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Comment by xyzelement | Hacker News Reader

One thing quick - this is incredibly subjective. I've worked in some amazing companies but there were always people on Glassdoor or Blind who found something to complain about.

People are fundamentally different. Someone may really enjoy structure and being told exactly what they have to do. Others want ambiguity and open-ended challenges. Some want stability, some want opportunity. So when you hear someone complain about a company (or praise it, I guess) it's important to ask yourself whether this person's values and interests are similar to yours.

Also keep in mind that people who are crushing it are much less likely to spend time talking about this stuff, while people who are not doing well/miserable have more incentive to vent. So often times it's not just subjective to the person but you're more likely to hear complaining than praise all other things being equal.

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The flip side of this sentiment is expressed quite eloquently in a sibling comment. In fact, we might even say the commenter is "crushing it":

One challenge is that even in sucky workplaces, there always seem to be champions that will tell you how great it is.

If I hear people say they are (or were) miserable at a certain job - I tend to take their word when they say there's a reason for it. Your take seems to be... they just ne'er-do-wells who are looking for something to vent about. But that's the difference between you and me, I guess.

>> If I hear people say they are (or were) miserable at a certain job - I tend to take their word when they say there's a reason for it

Like I said, there's an objective and a subjective here. I mainly found that people who are miserable at a job were miserable at every other job too. Doesn't totally mean it's "them" but it's kinda like "the only common in all your failed relationships is you."

Then there's the totally subjective. Example: two people get the same constructive feedback, one person goes "wow, I am getting feedback that will make me grow" and the other person goes "ouch my boss wounded my ego, I hate it". (I am not asking you to say one is good and one is bad, just making a clear example of situation that someone may like and another person may hate)

    two people get the same constructive feedback, 
    one person goes "wow, I am getting feedback 
    that will make me grow" and the other person 
    goes "ouch my boss wounded my ego, I hate it"

In that hypothetical example, yeah, I wouldn't know how to judge the company.

In reality things are a little more detailed. I would want to look a little deeper. Is the feedback technically sound? Is the feedback actually constructive, or more along the lines of "this is shit?"

I recently eliminated a company from my job search because I received feedback during the interview process that IMO failed in all possible ways: it was technically poor, it was rude, and it was unconstructive. (Perhaps one would say it was fragile ego, but I've been in this industry for a while and that was a first, so I've got enough anecdata to believe my ego is not fragile...)

I mainly found that people who are miserable at a job were miserable at every other job too.

That's not what I find at all - I can't even count the number of times I've been a shoulder to cry on for friends caught in miserable work environments, going all the back to grad school. And BTW I do mean literal crying in some of these cases - in others, it's been "merely" confessions of deep anxiety, hopelessness, insomnia and thoughts of self-harm.

Yes, there have been a few "miserable everywhere" cases, but at most they've been 10 percent of the batch. For the other 90 percent - it's clearly and objectively a result of the shitty environment they've been thrust into.

I love the place I work. It's got a Glassdoor rating of 4.8 [1], probably the highest I've ever seen for a company of its size. There's this theme of working hard that crops up there. The average person who makes it past the culture filter is actually grateful to be able to work that hard; in most other places, a workaholic trait is exploited. Whereas here, we're literally asked to take more breaks, stop thinking of work at home, stop working weekends, and the vacation policies are there to respect the people putting in incredibly hard work. They're also proactive in helping people deal with mental health issues.

But when all is well, there's really nothing to be talkative about. You just find a place that resonates at your frequency. I tried to post about it in this thread, but you're right, the feeling is pretty meh. Nobody wants to hear good stuff. Whereas I've complained a lot about bad companies in the past.

[1] https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Xendit-Reviews-E1476305.ht...

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