2005-03-29 - 10:41 p.m.

Job Change

I have a few weeks to think about this, but today a Supervising Engineer I greatly respect phoned me to talk about several positions he was going to have available soon. Last week I got the results of my Senior Exam scores back and I did not qualify for the senior engineer position. In fact, this exam was the first time that over 60% of the applicants failed, me among them.

The exam sucked, big time. It wasn't that the questions were so terribly bad, but all of the engineers I work with and would actually work for because they are hard workers and smart failed. The few people whom are frankly morons (as in they don't remember to zip up their pants or even pull their dick in after peeing) passed. There were a few people I respect who ranked 8 and 10.

The way these state exams have worked in the past is that everybody is ranked 1 through 5, with the real screw-ups (about 1 or 2 per exam) being failed. This time they used 13 different ranks and failed some of the state's brightest. The reason? The Governorator is trying to reduce management, and what better way to get employees to quit by not giving raises to those that can actually cut it in the private sector (consulting world) and making the idiots their bosses.

Morale is at an all time low, and it isn't just me that feels this way. Several senior engineers were really angry with the state that I failed. Not at me, but at the exam. I've worked my ass off, probably a hell of a lot harder than most people in my entire office, and the word is out that I'm a real work horse. I put in long hours and turn out well written reports. And though I don't believe it, others say that I speak with authority and that I have a presence about me that makes people listen.

Seniors and Supervising engineers have been telling me that I've got great potential for upper management, and I have visions of what the government should be doing as well. I'd rather the state really do a better job of embracing transparency in its decisions and I feel documentation and oral and written communication skills are the way to do that.

Anyway, after the exam results came out, I thought about quitting. Seriously. But my boss (whom I respect) and the guy who hired me 6 years ago both told me to cool down and not make any rash decisions for the next two weeks. But today another Supervisor called to head-hunt me. It is flattering. I'm going to think about this other job.

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