Messing with Sasquatch

I sometimes like to mess with people's minds from time to time - harmless little stuff. I am thinking of writing a very professional letter to "C"-level officer requesting him to write a letter of recommendation for my applying to a local university for a Doctorial degree.

I can hear it now, slipping out among the other upper anusknots that seek to put me down ... "What the h3ll? CK working to become a PhD?!? F**k! We have to try to find him an even LOWER position! We can't have someone smarter than us!"

Truth of is that I am tempted - just tempted mind you to really do this - go back to school! But 1) haven't talked to the boss (my wife). 2) Need to find out how much it costs. 3) If I can get company reimbursed and last 4) Be accepted into the Doctorial program.

But right now I am studying for a certification. Once I get past that I plan to continue my reading (and taking notes). From my notes, others have been encouraging me to write a book. Now I KNOW that no one at work have ever written a book!

Will I freak them out or am I just a freak just for wanting more? I have a few people at work encouraging me to write and now that I told them about my thoughts on obtaining a Doctorial degree they are encouraging me to pursue that as well (easy for them to say that!).

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bookwoman (02/23/2009) CK, you said it right - check with "the boss" first. After that conversation, you need to go after what is meaningful to you. You have so much to offer, and so much enthusiasm to keep going. Don't let that be stifled and shut down. Speaking for myself, I have ended up shutting myself down from reaching for further endeavors that would be both meaningful to me (personally and professionally) and useful to resume. The grind has sucked the life out of me, it feels like these days (or is that just another cold, northern winter?). I hate that I feel no enthusiam anymore, and I would hate to see that happen to you. I really encourage you to pursue a doctorate. Aside from what it could do for you professionally, the personal satisfaction and sense of accomplishment would be out of this world! Go for it! BonusOnus (02/23/2009) CK, I'm with bookwoman. I've also thought about getting an advanced degree. Maybe an MBA. But I know it's going to be a lot of work and suck out a huge amount of time -- I know friends/coworkers who pursued an MBA while working and they said that it was hectic. You don't have children (I don't think). As my friend told me (and he has 3 children) -- it's much easier to go to school (for whatever degree) when you don't have children. It might not be your last chance to get a PhD but it's your best chance to get one. CK (02/24/2009) Hey Bonus - A B.S. has become the new standard - almost everyone had one - If you want an Masters Degree then do it! I have known peole with kids still go for their Masters and graduate! Sure an MBA take time and you would need family support and understanding - first and foremost! But if you just take it one class at a time you can do it! That is what I did - one at a time while I worked full time! But I will tell you this - the Capstone is hell! I worked almost full time on that AND have a full time job! CK (02/24/2009) But here's the thing ... If I do or not got for a Doctorate I would STILL freak out the big bosses at work with just them knowing that I am advancing beyond anyone else and for the fact that they have me positioned in the lowest possible position they can find! (that is out of jealousy, revenge, and spite) It will also paint a "pretty picture" to EVERYONE else of the wrong that management has wrought. There have been a lot of people who have asked me why I am in the position that I am in and why. I just respond by not responding and let THEM figure it out on their own. Anyway, the Doctorate that I am looking at is a Doctorate in Business (and I am going to point it out to the BIG boss) with a focus in "Leadership" and "Change Management" theory. I don't think the university has "Leadership" and "Change Management" as part of their program but I want to push that thorn deeper into management's side! allbymyself (02/24/2009) you are just the type of person to get a PhD. I work with them and let me tell you about walking on eggshells! They are a lot of fun to mess with, most of them, not all, are very insecure intellectually. However, I still like most of them because they give me so much material for my stand-up routine. I am not joking either! You should see the fights that break out amongst them! Hee hee! I am not joking when I say I have been reduced to tears over their antics. I mean I laughed till I cried!! All joking aside, make sure you get your PhD from an ivy league college or else you will just be a tear drop in a sea of them. PhD's are a dime a dozen and good for nothing unless you would like to teach at the college level. If you really want to make an impression on the people you work for, start your own business and hire the people who work for them to work for you! It takes balls to start your own company and you can cry all you want about the recession/depression, I know many people who have done well and are doing well in this economy. UnsupportedSupport (02/24/2009) Be careful writing a book. Some companies have written policies saying that they own any creative work you do while you are employed by the company. Even if you are working on it in your own time at home. Also, since it sounds like people are out to get you, be careful that there aren't any notes or any signs that you may have been working on it in the office or they may claim some sort of stake in the finished product. SouthernProgrammer (02/24/2009) I think the matter of pursuing a degree needs to be thought of carefully. I have a Masters Degree and have more certifications than anyone in the corporation yet the thing that keeps me employed is my trouble shooting skill which was learned OTJ. I would look carefully at your goals, if you intend to stay employed in the technical field, certification will probably have a higher ROI than a Masters or Doctorate. If you plan to teach in the Future, a Doctorate is probably required but will the cost of a Doctorate pay off in the long run? I was thinking of going back to college and finishing up a degree in Psychology I started years ago, but when I looked at the salary range of Counselors I decided that the investment would not pay off in the long run. Just My 2 Cents. CK (02/24/2009) SP - we must be cut from the same cloth! As you know I have my Masters Degree as well as several computer certifications. But dispite my certifications and advance degree I am continually ignored by my employer. They even placed me in a LOWER position because, as I have been told by others, I am considered a threat to management. I also have more certifications than most other departments! What we have is an extreme case of the Bozo Explosion (look it up). Everyone else acts in fear and management uses me to set an example! Some co-workers have approached me, asking me that if I ever leave and in a hiring position (management) to think of them. I tell you SP, I could walk away with 20 computer people! As to our management, co-workers have told me that management think that they are infallible and act "god-like." Others, who don't know that I know, have mentioned that "management are idiots" and "egocentric." These are NOT my words but theirs. BonusOnus (02/25/2009) CK, I already have a BS in comp sci (and a BA in business -- this degree was worthless in my field of work). I have been thinking about my career and perhaps doing something different. I like programming but I've really thought about the BS I have to deal with a lot. I was thinking of doing an MBA in international business. I get to travel, work in business, which IMO, is a lot less taxing than programming in C or Python, and maybe get out more. I am just tired of the BS in the tech field and the pressures of outsourcing and H1B. Maybe I should switch roles and be the bloodsucking, ambitious MBA guy who ships jobs to India or China because it increases the ROI of capital expenditures by 4%. :-) Seriously, I've thought a lot about doing an MBA, and not the evening ones - there aren't any good part-time MBA programs around here except UC Berkeley and that is almost impossible to get into. I am thinking of foregoing a house purchase and instead putting the savings to pay for 2-3 years of not working and paying for tuition for an MBA program instead. I had a coworker at my last job who just quit, sold his house and almost everything he had and moved him and his wife to go to business school in London. He had to live off savings and was poor but now he's doing very well. Maybe I should do that too. I'm thinking of schools in Chicago, New York, Kentucky, or South Carolina. What a culture shock that's going to be -- I've never lived outside of California since I was 9! CK (02/25/2009) Bonus - I would still find a way to get a graduate degree regardless! I read an article that B.S. (and B.A.) degrees are a dime a dozen now and that becuase of the poor economy people are going back for their Masters. I would advise you to find the school you WANT to get into and fins out what OTHER schools classes are accespted into the one you want. In this mannor you may get a head start. CK (02/25/2009) This is my thinking about the Doctorate Degree ... I would need three letters of recommendations. If I asked my BIG boss for a reference (beside purposely trying to freek them out!) and he refuses then I know where I stand at work. Furthermore, if he DOES write one for me that it may serve as a letter of recommendation when I leave! To paint a better picture of how it is where I work. Think of it as school. I graduated with a Masters Degree a couple of years back. In school terms, I would have normally gone from teaching High School and been moved up to teaching undergrad college or Masters level classes. Instead my employer decides to place me teaching Kindergarten School. THAT is how LOW my employer is in treating people! POST A COMMENT »