All Work and No Play
Questions from Sunday Brunch.

My answers are past tense because I joined the ranks of George W's unemployed in January, 2004.

1. What is the longest you've held a job?

Eighteen years as a computer professional in the pharmaceutical industry. Started out as a COBOL programmer and ended up as the Translation Technical Lead in Application Integration Services.

Information Technology job titles are designed to be incomprehensible. It's OK if you just think of me as a senior computer programmer/analyst.

2. Do you like your job?

I liked my job very much. If I had taken a test to find the perfect job to fit my strengths and interests, the results would have described the job I had.

3. Do you get along with your co-workers?

I had wonderful coworkers so it was easy to get along with them. We are keeping in touch and supporting each other as we adjust to life after Pfizer.

In my profession, getting along and working together was just as important as being technically competent. I always considered getting along with my coworkers to be part of what I was getting paid to do.

4. Have you ever been fired?

Not exactly. In April, 2003 my company, Pharmacia, was acquired by Pfizer. Pfizer performs my job function in New Jersey. Most of the Pharmacia computer professionals working in Kalamazoo either moved to the East Coast or were "severed".

Even though it was all done as humanely as possible, it was still a difficult thing to go through.

5. Are your work hours during the day, evening or do they vary?

Until the last six years of my career, I was subject to the dreaded "night calls".

It always found it very stressful to wake up out of a sound sleep to identify and fix problems.

What is the most stressful part of your job?