A Fresh Perspective

One week has passed, and I am still alive. Administrative Systems is a secretly complex department. Working for the HUB, I knew that they maintained Banner, and developed reports. I really had no idea how complex the database was, or how complex the SQL could become to generate the reporting results.

What I am absolutely amazed by is the focus of this department. At the HUB I often felt like we used a shotgun approach to get things done – we did too much to really concentrate on doing one thing well. Administrative systems is a rifle and they really produce some great results. This week I was given three tasks – enhance my SQL, use what I have learned by modifying a report, and get familiar with my tools by doing this. Everything is connected, so my focus is very concentrated. By comparison, the HUB doesn’t have these luxuries – I would have to do these things in the background, while managing a location, checking email, updating tickets, etc. The resources are simply allocated differently.

Speaking of that ol’ helpdesk, I am still adjusting to my new location, but I have been lucky to feel like a part of me is still at home. Things would be completely different if I had taken a job elsewhere, so I (still) feel that I have made a good decision. I am next door to Debye, and I feel like she is there for me, and very supportive in a humorous way.

Well, I have learned more this week than I hoped for in the month, and I am having fun doing it. I guess I am a programmer and a geek at heart, but all of these things are like a game to me. Oracle is my MMO, Crystal Reports are my party buffs, and I am leveling up quickly by attacking things with higher EXP.