Computer Phobia

So, I’ve been on my new job for more than two months now and it’s getting a bit easier. At least my body has gotten accustomed to waking just before the sun rises.

My boss has liked my work so far. However, in a few weeks, I will be confronted with my old nemesis: technology. Due to someone leaving the company, I must learn new duties that include being trained on new computer programs. I don’t mind the extra work, but learning new technology has never come easy for me. I trace it back to my first job, when we trained on a new computer system (the first Apple computers, really) and my trainers openly mocked my inability to learn quickly enough for their tastes. Geez…have I spent my entire working career around total jerks?

I have become friendly with a couple of people in my office who can perhaps help me on this program, which, by the way, is going to be changed in two months. Great…then I have to learn another computer system. Yet by all accounts this new system is easier. Let’s hope.

This brings up another set of issues, beyond just learning new systems and more duties. Just how much work should I do for this company? A few weeks ago, I did some work over the weekend. Should I have done so?

At my previous place of employment, I worked my tail off, did two and three jobs for them, took work home on the weekends…and where did it get me? Laid off. So why bother extending myself?

Of course, I want to do a good job. Never again do I want to endure an extended period of unemployment.

But I sometimes wonder if companies are taking advantage of this sluggish job market to force workers to work even harder for little or no raises. (I’m making much less than at my previous job and who knows when I will get a raise.)

The attitude of employers is that we are lucky to have a job and if we complain, well, go find another job. But there are no jobs to be had, despite what some politicians and economists say.

What should I do? Well, I’ll try to learn the new technology to the best of my ability (albeit not very quickly) and find a way to squeeze more work into my day.

Until they lay me off.