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Tell HN: I'm nervous and don't know where else to go

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Re: Tell HN: I'm nervous and don't know where else to go

#51

Post by dbtonez »

rossdavidh wrote: post #30

If you haven't received a login for Epicor, then if it doesn't work, I don't know that you're going to be able to do anything. So, you probably want to just think through what you're going to say, and to whom, if it blows up. What you DON'T want to try to do, if it blows up (or seems to be), is some Hail Mary hack-in-somehow-and-try-to-save-the-day. If the update doesn't work and you weren't given the login, you have…

he must, and i noted on another comment that if he is proceeding in this manner and is calm about it, then i should follow his lead and feel the same. no sense getting myself worked up and dreading an outcome that may never even come to fruition. i think what this post's replies have really opened my eyes to is that the burden of change rests on my shoulders and mine alone. i can take this scenario for what it is - an opportunity. maybe i won't have to troubleshoot, but at least i was there.

Re: Tell HN: I'm nervous and don't know where else to go

#52

Post by curiousllama »

One fun story from a buddy of mine when he was a (civil) engineering intern might shed some light on expectations here.

He was under 2 bosses for the summer on a construction site, and together, they were (1) the engineers responsible for construction & (2) project managers responsible for "make sure things don't go wrong."

Halfway through the summer, he's doing a great job. The bosses trust him to handle things for a day or two, and are off on other sites. This is the first time he's the only 'engineer' there.

Of course, disaster strikes - I never got the full details, but apparently there was a LOT of water, flooding a half dozen residences next to the site. Called his bosses - no answer.

He knew nothing, of course, but was nominally "in charge" so just did what he could think to do: made sure the foreman was on top of fixing the problem; knocked on the residence doors to make sure everyone nearby knew what was happening; got in touch with emergency-water-damage folks listed somewhere in the company's directory; and wrote up an email to his bosses documenting what happened, why, and what's been tried to fix it.

The way he tells it, when his boss finally called, my friend opened up with "I know you're probably gonna fire me, but I'm just doing what I can to fix this." His boss responded "fire you? I'm gonna offer you a f*cking full time job"

TLDR: it's not your job to launch this thing on your own. Other people are doing their jobs too. Just to be ready to contribute how you can, if & when you're needed.

Re: Tell HN: I'm nervous and don't know where else to go

#53

Post by dbtonez »

igarcia wrote: post #31

In this situation, just keep in mind that if something goes wrong, it's not your fault. Do the best you can with the training you've received. You can use your creativity and pro-active skills but you can't work miracles. Here's a personal story that might help: many years ago in the beginning of my career I was assigned to install a software client on various machines (about 50 workstations), using a CD. It was a Fr…

it really did help. thank you for sharing an experience you had.

sometimes its nice to know that you aren't alone, even if you feel like you are. i never expected so much support from all of you guys but it has filled me with a lot of confidence and generally good vibes that i didn't know i needed.

thanks again

Re: Tell HN: I'm nervous and don't know where else to go

#54

Post by dbtonez »

suilied wrote: post #33

I have no experience with Epicor but similarily work in IT support and regularly get scheduled to "oversee" updates like this as well. Don't panic, get in contact with a couple of chill guys or galls that use Epicor that can help you test out the app so you can at least confirm whether the update was succefull or not. Anything else really isn't your problem.

thanks for sharing. don't panic is the theme of this thread and just hearing that helps. i have to remember my position in this whole scenario is to just be available and take whatever problems as they come.

Re: Tell HN: I'm nervous and don't know where else to go

#55

Post by Damogran6 »

orzig wrote: post #40
dbtonez wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

well i like soup but don't know that i want to be swimming in it XD thanks for your advice, i think i have been trying to prove myself by spinning my wheels instead of taking a step back and evaluating the situations that get presented before me. appreciate it again, hope you enjoy your weekend

Remember that “officially asking for help” is a very valid step to take. If it all blows up, you can at least point to the several unanswered requests that you sent off to various people. If they reply, and you are able to help it not blow up, you can all share some credit! If you somehow end up getting blamed for it anyway, I guarantee this is not a company you want to work for even as an intern. Find the one or two…

Asking for help also shows you're a team player that can reach out to get help in areas you're not an expert in. This is a good pattern to develop and can help you in the future.

Re: Tell HN: I'm nervous and don't know where else to go

#56

Post by dbtonez »

lma21 wrote: post #34

Lots of nice comments here. If I may add, when your peers (or managers) take some time off and hand over work to you, write a hand-over document. Always. It's crucial for smooth handovers. - Task to handover - Description - Actions at stake - Target / Desired Outcome - Timelines If you missed an action / task that isn't in that document, then it's really not your fault.

i think this is something that is very very important and never thought about until now.

i will actually bring this up ASAP because i think it will be beneficial for me and for my boss.

i appreciate your insight

Re: Tell HN: I'm nervous and don't know where else to go

#57

Post by dbtonez »

cde-v wrote: post #19

I used epicor for years and I’m honestly still surprised it exists. It is such a bad program from a terrible company. The updates generally broke the system every time and required a company rep to come out and fix it. Seemed like a total scam. I would not expect any upgrade to go well and I’m pretty sure it is by design.

the bits i have learned so far leads me to believe you are right. but oh well, take what you are given...

Re: Tell HN: I'm nervous and don't know where else to go

#58

Post by scoutt »

amelius wrote: post #50
logicalmonster wrote: post #47

The key part about surviving corporate life is learning to cover your ass smartly by documenting stuff. Maybe send a casual email. "Hey Bob, enjoy your vacation! No rush, but how are we maintaining this upcoming Epicor upgrade going forward? As you know I have no training and login information to the new system, but am excited to learn whatever is needed to help the company. If you have any suggestions or advice on g…

> If you have any suggestions or advice on good resources to learn this system, please let me know anytime. Their reply: > Just have a look at www.epicor-blahblah.com/documentation. You will find everything you need to know!

Nice answer! I see you've been on both sides of the fence.

Always try to predict the answer to your questions and the outcome of your queries: you might get what you asked for.

Re: Tell HN: I'm nervous and don't know where else to go

#60

Post by codegeek »

First, thanks for caring and taking your job seriously even though you are an "intern". You are already miles ahead of many people who couldn't care less. You will do great in your career with this attitude

Now, may be it will go smooth, may be it won't. Either way, it won't be your fault because you are an intern and the worst they can do is to fire you which is not so bad even though you may think that it is. Best, your boss probably has done this before and knows that its no biggie. If shit hits the fan, other people will get involved.

In case that you are the one "Responsible", use that as an opportunity to shine and show it to senior management. If things go bad, tell management "This is a great learning experience for me as an intern". When people find out that you are an inter, expectations will change.

One lesson learned for you: When your boss leaves something in your "capable" hands, ask these questions BEFORE they leave. Make sure you understand what's expected of you especially if things go wrong (they usually do with major updates).

You will do fine.

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