done a lot of work on it." He said, "No, you don't just work on it though. Anyone could do that. You actually accomplish stuff." It's funny because that's exactly what I feel like I'm not doing.
    Wow, you DO? Even just a bit?! The world needs more people like you!

    And good job on your productivity. Amazing how your employer actually recognizes this (as many do not, even if one IS productive!) See? Maybe it's not so bad.

    You've provided a good illustration of how one's inner sense of productivity is subjectively aligned with inner giftedness more than manifest results (even though, both MAY run concurrently, of course).

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    I can relate to Joy's overall point.

    My present ISFp boss expects me to have a lot of "brilliant" ideas on a matter that has eluded him, and lots of others, for years; if I don't come up with ideas, he gets annoyed as if I wasn't doing my job.

    And an ENFp guy is full of "brilliant" ideas, all the time - without having the slightest clue as to their practical feasibility. So he appears with one of his ideas, and I go "riiiiiiiiiiiight -- I'll see what can be done" and he assumes it's already taken care of and become reality; if you don't solve all the practical detailed stuff for him, he has a sort of a fit.

    He's a particularly paranoid ENFp-Ne, by the way -- more like an "illogical ENTp" than anything else.
    , LIE, ENTj logical subtype, 8w9 sx/sp
    Quote Originally Posted by implied
    gah you're like the shittiest ENTj ever!

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    Quote Originally Posted by astralsilky
    And good job on your productivity. Amazing how your employer actually recognizes this (as many do not, even if one IS productive!) See? Maybe it's not so bad.
    Like I said, he's a good guy, and I wouldn't not want to work for him... I've just gone a little crazy working from home more than out in the field for the past year. I wish I had an office to go in to sometimes, but his business is based out of his house and I don't like working there very much, especially when there are people home. It just feels weird. Too personal or something.

    Expat, I know EXACTLY what you're talking about. He tells other people that I'm a computer whiz. "I just tell her what I want it to do, and she makes it happen." Well, I'm NOT a computer whiz. What he wants to see happen often (but not always, of course) seems unimportant to me and requires a lot of back and forth with tech support or hours reading over help files and playing around with different features of the program.

    The software we sell is a type of application of an existing inspection software program... we're more like resellers... and the people who designed the program don't have any experience as inspectors. Many times I've asked them how to do something, only to have them tell me that the program can't do that, then my boss gets really irritated, then a few months later a new update comes out and a few of the changes are things I was asking how to do. It works out well, I suppose. I'm to the point of actually sending them a wish list of things I want to program to do, then they tell me about the technical limitations they're have to deal with, then I make another suggestion for how the desired result might be accomplished in a different way. They've been really good to work with overall, but when they send answers or I have to read the tech files it's like I'm translating another language. They don't seem to understand that their target market knows NOTHING about computers... I don't feel as bad about having a hard time making sense of the help files anymore because the guys we sell the software to can't make sense of even the simplest functions of the program and are totally lost when they try to use even the simpler to understand help files. One guy that looked at the software spent an hour with his wife, who works with computers for the government, just trying to load the software and was unsuccessful. In other words, it's nice to know that it's not just me, the program really is that difficult to use if you're not a friggin computer programmer or whatever. (And actually, in the beginning we had a hard time getting past a particular problem, and my boss had some INTj computer programmer he knew from the dog park who owed him a favor come take a look at it with me, and that guy said that it was a difficult program to use as well, and it took even him a little while to figure out what we were trying to accomplish, which in hindsight I recognize as being one of the simplest functions of the program. Tech support had referred me back to the help file with yes, technically does explain the process in which to do it, but doesn't tell you where in the program to find what you need to use to do it. And that aside, each of the help files are written as though you already understand every other part of the program, so it was difficult to get started. Due to the complexity of the program, another aspect of what I do is consulting with other guys who own the program, whether it be the version we sell or other versions of the program.

    Anyways... yesterday my boss and I had a 20 minute... debate... over the most efficient way to do something that he wants me to do. I saw his way as being a waste of time and resources, he saw it as the only way it could feasibly be done. He was like, "I know you and I think is very different ways, but I cannot believe that our brains work so differently that it would be easier for you to... " Sigh. After the 20 minutes I was like, "Okay, if it matters that much, I'll do it the way you're suggesting." He then told me that in his experience, when you tell someone the best way to do something and they don't really want to do it that way, maybe because it's not their idea or whatever, it often ends up not working for them as well as it could have if you just let them try it their way first, and told me he'd check on my progress at the end of the week. Sigh. While conversations like that irritate me while I'm having them, maybe he was smart to get into that discussion with me because now I'm determined to have this project done quickly.

    Sometimes I have to think back to when he hired me if I'm starting to get frustrated. I became a Home Inspector in the very peak of the real estate cycle, and any inspection company (most of which are just guys working for themselves in my area) that was at all established had their phones ringing off the hook. I had 3 job offers and had even sort of informally agreed to work for one of the companies, but in the end chose my to work for my current employer. Why? Two reasons. First of all, he wanted to spend a long time training me. Everyone else wanted to give me tools and a truck and send me off to inspections right away. I was state licensed, what else did I need? My boss, however, is a perfectionist who insists on covering all of his bases. He wanted to make me as good as he is (and he's definitely one of the best Home Inspectors in the state in terms of being good at what he does). The other reason was because he was talking about expanding his business to do more commercial inspections, as well as in other directions. He is also a very proactive person, definitely an admirable quality.

    One of those directions was to "bring the company into this century in terms of using technology". I didn't realize when I signed up that I'd be spending so much time on this crap though. When he talked about wanting help "getting into computerized reports" and having a website and stuff, I didn't realize that he intended to have me do so much of the actual work... I thought that sort of thing would be delegated for the most part. When it came time to start using electronic reporting system, we checked out the programs available and realized that none of them were very good. He was already selling his paper reports to other Home Inspectors, and when he saw that resellers were developing and selling their own content, he decided that this was what we needed to do. I evaluated about half a dozen different programs and chose one to work with... the one that seemed the most versatile. Little did I know... I thought, "How hard could it be to put the information on that 17 page paper report into the program?" lmao... Of course, it didn't take me very long to do that part, but since then I've spent a year improving it. The "Office Management" portion of the program has been one of my top projects as of late. I know nothing about being a secretary or receptionist or book keeper, but the program integrates with many of the office programs large inspection firms use (like peachtree and quickbooks and shit... I've never used any of that before), so I have to learn about how offices are run and other software programs and such. I've never even used friggin Outlook before, and that's one of the programs that I need to integrate the software with.

    Anyways... I've whined long enough. Bitching about the stuff that frustrates me has made me feel a lot better though. I've been reminded that I'm pretty damn lucky... If I would have accepted one of the other job offers, chances are I would have needed to find a different job in a different field pretty quickly. A couple months after I started, the market took a major dive. That was two years ago, and the market still hasn't recovered. Many of the guys who were Home Inspectors then aren't anymore... they went back to whatever they were doing before they became Home Inspectors. Even the busiest and most successful inspectors with large referral bases (such as my boss and the other top inspectors in the state) have been complaining that there aren't many inspections coming in (though the past few months have been a little bit better). There just wasn't enough work to go around. Not only do I have other things to work on to earn money, but I get a pretty decent rate and get to work when I want to work, a valuable benefit with all of these fucking appointments and shit I've been going to. I'm also lucky to have found an employer who wanted to invest the time and money to train me so well. After all, the whole reason I ever became a Home Inspector was to learn about buildings and network within the real estate industry to help me with my long term investment goals.

    Speaking of networking, I'm also very fortunate to have been hired by one of the most proactive and looked up to Home Inspectors. At the last state conference I looked around a room filled with a few hundred people (mostly Home Inspectors, some affiliate members and spouses) and realized that the table I was sitting at had at it the association president, two past presidents (one of which was the founder of the association), the executive director, and a number of board members. I don't often think about this sort of thing, but being hired by who I was hired by put me into a very favorable position among other Home Inspectors. It's always been this way, too. The first conference I went to I ate lunch with the head of the real estate program of a local college, the president, and a few board members (though I didn't know it at the time). At this point I'm actually more involved in the association than my boss is, and a large part of the reason is because my boss is a long time friend of most of the prominent people in the association, the people who get things done. Many of the ones that he isn't friends with I have been getting to know in working with them on different projects in the association. Sure, the type of social matters I'm talking about here are pretty much just a necessary evil, but networking is very important in any business, and it's something that I *do* need help with.

    Another great thing that I've already mentioned about what I'm doing now is that the two projects I'm working on are going to place us in a position where we'll be set up to tap into a sub market that few inspectors have the experience or means to get into, and it's a sub market that's not as susceptible to the ups and downs of the real estate market. I'll very feasibly be able to at least double my earnings, not be mention do more enjoyable work, once I finish setting us up with these projects. I'll even be able to join a few very expensive professional associations in order to network to help expand our business, and the contacts I'll be making will be invaluable to my investment future as well.

    Hmmm, I'm suddenly feeling much more motivated.

  25. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by Joy
    ... Hmmm, I'm suddenly feeling much more motivated.
    LMAO

    See??? There is truth to the old adage to count your blessings!

  26. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by Expat
    And an ENFp guy is full of "brilliant" ideas, all the time - without having the slightest clue as to their practical feasibility.
    So Kiersey wasn't that off, was he? He says that people learns to control their lower functions later in life (or not). I'm an ENFp also, but I know how to apply "judgement" on my ideas and discard, at least on a "basic" level, which ones are feasible and which ones are just pipe dreams.
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