I have been working in my current position for over 2yrs now. I was very excited to get this position because I never even applied for the job. They found my resume and called me. Then during the interview process it became apparent to the veteran managers that I was not qualified enough for the position. My would be immediate supervisors how ever backed me up and voiced their confidence in my ability to learn what I needed to. So, thanks to their efforts I was given the chance to prove myself.

So, here I am a little over 2 years later. I have not only shown that I could learn everything I needed to but also I have been out performing the other employees for well over a year. I was rewarded for my hard work and achievements after my first year with a raise and a bonus. Now more than a year has pasted and the workload has tripled what it was when I started here. Yet I am still out performing the rest. But now I don't get a good job, an atta boy, nothing. I'm curious what has changed more, the management and the job or me.

I am to the point where I no longer look to go that extra mile for my customer or for the company. I see it as a waste of time and energy. If my efforts aren't being appreciated or rewarded, and instead I am being yelled at with the rest of the staff because performance is down; why would I want to keep giving 200%? I do believe the quality of my work has suffered. But in fairness I still do more work than the other employees and do it faster. The stress of the increased workload and lack of teamwork has me annoyed.

So, Let me ask all of you out there what you think. Should I continue to give it my all and pray that more intelligent people are hired so the workload will be smaller for all? Or should I continue to just do my job and try not to quit or go postal?

FYI: I'm in tech support. I answer phone calls, emails, and live chats all day.

Locobato:
I have been working in my current position for over 2yrs now. I was very excited to get this position because I never even applied for the job. They found my resume and called me. Then during the interview process it became apparent to the veteran managers that I was not qualified enough for the position. My would be immediate supervisors how ever backed me up and voiced their confidence in my ability to learn what I needed to. So, thanks to their efforts I was given the chance to prove myself.

So, here I am a little over 2 years later. I have not only shown that I could learn everything I needed to but also I have been out performing the other employees for well over a year. I was rewarded for my hard work and achievements after my first year with a raise and a bonus. Now more than a year has pasted and the workload has tripled what it was when I started here. Yet I am still out performing the rest. But now I don't get a good job, an atta boy, nothing. I'm curious what has changed more, the management and the job or me.

I am to the point where I no longer look to go that extra mile for my customer or for the company. I see it as a waste of time and energy. If my efforts aren't being appreciated or rewarded, and instead I am being yelled at with the rest of the staff because performance is down; why would I want to keep giving 200%? I do believe the quality of my work has suffered. But in fairness I still do more work than the other employees and do it faster. The stress of the increased workload and lack of teamwork has me annoyed.

So, Let me ask all of you out there what you think. Should I continue to give it my all and pray that more intelligent people are hired so the workload will be smaller for all? Or should I continue to just do my job and try not to quit or go postal?

FYI: I'm in tech support. I answer phone calls, emails, and live chats all day.

I have worked tech support for 13 years (started when I was 18) and let me tell you something, you know you've done a good job when you don't hear back from the customer. Out of all the hundreds of thousands of problems I have worked on and solved only about 10% of the customers have rung me or emailed me back telling me that what I suggested fix the problem and (heaven forbid) thanked me for it. Thanklessness comes with the territory.

FYI, I also got screwed over in the pay department for the first seven years because I didn't have a degree but it has since got a lot better.

Also, moronic and incompetent people go with the territory. Fortunately our software is somewhat specialised so that decreases the amount of tools I have to deal with both in and out of the office. The MOST important thing is how you conduct yourself. If you are dilligent (and it sounds like you are), treat all customer with respect regardless of how stupid they are, you will get a reputation as "the guy who gets things done" and that is pretty heavy currency if you go to apply for a similar job somewhere else, one that may pay more. Reputation is everything. Plus if the other guys aren't pulling their weight, it will show. Try not to take on too much of their burden. It's much like pass the parcel; if you are taking the work they are not completing off them and the music stops and the manager comes to find out where things are being delayed, it's all there sitting with you. If they're struggling with it, that's their problem. I know it's hard not to "take one for the team" and over-extend yourself, but it just makes work miserable. As I said before, it's how YOU come across.

The reason's simple; the less they spend on tech support, the better. In fact, tech support is seen in some companies as lessening profits because a stupid, frustrated customer 'might' just buy a new copy of your product. Of course this makes no sense whatsoever, but most companies seem to get the opinion, "well, we already have their money, fuck 'em!"

Tech support is just the first stepping stone in your long, winding career. Don't think of yourself as having outgrown this job, think more towards what jobs you're ready for now, with your superior knowledge, experience and work ethic. Then go apply for them. Sure, if you leave a potato in the ground, it will grow into another potato plant and create new potatos for all, but you're not a potato. Or are you...?

Do youre best always, you may not be noticed for a while, but it will pay off, trust me.
I'd kill to get a friggin' job......
>.< nobody's hiring......

Tech Support...oh i remember those stories. Thankfully not my own but from a LOT of my contacts online. The people who call those lines are usually evil incarnate. Be thankful you havnt shot yourself yet...

Well I don't have any of my guns here otherwise I might have by this point.

I was in tech support and I found out at the start you do give it your all. To establish yourself as a useful member of the team to your customers. But, it does drain your confidence in the human race if you stay there to long.
You will start mocking people for their little mishaps like the plug swtiched off. It is a stupid thing but everyone does it. Just now I was trying to boil the kettle and didn't realise the plug wasn't in! Try get into management, don't stay as a techy all the time. I was lucky as I got out after a year and a bit so I didn't turn into my spiteful colleagues.

Do your best for yourself. If you're doing something that makes you a bit guilty then that's a sign that you shouldn't do it. Sometimes the feeling that you helped someone or that you are doing the best you can is a reward. It still really depends on the job though, if you feel that you are wasting your time then don't put yourself through the stress. Do your job politely, that's all you that you have to do in a bad job.

I did tech support for a while, if you did your job right you never heard anything. If you did it wrong they'd be all over you. It's a thankless job so if you need recognition, I'd say start looking for something different.
Personally, i quit due to the continued stupidity of the users, combined with their attitude towards the IT department.

I work in an Old Peoples Home. You think I'm happy? There is no going up in ranks, nor does anyone give a shit how much you do, there are no rewards, and they constantly confuse my working hours with someone else's so I'm not paid what I am supposed to be. I work in the dementia ward, there is constant screaming, half naked old people scraping their arses across walls and saying that they would fuck me if I weren't so tall. All the workers are bat shit bonkers and love to have a little laugh at my expense sending in official reports that I bark at the rain and talk to my hair.

I'm quitting, so should you.

Congratulations. You've achieved the state of cynical apathy required of all corporate employees. The only remedies are alcoholism or a change of career, maybe to a cartoonist or something.

Hmmm... not sure if there's much difference between and alcoholic and a cartoonist.

Oh yeah, alcoholics go to meetings to mourn their drinking. A cartoonist celebrates it. Or is that me? Anyway, my glass is empty and I need another round. I'd share, but I haven't gotten my booze-over-ip device working yet. Or even beyond theory. Still, if I manage it....

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the advice. I think everyone has made very good points. I am already becoming a drunkard, I moonlight as a bouncer at a local bar so after work I head straight to the bar. I think I will ask for a raise and ask where they see me going in the company. The first year was nothing but talks about how they were grooming me for a lead position. And I understand that there have been many changes in the company and many techs have already quit. So thanks to that lack of replacements it's hard to move up when there isn't anyone to take my place.

And I also understand that being a tech means we will always be under appreciated by the customers. That I can deal with, it's the recognition of a job well done from management that gets my goat. Well I will keep everyone posted as I start another week and this time ask about that raise.

Crap_haT:
I work in an Old Peoples Home. You think I'm happy? There is no going up in ranks, nor does anyone give a shit how much you do, there are no rewards, and they constantly confuse my working hours with someone else's so I'm not paid what I am supposed to be. I work in the dementia ward, there is constant screaming, half naked old people scraping their arses across walls and saying that they would fuck me if I weren't so tall. All the workers are bat shit bonkers and love to have a little laugh at my expense sending in official reports that I bark at the rain and talk to my hair.

I'm quitting, so should you.

oh god. that's a painful job. at least its better than working at a gamestop! Horrible pay for the work i was doing? yeah, no.

buy teh haloz:

Crap_haT:
I work in an Old Peoples Home. You think I'm happy? There is no going up in ranks, nor does anyone give a shit how much you do, there are no rewards, and they constantly confuse my working hours with someone else's so I'm not paid what I am supposed to be. I work in the dementia ward, there is constant screaming, half naked old people scraping their arses across walls and saying that they would fuck me if I weren't so tall. All the workers are bat shit bonkers and love to have a little laugh at my expense sending in official reports that I bark at the rain and talk to my hair.

I'm quitting, so should you.

oh god. that's a painful job. at least its better than working at a gamestop! Horrible pay for the work i was doing? yeah, no.

I would take GameStop over my job any day.

"Take this job and shove it!"

I wonder if a porn star would ever say that.

Take your experience and get another job. Screw those unappreciative punk ass sons of bitches. Don't quite first, just start hunting around in your field and play hard ball in terms of salary/pay/benefits with the new companies. Leave those bastards behind I tell you.