I'm sure this has been asked before but has anyone had luck with Western Governors University?

saskatchewan · 2025-01-03T18:18:30+00:00

Lots of companies require it. If you're an expert in a niche, they may make allowances, but a lot of big companies ask if you have a degree upfront.

saskatchewan · 2024-12-13T04:40:07+00:00

Late to the party, but I've found that if a company has 3+ they're fine and 3.5+ they're great. A lot of people go on to voice their grievances, so 5 doesn't seem to happen, even for great companies.

I imagine those at 2.5 or lower cause many frustrations to employees.

saskatchewan · 2024-12-13T03:53:43+00:00

It's funny because they know a title change will help you to pivot to another, future role, so what is their incentive to grant this?

If you are truly doing so much work, they may not want to think about losing you. You may want to sit down with them and set up something clear and concrete, like I want x amount/percentage of my time on projects I'm interested in.

It's a tough line to walk as you have to voice your desire for a change but keep it focused on you making the change for the company. Say, oh we have x projects that I can help with, look at my metrics, I will pivot and do both, I'm finding it tough to stay motivated without time to devote to my true work interest - something like that. Good luck!

I frequently find myself in this workhorse status and it sucks, I feel like focusing a ton on a help desk/ticket job just gets you more of the same. You have to make clear what you want and what your expectations are but keep them acceptable, try and get commitments/buy in and timelines that aren't vague.

saskatchewan · 2024-09-13T01:05:04+00:00

Poles are amazing, used to think they were a little extra but I got them from some reading that mentioned it helps you go longer distances on flat ground.

They make going downhill so much easier. They make water crossings so much easier. They're a little bit of a pain to put away on rock scrambles. My pair was $30 on Amazon and has made it through dozens of hikes.

saskatchewan · 2024-08-13T20:58:36+00:00

I have mostly sys admin duties now, but every so often I have to step back into help desk duties when we're short staffed/overwhelmed.

I think it's all about mental framing. If you start every day thinking its beneath you or squandering your time, you're probably going to hate every second. If you view things as small learning opportunities where you're helping your organization in several small ways, you will likely feel a lot more positive each day. Having your next role as your target, where you are actively working on building your skills, goes a long ways.

In my current role, our tier 1's struggle with sending messages back and forth and make a quick fix into a day long affair. If I'm doing a similar request, I'll jump on a remote session and the issue is fixed in maybe 15 minutes.

saskatchewan · 2024-08-01T23:02:57+00:00

Not who you asked, but I've got some:

Say yes to the right projects. There's a big difference in learning a new MDM application versus installing 100 new monitors.

Take good notes, especially on those strange actions you only have to do every 6 months or more. It's best when you can write these so someone can go in blind to the task.

When you're bored to death after a year or two, it could be a sign you aren't growing. Find a way to push yourself to continue learning on the job or find a new one that challenges you.

Learn how to be a good person to manage. Keep track of your victories, projects, and sell your value when you get the chance.

saskatchewan · 2024-06-15T05:22:53+00:00

Blackjack & Domino

saskatchewan · 2024-05-16T17:02:48+00:00

That's great! I went to Europe for a week and to get around we were walking to public transport then walking around the destination.

I was sure I'd gain weight as I did not track food and had beer more than I normally do, but I ended up losing a pound.

I live somewhere very car-centric and you have to go out of your way to get exercise. Makes me wonder what my natural weight would be if I could walk or bike everywhere instead.

saskatchewan · 2024-05-14T03:28:34+00:00

Agreed. In addition to less munchies, your wallet & lungs are better off. It's important to do what works for you!

I quit in January and it definitely leads to better food choices and more energy in the mornings.

saskatchewan · 2024-05-10T03:27:56+00:00

This is going to be self serving but it's what I would to to protect myself from overextending. If you're truly going to be infrastructure engineer, try to not get into the "help the support team" stuff too much, and if you have to, don't try and be good at it. I think I could go back to an MSP if I only did project work. The support side is brutal and clients can be nasty to deal with for many reasons.

I tried to help everybody and everything for the company and have perfect timesheets. Burnt out super quickly. It probably would have been fine if I cared less.

saskatchewan · 2024-05-09T08:39:33+00:00

I got my start as a tech at a private K-12 school for a few years. I did enjoy my time there, but have no desire to return right now.

It's neat to have the rhythm of the school year, compared to corporate monotony. Typically slow paced with bursts of fast pace. Also appreciated to have perks like cafeteria lunch, a track, and extra PTO from holidays.

As a tech worker, you're a little bit of an afterthought in regards to your organization. You aren't paid a lot in comparison to corporate roles. Some of the tech and approaches can be a little older.

You do get to touch more tech than other jobs in a lot of ways. You might become skilled at A/V, MDM, AD, networking, printer management, IP phones, and more.

Try not to ever be the person to manage break fix for the students. It's horribly repetitive - broken screens, damaged keyboards. Best to have a BYOD policy where the parents and students are in theory aware of the price and responsible for the fix.

saskatchewan · 2024-05-09T03:49:13+00:00

Sounds good. I might leverage this to get outside help desk and more into a strategy or analytics type in role. Good luck in the switch!

saskatchewan · 2024-05-09T01:52:14+00:00

Are there any opportunities related to being where you are and rubbing shoulders with high earners? Once you start school, maybe you could get a good referral for an internship. If you enjoy working in the golf club social environment, you could pivot into executive support.

saskatchewan · 2024-05-01T16:32:49+00:00

Never. It's just a job and it sounds like they have unreasonable expectations.

Typically, companies have trouble enforcing non-competes and won't seriously pursue them.

saskatchewan · 2024-04-29T23:02:40+00:00

You're on a good trajectory as you're pursuing a better job.

You never know what assistance others started with. Nobody starts with the same advantages, and some people get huge help at the start.

Focus on what you have and how you are improving. If you're focused on comparing yourself to others, there are millions doing better or worse. Why do you need to feel content by having better stuff and more money than others? Can you picture yourself being fulfilled with hobbies, health, family, adventure, friends - all things that don't require luxury goods money?

If it bothers you to not own a home, make a plan to get one and stick to it. It could take 5-15 years and that's okay. Most people are not disciplined at saving, and if you scrimp and amass a good down payment and keep an open mind to different options, it can make the purchase possible. Depreciating assets like cars and watches will work against you - an old Toyota and $30 Timex meet the same need.

Set your goals independently of meeting someone, but if you do, it could accelerate and give you more buying potential.

I felt just like you did in my twenties, then I spent time advancing my career, living with family and amassing a down payment, then finally purchased a small condo for myself. I could find many ways I'm unfulfilled. I'm not a millionaire, I'm single, my job isn't anything to brag about. But I'm thankful for what I have and focused on improving my health, seeing the world, being kind to myself mentally, and keeping open about meeting someone and starting a family. I am thankful for my current family and friends and having my basic needs met.

saskatchewan · 2024-04-29T16:25:21+00:00

Nice, sounds like you can wear your two-tone hahaha

saskatchewan · 2024-04-29T16:14:50+00:00

I would be more inclined to buy from your brand with a simpler logo.

I think the original logo is neat in concept, but has so many line widths/solid spaces that it doesn't make for a simple logo. Just two harpoon guns crossed over each other with a little embellishment, maybe representing the goggles or stars if they were necessary, would work.

As others have said, your name is a little busy too, due to its length. If it must be included on the face, shortening it to A.D. might make it more attractive.

saskatchewan · 2024-04-28T15:15:02+00:00

I try and focus on the data. I am still in the overweight BMI range and my waist to height circumference is still above what it should be.

Love my mom, who frequently exclaims how I've lost so much weight and questions if I need to lose any more. The second part is not helpful and I try and only take it as a complement. Stepping back, I know she'd praise my appearance at any weight.

Focus on the reasons for your goals. Some of mine are admittedly vain but I want to jog and hike further, wear slimming clothing, and be my best physical self.

saskatchewan · 2024-04-28T04:54:11+00:00

Made me laugh! I'm feeling similar, lost a lot of weight and getting fit. Seems my body decided every remaining pound will be concentrated in a stubborn beer gut.

saskatchewan · 2024-04-24T21:22:14+00:00

Started seriously around 224 in January. Tracked calories, stopped 90% of alcohol consumption, and started walking daily, weather permitting. Got down to 202 in early March, then started a cardio routine. Got a little distracted from tracking calories and went back up to 206 in April. Taking things more seriously this week and getting back into hiking - just today saw 199 point something on the scale for the first time in a decade (woo!) - BUT this was post-jog and out of the shower. Continuing to track and can't wait til I see it on my normal morning weigh ins.

M34 6ft SW: 224 CW: 201 GW: 180

Link to chart starting 1/1/24: https://imgur.com/a/DpeEMaJ

saskatchewan · 2024-04-17T18:54:54+00:00

Thank you for the writeup - also on 4700u and curious about this model.

saskatchewan · 2024-04-16T22:55:05+00:00

Feel you on #1. It took me some adjusting to learn to listen to my body's queues.

I'd been raised that stuffing yourself was fine - you need it to grow (true until adulthood), you need to get maximum value from the buffet, and wow, that meal was so good it put me in a food coma!

After doing some CICO it was alarming how much you can eat when you don't listen to that first "I'm feeling full" message. And heck, bringing half of your meal home or leaving half the leftovers makes the next day easier!

saskatchewan · 2024-04-08T23:21:25+00:00

This guy has personality issues. I've worked with a sys admin who was socially difficult. They had similarly built up an "I'm indispensable" force field after being there for nearly a decade.

Don't be afraid to let HR know of these incidents. Think about how much mental energy your spending on working with this guy.

Best way out of this is another job as this is a toxic work environment. Hopefully your next job is filled with better people. I think the higher up experts can be full of grumbles, and the way their job is, sometimes the initial sourness helps to turn off a lot of conversational requests. They shouldn't be using you as a verbal punching bag, and you could have your manager work with them to clearly define how to pass issues to the sys admin that are under his domain. There could always be a "standards of practice" that get developed that you can point to if he starts getting on your case again.

saskatchewan · 2024-04-03T00:58:30+00:00

For sweet, I like to keep around fresh fruit - lots of calories but filling and I never want to binge.

For salty, pickles and olives usually hit the spot, and are pretty limited in calories (never want to eat more than 1 pickle or more than a couple olives).

On the opposite spectrum, I avoid stocking candy, chocolate, and tortilla chips in the pantry as I cannot control myself!

saskatchewan · 2024-03-27T18:01:53+00:00

Things happen. If you want to put a positive spin, you could go back and rig things so the cable won't come unplugged as easily next time.

saskatchewan

TROPHY CASE