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Comment by strathmeyer | Hacker News Reader

As an advanced programmer it always seemed I was getting rejected for jobs because of 'culture' because I wouldn't put up with their abusive environments.

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IMO that's a feature, not a bug. I really would not fit into that culture, so I'd love for them to reject me based on my refusal to work overtime, except in emergencies... Which had better be pretty seldom.

Right. Say anything in an interview to suggest you won't work 60 hour weeks every week and you're suddenly not a good culture fit.

Workaholism is a real problem in North America I guess

Find a different industry. There are plenty of companies doing boring everyday things and going home at 5 scattered around that would love to hire you. Sometimes you take a pay cut to work there - your willingness to do this reflects on you.

There are plenty of well-paying tech jobs that don't require you to work nights and weekends. No need to 'find a different industry'.

You kinda sound like you buy in to the overwork and are trying to convince others of your own decision. I would say: the company never really appreciates or rewards it, and becoming a kool-aid salesman is often a path to ruin.

Mind blowing to me how a statement like "I don't want to work half-again as much per week as my contract requires" gets a response like "go find a different industry"

As if I'm the one who is wrong here. Decades of workers rights and unions trying to make work safer and better for people, to work less for the same pay, but I'm the one who is wrong for wanting that.

Why do software devs love to be exploited so much.

There are lots of industries that need software developers. Switching industry doesn't mean you can't write code anymore. Banks hire a lot of great programmers, and they expect them to work 8 hour days, and many enforce a 2 week vacation every year (if you are committing fraud 2 weeks is long enough for someone to notice something that you would cover up if you had access to the office). Are control software for some valve in some industry. Or medical records need help.

Maybe it's because you refer to yourself as an advanced programmer?

The GP might be a prima donna, or he might just be stating the facts.

We have to be able to distinguish apprentices from people who have all of the breadth, depth, and color that comes with experience. In sane professions, they don't call someone "senior" after 3-5 years.

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