I have been in Resource Management so slightly different from a Project Manager for nearly 17!years and wondered if anyone else has found the job getting harder and harder in recent years.
Over the years I have accumulated quite the network of Freelancers and have been able to usually get in contractors with very short turnarounds. Having done so successfully on numerous occasion, that has now become the expectation of me.
Recently the requests have become completely unreasonable. The other evening at 17:00 I was asked to find 5 contractors for the next morning and for them to have fully working emails (a completely unrealistic ask of our IT service provider). I was able to find 3 good ones, only to be told. “We only probably need two, we said 5 just in the hope you could magic up some options”
I’ve found in the last few years the job has occupied most of my waking thoughts. Often tying up contracts and agreements for freelancers in my evenings and vacation days.
I imagine Project Managers have it even worse overall, I just find as Resource Manager there is never really an end to it. I never get to have the “relax and breath, it’s delivered” moment as there is always some project or other in a critical phase.
It feels I’m in a never ending cycle of contingency planning and alertness that can be a bit exhausting and it’s really starting to have a negative impact on my outside of work hours as all I want to do is lie in my days off, which wastes a chunk of the day.
Sorry for the moan, but really felt I had to get this out as family and friends really don’t get the work culture I’m in.