Ask HN: How can I deal with self-entitlement, job-hopping and boredom? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: How can I deal with self-entitlement, job-hopping and boredom?

1 pointhackerboos5 comments

I've begun the process of looking for a new job after only 11 months into my current position. It started off well, but we've had 2 solid employees move on due to frustration with the way the company operates. Everyone else feels the same way.

Development-wise, things aren't terrible. There’s no pressure which makes me bored if anything. I've gone about 4 months without doing any significant work.

On the plus side, the company is more ‘agile’ than others I've worked at - we use a CI system, pair program and when I started we did do retros, but that dropped off after a few months.

Some things are worrying though. The loss of key staff, the increasing amount of work which is passed over to our offshore consultancy, the slow decline of the company (no growth), company departments that don't talk to each other, departments that don't care.

I know some of you might say - “Stay! Fix the place. It might get better” but there are people that have been here for 10+ years who say that it’s always been like this.

Looking around there are some interesting companies, but nothing that’s captivating me. This makes me worried that I'm just going to repeat the cycle. Should I just need to suck it up?

I'd love to develop a side-project to the point where it can support me but I'm simply not motivated enough. I feel my ideas are bad.

I applied to move to Canada from the UK and was accepted, so any move now would only be for 18 months before I leave to go there.

I'm conscious of being labelled a job hopper (see link below). I'm also conscious that by acting this way, I'm a ‘Gen Y trophy kid’ as the author puts it.

I get itchy feet. I get bored easily. I want a ‘better thing’. I want to use new tech I find interesting. I’m looking for a perfect job which probably doesn't exist. I'm not being professional. I’m ‘flakey’.

http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2010/04/22/never-hire-job-hoppers-never-they-make-terrible-employees/

In this essay you haven't mentioned what you're passionate about. Yes it's good to know what you don't like, but knowing what you do like is just as important in this world be it finding a job or going on dates.

Something else to keep in mind is that while you'll see a great deal of press about the excitement of tech, the reality is that most of the industry can be dry by nature. And on the flip side the "fun stuff" can be a death march schedule followed by your company going under.

By the way I think if you're unhappy that "sucking it up" won't help you over the long run. My advice is to get some help thinking this out: Don't be afraid to find a mentor outside your company, or even go into therapy. And of course talk to peers who work at other companies. Also be open to the idea that your passion might not even be software.

Last note: You may have several careers in your life time. If you look around it not always the case that a coder in his or her 20s will be a coder by age 50.

I can't give you any advice about working in a shitty boring job you hate, because I myself am quite terrible at it, but I think Paul Graham has already answered one of your questions.

If you're serious about making a business out of a side project, PG once talked about how you shouldn't try to think about ideas that are "good startup ideas" Instead he says, work on things that you find profoundly interesting. When you've hit something that users love, the idea according to him his, it will take over your life and you will know that your side project is no longer a side project, but a startup. So I wouldn't worry about if you think your ideas are bad, as long as they are interesting to you, work on them.

I can definitely relate to this post - There are a lot of factors to weigh when considering self-termination.

Czechs mix is right... When I make music, I only care that I like the sound. For tackling an idea with execution, I imagine the concept is similar.

I decided I'd rather be happy and on a budget, working on things I enjoy, rather than somewhat financially stable and no time for what I'm passionate about. This has been a gradual point of realization for me.

> I'm conscious of being labelled a job hopper.

A great deal of the employers perception depends on how you frame the conversation and get in front of telling your story. In short-- it's time to get smarter about the jobs and companies you pursue. Here's a solid read on the subject by Nick Corcodilos > http://corcodilos.com/blog/page/2

Your comment is pretty much on the money:

1. Joined my first company straight out of university. Wasn't really aware of what the market was like and it was the first offer I received.

2. Second company was to get back to my home town. Ended up being a nightmare.

3. Joined the third company because they used Rails and I needed to escape company 2.

I'm trying to be far more picky this time around. I can survive in my current position and I'm not desperate to get out. This might cure the 'job-hopping'.

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