NationStates Jolt Archive

So, what has everyone done that they thought was particularly clever or successful while working (actually working, not innovative ways you slack off)?

Recently I made a mistake while working on a project. In short I'm digitizing flooding profiles and getting data off of them, I ended up taking the wrong points, and thought I'd have to redo the whole thing. Luckily I remembered I could just interpolate the points as it was all straight lines in between what data I had. Not really a success since I messed it up to begin with, but instead of taking a week or more, should only take a day or two tops. Also, it made me happy cause I didn't mess up as badly as a thought, not to mention the fact that I won't have to mindlessly work on redoing all the same work.

not innovative ways you slack off

Damn it, this really isn't going to be my thread.

At a recent job interview I found myself completely stumped when asked to describe my greatest success. Fortunately, I also found myself unable to describe my greatest failure. I didn't get the job, but if things go well in the job I now have I might be able to have something to mention when I describe my greatest success.

At a recent job interview I found myself completely stumped when asked to describe my greatest success.

You could have covered it with a "your moma" joke.

At a recent job interview I found myself completely stumped when asked to describe my greatest success. Fortunately, I also found myself unable to describe my greatest failure. I didn't get the job, but if things go well in the job I now have I might be able to have something to mention when I describe my greatest success.

From their perspective, not being able to answer either is bad. They want to know you can learn form your mistakes, and recognize that you make mistakes.

So, what has everyone done that they thought was particularly clever or successful while working?


You mean "and not have your boss take credit for your innovative ideas just so she can look good to her boss, and when promotion time comes around, she's sitting pretty".... that type of idea?

Yeh, fresh out of them. Sorry.

I herded geese.

We were shooting a transit commercial at Lake Merrit, there was a ton of geese across the street making noise, they asked me to do something about it. After a moment of going, "What do you want? Geese are jerks," I started experimenting. I ran at them, nothing. But I noticed that they'd waddle out of my way if I walked toward them. So I started walking in a zig zag until I had all of them in front of me and then walked them to the other side of the park.

No one was as impressed as I thought they should have been.

You mean "and not have your boss take credit for your innovative ideas just so she can look good to her boss, and when promotion time comes around, she's sitting pretty".... that type of idea?

Yeh, fresh out of them. Sorry.

well the point is to toot your own horn, doesn't matter if someone else took the credit. Its not about career success as defined by working you way up, just something you thought was productive perhaps? or were proud of.

I was able to convince someone they could pay their bills by putting them on a budget and making them stick to it for 3 weeks. They finally "got it" when they figured out (after I showed them 20 times!) that they had an extra $300 sitting around each paycheck that was previously being used up paying $30 overdraft fees and $25 bounced check fees and $50 late fees. Since we sat down for 3 hours (!) and wrote out everything they owed and when everything was due......and made a plan, everything is getting paid on time and they have an extra $500ish a month to save for emergencies and pay off extra bills. This comes from a family that a month ago was in foreclosure and was "unable" to put food on the table.

It's not a huge deal to me, because they were being inefficient, but they think I'm magic.

From their perspective, not being able to answer either is bad. They want to know you can learn form your mistakes, and recognize that you make mistakes.

Yeah, I know that. Its probably why I didn't get the job. I was just pleased that I haven't made any really obvious mistakes.

Yeah, I know that. Its probably why I didn't get the job. I was just pleased that I haven't made any really obvious mistakes.

I know... Your worst failure: not having any failures to tell them in your last interview. What you learned: start failing more often.

So, what has everyone done that they thought was particularly clever or successful while working (actually working, not innovative ways you slack off)?

one thing I'm particulary proud of is reparing a thousand dollar color laserjet printer using nothing more than
1 a piece of scotch tape
2 a paper clip
3 a twist tie
4 a broken Rubber Band

I devised a way to make the invoices for the Presidential Palace's collections to be archived in a more precise way. Stupid, but it hadn't been done before.

I know... Your worst failure: not having any failures to tell them in your last interview. What you learned: start failing more often.

If I set out to fail, can I call that a success as well?

You mean "and not have your boss take credit for your innovative ideas just so she can look good to her boss, and when promotion time comes around, she's sitting pretty".... that type of idea?

Yeh, fresh out of them. Sorry.

Yeah, when I was working at the University, I had several good ideas. I was told by my supervisor that they wouldn't work. Several weeks later, they were implemented with her name on them. I learned never to tell her anything.

If I set out to fail, can I call that a success as well?

I don't see why not, it'll be your greatest success.

one thing I'm particulary proud of is reparing a thousand dollar color laserjet printer using nothing more than
1 a piece of scotch tape
2 a paper clip
3 a twist tie
4 a broken Rubber Band

Junii aka MacGyver..?

Quite the opposite.

I brought a server down (actually an instance of our ERP applications systems) on a global project involving teams in 3 continents with a burn rate of a million a month.

Today I got a chunk of plastic out of the shredder with a hammer and left it in working order.

To be fair I did put the plastic in there in the first place though.

I was able to convince someone they could pay their bills by putting them on a budget and making them stick to it for 3 weeks. They finally "got it" when they figured out (after I showed them 20 times!) that they had an extra $300 sitting around each paycheck that was previously being used up paying $30 overdraft fees and $25 bounced check fees and $50 late fees. Since we sat down for 3 hours (!) and wrote out everything they owed and when everything was due......and made a plan, everything is getting paid on time and they have an extra $500ish a month to save for emergencies and pay off extra bills. This comes from a family that a month ago was in foreclosure and was "unable" to put food on the table.

It's not a huge deal to me, because they were being inefficient, but they think I'm magic.

WITCH!



I still have no job. Ergo, no great successes.

Quite the opposite.

I brought a server down (actually an instance of our ERP applications systems) on a global project involving teams in 3 continents with a burn rate of a million a month.

A "Whoops, my finger slipped" moment. :tongue:

About 10 months ago (2nd week on the job) we had our shallow buried fiber cut to the data center

I managed to figure out and route 14000 users in over 150 different companies over a backup laser wireless point to point system to our old office building and reroute all traffic this way in less then 8 minuets and keep them operating for 24 hours before cutting back over to a new deep buried fiber (less then 2 min of downtime on the cut back)

(this was just 1 of 3 primary ISP's that are load balanced)

I was impressed we have a LOT of interesting networks

Apparently so was my boss I got an insta promotion

I have my super-cute bosses number and the money to leave the house sometime this week...now all I need to do is make an excuse up so I don't end up calling the number smashed at 2AM on a Sunday :p

I seem to have also become mother goose for my (just out of school:() co-workers, its not so bad I guess I mean I'm not a teacher/boss/parent/26 year old perv so I can talk about all those things that get missed

About 10 months ago (2nd week on the job) we had our shallow buried fiber cut to the data center

I managed to figure out and route 14000 users in over 150 different companies over a backup laser wireless point to point system to our old office building and reroute all traffic this way in less then 8 minuets and keep them operating for 24 hours before cutting back over to a new deep buried fiber (less then 2 min of downtime on the cut back)

(this was just 1 of 3 primary ISP's that are load balanced)

I was impressed we have a LOT of interesting networks

Apparently so was my boss I got an insta promotion

Wow.

I don't think I could have done that with a hammer.

Wow.

I don't think I could have done that with a hammer.

Yeah needless to say we have dumped another half a million into even better network gear and a redesign that will do it on a case by case basis automatically now but :)

I herded geese.

We were shooting a transit commercial at Lake Merrit, there was a ton of geese across the street making noise, they asked me to do something about it. After a moment of going, "What do you want? Geese are jerks," I started experimenting. I ran at them, nothing. But I noticed that they'd waddle out of my way if I walked toward them. So I started walking in a zig zag until I had all of them in front of me and then walked them to the other side of the park.

No one was as impressed as I thought they should have been.My Dad is a famous avian herder. You basically act how you would act towards any thug. Act like you're bigger and tougher than them and they'll get out of your way. In the case of birds this means showing that you have mahoosive wings. That is -- a coat (grab the bottom edges and flap vigourously).

I know... Your worst failure: not having any failures to tell them in your last interview. What you learned: start failing more often.*steals*
Me in same situation: My worst failure... probably when I went to my first job interview I got asked the same question and didn't have an answer. From then on I started examining my actions and not only recognising when I made a mistake, but trying to avoid making that same mistake. yada yada yada...
:D

Come on, everyone knows job interviews are just like exams. It's all about technique and not particularly anything to do with yourself or what you know or can do -- just make sure you tick all the right boxes and your done.

Yeah needless to say we have dumped another half a million into even better network gear and a redesign that will do it on a case by case basis automatically now but :)

Being slightly serious, I'm about 7 weeks into a MCSE course and don't fully understand half of what you said but I've been polling IS people for a bit now and would appreciate your input.

Are these courses any good?

one thing I'm particulary proud of is reparing a thousand dollar color laserjet printer using nothing more than
1 a piece of scotch tape
2 a paper clip
3 a twist tie
4 a broken Rubber Band

Ok, I can relate to that. I was the only one at work who understood the office machines. Because of me, they had the only 15 year old copier on the campus that was still functioning efficiently. I was the only person who could clear paper jams in the printers, the FAX, and the copier using only a forceps and a paper towel and not damage anything. And, apparently, in an office full of computer nuts, I was the only person who understood that typing C: after A: would change the drive you were using.

I'm not there anymore. I wonder what they're doing now?

Being slightly serious, I'm about 7 weeks into a MCSE course and don't fully understand half of what you said but I've been polling IS people for a bit now and would appreciate your input.

Are these courses any good?

MCSE? Yes they are both useful and companys love them specially smaller ones, to maintain a Microsoft certified partner they need to have at least 2 MCP's or better on staff

They actually come in helpful, though I would recommend going back and reviewing the material after being in the field for awhile, it is even more useful to generate new ideas for things you get used to doing a certain way in the feild

MCSE? Yes they are both useful and companys love them specially smaller ones, to maintain a Microsoft certified partner they need to have at least 2 MCP's or better on staff

They actually come in helpful, though I would recommend going back and reviewing the material after being in the field for awhile, it is even more useful to generate new ideas for things you get used to doing a certain way in the feild

Thanks. I'm currently working for a very large company that outsources it's IS to contractors and I was speaking to one of them and they were very dismissive of the qualification.

It's nice to hear that it's not a waste of my time and money.

Thanks. I'm currently working for a very large company that outsources it's IS to contractors and I was speaking to one of them and they were very dismissive of the qualification.

It's nice to hear that it's not a waste of my time and money.

I may be biased lol I work for a smaller company that is running hundreds of hosted envyronments (ASP)

So it means literally hundreds of Exchange, SQL, Domain Controllers, Terminal servers and more built from Server 2003 as well as 2000 and a few in 2008

Any Microsoft training you can get your hands on (along with virtual platform experience and networking) is absolutely invaluable

Recently I've just basked in the success of others and stolen their thunder. What do you expect? It's still summer! :tongue:

I may be biased lol I work for a smaller company that is running hundreds of hosted envyronments (ASP)

So it means literally hundreds of Exchange, SQL, Domain Controllers, Terminal servers and more built from Server 2003 as well as 2000 and a few in 2008

Any Microsoft training you can get your hands on (along with virtual platform experience and networking) is absolutely invaluable

Our entire setup is based on 2003 yet this guy didn't think MS qualifications were worth having. His viewpoint was that his 20 years experience were much more valuable. I'm sure the experience is very nice but how do you get the experience without having a qualification to get a job in the first place?

Our entire setup is based on 2003 yet this guy didn't think MS qualifications were worth having. His viewpoint was that his 20 years experience were much more valuable. I'm sure the experience is very nice but how do you get the experience without having a qualification to get a job in the first place?

The experience is better but it is hard in IT qualifications are nessisary to get a possition

Vaguely related, recently I've been working out more, I love the feeling of strength in my arms :)

The experience is better but it is hard in IT qualifications are nessisary to get a possition

I should point out that the job I currently do is nothing to do with IS.

Like I said, it's nice to know I'm not wasting my time.

I have two words that will help anyone one slack off of at their job.

SUMMER STUDENT

look at it this way, he is busy working right now, I am posting here. You do the math.

Junii aka MacGyver..?
but my name isn't Angus... :tongue:

Ok, I can relate to that. I was the only one at work who understood the office machines. Because of me, they had the only 15 year old copier on the campus that was still functioning efficiently. I was the only person who could clear paper jams in the printers, the FAX, and the copier using only a forceps and a paper towel and not damage anything. And, apparently, in an office full of computer nuts, I was the only person who understood that typing C: after A: would change the drive you were using.

I'm not there anymore. I wonder what they're doing now?

they've upgraded to vista and now are really suffereing. :p

latest: got some good benchmarking statistics out of about 4 year's worth of market research, which is just invaluable to have/know. also got website to #1 in all search engines (worth noting) in about 3 months, against pretty stiff competition. about to get on a big upgrade project on that site, as well as others, to really kick the shit out of the competition... i hope (you can set up 302 redirects in .htaccess for individual urls right?). just about to go into some server management, which is scary cos i'm a noob there.


I herded geese.

We were shooting a transit commercial at Lake Merrit, there was a ton of geese across the street making noise, they asked me to do something about it. After a moment of going, "What do you want? Geese are jerks," I started experimenting. I ran at them, nothing. But I noticed that they'd waddle out of my way if I walked toward them. So I started walking in a zig zag until I had all of them in front of me and then walked them to the other side of the park.

No one was as impressed as I thought they should have been.
lol, well i'm impressed :tongue:
I was able to convince someone they could pay their bills by putting them on a budget and making them stick to it for 3 weeks. They finally "got it" when they figured out (after I showed them 20 times!) that they had an extra $300 sitting around each paycheck that was previously being used up paying $30 overdraft fees and $25 bounced check fees and $50 late fees. Since we sat down for 3 hours (!) and wrote out everything they owed and when everything was due......and made a plan, everything is getting paid on time and they have an extra $500ish a month to save for emergencies and pay off extra bills. This comes from a family that a month ago was in foreclosure and was "unable" to put food on the table.

It's not a huge deal to me, because they were being inefficient, but they think I'm magic.

oooh, could you do that with me? i'm useless >.>

A "Whoops, my finger slipped" moment. :tongue:

Sent wrong files to the dba's (database admins)..and the instance got hosed..and my weekend is shot.

now we got to load the thing from the archive and try to figure out all the changes we made since the archive...

lots of fun. :(

oh well...lesson learned. I will live to fight another day..

l

oooh, could you do that with me? i'm useless >.>

I basically have 3 game plans for my clients

1 make more money
2 spend less money
3 holy shit! for once in your life organize things!

this was a #3 couple.

I'm gonna guess you're a #1 due to past conversations. If you don't have enough money, it will never work......

I basically have 3 game plans for my clients

1 make more money
2 spend less money
3 holy shit! for once in your life organize things!

this was a #3 couple.

I'm gonna guess you're a #1 due to past conversations. If you don't have enough money, it will never work......

Here's a little gem to add to number 3: try for the joy of paying more than the minimum due. The minimum due is always a few dollars less than the interest charged, so, even though you pay the bill on time, you end up owing more. I'm currently paying off a "Red Card" - minimum due $24.00, my payment $200. It'll be paid off in 5 months, then I'll cut it up and send it back to them.

I still have no job. Ergo, no great successes.

I have no job and i consider it my greatest success!