The Last Straw
I worked in senior support for a major PC company for nearly eight years, but by January 2007, after much thought, I'd finally decided to give it all up. I sent in my application for a university place, for an Engineering (non-IT) degree, though I didn't want to resign till I actually had the place and it was closer to September. In March I was sent to Colorado for a training course, and took a side trip to see the people doing the same job as me for the Americas region.

The office was like a cross between a Dilbert cartoon and a scene from The Shining. 10,000 square feet of cubicles, almost all of them empty. My American colleagues were crammed in to one corner of this space, and they were not happy. Some of them were much older than me and clearly had more experience, yet probably made 2/3 of the pay I did and got 10 days leave a year. They were pissed off at how they kept getting more work while their numbers dwindled, though they didn't have much time to talk to me. It was just sad to see what was happening to them, and if that was a glimpse of my future, well, I didn't want it.

Their manager drove me back in to town so I could get the Greyhound back to Denver later. Once he got over his amazement that I was happy taking a bus - "guy must be from Europe or sumfing" - we had dinner and beers at a local bar. He was clearly glad to have someone to talk to besides his people, and underlined what I had long suspected: IT Support people were considered expendable, and not really part of the company. I had even been to Bangalore to train some people to do my job, while US jobs were heading to Costa Rica.

By the time the Greyhound pulled back in to Denver, I knew I'd be getting out, and by the end of May, after an interview, I knew I had the university place. I just started 3rd year, and despite the financial insecurity and the possibility I'll be unemployed afterwards, I'm still confident I made the right decision.
( bnt what, me worry?, Sun 27 Sep 2009, 0:33, 3 replies)

i think it is blisteringly clear you did
good luck to you - keep us all posted
( spimf ™ is whoever you want him to be, Sun 27 Sep 2009, 2:28, closed)

.
clicking, especially for
``like a cross between a Dilbert cartoon and a scene from The Shining''
teehee
(tuqueboy has been in a medically -induced coma since, Sun 27 Sep 2009, 5:51, closed)

so...
basically you went on work experience to a company that was outsourcing to south america? If anything else I just really don't understand.
(feedingtimeatthezoo day 1 of his bikini diet started, Sun 27 Sep 2009, 14:48, closed)