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I quit my job

madebyloren.com

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Re: I quit my job

#31

Post by coherentpony »

larrys wrote: post #18
coherentpony wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This doesn't make any sense to me. Why would you quit without another job lined up? You must have a ton of money already saved to cover the rent and feed the children. Or live with your parents. I couldn't just quit my job without having other work lined up.

"Why would you quit without another job lined up? " If you make the decision in your head that you are going to quit then it's quite possible your work and your attitude will decline and either co workers or management will have a negative view of you by the time you do quit. In a sense this is similar to why many performers go out while on top (thinking of Seinfeld as one example) instead of waiting for ratings decl…

That's a fair point, but with this approach one is left with a gap of unemployment in their CV. Unfortunately, even in today's economic climate, a gap in your CV is still seen as a negative to many employers.

Re: I quit my job

#32

Post by coherentpony »

guynamedloren wrote: post #17
coherentpony wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This doesn't make any sense to me. Why would you quit without another job lined up? You must have a ton of money already saved to cover the rent and feed the children. Or live with your parents. I couldn't just quit my job without having other work lined up.

My parents live across the country, and I have no children. I don't have a ton of money, but I have some. I have enough to survive for several months (or longer, if needed). LA is expensive, but I'm relatively frugal.

And you also presumably have the right to abode in The United States without employment.

Re: I quit my job

#33

Post by hga »

Jare wrote: post #26
larrys wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I could argue this either way but I think in the end there is little creative way to explain why you left that either doesn't make you sound hard to please, or as if you knew you were going to get axed in the near future, or you were asked to resign. (I'm trying real hard to find a spin but can't..) Otoh, I sold a business and everyone criticized me that I had nothing else lined up to do but I realized that I wouldn'…

> there is little creative way to explain why you left that either doesn't make you sound hard to please You solve that by not explaining why you left :) but instead focusing on where you want to go, and how the prospective company is the ideal place to achieve that.

The company neutral "I got tired of the commute" is frequently also true and can be useful if the potential new company insists on knowing.

Re: I quit my job

#34

Post by coherentpony »

cstejerean wrote: post #13
coherentpony wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This doesn't make any sense to me. Why would you quit without another job lined up? You must have a ton of money already saved to cover the rent and feed the children. Or live with your parents. I couldn't just quit my job without having other work lined up.

That's not a great position to be in. The company you work for can let you go at any moment whether or not you have something lined up, and if that's not something you can tolerate then you might want to start working on it (either by increasing your saving or by reducing the out of time it would take you to find another job).

That's the case with any job, though. There's no such thing as a 'job for life' now. No matter how much one 'works on it', job security is a myth in industry in the 21st century.

When someone says 'job security', the profession I immediately jump to is a tenured professorship. And those don't exactly come by frequently.

Re: I quit my job

#35

Post by sadkingbilly »

nathas wrote: post #21

I know this is _wrong_, but that's the point where I start writing side projects at work. If I'm finishing all my rote work within regular day, at previous jobs I've started working on stupid side projects. A physics engine in Lua, a maze generator in PyGame, and so on.

There is a fine tactic regarding pacing yourself as a developer/engineer - and this is part of it. I think this really helps stave off boredom, especially the kind that might lead someone to want to quit. Sometimes this isn't possible, such as when you're being micromanaged, in which case, it's clear the employer has no interest in you growing your skill, learning, or becoming more valuable.

Re: I quit my job

#38

Post by btipling »

Even for employees, startups are hard and take commitment. It's not for everyone, in fact it's probably not for most. People seem to have this idea of lavish Zynga style life styles. It's not. It's really really hard work. You still have to do as you're told. Everything is always going wrong. You still have to be responsible for your productivity. In fact you have to do a lot more. You cannot just hide.

As startups are not anywhere near a guaranteed job, downturns are really hard on morale, but you have to stick through it. Why do you have to? Because commitment. If you aren't ready for that kind of commitment, then early stage start ups are not for you probably.

As an employee you will more than likely not end up making as much as you would elsewhere in the long run. What do you get out of it then? Depends. I think it's worth it because I learn a lot and because my contributions really make a difference. Even if I don't have input in the broader direction (actually a good thing), I know my value.

Re: I quit my job

#39

Post by bguthrie »

fixxer wrote: post #10
guynamedloren wrote: post #2

If you're in a similar position and this resonates with you, do yourself a favor and just quit. Seriously. Stop waiting for things to get interesting. They won't. It's so easy to get stuck. If you're good at what you do, you'll find a job you love immediately (if that's what you're looking for). As developers, we're fortunate to be in extremely high demand. Life is too short to be bored. Work on interesting things.

Sorry dude, I disagree. As an employee, an employer, and an investor, I see your action as a giant red flag.

One of the great things about leaving a job you dislike to bootstrap a company making something you do like is not having too care too much about what other people think of your employment history.
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