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Ask HN: Techniques for surviving a job you loathe?

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Re: Ask HN: Techniques for surviving a job you loathe?

#71
Check out Rob Walling ( http://www.softwarebyrob.com/ ) if you haven't come across him yet, his book is subtitled- 'A developers guide to launching a startup' and it was eye opening for me (market first, marketing second, THEN build actual product). His podcasts called "startups for the rest of us" have great tips about overcoming and transitioning and I find are very energizing knowing others have gone through similar.

Every case is different, best of luck!

Re: Ask HN: Techniques for surviving a job you loathe?

#72
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Plus one on remote work. I'm the only one in my company in my town and it makes me very productive.

This is the right answer. Remote work gets a lukewarm reception on HN but it's incredibly useful. Our entire development team is remote and wouldn't have it any other way.

Out of interest, what are your sources to find remote work?

Re: Ask HN: Techniques for surviving a job you loathe?

#73
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Plus one on remote work. I'm the only one in my company in my town and it makes me very productive.

This is the right answer. Remote work gets a lukewarm reception on HN but it's incredibly useful. Our entire development team is remote and wouldn't have it any other way.

>Remote work gets a lukewarm reception on HN

I see people praising remote work on HN all the time. I also see people mention downsides, but I wouldn't have described the reception as lukewarm.

Re: Ask HN: Techniques for surviving a job you loathe?

#74

Read? Sounds like a sad place but if you're really in a place where you can 'play games on your phone and sleep' then create enough automation to meet what ever goals your manager sets for you, and then start learning more stuff. You might also find organizational dynamics and management books fun to see how they apply in your current situation. Some of the other folks there might be in the same boat you are, they ar…

I'm no lawyer (nor do I have any knowledge of how the law is different in Australia), but this might cause trouble when the employer asks whether trevaa used any of the company's resources to work on his side project. If he's using their time / lights / heat / AC / lunch / asking coworkers / etc, to read about topics that are directly applicable to his side project, that muddies things considerably even if he's other…

It is a valid point that you should not develop your side projects on your current company's time/resources without their permission. That said, general self improvement (learning new skills, areas of expertise) is always protected, and developing better relationships with your peers is also always protected. Both of those things make you a more valuable employee (both to your current employer and to future employers). And applying those skills to 'fix' problems around the office is also always protected as you're clearly working in the interest of your employer.

Re: Ask HN: Techniques for surviving a job you loathe?

#75
post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the right answer. Remote work gets a lukewarm reception on HN but it's incredibly useful. Our entire development team is remote and wouldn't have it any other way.

Out of interest, what are your sources to find remote work?

nomadjobs.io, weworkremotely.com, plenty of others.

Incidentally, general networking. I got my current contract via twitter. :-)

Re: Ask HN: Techniques for surviving a job you loathe?

#76
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the right answer. Remote work gets a lukewarm reception on HN but it's incredibly useful. Our entire development team is remote and wouldn't have it any other way.

>Remote work gets a lukewarm reception on HN I see people praising remote work on HN all the time. I also see people mention downsides, but I wouldn't have described the reception as lukewarm.

I certainly understand the previous statement regarding lukewarm reception.

It's quite the crazy paradox because in my mind's eye, if any group has the perfect combination of ability, globalized community, and gen-y go-getter attitude, it's Hacker News. Yet to my constant surprise people here tend to lean towards meatspace for some intangible but enthusiastically cited reason about productivity, and worse still, plenty of those people even praise cube farms.

It's most odd to me. Please be gentle with the down votes; I'm just expressing an observation.

Re: Ask HN: Techniques for surviving a job you loathe?

#77
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Remote work gets a lukewarm reception on HN I see people praising remote work on HN all the time. I also see people mention downsides, but I wouldn't have described the reception as lukewarm.

I certainly understand the previous statement regarding lukewarm reception. It's quite the crazy paradox because in my mind's eye, if any group has the perfect combination of ability, globalized community, and gen-y go-getter attitude, it's Hacker News. Yet to my constant surprise people here tend to lean towards meatspace for some intangible but enthusiastically cited reason about productivity, and worse still, plen…

Yes this has been my observation as well.

Re: Ask HN: Techniques for surviving a job you loathe?

#78
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Remote work gets a lukewarm reception on HN I see people praising remote work on HN all the time. I also see people mention downsides, but I wouldn't have described the reception as lukewarm.

I certainly understand the previous statement regarding lukewarm reception. It's quite the crazy paradox because in my mind's eye, if any group has the perfect combination of ability, globalized community, and gen-y go-getter attitude, it's Hacker News. Yet to my constant surprise people here tend to lean towards meatspace for some intangible but enthusiastically cited reason about productivity, and worse still, plen…

I've been part of both 'meatspace' and virtual teams. I think that remote work has huge advantages, but some disadvantages. The main disadvantage I see is that there's a barrier to communication. Of course, in the same room you have barriers to communication, but we're all attuned to how to overcome them.

You can work to overcome the remote communication barriers with skype, conference calls, on sites, slack/im, etc, but those are all learned behaviors that take some time to spin up on.

I think on HN there might also just be a SV/SF bias.

Re: Ask HN: Techniques for surviving a job you loathe?

#79
post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm no lawyer (nor do I have any knowledge of how the law is different in Australia), but this might cause trouble when the employer asks whether trevaa used any of the company's resources to work on his side project. If he's using their time / lights / heat / AC / lunch / asking coworkers / etc, to read about topics that are directly applicable to his side project, that muddies things considerably even if he's other…

In any technical job you learn things that are useful in future jobs. I don't see how a lawyer could possibly object to "I was studying to improve my skills and enhance my value to the company". I certainly don't see how meditation would be better in this regard - that's just as much "using company time to get better at my side project", and there's less of a case that it helps you at your employer.

That's advice definitely from someone who doesn't meditate regularly or has felt the benefits of doing so :).

Re: Ask HN: Techniques for surviving a job you loathe?

#80
post #79
post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In any technical job you learn things that are useful in future jobs. I don't see how a lawyer could possibly object to "I was studying to improve my skills and enhance my value to the company". I certainly don't see how meditation would be better in this regard - that's just as much "using company time to get better at my side project", and there's less of a case that it helps you at your employer.

That's advice definitely from someone who doesn't meditate regularly or has felt the benefits of doing so :).

It's not about what I think the benefits are, it's about what the company and/or its lawyers think the benefits are.
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