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Why I am leaving the best job I ever had

maxschireson.com

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Re: Why I am leaving the best job I ever had

#31

Post by crpatino »

tomp wrote: post #27
woodchuck64 wrote: post #22

I predict a society where men, women, couples work until age 60-70 and then retire and have children (assuming medical advances).

Why not have children when you're 25, then work from 45 until the end of your life?

Because that would imply that the grand parents are the bread winners in the family, instead of "enjoying their golden years".

Re: Why I am leaving the best job I ever had

#32

Post by sjf »

chrisfosterelli wrote: post #17
gordaco wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To me that X is the amount needed to just survive, maybe a little more. Right now I'm working far more that I'd like, that is, making far more money than I need, since I'm far from being a big spender but I love having time for studying or for long walks at the beach (my most expensive vice is in fact studying, which is far cheaper in my country than in the US). It sucks that in practice there's no way to work less t…

Do companies really discriminate if you've been unemployed for a few years, even with good reason? I've never heard of that before, and would be interested in knowing how common it is.

Was applying recently in the SF bay area, unemployed with a one year gap in my resume. Got an interview with > 75% of my applications. No one really questioned why I wasn't working, or seemed put off by it. I was travelling, but I could just as easily have been ill, pregnant, in jail, etc.

Re: Why I am leaving the best job I ever had

#34

Post by lsc »

I just think it's interesting that when I was at a major portal/search company, it seemed like one bigwig or another would leave "to spend more time with my family" every month or two. I mean, we were getting our ass kicked; it seemed like every time we got a new head of X, they were going to "turn things around" - so it makes total sense that high-level heads would be rolling when things failed to turn around, but we'd all roll our eyes when we got these emails.

I don't want to take away from the validity of spending more time with your family or what have you; I prefer working part-time myself, when I can make it happen.

This looks way more sincere and well-written than most such notes; The notes we got at this company usually looked like they were written by an HR person. this reads like the man wrote it himself rather than handing it off to some HR flack, and it certainly feels true. It's well written, and after reading it, I think better of him, and really, even if he is being pushed out, there's no shame in leaving gracefully.

Re: Why I am leaving the best job I ever had

#35

Post by goodcanadian »

Thank you for posting this. I am a relatively new father, and I find myself thinking along similar lines: possibly the best job I have ever had, but if the right opportunity comes along for my wife, I would probably quit and follow her. Unfortunately, for financial and logistical reasons it is not a terribly good idea for me to quit now. Moreover, the possibility of working fewer hours doesn't readily exist though short periods of leave without pay is a possibility which I am getting closer to taking.

It is frustrating that no one talks about men balancing work and family.

Re: Why I am leaving the best job I ever had

#37

Post by tomp »

crpatino wrote: post #31
tomp wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why not have children when you're 25, then work from 45 until the end of your life?

Because that would imply that the grand parents are the bread winners in the family, instead of "enjoying their golden years".

Instead, we could make "the golden years" between 25 and 45.

Re: Why I am leaving the best job I ever had

#38

Post by mschireson »

TheMagicHorsey wrote: post #21

Regardless of what I think about MongoDB the database, this man seems like a good leader based on his honesty. Showing this much vulnerability in public isn't something CEOs usually do without a public scandal. I'm curious if this guy is a professional manager or grew into this role as a founder. Because this sort of communication doesn't strike me as the sort of thing that would come out of the keyboard of an MBA or…

Theoretically I am a career manager but I feel more like a hybrid between that and an entrepreneur. I have done mostly management roles but more on the technical side, some individual contributor stints, and joined my last two companies quite early (8 employees and 27).

Re: Why I am leaving the best job I ever had

#40

Post by mikestew »

woodchuck64 wrote: post #22

I predict a society where men, women, couples work until age 60-70 and then retire and have children (assuming medical advances).

Unless your hypothetical medical advances include more energy and physical flexibility, I'm guessing you're either not anywhere close to sixty or don't have kids. My wife and I (who don't have kids) have discussed that we don't even want a puppy (in contrast to adopting an adult dog) when we're sixty, let alone a kid. Our last puppy was six years ago, and we've sworn off them since. :-)
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