Re:Prolonged Partial Sleep Deprivation for a Job (The worst ...
by lionhearted on Monday November 10, 2008 @03:35PM
(#359679)
Above really nailed some important points - the biggest is feeling like you're in control of your life. Whenever you blame something external for something you had any chance of affecting, you way disempower yourself. Not mental voodoo here - if you feel like your relationship had no chance independent of what you did, then why bother trying? Things like that.
Next point is really harsh - there's no way you turned in all-star caliber work at your last post. And if you want exceptions, you've got to be really, really good. Because managers really fear giving exceptions, because then everyone wants them. A lot of managers take the easy road and don't accommodate staff at all - they're not mean, it's just that once you stop having a consistent set of across-the-board policies it becomes really hard to balance everything and keep everyone on track. It just takes a high level of skill and personal touch that most managers don't have. Now, if you're amazing, like the most important person that's ever worked there, they might find a way to accommodate you. If you're another cog in the wheel, then rightfully or not, they probably don't gun hard to keep you specifically as that cog if you need accommodation. (That's not to say whether that's right or not - it's just how it is)
If you want to get different hours from other people, highlight how much it'd benefit your employer and tell them right from the start. "Hi XYZ Company, I'm sleepy. I have this sleep thing but I do exceptional work. If you're flexible, I typically enjoy working 50-60 hours per week, but I've got to do some at night. I'd love to find a way to make this work - and it'd be cool to have someone alive and alert when the company's normally sleeping right? I can be that guy, and I pride myself on getting more done than everyone else."
The average person only does 2 hours of productive work each day - you can double the average person's production by not procrastinating and focusing for 5 hours a day. If you're the best guy on the team, you get more slack.
Finally, if you want to contract - easiest way to start is by taking Freelance work somewhere like Elance or Odesk. Log onto to one of their sites, create an account, then bid the minimum possible for your first job and knock it out of the park. If you do 4-5 jobs below market rates and get excellent feedback, you'll be able to get work at market rates pretty fast.
Next point is really harsh - there's no way you turned in all-star caliber work at your last post. And if you want exceptions, you've got to be really, really good. Because managers really fear giving exceptions, because then everyone wants them. A lot of managers take the easy road and don't accommodate staff at all - they're not mean, it's just that once you stop having a consistent set of across-the-board policies it becomes really hard to balance everything and keep everyone on track. It just takes a high level of skill and personal touch that most managers don't have. Now, if you're amazing, like the most important person that's ever worked there, they might find a way to accommodate you. If you're another cog in the wheel, then rightfully or not, they probably don't gun hard to keep you specifically as that cog if you need accommodation. (That's not to say whether that's right or not - it's just how it is)
If you want to get different hours from other people, highlight how much it'd benefit your employer and tell them right from the start. "Hi XYZ Company, I'm sleepy. I have this sleep thing but I do exceptional work. If you're flexible, I typically enjoy working 50-60 hours per week, but I've got to do some at night. I'd love to find a way to make this work - and it'd be cool to have someone alive and alert when the company's normally sleeping right? I can be that guy, and I pride myself on getting more done than everyone else."
The average person only does 2 hours of productive work each day - you can double the average person's production by not procrastinating and focusing for 5 hours a day. If you're the best guy on the team, you get more slack.
Finally, if you want to contract - easiest way to start is by taking Freelance work somewhere like Elance or Odesk. Log onto to one of their sites, create an account, then bid the minimum possible for your first job and knock it out of the park. If you do 4-5 jobs below market rates and get excellent feedback, you'll be able to get work at market rates pretty fast.