Friday, December 14th, 2007
I’ve decided to finally speak of my previous place of work — mainly because I don’t work there any more, and also because I’m currently in a great job that I actually really enjoy.
Previously, I worked for the Rutgers University New Brunswick Computing Services. I was employed as an Assistant Lab Supervisor for the Livingston Computing Center. My daily tasks included making sure the consultants were providing great customer service, maintaining an array of computers and printers, and providing adequate documentation for our team on various topics. The job was quite enjoyable, mainly because of the people I worked with on my level (other ALS) as well as the consultants below me. It was also quite enjoyable due to the fact that the pay rate was highly competitive and I was allowed to work plenty of overtime.
The managers at NBCS, except for my assistant manager, were almost clueless. They were all typically very nice, and they all, for the most part, wanted to see you succeed. However, most of them had no idea how to run such a large organization. Now, I’m sure if I was in their situation, I wouldn’t know how to run the organization, either. So, my point in this entry is to shed some light on what was occuring when I left.
You know how when you were little, you’d set up a mock business, play store, or even play house? You’d over dramatize the “events” that were occuring, make bogus rules and regulations, and pretend things did or did not exist. You would also pretend to over-teach as you were “teaching” a classroom. You’d also punish your employees for actions that weren’t entirely their fault (oh man, that was a good one).
Well, all of the above techniques were used throughout NBCS. It was like one large playground — lets over-teach, lets be really dramatic, lets make bogus rules and regulations, and let us definitely not trust our employees. It turned out that many of the managers came straight out of college (mainly Rutgers) and into the manager position. And as such, I don’t think anyone really captured that ‘entry-level’ mentality that builds great managers and supervisors. Many ALS (all students) left very dissatisified with their stay at NBCS — many claiming much of what I’m claiming, as well.
It’s sad because there are one or two managers (read: assistant manager) who actually do the right things for the the right reasons. Yet, they’re being held back by those at other campuses who a) don’t like change b) are racist fucks and c) have huge egos. Those one or two individuals? I did learn a lot from, and I value everything that they taught me during my years there.
But, it’s the other ones which result in my having a bitter taste in my mouth — and many other former student supervisors. I suppose the managers just don’t know any better, since they haven’t experienced anything other than NBCS in their lives, in terms of work experience.
Tags: computer labs, rutgers, work
December 15th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
I think that to a certain extent, the management at the Rutgers University Campus Computing Center was as much the result of putting entry-level employees into high-level dictatorships with very little accountability for their own productivity as well as it was the result of a massive brain drain.
WIth a few exceptions –your assistant manager included– anyone with any real drive and motivation for progressive change quickly became frustrated by the insecure management’s attempts to micromanage. Having worked along side you for a number of years, I think it is safe to say that there was a lot of potential working part-time for NBCS that simply became frustrated and moved onto greener pastures.
The end was result was a “good ol’ boys club” of people who had really only worked in one setting for their entire lives. There was no influx for new ideas (aside from the silenced part-time staff). As a result, the culture of the organization began to spoil.
I left a year before you. From what I’ve heard, it only got worse as time went on. This news is very disturbing considered the squalor that existed before my departure to bigger and better things.
I also found it quite curious that my employment satisfaction as well as my general disposition could change so drastically for the better as soon as I replaced my co-workers at NBCS with 13 year old special education students.