Professional trouble found me a few days ago!
As a Security Officer, the easiness of the job is actually my kryptonite. My mind receives rarely any intellectual stimulation, and I am not at all in an environment in which I can thrive. In short, I’m deterred from engaging in activities that I purely enjoy: improving my programming skills, thinking about algorithms, thinking about and discussing world events, talking to others about the brain sciences (I need to get an update on if there have been any more insights from deepening our understand of the fusiform gyrus…). Instead, I need to be focused on making sure the homeless stay off property, assisting in stopping fights, and making sure that $2,000 bottles of wine aren’t stolen. To be fair, when we help those in real need (such as an elderly guest having severe heart palpitations that requires an ambulance being called, or returning someone’s list phone/life), that aspect of the job can be really rewarding. All other duties… well…
So, in order to prevent myself from going crazy, I developed a clever coping strategy which I will dub The Secure and Code Strategy. The strategy was simple: be present at my work and do my duties, one of which include watching the area that I am posted in and ensure the safety of our guests in the casino, while at the same time have a small notepad and a printed out chapter from Herbert Schildt’s Java: A beginner’s Guide, 8th Edition (https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/java-a-beginners/9781260440225/. And lastly, a printout of a HackerRank challenge. I enjoy multi-tasking, so this strategy synergized with my brain quite nicely.
Sadly, Secure and Code turned out to be a failure. While I was standing at my post, the cameras saw me as not walking around enough and not paying “enough” attention to my surrounds, thus violating a set of core duties laid out by my contract.
While I fully understand why I was reprimanded (and quite frankly the argument for my wrongdoing was ultimately justified) such an experience unavoidably made me feel like my progress of being a successful programmer was hindered. Curses!!
With all that being said, I think it’s time to find a new strategy. One that will allow me to make career progress without me getting… *cough* ….. let go from my job.
However, as I have ALWAYS done in the past, I will figure something out and get that career. The Gods of Computation (lame, right?) have given me an ever-useful ability: grit.
BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD!!
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