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I live in Edmonton, Alberta, where the job market is currently hot, hot HOT! I was able to quit my old job upon graduation to go travelling, knowing that finding a new one would be relatively easy when I returned. Well, that time has come, and with my newly earned BComm, the doors are opening - I dropped off 6 resumes at a job fair on Tuesday, and I have two interviews already lined up for next week.
But here's the multi-thousand dollar question - what do I want to do? My major was in Entrepreneurship/small business management, but what does that get me? I don't do accounting, or finance (though I've left the finance option open, pending another course or two), don't do sales... I have an interest in logistics/acquisitions/purchasing/supply-chain and operations management, and in people-management.

so my question to you is, if you happen to work in an office setting, what do you do? do you like it? what kind of tasks do you do on an everyday basis, on a longer-term project basis, etc. This question is especially geared to those in career, more permanent-type positions.

Help me to find my calling!

It's not your fault, but I think that it's a fucked up education system doesn't include guiding students towards what they want to do after graduation. (I realize that this isn't helpful.)

I'm not really sure how you do that with grown-ups. We have semi-annual career fairs, where students can meet with prospective employers and learn about potential careers and the requirements involved. The business faculty also has a Co-op program, which despite my failure to complete 3 semesters (personal circumstances - I chose not to drop everything else in my life in order to complete it), is still an excellent way for students to get their feet wet and in the door, and a (so-so, from what I've heard) after-grad placement program. I haven't made much use of that yet. Several of my profs also made an effort to bring in professionals from various fields to talk to us about their jobs, and what opportunities lie in their fields. What else can a school be expected to do?

It's my own damn fault for not yet knowing what I want to be when I grow up!

Don't limit yourself to your specific field of study. I graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration majoring in Finance and minoring in Accounting. My first job out of college was in corporate finance. Watching paint dry is a lot more interesting. I ended up moving to the IT department after about 2 years and haven't looked back in the last 9 years. I did gain an MBA on the way with a major in Information Systems which might be helpful some day if I move into management.

Meanwhile, I'm in the "thinking" process of starting a photography business in my free time. Who knows, it might become my primary source of income in a few years if I'm lucky.

Officially I currently work as an engineer. But all I really do is desk jockey (push papers, attend meetings, make phone calls, send e-mails). What I found in the past 2 years is that I missed the pressure and deadlines of school - homework, projects, labs, all do at the same time. I also discovered that I am not as much of a technical, down in the weeds person. I am better at making sure things are on track, under budget, technically correct, etc. The BIG picture.

The most important discovery of all was that there was a name for this kind of person - Project Manager. It is all about knowing your resources and making them all come together. The best part is that the skills I learn can take me into any project in any realm.

This might be ideal for you as you seem to have interests in many crucial parts to any project. You should look up the PMI institute or PMBOK to get more information.

Also if you get certified you get to add PMP to the end of your name! (Project Management Professional)

you're right, I am kind of interested in project management. I just don't think I'm qualified for that yet (and I'm not sure that any of those acronyms meant anything to me!). I also thought that most project managers, at least in this neck of the woods, were engineers.

thank you for reminding me of that, I will keep that little job title tucked in the back of my mind for future reference, and as a goal to work towards.

Hi there... I am a senior (newly promoted) project manager who is not nor will ever be an engineer. Although I work with them all damn day long.

If you are interested in the profession, let me know... there are always ways of getting into a profession that does not look 'open'.

Computer guy for the finance industry.

I need a break, a long break..... The money is not work it.

Similar to omie, I am now a computer gal for a finance industry - official title is 'Business Systems Analyst', but basically it's IT. Systems testing/setup/script-writing/project meetings and some processor management. Me and two other people on my team work on product, which is a fast-paced cycle time -- every 2-3 months a new project with lots of new requirements rolls out, and it's interesting working with the business people and the tech people, and seeing how all of that plays out.

I think project management is pretty cool, but it's been my rather limited experience that, at least at this place, you have to pay your dues, 'prove' yourself, and grit your teeth through crappy service jobs before you can work your way into systems work or project management. Many of managers hire people who have already worked in the company for several years, and already know the system, from using it while in service, or whatever. The project managers that I now work with started at the bottom, and it seems that most people who are now in marketing, or finance, etc, also started at the bottom - i.e. service.

I'm not trying to be a downer, and like I said it might not be this way in every industry, but here, a college degree doesn't seem to do a lot of good -- regardless, you have to start at the bottom, suck it up, and eventually you can get a good job.

Finally after three years at this place, this past May I landed this job, and it's a world of difference from the previous one. It's interesting, challenging to a degree (I'm hoping it stays that way for at least another year or so -- I don't want to have to find a new direction to go in anytime soon!!), and a totally different feel from my previous area.

Don't know if this helps, but I'm not sure what type of answer you were looking for!!! As for my education, I started out in engineering, hated it after 1.5 years, switched into Ecology, got a B.S. in Ecology, did some environmental-type jobs (short term ones) for the first few yrs out of college, realized I didn't want that struggle of making it into that field, fell into the finance industry (like I said, crappy service job), hated my job for 3 yrs, but that experience and project work I was able to get into in my final year is what landed me this job in IT, that I DO like. So there can be a happy ending to these things... ;-)

Good luck!! Oh - and don't be hard on yourself about not knowing what you want to do. I tend to agree w/ Joe that the education system doesn't give a realistic outlook on the jobs that *actually exist* in the real world. Oh, and all of those companies that go and talk/recruit at the colleges...you know, they are only giving the positive slant of their job opportunities..not necessarily the full reality!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Dilberta:
Also if you get certified you get to add PMP to the end of your name! (Project Management Professional)

sheeeeit I wanna be a certified PiMP! lol

Careerwise for me, a journalism degree lead me to work in pr/marketing in the book publishing industry for several years, did some freelancing along the way, now am a web content manager and writer for a major educational institution. The work is okay, day-to-day I create and maintain webpages, help other units w/i our institution strategize their web communications (sometimes they listen to me), and unofficially project-manage web/communications related initiatives. Work closely with ITS staff and various deans, vice presidents and other executives. Plus I write a few articles. The pay is peanuts, but I get free tuition.

While there are perks and positives, office work bores me for the most part. I think you should count yourself lucky that you have a passion for the work you are getting yourself into

quote:

Originally posted by TheWanderer:
so my question to you is, if you happen to work in an office setting, what do you do? do you like it? what kind of tasks do you do on an everyday basis, on a longer-term project basis, etc. This question is especially geared to those in career, more permanent-type positions.

I am a financial consultant. I'm pretty happy here. I've had crappy jobs in the past and I wouldn't consider this one of them. On an average day I'm building financial models, working with clients, traveling to meet with clients, etc.

It's definitely a career...for someone who is looking for one. Personally, I'm using it to save up for my RTW.

I am the Consumer Relations guy for a hoity-toity manufacturer of outdoorsy stuff.

True, I sit in a cube, but I can wear shorts and sandals and goofy shirts. I listen to iTunes all day long and get 1/2 off on all my camping/skiing/traveling gear.

On the other hand, the pay sucks big time.

Choose your poison.

don't do tech support.

it'll eat you alive.


this is actually not what i went to school for... just sort of landed in my lap (just pays too well!) and the ONLY reason i'm sticking to it is for my trip fund!

I'm with Brooke...IT will destroy your soul, but the pay is awfully good.

One of the other perks of my decidedly boring, desk-bound job is that I have enough free time during the day to do homework (I'm in school full time).

quote:

Originally posted by static:
I am the Consumer Relations guy for a hoity-toity manufacturer of outdoorsy stuff.

Neat. I kinda wondered what you did.


Thanks for the responses. I'm learning some things here. I had an interview at The Brick (huge national furniture and electronics chain in Canada); sounded like it could be a neat place to start, management training and all that, but the pay was a little iffy, and they wanted to start me out in customer service - while I see the rationale for it, I don't think I'm ready to go back to being a CSR, possibly ever. *shudder*

so I'm going to take my sweet time and start researching companies that I would like to work for, and see if any of them have a sort of entry-level generalist position that would fit.

I also did an interview for a placement agency yesterday, and it's kind of sad when they make a BComm do the simple test with basic math (using a calculator!), and filing (in which drawer would the following companies be filed? Ie, have you learned your alphabet yet?), and spelling (use the damn spell-check!). I understand that everyone has to do these tests, but it felt like a darn waste of time.

oh, and I also meant to ask, is there anyone around here that does anything in the field of purchasing/logistics/supply chain/inventory/resource management?

quote:

I also did an interview for a placement agency yesterday, and it's kind of sad when they make a BComm do the simple test with basic math (using a calculator!), and filing (in which drawer would the following companies be filed? Ie, have you learned your alphabet yet?), and spelling (use the damn spell-check!). I understand that everyone has to do these tests, but it felt like a darn waste of time.

Don't feel too bad...I not only have a degree, but many years experience under my belt, and was in an agency for a mid-level position (def. not anywhere near entry), and I had to do math, SPELLING, word, ppt, excel, filing, and every other waste of time test you could think of. I was fully insulted, and needless to say, didn't do much work with that agency

I used to be in the field of distribution (healthcare/drug distribution, to be exact), and there are alot of logistics involved. I think a good company for that type of thing would be FedEx, or DHL or whatever you've got up in Canada. As far as resource management, a lot of agencies (i.e. design agencies) rely heavily on resource management to get their jobs done for their clients, so they are good places. Usually fairly creative and should pay ok (I work for one).

could you clarify what you mean by design agency?

I have nothing important to say, just that I hate looking for work.
in some places they are offering $9-15/hour for fast food labour/customer service/menial labour, and I'm picking through the crap, researching companies and industries, and feeling blah about it. the only thing I do know is that I'm not especially keen on oil/gas/heavy construction, and sales/service/retail. And I refuse to work in another call centre. And I have a degree, which should be worth something, except I'm not an accountant. or an engineer. Can't say I'm all that well connected either. I'm not very good at networking.
bleh. This just isn't where all the cool jobs are. Over time, I have found some pretty cool jobs out on the west coast, and definitely more industries there that interest me, but I don't really want to relocate at this time. I like it here. goodness knows why... (stupid redneck country)

Agencies like mine design websites/web experiences for our clients to help them better serve their customers. So, rather than do the design/programming/etc. in-house, many companies hire an agency to manage all that. Each project is pretty big, and pulls various resources (i.e. they need a designer, a copywriter, a programer, and an engineer), and someone has to manage the clients as well as the internal resources.

I went to school and majored in Accounting / Info Systems Mgt. After school I took a job with an accounting firm as a business analyst in their IT dept (reconciling data & building reports). The work was a little boring at first, but I worked diligently on every project I was given and asked questions about everything, learning as much as I could. I suppose it paid off because I was promoted fairly quickly into a much more interesting job.

Here's my career path thus far:
business analyst -> database administrator -> software developer -> team lead / senior developer -> project manager -> present job as an applications manager

Here is what I do overall right now, which still involves a LOT of project management:

• Gather requirements from our internal clients regarding the various databases, financial reporting tools, and data entry software that we develop in-house.
  
• Document these requirements in a way that software developers can understand them and then interpret the requirements for the developers when I fail miserably at this vain attempt.
  
• Document the endless flow of change requests that will come from the client after the requirements are "final." Argue with the development team about feasibility, priority and impact to the project timeline. Go back to the client with the bad news about the non-feasibility or the resulting product delay. Get guilt-tripped/begged/berated by the client and then later receive a mandate from on-high to move some mountains and make the changes happen anyway with no timeline/resource impact. Go back to the development team and promise my first born in order to get the changes approved.
  
• Monitor the design and development of the software and step in when things are progressing down a path that does not fulfill the requirements or otherwise detracts from the desired end-result. Argue with the development team about the necessity of the hard-to-implement requirements and insist they include them. Find out later that they ignored them anyway and instead put in "cool stuff" that was not requested. Arrange for training materials/classes to be developed.
  
• Coordinate functional testing of the completed product to ensure it meets the requirements. Interpret the requirements again, this time for the quality assurance team. Pass along the bad news to the development team when the product inevitably fails testing and does not meet all the requirements. Monitor bug fixes and pass the product back for more testing. Wash, rinse, and repeat until we have software that reasonably resembles the original requirements. Act as mediator between the quality assurance team and the development team when they fail to agree on what constitutes an acceptable defect. Promise my first born again, this time to the quality assurance team, in order to get a final sign off on the software.
  
• Arrange for client acceptance testing. Write up release notes summarizing the various known defects and work-arounds. Release the product. Provide third-level support to users. Find more bugs. Beg, borrow and steal time from the now re-deployed development team for ongoing bug fixes.
  

Whew! I work crazy amounts of nonpaid overtime and deal with tons of hassle and stress, but the pay and the company benefits can't be beat! I also get to work with some talented people and the technology we use is top-notch. There are days I want to run screaming from the building, but most days I like it pretty well. I plan to stick around for about five more years, or until the leadership team gets tired of my opinions, whichever comes first.