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People Start Hating Their Jobs at Age 35

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Re: People Start Hating Their Jobs at Age 35

#21

I started to notice this in my late 20s. It felt kind of like a "the emperor has no clothes" moment when I was working at a tech startup that pushed long hours/weekend work in order to fulfill some "mission" and "greater purpose" and that I should feel a part of this for the greater good. It kind of hit me that this was mostly just a fantastic way to extract more work out of young, impressionable 20somethings who did…

I have hope that some companies are starting to understand this and we'll have –hopefully– a course correction. What has become common is unsustainable.

A few companies are starting to understand this, I think what DHH and Basecamp are doing is more the future. Giving people's lives outside of work as seemingly a first class priority, which sounds weird to say as a new notion, but yet here we are - https://basecamp.com/about/jobs

Re: People Start Hating Their Jobs at Age 35

#22
post #2

Probably around the same time they realize they don't have unlimited time and become aware that their life clock is ticking away.

Although I don't hate my job, this is pretty much me right now. (26 years old)

I've got a cool job as a software developer, and it pays well. Flexible hours. Good colleagues. But I don't give a flying fuck about the software that I'm paid to develop. I'd much rather be working on open source software.

Why don't I do it in my free time? Well I'm still studying part time, so I can't really. But this is my last semester, and maybe things will be better once I finish my studies.

It really sucks that time is limited, and you can never get it back. [0]

[0] https://waitbutwhy.com/2014/05/life-weeks.html

Re: People Start Hating Their Jobs at Age 35

#23

What? I just turned 20 and I've hated every job I've had (after a while, of course).

Do you know the adage about finding a job doing what you love, and how it means you'll never work a day in your life? It is a lie.

Lest you think self-employed is a better option, you'll never work harder than you work for yourself.

Re: People Start Hating Their Jobs at Age 35

#25
post #9

I believe the tech sector is extremely prone to this: If you cannot climb out of a technical role, over time, you realize just how clueless most people are, especially those who imagine themselves of being "in control". Not just a bit uninformed, no: absolutely positively clueless[1]. If you go the management route, you often give up, what got you started with all this is the first place: curiosity and exploration, c…

I'm only 31 and found out the hard way that 90% of the way successful people got to where they are is through charisma, lying, and cheating others.

I think that is cynical, but people have to realize "Intelligence" itself is not enough. You can either work on your soft-skills or you can put together a well rounded team working for you. For a small up-start relying on a friend or family with good soft-skills is a good start.

Re: People Start Hating Their Jobs at Age 35

#26
post #9

I believe the tech sector is extremely prone to this: If you cannot climb out of a technical role, over time, you realize just how clueless most people are, especially those who imagine themselves of being "in control". Not just a bit uninformed, no: absolutely positively clueless[1]. If you go the management route, you often give up, what got you started with all this is the first place: curiosity and exploration, c…

I'm only 31 and found out the hard way that 90% of the way successful people got to where they are is through charisma, lying, and cheating others.

... you forgot luck.

Re: People Start Hating Their Jobs at Age 35

#28
post #21

I started to notice this in my late 20s. It felt kind of like a "the emperor has no clothes" moment when I was working at a tech startup that pushed long hours/weekend work in order to fulfill some "mission" and "greater purpose" and that I should feel a part of this for the greater good. It kind of hit me that this was mostly just a fantastic way to extract more work out of young, impressionable 20somethings who did…

I have hope that some companies are starting to understand this and we'll have –hopefully– a course correction. What has become common is unsustainable. A few companies are starting to understand this, I think what DHH and Basecamp are doing is more the future. Giving people's lives outside of work as seemingly a first class priority, which sounds weird to say as a new notion, but yet here we are - https://basecamp.c…

Yeah this is great - I think a course correction is going to be necessary to keep people sane. Most people aren't wired to work 12 hour days 6 days a week.

More than anything, I just think it's kind of gross that if I don't go to the after work happy hour, or don't send emails on the weekend, that I'm not perceived as being on-board. Can't stand that line of thinking.

Re: People Start Hating Their Jobs at Age 35

#29
post #19

I believe the tech sector is extremely prone to this: If you cannot climb out of a technical role, over time, you realize just how clueless most people are, especially those who imagine themselves of being "in control". Not just a bit uninformed, no: absolutely positively clueless[1]. If you go the management route, you often give up, what got you started with all this is the first place: curiosity and exploration, c…

Only bad managers forego creativity and progress. Don't blame the role for the mediocrity of some people who play it. Strangely, people don't hold the same view of conductors, even if they don't play the instruments. Or directors, even though they don't do the acting. Or football coaches, even if they aren't the playing game. Hell, there's management simulator games out there that people love. But software management…

Nice no true Scotsman here.

Now define a good manager from a shareholder view.

Re: People Start Hating Their Jobs at Age 35

#30
post #21

I started to notice this in my late 20s. It felt kind of like a "the emperor has no clothes" moment when I was working at a tech startup that pushed long hours/weekend work in order to fulfill some "mission" and "greater purpose" and that I should feel a part of this for the greater good. It kind of hit me that this was mostly just a fantastic way to extract more work out of young, impressionable 20somethings who did…

I have hope that some companies are starting to understand this and we'll have –hopefully– a course correction. What has become common is unsustainable. A few companies are starting to understand this, I think what DHH and Basecamp are doing is more the future. Giving people's lives outside of work as seemingly a first class priority, which sounds weird to say as a new notion, but yet here we are - https://basecamp.c…

That's only possible if your business model doesn't depend on extracting "more work out of young, impressionable 20somethings who didn't know any better without paying them for this extra effort".
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