Do office jobs get better, or do I just die on the inside?

Post Reply New Topic

I've worked as a programmer for a couple years now at a tech company, and only in one place. Here are a few of my issues with this company:

They don't let developers or analysts talk to any clients, even when they have technical questions. Only people who have no earthly idea what we actually do get to go places and talk to people. As such, they promise things that are impossible, and it falls on us to make it work.

The company never, ever plans ahead, and is constantly working from behind. We only deal with issues when they are critical.

We are all vastly overworked, under resourced, and under appreciated. There are literally three technical people of any kind on staff, and it's a technical company. For example, one of the other developers and I have been asked to rewrite our entire code base from scratch, because it's based on a dead technology that will disappear soon. They want us to do this by ourselves, and by March. I don't even get paid enough to be able to afford to go to a restaurant. Student loans and rent take almost all my money. It took me so long to find a job in the first place, so I'm terrified of losing the income.

I could go on and on with gripes, but my issue is larger than that. I've heard that many similar problems are universal. I've heard that almost all jobs are relentlessly infuriating, require you to work incredibly hard and lowball you constantly, and most of the people telling you what to do will have no idea what they're talking about. So my question is this: Are all jobs actually like this? As I grow in my career, do the jobs become better? Or do I slowly and surely have the life squeezed out of me, until I'm just working for a paycheck and too tired and dead on the inside to even get frustrated about irrational decisions and inefficiencies? Do I just get beaten down until I give up?

Also, on a semi related note, I've noticed that in career advancement, by far the largest factors are people skills and time. Promotions seem to be primarily a function of time and experience, rather than actual ability. And based on how much people like you. Will I ever be able to perform to the full extent of my abilities, or will I be saddled by too young/not personable enough until I am just spiteful and resentful of everyone and everything? I was hoping that benefits/pay/etc would somehow be tied to job performance/knowledge/ability. I see now that is foolish, and every decision is made only with the short term in mind.

Are there any jobs where things make sense, and decisions are made somewhat rationally? Or is everything a clusterf*** everywhere I'll go, until I give up and become a hikkikomori? Our parent company in Denmark seems to treat people like people. Maybe there are greener pastures elsewhere?

Sadly, it is better to have a job you hate than to have no job at all.

So we die a little each day ... What of it? That's what they pay us to do.

The only viable alternatives are to either change things where you are or find another job.

Sadly, as a rather big client (or mostly, potential client), I HATE being put in a meeting with these sales people that don't know their arse from their elbow. I don't care about their feel good jargon, I have questions about system performance, the ability to tweak ui, and the sources for reporting... none of these sales people can ever answer my question, so I give them a big thumbs down (as the only software person in my department, both in my current job and my last one, I luckily get the freedom to make that decision).
That said, I have my current job, because once, back in 2002, a sales person WAS the tech person and he could answer all of my questions. Even though we couldn't afford in that budget cycle to hire their company, we stayed in touch and he tried to hire me a couple of times because he thought I had a good brain for the job. He eventually referred me to this place, who was one of his clients.

Anyway, I digress. I hope you can pay down your loans as fast as possible so you have more freedom. I was job searching for years, but, had to stay in my job (that was becoming boring and frustrating, facing the same problems over and over that were never resolved).

As for being low-balled on wages, it's easier to say no when you job search while you already have a job. I do my research on any job I apply for and expect a reasonable salary, based on how much applicable experience I have. While it's pained me to do so, I've turned down a couple offers over the years. Some of the potential employers, I've gone so far as to tell them they're going to be disappointed with what their offered wage buys them. That might be considered bridge burning, but, it might also be doing someone a favor later on.

I definitely don't think every job is as poorly organized as the one you're dealing with. A lot are. Just like in the construction industry (the crux of my work at my last job), 75% of the architecture/engineering/general contractors etc I never would have worked for, because they had a reactionary and inefficient/ineffective business model. The other 25% I admired for being run well. (most firms such as these are small business, if an architect or builder doesn't have good business sense, they have to hire someone who does or suffer bad practices, it's VERY stressful for employees)
I moved into a more IT role with my new company and I have to say sometimes I'm not sure our software support has it totally together. Ever since their two best programmers left, they've been expecting other employees to fill the gap, but, they don't have the experience and confidence necessary in all of the components.

I think it really depends on the job field and responsibility levels. Low stress jobs often are ones that pay low with little chances for advancement while the higher paying ones are going to dominate your life more and become more stressed with the required skills and workload which go with better paying jobs. People have to make the decision. Focus on their career which means a high demanding job that pays better with less downtown or a more menial job that doesn't require too much commitment yet doesn't pay a lot. I've met people with a menial job(s) for many years who make almost no money but still are happy because of how much time they have with family and friends. Finding that perfect job that pays well and gives you a great work/life balance is tough to find.

Talking to my new coworkers (who are from higher financial backgrounds than my old coworkers), it seems they expect a good balance between work and home and have had it in other jobs.
I'm hoping it's becoming more common with the acceptance of telecommuting as well.

I generally work 40 hours per week, but, I can come in late and go home early and adjust my schedule to fit my whims (doctor visits, parent/teacher meetings, travel, etc). And, the IT people (such as myself) can work from home at night or weekends rather than during the week.
Typically I keep a normal weekly schedule because my users do, but, knowing I can come in late or go home early if I've got a system change to push after hours is pretty nice.
I would love to work from home, and just travel to a site for occasional support, but, that wouldn't work in my current role. I do know plenty of my professional connections who have jobs like that, though. They can take a cruise or travel across europe and still check in for an hour or two every day. Many of the tech companies also provide sabbaticals every few years, to give people time to pursue some type of personal development or relaxation and recharging. I want to work for one of those companies eventually.

I've been in the tech industry for over 20 years now. I wish I could tell you it gets better. If anything, for me, I think it's gotten worse. The cumulative effects of sensory overstimulation have been bad for my anxiety and I've been having shutdowns to the point of being non-verbal, no eye contact, tears in my eyes, stimming rather vigorously.

The industry has been moving to a much more social model, first via Agile and then via DevOps. Private offices have given way to cubicals, which have themselves given way to newsroom style seating with little to nothing in the way of barriers separating co-workers.

I'm honestly not sure what's next for me. I feel like I'm in rut now, having one shutdown after another, getting less and less productive, all for reasons that are entirely avoidable with better understanding from above.

You might die inside while you're working.

However, you could resurrect yourself every day after work.

Then start the whole process again the next day.

I would quit. Sooner or later, wherever you work will possibly get beaten in whatever it is that they're trying to do by another company who knows what they're doing. It's like what you describe in a lot of places, but not everywhere. Being able to program is a very valuable skill that this country spends a lot of resources to teach to people. Go work at Google or Microsoft. I was allowed to visit Googles campus becuase of a friend and I can see why it's been rated the best place to work for years.

I would say start looking for another job.
I've entered the tech market recently and I would recommend Dice. You can send out like 50 applications in an hour easily once you have built your profile(also easy). It's a site made for tech people who don't have much time.
Don't quit till you have something else lined up.

If you work for a living, why do you kill yourself working?

I have had a number of jobs that were quite similar to this. The company is always playing catch up (for whatever reason). And, they are asking the staff to work more and more and more. In the software world, we refer to these as “death march” projects.

You can try to set boundaries (i.e., “I am only willing to give this company X numbers of hours per week”). The problem with this approach is that you may get relegated to the less interesting work.

Another option is to look for a position in a less “fast paced” industry. As an example, currently, I am working with a software development group within an IT organization of a big company. The technology is old (really, really old), the pace is slow and the expectations are low. At my age (I am now > 50), that is fine with me. At a younger age, I might be concerned that such a position is a dead end.

One of the questions you need to decide is how much you are willing to work. If you are willing to work lots of hours, then finding a better technology company may be appropriate.

You might want to check out Glass Door, to identify potential employers who might be more attractive to you.

I could have written this reply Mort. I never even knew what stimming was until recently. I pick at the same front tooth w/ the same thumbnail - that nail and finger are worn and calloused now. All from one nightmare thankless job after another where I do nothing but obsess on how badly I just want to be home and playing on my computer. I feel literally claustrophobic at work and even when it means I could get fired I continue to hurt my performance to take time and try add some pleasure or comfort to my day.....take extra smoke breaks, come back from lunch late, avoid working, tardies, absences...... It's become such a routine of unprofessional behavior I cannot expect to keep any job for any length of time. Even when my numbers are always amazing when it comes to my work product....my behavior, poor attitude, unkempt appearance, and horrendous time management always outweigh the positives and I'm given the boot

but yeah my eyes burn at work, i am dead tired all day from lack of sleep (because I dont want to sleep and wake up and start the vicious cycle of misery over again), overwhelmed by social interaction with customers and co-workers and knowing that my home-life is just as bad cuz i cannot manage my money, bills, expenses, etc

Sounds like where I'm at right now as well.

Some get cubicles, not I.

For a while, they were trying to prep me for another position, but I had to essentially do two jobs every day, and I was coming in 1 1/2 hours early, taking half a lunch, and STILL would have to stay late to do all they wanted. Sorry, 10 hours a day was my limit. They don't understand how EXHAUSTING it is just to go out of the house and come to work...just because of having to deal with being around other people (even when they are nice to me). Add in the stress of trying to do my job without screwing up, and I'm done by the time the "end" of my day normally arrives.