Ask HN: Who wants to be fired? (March 2021)
What’s bugging you about your job?
18 comments
I don't want to actually be fired - I have a family that depends on this income.
I hate the boring work. The business takes forever to decide what they want and describe it. If they had a well defined and documented business process, then we could turn that into a technical system much more easily. Along these same lines, they need to start giving us the complete picture of what the finished ecosystem should look like. Sure well build it out iteratively, but a proper architecture that accounts for future integration would save a lot of rework.
I hate that I have no real future. I spent years becoming an expert in an obscure technology because the company said they don't outsource or layoff. My job got outsourced and I was able to get another job at the company. Unfortunately the only thing available was an even less desirable tech stack (the manager even joked that she didn't think any internal people would apply). Now my original group got laid off. I've since moved onto another team with newer tech. Unfortunately, they don't allow a steady supply of the same type of work to become an expert. Instead, we working on multiple apps with multiple stacks. So, I'm expected to be an expert in the tech to get to the next level, but I don't see that as likely if we keep flipping back and forth between the stacks for each story or two.
I hate that my company has lied to me. Multiple times they have broken their own policies to my detriment. They have also changed policies that negative affect things, like grade structure and promotions.
I hate that there's no hope or future in sight.
I hate the boring work. The business takes forever to decide what they want and describe it. If they had a well defined and documented business process, then we could turn that into a technical system much more easily. Along these same lines, they need to start giving us the complete picture of what the finished ecosystem should look like. Sure well build it out iteratively, but a proper architecture that accounts for future integration would save a lot of rework.
I hate that I have no real future. I spent years becoming an expert in an obscure technology because the company said they don't outsource or layoff. My job got outsourced and I was able to get another job at the company. Unfortunately the only thing available was an even less desirable tech stack (the manager even joked that she didn't think any internal people would apply). Now my original group got laid off. I've since moved onto another team with newer tech. Unfortunately, they don't allow a steady supply of the same type of work to become an expert. Instead, we working on multiple apps with multiple stacks. So, I'm expected to be an expert in the tech to get to the next level, but I don't see that as likely if we keep flipping back and forth between the stacks for each story or two.
I hate that my company has lied to me. Multiple times they have broken their own policies to my detriment. They have also changed policies that negative affect things, like grade structure and promotions.
I hate that there's no hope or future in sight.
If you really work on tech nobody else knows or wants to do, that might be reasonable leverage. Ask for more money, if that will make you happier, or even just to save a bit extra and buy yourself time for what you want to do next, maybe?
Cliche to say, but it's never too late to switch things up. I know it feels hard as life piles on commitments, but eventually hating your job takes its toll on the rest of your life anyway. It's insidious.
Cliche to say, but it's never too late to switch things up. I know it feels hard as life piles on commitments, but eventually hating your job takes its toll on the rest of your life anyway. It's insidious.
Why do you stay at that company?
There aren't really any opportunities in Neoxam and FileNet.
It's not going to get better. There aren't going to be more opportunities next year. Potential new employers aren't going to regard you as more able to learn new stuff next year. If I were you, I'd start looking now.
A bunch of people quit and now I'm the most senior engineering person around. But I'm not senior _enough_ to stop the non-tech founders and other C-levels from doing the wrong thing, and it feels like most of the stuff we do day-to-day is just feel-good theater.
It's not fulfilling, and the company is in massive disarray, but I stay because: I like my direct reports and other engineering colleagues; we have a fair bit of runway and the pay is decent; and in practice I have no immediate boss at this point, so things are pretty flexible for me personally.
I'm thinking about taking a pay cut and doing something more interesting though.
It's not fulfilling, and the company is in massive disarray, but I stay because: I like my direct reports and other engineering colleagues; we have a fair bit of runway and the pay is decent; and in practice I have no immediate boss at this point, so things are pretty flexible for me personally.
I'm thinking about taking a pay cut and doing something more interesting though.
I think this post might resonate for you: https://charity.wtf/2020/11/01/questionable-advice-the-trap-...
I can hardly wait to leave my current job.
Doing management, paper pushing, and budgeting.
Back in the day I had heard, it is best to work in an industry where what you do is their business. Well my place is not tech and upper management just does not get it.
Key IT people are leaving, and I am planing to leave in a 18 months. I have to stay for the 18 months for a variety of reasons.
Sept 2022 cannot come early enough. Then I will get back to my true love, SW development.
Doing management, paper pushing, and budgeting.
Back in the day I had heard, it is best to work in an industry where what you do is their business. Well my place is not tech and upper management just does not get it.
Key IT people are leaving, and I am planing to leave in a 18 months. I have to stay for the 18 months for a variety of reasons.
Sept 2022 cannot come early enough. Then I will get back to my true love, SW development.
> Well my place is not tech and upper management just does not get it.
I worked at a place where senior mgmt "got it" but it was still difficult to thrive when SWE is a cost center. The folks who bring in the revenue will always be the stars.
I worked at a place where senior mgmt "got it" but it was still difficult to thrive when SWE is a cost center. The folks who bring in the revenue will always be the stars.
Not working, however being a first year in a university during this pandemic must’ve been the worst choice I’ve made in my life thus far.
Especially considering I’m thousands of kilometres away from friends and family and truly only being here for 3-4 exams per semester (everything else is online).
At this point being expelled sounds like a good deal.
Especially considering I’m thousands of kilometres away from friends and family and truly only being here for 3-4 exams per semester (everything else is online).
At this point being expelled sounds like a good deal.
If you won't lose scholarships or your seat, you can take a gap semester or year and return later. Most programs do have a time limit but full time students taking one gap year will likely be fine. There's a lot of valuable things you can do during a gap year to keep your career progressing such as (paid) internships, projects, other educational pursuits, or volunteering.
But don't get expelled! That will tarnish your academic record and the credits won't transfer.
But don't get expelled! That will tarnish your academic record and the credits won't transfer.
Got stuck with an underperforming person to manage - the person has no drive, no eagerness to work and above all expects someone in the team to babysit them because they don't know something.
0 instances in the last year (10-12 months) where they have proactively tried to understand what's happening.
It's tough to get any work out of them and the worst part is my manager and the whole team knows they're useless but the company policy is a mess and it's practically not possible to get rid.
So I'm thinking of showing myself the door but in this economy, I don't see any good job openings for myself :(
I left a good job as an infrastructure team lead. I have kind of stumbled into training/teaching adults. I don't think I could go back to looking after a busy infrastructure. Thinking back I'm not so sure that it was the workload. I think it was the headspace required to manage a busy saas infrastructure. I don't wake up anymore and check for server alerts. I tip my hat to the good men and women who now look after these types of services for us all.
About my job, nothing. About the need to have a job, everything. So I'm saving money and July I'll fire myself and life a carefree life.
Should this be posted automatically two weeks prior to the first? I am being entirely serious, I always find these threads helpful.
Nothing anymore. I started my new job on 3/1. My previous manager was terrible, miss the company, miss the work, don't miss the manager.
Congrats. Are the companies the same size/industry/etc, or did you totally switch it up?
Total switch. Went from a ~50 person private industry SaaS to a ~500 person government contractor. Kept the same basic tech stack, but that's it.