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Ask HN: How do I get out of my unhappy coding job?

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Re: Ask HN: How do I get out of my unhappy coding job?

#21

Post by yacoder »

ErrantX wrote: post #14

Where are you based (roughly)? What is your skillset? What wage are you after? I may have a job/project for you - and we can definitely work out something to accommodate your side projects/business. If it's any use to you drop me a line and we'll talk (always happy to help fellow HNers) We are not a software company; we actually do security/forensics (which is super interesting) but we have a little software project…

Wow! I am definitely interested in discussing any possibilities (I have clearly been far too reticent on this front as is clear from discussion here), for obvious reasons I'd rather not post [all] those details here; have dropped you an email.

Roughly: based in London, mostly C# skillset (currently).

Re: Ask HN: How do I get out of my unhappy coding job?

#22

Post by yacoder »

starkfist wrote: post #13

Do you have any money? If I lived in Europe I'd go rent a flat in Barcelona for 3 months and put together a code portfolio on github. (I actually wouldn't do exactly that... I'd go to work on an iphone app) If you like compilers I'd just do that. Life's too short. You might have to move somewhere far away if you want to be a professional compiler artist, though.

I'm ok for money, but not great (some debt) so can't really make that lovely lovely idea reality :) nice suggestion though!

Re: Ask HN: How do I get out of my unhappy coding job?

#23

Post by yacoder »

spolsky wrote: post #16
yacoder wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have definitely been reticent on the jobsearching front. I guess a combination of inertia/laziness and fear have got in the way; also I suppose I am worried that if I apply to jobs before I am 'ready' (well practised in the algo stuff typically asked at decent job interviews, etc.) I will end up blowing my chances at these places then later when I come to apply with more experience in this area they won't want to h…

Yes. Crikey. There are thousands of companies in the UK that hire programmers. How many of them can you possibly blow? Besides, the more jobs you apply for, the more practice you'll have applying.

Ironically I sent you an email about this very subject asking for advice (though more on the Micro ISV side of things) earlier :-)

Yeah. I know. I am being an idiot. I guess it's just easy to be too afraid of being rejected, which I definitely am. I need to get over myself I think.

Re: Ask HN: How do I get out of my unhappy coding job?

#24

Post by anigbrowl »

jotr99 wrote: post #8

Get a degree in computer science. Go at night and on weekends if you must.

Better yet, if working for a large employer see if you can get them to help pay for it. Obviously I don't know what sort of company you works for, but being depressed about working at a non-software company may be a reaction to internal rather than external factors.

It's worth asking for a meeting or lunch the supervisor, and explaining the worries about where you can go with this firm and why that lack of hardcore software prospects is worrying you a bit. It sounds very much as if you've ended up working as a mechanic when what you really wanted to do was design engines or gearboxes. If your employers aren't jerks and you've been doing a good job up to now, they may well offer some career-building assistance or advice that you might not have thought of yourself. Tread carefully, to ensure you aren't the obvious choice if the economy requires them to lay off a few people in every department ('Oh, let's get rid of yacoder, he's not that happy here anyway so he won't make a fuss'), but keep an open mind. For all you know the lack of core software openings at your company is due to management's inability to build a better programming team, and they might see your ambition to delve deeper as a valuable future asset.

Re: Ask HN: How do I get out of my unhappy coding job?

#25

Post by yacoder »

gruseom wrote: post #11

(jacquesm beat me to it, but I'm sure you can use more than one reply.) Given your relationship to programming as you describe it, I am quite sure that you can break out of this job. So please don't feel depressed! Just steel yourself to work damn hard on other stuff, no matter how tired or bummed you are from work, and don't stop until you get somewhere you want to be. Working on open-source projects is a great way…

Thank you. The positive encouragement of HNers means a lot to me.

I think a consensus is emerging that putting the language project aside for a while to focus on OSS would be a good idea.

Re: Ask HN: How do I get out of my unhappy coding job?

#26

Post by jacquesm »

yacoder wrote: post #25
gruseom wrote: post #11

(jacquesm beat me to it, but I'm sure you can use more than one reply.) Given your relationship to programming as you describe it, I am quite sure that you can break out of this job. So please don't feel depressed! Just steel yourself to work damn hard on other stuff, no matter how tired or bummed you are from work, and don't stop until you get somewhere you want to be. Working on open-source projects is a great way…

Thank you. The positive encouragement of HNers means a lot to me. I think a consensus is emerging that putting the language project aside for a while to focus on OSS would be a good idea.

What are your skills ? (programming languages and so on ?)

Re: Ask HN: How do I get out of my unhappy coding job?

#27

Post by yacoder »

arethuza wrote: post #18
jotr99 wrote: post #8

Get a degree in computer science. Go at night and on weekends if you must.

I disagree (and I have a CS degree) - the time spent getting another academic qualification would be far better spent on the more practical suggestions given elsewhere on this page.

I certainly believe that the kind of stuff you learn on a CS degree is incredibly important, esp. algorithms, hardware architecture, etc.

I agree with you that I think the academic approach wouldn't be as efficient as taking a more practical approach to what I need to know.

Re: Ask HN: How do I get out of my unhappy coding job?

#28

Post by yacoder »

jacquesm wrote: post #26
yacoder wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you. The positive encouragement of HNers means a lot to me. I think a consensus is emerging that putting the language project aside for a while to focus on OSS would be a good idea.

What are your skills ? (programming languages and so on ?)

currently, mostly C#, SQL, F# and some scheme. Most of my experience (and entirely professionally) is on the MS stack, though I run linux at home.

Re: Ask HN: How do I get out of my unhappy coding job?

#29

Post by edw519 »

I have been in your situation many times before and always struggled with it. Until I figured something out...

working in an internal IT department at a non-software company can be a HUGE advantage. Why? Because your "customers" are right there.

Please do not underestimate this as part of your career planning. Sure, we all want to create cool technology, but AFAIC, the single biggest shortcoming for developers that I've ever seen is what I'll call "detachment from users".

You don't have that problem. You have end users right there at your fingertips. Take advantage of it! Learn from them. Practice your systems analysis skills. Find out how to make that missing link, the connection between technology and people, work properly.

I have written significant pieces of technology for software houses, but was actually more frustrated. Why? It took months, sometimes even years before anyone actually used it. And then, they were communicating with someone other than me. The technology was cool, but by not closing that loop with my customers, I always felt that my work (and learning) was incomplete.

By all means, continue your dreams and career plans. But don't waste your current situation by being depressed about it. I can't tell you all the times in my career when I stood head and shoulders above my peers because I had suffered in the trenches like you are now. Except you don't have to suffer. Because now you know to look for opportunities to get a lot better in other ways. They're all around you if you just look.

Re: Ask HN: How do I get out of my unhappy coding job?

#30

Post by dannyr »

Quit.

Having a choice (in this case a job) is sometimes bad. If your back is against the wall, you'll be more driven to go after what you want.

I was working for a bank in the early part of my career. I was doing mainframe applications and I have always wanted to do web apps. So I quit my job and learned a web programming language (.Net). I learned it pretty fast and I built a small site to showcase my work. In two months since quitting, I found a consulting job that does web apps.

A few years ago, I was working for a big company in San Diego. I wanted to be in a startup environment. I tried my best to create one in my company but I failed.

So I quit my job and moved to the Bay Area. When I moved here, I realized that most startups use open source and I cannot find startups that use .Net. Actually I found a startup that uses .Net but they rescinded their offer when their investor told them to freeze hiring.

I was unemployed for months in the Bay Area so I said to myself I need to learn an open-source language. I ended up learning Python/Django.

I accepted a short-term web development using .Net and when that ended I continued learning Python/Django. Via networking, I ended up working for a YC startup and eventually moved to another startup in SF.

I'm really happy (but not satisfied) with where I am right now. If I didn't quit my job, I don't think I would have had the motivation to go after what I really wanted.

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