An engineer often has to figure things out. This is not some line worker being asked to weld when they don’t know how. This is simply a “do some google searches and follow them” type of task. This should be well within the capabilities of an engineer to handle.
I am an engineer. I’ve been an engineer for 25 years. I manage a team of engineers. I think I have a very good idea of the job role of an engineer, thank you.
Every company you’ve ever worked for has enough work for a full time graphic designer? I’ve worked at some bigger companies that had someone for that role, but mostly no, the companies don’t have people for small tasks that don’t come up too often. That means people have to move out of their lane and do some additional work. That’s a lot of what working at a smaller company is all about. You wear many hats and many of them you learn on the job. Engineers tend to be near the top of the food chain in terms of figuring stuff like that so they get those tasks sometimes.
This life in a small company. How has this never been something you’ve had to deal with?
Every company you’ve ever worked for has enough work for a full time graphic designer?
Not what I’ve said, at all.
I’ve worked at some bigger companies that had someone for that role, but mostly no, the companies don’t have people for small tasks that don’t come up too often.
Making graphics happens every day.
That means people have to move out of their lane and do some additional work. That’s a lot of what working at a smaller company is all about.
A mis-managed one, yes.
You wear many hats and many of them you learn on the job. Engineers tend to be near the top of the food chain in terms of figuring stuff like that so they get those tasks sometimes.
If they lack the self-respect to set boundaries, yes.
This life in a small company. How has this never been something you’ve had to deal with?
Because when asked to do something I didn’t train to do, I say no. Saying yes leads to you gaining a second unpaid job.
I learned not to do other people’s job unless they ask me in a union plant and it was a good lesson. I’m gonna do it worse and slower and there’s a chance I’ll open myself up to a grievance if I don’t know some random person from a different branch is unionized. It’s better to say “that’s so and so’s department, I can set you up a meeting with them if you need it”
You’re right, the manager is being extremely lazy trying to dump this task on an employee who is already responsible for other tasks, instead of finding the appropriate person to handle the task.
I’m okay with that. I’m an engineer too and I have pretty much no incentive to work hard. I don’t get overtime and they pay me about a fifth of what they charge customers for my services—so yeah, I’m lazy.
I’m with you. The company is paying you for your time and if learning a new task is what you’re getting paid for, great. If they “punish” you for it, for example “now you have to stay late and finish your other work” or you get dinged for not meeting your regular metrics, then they’re full of shit. But if the request is simply please take care of this thing because we don’t have an expert to can, then you just do it. I don’t get what the issue is. It’s interesting new stuff you get to learn.
However to be honest, I am in management and I manage a team of engineers, and I expect to them to be flexible individuals. Sometimes they’re doing technical drawings, sometimes new development, sometimes assembling prototypes with tweezers, sometimes they’re learning new software, and sometimes they have to create renders for customer presentations. If any of them gave me shit about “not my responsibility” I’d be pretty pissed off because IMHO an engineer needs to be a flexible individual especially in a small company.
Apparently, you’re the only one who gets it. I guess the others either aren’t engineers (yet) or only work in huge corporations where there’s a department for everything.
I’m in a small company, too. Those cannot survive if people aren’t flexible in their tasks and in my opinion that’s far more interesting work than being a cubicle drone.
I’m an engineer myself and hate working with people like that. In my experience, people playing that responsibility game are usually just lazy.
If you aren’t able to say no to stuff that isn’t you responsibility, you’ll be fucked like me one day.
“I love the taste of boot polish, please give me more work that isn’t my department, management daddy”
-You, apparently.
I also hate working with people who make me do things I’ve never trained to do
And you know they are try8ng to save money, time and won’t do it themselves because they don’t know how to or trained in it either.
An engineer often has to figure things out. This is not some line worker being asked to weld when they don’t know how. This is simply a “do some google searches and follow them” type of task. This should be well within the capabilities of an engineer to handle.
Now how jobs work mate. Look at the job role of an engineer, please.
I am an engineer. I’ve been an engineer for 25 years. I manage a team of engineers. I think I have a very good idea of the job role of an engineer, thank you.
Then how on Earth are you convinced that graphic design isn’t a separate job role?
Every company you’ve ever worked for has enough work for a full time graphic designer? I’ve worked at some bigger companies that had someone for that role, but mostly no, the companies don’t have people for small tasks that don’t come up too often. That means people have to move out of their lane and do some additional work. That’s a lot of what working at a smaller company is all about. You wear many hats and many of them you learn on the job. Engineers tend to be near the top of the food chain in terms of figuring stuff like that so they get those tasks sometimes.
This life in a small company. How has this never been something you’ve had to deal with?
Not what I’ve said, at all.
Making graphics happens every day.
A mis-managed one, yes.
If they lack the self-respect to set boundaries, yes.
Because when asked to do something I didn’t train to do, I say no. Saying yes leads to you gaining a second unpaid job.
Act your wage.
Well company colors are there so you don’t need a graphics designer for every little thing.
They’re already the output of the graphic designer.
Applying them tastefully requires a graphic designer
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Why do you assume that?
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I learned not to do other people’s job unless they ask me in a union plant and it was a good lesson. I’m gonna do it worse and slower and there’s a chance I’ll open myself up to a grievance if I don’t know some random person from a different branch is unionized. It’s better to say “that’s so and so’s department, I can set you up a meeting with them if you need it”
And you’re the spineless parasite we all hate for dampening down the boundaries for predatory extortionist behaviour
You’re right, the manager is being extremely lazy trying to dump this task on an employee who is already responsible for other tasks, instead of finding the appropriate person to handle the task.
I’m okay with that. I’m an engineer too and I have pretty much no incentive to work hard. I don’t get overtime and they pay me about a fifth of what they charge customers for my services—so yeah, I’m lazy.
I’m with you. The company is paying you for your time and if learning a new task is what you’re getting paid for, great. If they “punish” you for it, for example “now you have to stay late and finish your other work” or you get dinged for not meeting your regular metrics, then they’re full of shit. But if the request is simply please take care of this thing because we don’t have an expert to can, then you just do it. I don’t get what the issue is. It’s interesting new stuff you get to learn.
However to be honest, I am in management and I manage a team of engineers, and I expect to them to be flexible individuals. Sometimes they’re doing technical drawings, sometimes new development, sometimes assembling prototypes with tweezers, sometimes they’re learning new software, and sometimes they have to create renders for customer presentations. If any of them gave me shit about “not my responsibility” I’d be pretty pissed off because IMHO an engineer needs to be a flexible individual especially in a small company.
Apparently, you’re the only one who gets it. I guess the others either aren’t engineers (yet) or only work in huge corporations where there’s a department for everything.
I’m in a small company, too. Those cannot survive if people aren’t flexible in their tasks and in my opinion that’s far more interesting work than being a cubicle drone.