View Full Version : Improving yourself
liamboyle06
24-08-2006, 16:08
howdy all, maybe not the best title, can be changeed though.
I am stuck in a dead end job with no promotional aspects at all.
I would like to educate myself better (in opinion of getting a better paid job) on reporting Analysts/Business Analyst roles, but courses are coming up very expesnive £400-600.
Thing is I am earning just over the National Minimium Wage and am not entitled to any other money from anywhere. As usual I have House & bills to pay (same as everyone else I know) but would really like to educate myself more.
Is there a way I can maybe do the courses but at a reduced price, or is there any form of government funding?
I would like to educate myself better (in opinion of getting a better paid job) on reporting Analysts/Business Analyst roles
Be careful, as it is not just knowledge companies want, but also experience (I know, how can you get experience without having experience - it is the old IT Catch-22).
Are there any opportunities in your present company?
What I have done before is take people from various parts of the company, and put them on the IT Help Desk (a very wearing job) for a year or so - they then gain knowledge about the company and the IT systems, and if they show promise, move them in to the main IT section, be it BA, Programming, or Technical Services.
timewarrior2001
24-08-2006, 22:16
Be careful, as it is not just knowledge companies want, but also experience (I know, how can you get experience without having experience - it is the old IT Catch-22).
Are there any opportunities in your present company?
What I have done before is take people from various parts of the company, and put them on the IT Help Desk (a very wearing job) for a year or so - they then gain knowledge about the company and the IT systems, and if they show promise, move them in to the main IT section, be it BA, Programming, or Technical Services.
I worked in 1st line support in a call cantre. I've just been promoted to a project analyst for the hard work i did in reporting SLA's etc for higher management.
You just need to look for opportunity, find out if osmone is leaving and apply for their job before its advertised.
what job are you doing at the moment?
liamboyle06
25-08-2006, 09:03
At the minute, I am doing reporting and forecasting for the company, so think I have some form of experience, and have been doing this job now for 18 months.
I started as Agent on the phones, but have been asked to do several different positions (Trainer, Mentor, Team Leader) without getting the money for it. Anytime i went to get promoted to full time in any of the other positions, i always got knocked back at interview stage as there was always somebody better for the job - always get feedback from interviews.
Although I am still on the basic wage in the company, they will not increase my money, which ultimately is what I want.
The company is not willing to pay for any courses to help out either, so am working at the bottom of the rung, and can not really afford to pay(but would like to) the costs for the courses.
It sounds like you're working for a bunch of (insert appropriate expletive). Can you get your company to provide training for you - even a one-day seminar, it doesn't have to be a full-blown course yet. You'll have to sell them the benefits, they won't do this out of the kindness of their hearts. Can you identify a particular area of weakness of the company, one where they will benefit from having a trained member of staff?
If you feel confident enough, you can tell them that you are trying to better yourself and get into a role with more decent pay. Tell them that you have been in different positions but never get the money for it. Then tell them that if this company is unable to give you the oppportunities to better yourself, you will be forced to look elsewhere.
...Then tell them that if this company is unable to give you the oppportunities to better yourself, you will be forced to look elsewhere.
This can work, but you have to be careful - if they call your bluff, and you don't follow it through, you risk making life even worse for yourself.
This can work, but you have to be careful - if they call your bluff, and you don't follow it through, you risk making life even worse for yourself.
This is true, which is why I said 'If you feel confident enough'. Mind you, there's many different ways of phrasing this. 'I might be forced to look elsewhere' sounds very different from 'you can stuff this job'. Generally, being upfront and saying 'I'd like to better myself, but I find you're giving me very little opportunity. Can we work on this?' should be met with some sympathy. If it isn't you really need to consider if you should continue working there.
Yep, like daniel says, it's as much how you say it, as what you say. Inferring things without actually saying them is a good skill to practice.
liamboyle06
25-08-2006, 12:55
Thanks for the Advice guys, I have created a portfolio of all i have accomplished working here and what I would like to do in the future. I am going to have a chat with the site director to see if there is anything that can be done.
Thanks for the Advice guys, I have created a portfolio of all i have accomplished working here and what I would like to do in the future. I am going to have a chat with the site director to see if there is anything that can be done.
I don't know anything about you apart from what I see on this thread - but the statement shown above tells me that you have an excellent attitude and you are not afraid to stand up for yourself. All but the most foolish of employers would do anything they could to keep an employee like you.
I worked in 1st line support in a call cantre. I've just been promoted to a project analyst for the hard work i did in reporting SLA's etc for higher management.
You just need to look for opportunity, find out if osmone is leaving and apply for their job before its advertised.
Well done, TW2K1 - getting on the first rung is often the hardest part.:tu:
liamboyle06
29-08-2006, 08:27
Well I had a meeting with the site director on Friday evening and explained to him how unhappy I was with the company. I explained that I have done various positions and achieved all required results, and would like to get some formal qualification.
He gave me the usual spiel about tying up money for future incoming projects and so on, but did not realise there were people in the company that has done other jobs, on top of what they are supposed to, for the same money.
Any how after chatting for a while, I told him I would like to contine doing the reporting, Sl's and so on. I was then moved to another position with in the company. More of a reporting role on top of my normal duties also. I am not sure if this was just coincidence with the Person Leaving on Friday or my grit at going to the big Boss .
any way , still doing what I enjoyfor the same doh, bu tthi time the Big Boss is aware of me.
Thanks all you guys for your help.
Well done.
Have you asked for a review in nn (usually six) months?
If you are doing more, and the company is receiving extra value from you, you should be rewarded appropriately (after you have proved you can do it). May I suggest you revisit this with your line manager, asking him/her/they to set you some realistic targets, and if you meet them, you should be rewarded.
And if you aren't, you've got six months experience on a new job, which can only help when you "seek to further your career elsewhere".
Good luck.
PS. Projects usually come out of Capital Expenditure, and salaries (not including contractors) out of Operational Expenditure, so there is a slight chance that the Big Boss is blowing some smoke up your @ss on that front. If someone has left, their salary will have been budgeted for (unless the budget has been cut), so their salary value may be going begging - he may be trying to save money out of the OpEx budget to look good.
Well done, sounds like a result to me! If you keep trying the "patient, polite yet determined" approach, I'm sure you'll go far.
Tezcatlipoca
18-09-2006, 21:59
Is there a way I can maybe do the courses but at a reduced price, or is there any form of government funding?
Tried looking at the OU?
Bit of a bump, and your job has now improved, but, if you're still thinking about a course of some sort...What he said ^^
I've been looking at learndirect & the Open University.
http://www.learndirect.co.uk/
http://www.open.ac.uk/
Not sure about learndirect, but you can get financial assistance for courses with the Open University.
http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/about/p6_1.shtml
http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/about/p6_2.shtml
There are four types of support:
* help with paying course fees. NEW - additional funding available for 2006/2007 study,
* help with paying study expenses (such as a computer, childcare costs and books),
* help for students with a disability, medical condition or a specific learning difficulty,
* help for students who get into financial difficulty during their course.
You can apply for a grant towards your fees for undergraduate courses (Levels 1 to 3) and, depending on certain eligibility criteria, you could get your fees paid for if:
* your gross household income is no more than £15,345 for a full award and up to £25,645 for a partial award (at 2006/2007 rates),
* you are receiving certain benefits (Income Support, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, income-based Job Seeker's Allowance or New Deal Allowance), or
* you are unemployed.
In addition, allowances are given for a partner and dependent children. These are £2,000 for a partner, £2,000 for your first child and £1,000 for each further child. If you live with your parents, their income will not be included in any assessment of your household income.
For example, if you have a partner and two children who are dependent on you, you could be earning up to £30,645 and be entitled to receive some financial support.
(snip)
Financial support eligibility checker: http://www3.open.ac.uk/coursefinance/
liamboyle06
19-09-2006, 08:13
Thanks for that guys, heard on the grapevine in work about why I am not getting promoted, which comes from a very good source, so am trying to get out of the company ASAP. Because I'm a jack of all trades and master of none, they are punishing me for that - lets hope Jobcentre brings something good in for me.
Jack of all trades - actually a very useful trait, it means that you can apply yourself to a variety of problems, probably at short notice. It also implies that you are quite willing to learn new skills. All you have to do now is find an employer who can make use of your talents!
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