The Utility Knife

When I first took my current position, I was hired to do a few things. Mainly to connect MFP's (multi-function products) to customers networks and give support on these machines.

A few weeks later I was asked if I knew anything about websites. I had actually been doing websites as a freelancer to just about anybody that needed it and would pay for it. So, I told my boss "Sure, I can make websites". He then proceeded to tell me that the printing service that we had, needed a website. I mocked up a couple of drafts in Photoshop and showed them to him. He liked one and with a few revisions, the site was up and running.

A few weeks after that, I was asked if I knew anything about databases. Well, yeah, I knew some stuff about databases. I had worked with Access as well as MySQL, so sure. It was then brought to my attention that the IT Admin in our home office was leaving. This Admin was in charge of the company wide program that handled our customer database. It was then my duty to make any changes that were needed and fix any problems that would occur. And dealing with sales professionals, there would always be problems where a computer was involved.

Now my job consisted of connecting MFP's that were sold to our clients, web site development and database administrator.

After a few months, we started to have some networking issues. Computers couldn't connect to the domain, printers would drop off the network, high traffic. I ran an analysis of the network and determined that a switch was causing the problems. Then enters the position of Network Administrator for the branch.

Now I have four positions within the branch of the company.

At around the same time as this was going on, the print services department, needed some custom software to process quotes to customers as well as keep track of the jobs they had done. The company hired a third party company to design this software. However, there's not maintenance contract. The developer of the software came to our office and gave me an overview of the software (done in FileMaker I might add), and that was it. I did buy a book on FileMaker to help understand how to get around in it. It is still a poorly designed application (FileMaker, not what was developed for us).

Now I have five positions within the branch of the company.

The company that I work for also is a vendor for a third party imaging software. This software allows the client to scan paper documents, make them electronic and index them anyway they want for later retrieval. There was one sales rep. that was in charge of selling, installing and maintaining the software to our clients. Notice I said, "was". Since this sales rep. has left the company, it is now my responsibility to take this job over.

Now I have six positions within the branch of the company.

Do not take this the wrong way. I like the feeling that I am needed within the company and that they can count on me as “the go-to-guy”. But there are times, just like anyone else, I get very stressed. I have so much on my plate sometimes that I don't know what to dig into first. Sure, I could have told them that I couldn't do it. Or that I wouldn't do it. But, if I didn't do it, who would? Hire someone else? I doubt that. I take on these responsibilities for the better of the company. But sometimes I question my judgment.

What do I get out of taking on all these responsibilities? I get a pretty nice pay-check. I get a free car with gas and insurance that I don't have to pay for. I get a free cellphone with free long distance that I don't have to pay for. But in the end...I still end up with an ulcer.