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Ask HN: Is it unprofessional to leave a new job where everything is a mess?

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Ask HN: Is it unprofessional to leave a new job where everything is a mess?

#1

Post by itistricky »

Hi, after a long job hunting period I joined a small remote first company 5 months ago.

Problems showed up immediately in the form of chaos and dysfunctions in the microservices cloud project I was hired in. Let's put it this way: say you get the seminal book on microservices and the seminal book on CICD. Now imagine reading along and doing almost everything from code up to project management the wrong way (essentially keeping on-prem 2000's philosophy and revamp it as microservices). On top of that add vendeta-developers in Asia (I'm in a small offshoot team in Europe) handing down half-baked frameworks (not-invented-here and reinventing the wheel are strong) with minimal documentation and a culture based on meetings instead of documenting things. Developer sandboxes that just don't work and unrealistic deadlines. In short a huge draining mess where I felt burnt out just a few months after I joined and where I honestly don't want to spent another minute.

Almost every attempt of mine to change anything was met with either "yeah we know but we have to live with it for now" or a straight denial to hear me out - brushed aside as a newcomer (I'm senior and was hired as such).

So, the question is, is it unprofessional to abandon ship just 6 months in or given the circumstances is exactly what I should do in order to protect my well being and my career prospects (the project is a slow motion train wreck IMO).

Re: Ask HN: Is it unprofessional to leave a new job where everything is a mess?

#2

Post by wfsch »

If you don't like the culture and work it is not wrong to leave it soon and join a better place. But you can't know if the new place will not have other type of problems. You can't find out in interviews if new company too will have dysfunctional way of working. Nobody shares such things in interviews. If you have friends in other companies then it is the best way to learn how culture is in those companies.

Re: Ask HN: Is it unprofessional to leave a new job where everything is a mess?

#3

Post by fivelessminutes »

Have you raised your perspective on their problems with your manager?

If they don't care, leaving is not unreasonable (although the 6 months might seem like a ding on your resume). But usually, people know. Whether they know and just want to keep turning up and take the money without rocking the boat, or want to rescue it but don't know how.

Re: Ask HN: Is it unprofessional to leave a new job where everything is a mess?

#5

Post by itistricky »

fivelessminutes wrote: post #3

Have you raised your perspective on their problems with your manager? If they don't care, leaving is not unreasonable (although the 6 months might seem like a ding on your resume). But usually, people know. Whether they know and just want to keep turning up and take the money without rocking the boat, or want to rescue it but don't know how.

Manager agrees on most of my points but, for various reasons, he cannot/won't change anything. All he can do is chase up people to set up a knowledge transfer meeting (when excessive meetings are just a sign of the dysfunctions of other levels).

Re: Ask HN: Is it unprofessional to leave a new job where everything is a mess?

#7

Post by fivelessminutes »

itistricky wrote: post #5
fivelessminutes wrote: post #3

Have you raised your perspective on their problems with your manager? If they don't care, leaving is not unreasonable (although the 6 months might seem like a ding on your resume). But usually, people know. Whether they know and just want to keep turning up and take the money without rocking the boat, or want to rescue it but don't know how.

Manager agrees on most of my points but, for various reasons, he cannot/won't change anything. All he can do is chase up people to set up a knowledge transfer meeting (when excessive meetings are just a sign of the dysfunctions of other levels).

I would start looking...

Re: Ask HN: Is it unprofessional to leave a new job where everything is a mess?

#8

Post by sfgweilr4f »

Not unprofessional at all to leave this kind of madness the moment you find something better or, if things are really bad and you can afford it, tomorrow. If there was cost cutting and layoffs, how loyal would they be to you?

Plus, right now you are slowly (or quickly) burning out. That is not an acceptable result. They are incompetent and unprofessional. Employees should not be burning out due to bad work design.

There is a massive opportunity cost in remaining in a bad environment. You may last awhile longer but only if you adapt to it. Do you really want to adapt to where you are and get comfortable in it?

I'd be returning to the resume stage and put the feelers out into my network. Live is too short for this kind of nonsense.

But in reality I can't advise you more than this because I don't know the full story and basically can't. Hope this helped.

Re: Ask HN: Is it unprofessional to leave a new job where everything is a mess?

#9

Post by snassar »

In Germany you have a probationary period of 6 months where both sides can give notice of 2 weeks without having to give a reason. The probationary period is really there to make sure that you fit the organization and that the organization fits you.

It is not usual that people don't make it through the probationary period, but it happens. If you know 5 months into a job that it is not for you and won't work out, then search for something that does. When asked why the time at X was so short, tell the hiring manager why. A place that dings you based on your honest assessment is not a place where you will want to work anyway.

Re: Ask HN: Is it unprofessional to leave a new job where everything is a mess?

#10

Post by HelloNurse »

You don't want to be there at the end of the "slow motion train wreck", even if the situation is currently tolerable and there is no threat of financial crisis.

Leave ASAP, and as a parting gift explain to upper management what they are doing wrong and why you consider the situation hopeless; some of your advice might catch.

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