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Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

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Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#431

Post by honkycat »

I hate all of my jobs. Computer programming just doesn't seem worth it for 100-120k. I could work an easier job for a better money/bullshit ratio. My therapist is concerned. So am I.

What if I don't fit in anywhere? I'm extremely sensitive with a high EQ, am an INTP. People really like me, and I make fast friends and can run a room extremely effectively. I've always been "the funny guy."

I'm absurdly driven A-type and I go crazy if I can't hack and distinguish myself through my natural work ethic and intellect.

I do EXCELLENT at both the interpersonal and implementation part of software engineering. I've never had a bad review.

I've fucked my career up while actively trying to build my resume. I thought building a successful start up would help my resume. It doesn't. Nobody cares. People want to pay me the same mediocre pay for a harder job five years later. They want to see Google and an ivy league on the resume.

I don't know what to do anymore. After 10 years and a 4 year degree, I'm totally lost as to what to do next.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#432

Post by reificator »

wbl wrote: post #425
reificator wrote: post #401

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> ?? Git works just fine without any of that. I echo your ??. Sure you don't need a central repository to use git. What does that have to do with suggesting some git hosts that aren't cloud based?

You can have a git repo on a server that developers use ssh to access just with git. The bells and whistles aren't part of the core job. It's just my general griping about software these days.

I get where you're coming from, but I still don't think it deserves a ??. Most people in most environments want a GUI they can click around in.

I'm very comfortable with git at the command line, but I still think it's valuable to have a web interface. For instance, with a web GUI I'm able to share a link to a specific line or range in a file in a specific commit.

Typically if I need to do that I'm asking a question or requesting a change, and in that case I want there to be as few barriers as possible to increase the chances that the other person cooperates. Asking someone to clone/pull the repo, checkout a hash, and then view a line in a file is a much higher barrier than asking them to click a link.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#433

Post by noir_lord »

loxs wrote: post #413
dav1app wrote: post #403

On my last job, a new manager called me for a meeting on Friday 4PM. I spent the whole month on an extremely stressful project. The meeting was about an app that integrates credit card payments, billets and bank account on a terminal that is going to be available to the general public. The deadline? 11PM of the same day. Final version. From 0 to 100% in 6 hours. I said that it was impossible. He said that I was incap…

One of my goals in life is to never be susceptible to this kind of situation (been there some years ago). So far I manage to have as big a financial buffer as needed to be able to quit instantly in that situation without batting an eye. Indeed I never hide my ability to do so and I try to make very clear the things "I won't do" at any gig I take. Either before I start or very early in the process. At my current job i…

You don’t to me, I spent the last 4 months saving every penny to so that I had 7mths runway in the bank as I was approaching the inevitable “fuck this point”.

I accepted an offer for a new job yesterday and so I won’t need that buffer but I’m keeping it, ISA’s and pensions are all good but I didn’t leave myself enough readily accessible cash to just say fuck it and walk if I needed to.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#434

Post by peterkelly »

throwaway58129 wrote: post #64

I didn't know this format was a thing and am so very excited to discover it. I hope you folks enjoy reading horror stories. I got a job as a Software Engineer in my current company 4.5 years ago; friend-of-a-friend sort of thing. The company had an apparently disastrous piece of software that was their main LOB. They had gone through pretty much every local consulting agency - at least once, on a few occasions they h…

This has to be one of the most impressive war stories I've ever read. Thanks for writing this all out!

But as others have said, you need to get yourself out of that company ASAP and hire your own lawyer to figure out what your own potential liabilities are. I'm not in the US and am not familiar with the details of HIPAA, but just based on what you've written I really don't think it's a good idea to stick around a place like that particularly given you know exactly what's going on. Even if you don't end up with any liabilities/troubles from what has transpired to date, it seems inevitable that something will happen eventually that will end spectacularly badly for everyone involved.

I understand the money is good, but I would seriously recommend finding another employer with a bit more knowledge of and respect for the law.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#435

Post by brongondwana »

brongondwana wrote: post #301
house9-2 wrote: post #207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> working on non-version-controlled code, having been expressly forbidden from using ANY VC by the CEO Version Control is a basic requirement of professional software development in this day and age. You could try explaining to your CEO it would be like telling a carpenter they can't use a hammer to build your new house. Or just take the initiative and use Version Control without telling them. In my mind it isn't som…

Apparently (according to a carpenter friend) - if the carpenter uses a hammer on a modern build it means something has gone wrong - they're normally using nailguns or similar to put things together - hammers are to bash them back apart again or knock them into alignment if they weren't done right the first time.

And to bring it back to the original poster - barely a day goes by that you don't need a ~hammer~ ... version control history.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#436

Post by hnick »

shifto wrote: post #424
hnick wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1 year is pretty much the modern standard for the minimum appropriate time before moving on in my experience, so I think it's fine.

Where I am from it's normal to get a 1 year contract when starting. Then if you did well you either get another temp contract or a contract of indefinite duration. I feel if you quit after a year other companies will assume you didn't make it past the first period. So I'll try to stick around some while before making moves. Also just having had a kid makes me feel I don't want to burden myself too much. A new job mig…

Yes, it is very culturally specific so I guess that should be taken into account.

Here (Australia) it's common to have a 6 month probationary period where you can be fired or leave with basically no notice as employee and employer determine if it's a good fit, after that it becomes significantly harder to fire and the employee needs to give a few weeks of notice to leave. So a year is generally fine, you passed your test and were enough of an asset to make hiring you worthwhile and repay any onboarding overhead.

A few 1-year gigs in a row though, yeah, people will definitely ask.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#437

Post by virgilp »

loxs wrote: post #413
dav1app wrote: post #403

On my last job, a new manager called me for a meeting on Friday 4PM. I spent the whole month on an extremely stressful project. The meeting was about an app that integrates credit card payments, billets and bank account on a terminal that is going to be available to the general public. The deadline? 11PM of the same day. Final version. From 0 to 100% in 6 hours. I said that it was impossible. He said that I was incap…

One of my goals in life is to never be susceptible to this kind of situation (been there some years ago). So far I manage to have as big a financial buffer as needed to be able to quit instantly in that situation without batting an eye. Indeed I never hide my ability to do so and I try to make very clear the things "I won't do" at any gig I take. Either before I start or very early in the process. At my current job i…

> I may seem like an asshole, but so far it works

I do the same, it's amazing how well it works. As long as you genuinely try putting (what you think is) the company interest first, people actually appreciate you more if you don't do what you're told, but what you think is best. At least that's my experience so far. And it makes sense - because not everybody can afford to challenge the status quo & conventional wisdom, people that can do it can become very valuable.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#438

Post by encoderer »

honkycat wrote: post #431

I hate all of my jobs. Computer programming just doesn't seem worth it for 100-120k. I could work an easier job for a better money/bullshit ratio. My therapist is concerned. So am I. What if I don't fit in anywhere? I'm extremely sensitive with a high EQ, am an INTP. People really like me, and I make fast friends and can run a room extremely effectively. I've always been "the funny guy." I'm absurdly driven A-type an…

Create multiple income streams. Build a product not a startup. Learn, earn, grow.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#439

Post by tallanvor »

halfer53 wrote: post #430
dav1app wrote: post #403

On my last job, a new manager called me for a meeting on Friday 4PM. I spent the whole month on an extremely stressful project. The meeting was about an app that integrates credit card payments, billets and bank account on a terminal that is going to be available to the general public. The deadline? 11PM of the same day. Final version. From 0 to 100% in 6 hours. I said that it was impossible. He said that I was incap…

This is one of the reason I hate about PIP( performance improvement program). They set ridiculous goals for you in very short amount of time that nobody can possibly complete, then fire you on grounds of incompetence. A friend of mine who works in Facebook told me that an employee committed suicide due to the pressure of PIP. I suspect that guy was put into PIP due to poor rating (meet most), then was given a ridicul…

I can't speak for Facebook, but I know that in some companies, it really is possible for individual contributers to successfully complete a PIP. I've known at least 3 coworkers at my workplace who have been put on PIPs. They were given realistic expectations that didn't require them to work 50+ hours per week, and they completed the plans successfully.

Of course, a manager who's put on a plan is generally gone in a few months, or they're allowed to step down into an individual contributor role.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#440

Post by virgilp »

halfer53 wrote: post #430
dav1app wrote: post #403

On my last job, a new manager called me for a meeting on Friday 4PM. I spent the whole month on an extremely stressful project. The meeting was about an app that integrates credit card payments, billets and bank account on a terminal that is going to be available to the general public. The deadline? 11PM of the same day. Final version. From 0 to 100% in 6 hours. I said that it was impossible. He said that I was incap…

This is one of the reason I hate about PIP( performance improvement program). They set ridiculous goals for you in very short amount of time that nobody can possibly complete, then fire you on grounds of incompetence. A friend of mine who works in Facebook told me that an employee committed suicide due to the pressure of PIP. I suspect that guy was put into PIP due to poor rating (meet most), then was given a ridicul…

It's a sad story; but PIP is really the pink slip; you take it as an advance notice that you're going to be fired, and start looking for jobs. I've heard stories of people completing PIP programs successfully, but quite honestly, I don't get it. Once you got to that point, you're not a good fit to the team and/or they don't appreciate you. Makes no sense to stay. I could understand staying with the company & switching teams/departments, but staying in the same place makes no sense to me.
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