Posting for the sake of posting… I just realized today that I have taken on way too much work.
- sicovers.com design/css/xhtml
- advanced sharepoint lists (workflows, etc.)
- accounting reports that make my head spin
- leading PEX (process excellence) committee
- manning random client projects (Pantone, 3D files, Buder)
- re-design company newsletter, re-design company “green” logo
- freelance donated IT work for Bad Dog Rediscovers America
- make major adjustments to our own website
- manage and respond to all ERP issues (Bug Tracking)
- learn C#/VisualStudio while building a new work order application
Oh yeah, and I’ve got a friend coming for 4 days and trying to make my room/house presentable.
I had epiphany about work while in California. As I started to think about how marketable I am as an employee I started to realize that I know a little bit about a lot of stuff. It’s the dreaded, “jack of all trades, master of none.”
The two areas I do feel like I am an expert is color management and design software. Two areas I don’t really participate in any more. I believe there are better designers out there than I. I also believe I turned my back on the design world far too long ago to come back with any sort of respectable fervor. I could go the color management route, or the pre-press route for the rest of my life, but it’s not really where my passion is. I’m essentially stuck in potential employment purgatory.
As I look at the diverse range of projects I work on, I find myself realizing that it’s a bit too diverse. I’ve got too many different types of projects. One minute I’m customizing GUI layout for software, the next I’m building custom reports, the next redesigning websites, after that I’m doing press checks and writing SOPs.
Anyone who owns a small company would say this is great. Small companies love people that can wear a lot of hats. As an employee it says you can jump into most situations and “figure it out” however, there can be massive downsides…
Am I a certified Quality Engineer? No. Am I an all-knowing web developer? Not yet. Am I a .NET master? No way. Do I know every single piece of SQL or crystal syntax? nope. Am I a flawless CSS/XHTML standards coder? Still working on it. Are the documents and SOPs I create ISO certified? Hardly.
As the needs to the company I work for pull me in a thousand different directions, my skillsets expand, but as I pickup new technologies, these skills get diluted. Before I become a SQL expert I’m off learning Crystal. I need to start focusing on one technology at a time, become a master, then move on. This post is simply affirmation that I need to take it upon myself to do this… now the question is, where do I start?
