Does anybody actually enjoy the place they work?
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Mine is the lack of interesting and challenging work, the equipment, the IT security restrictions, and the lack of flexible hours. I could go on, but you get the idea...
Dustin Metzgar wrote:
the lack of flexible hours
That is a problem of mine. I just need to drum up more clients :)
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What is it that makes it enjoyable? Do you have a good manager or a poor one but good co-workers? Is the work exciting or is there some other perk to the job that helps you forget how boring the work is? There are a lot of great programmers on this site, I'm curious if you were able to find jobs you enjoyed. If so, how long did it take you to find it?
I sure do. I work from home, and I work for CP ( so I guess if I didn't like it, this would not be the place to say so :P ). I also work for a guy in Texas. But, I have always had great co-workers and management, although I've worked in places where I was one of the few to think so. In my observation, the people who hate the managers were people who were hell bent on doing no work ( not saying this is always the case, I'm sure I've been lucky, too ). The work is really cool, between the two places I get to work on web apps, on MFC/C++ code, on image processing, on all sorts of stuff. I am never bored.
Dustin Metzgar wrote:
If so, how long did it take you to find it?
I started to teach myself C++ in late 1999. About 6 months later, I found my first job. I moved from that job after about 2 years, and worked for a local company for 4 odd years. Along the way, I got contract work via my CP articles, which turned into the regular work I do now, and I started working for CP in December last year. I've loved all my jobs.
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
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I don't like the office pettiness. We sit by accounting and they run to the GM with any grievance. Like, they saw me reading the news one day. The most recent complaint is that my neighbor spends too much time in the lunch room making tea. Why has time to record this stuff? We have to meet with HR now next week to get this resolved. My boss is a really great guy, but his programming drives me crazy. I had a post about programming standards because he had one file 10k lines long, one function being about 5k. Stuff isn't commented. He doesn't keep track of changes. The other annoying thing is people who don't understand that programming takes time. It's not like I have magic jellybeans and can fix your issue instantly. Life is great, except for the people.:-D
leckey wrote:
I don't like the office pettiness
I cannot stand that either.
leckey wrote:
I had a post about programming standards because he had one file 10k lines long, one function being about 5k. Stuff isn't commented.
I remember that and yikes about the no commenting.
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I sure do. I work from home, and I work for CP ( so I guess if I didn't like it, this would not be the place to say so :P ). I also work for a guy in Texas. But, I have always had great co-workers and management, although I've worked in places where I was one of the few to think so. In my observation, the people who hate the managers were people who were hell bent on doing no work ( not saying this is always the case, I'm sure I've been lucky, too ). The work is really cool, between the two places I get to work on web apps, on MFC/C++ code, on image processing, on all sorts of stuff. I am never bored.
Dustin Metzgar wrote:
If so, how long did it take you to find it?
I started to teach myself C++ in late 1999. About 6 months later, I found my first job. I moved from that job after about 2 years, and worked for a local company for 4 odd years. Along the way, I got contract work via my CP articles, which turned into the regular work I do now, and I started working for CP in December last year. I've loved all my jobs.
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
Well, it's not hard for me to imagine that the guy that works at CP likes his job. :) It's great that you've loved all of your jobs. Maybe you've skillfully picked quality positions or maybe I just need to stop complaining so much.
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Well, it's not hard for me to imagine that the guy that works at CP likes his job. :) It's great that you've loved all of your jobs. Maybe you've skillfully picked quality positions or maybe I just need to stop complaining so much.
First job was a combination of getting lucky and being a person who makes the most of things. After that, any job interview I've regarded as going both ways, I've always looked while having a job and taken a job only if it all looked good, not just the money.
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
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What is it that makes it enjoyable? Do you have a good manager or a poor one but good co-workers? Is the work exciting or is there some other perk to the job that helps you forget how boring the work is? There are a lot of great programmers on this site, I'm curious if you were able to find jobs you enjoyed. If so, how long did it take you to find it?
Yes and it takes many things - management, people, environment and work. The only problem is that the better we do the more work gets thrown at us. Elaine :rose:
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What is it that makes it enjoyable? Do you have a good manager or a poor one but good co-workers? Is the work exciting or is there some other perk to the job that helps you forget how boring the work is? There are a lot of great programmers on this site, I'm curious if you were able to find jobs you enjoyed. If so, how long did it take you to find it?
Absolutely! The boss is as bright as I am, and more knowledgable in our field - something I've very rarely experienced. The company is small and agile, and everyone has to wear several hats for it all to work, so it's never boring. The company culture is relaxed, except during a power system emergency, and ad hoc trips out to breakfast or unplanned barbeques are frequent. When the occasional emergency strikes, all hands turn out together, fully professional and on the jump. The boss' one shortcoming is that all tasks are equal in his mind, and though all he cares about for weeks is task X, out of the blue he'll demand to know why task C hasn't been completed. We're working on him in that respect. Best of all I'm doing real work, not service crap suitable for crackheads and high school dropouts, but real engineering designing and maintaining power services for a tribal population. It requires all of my engineering judgement (though admittedly very little of the engineering ability I needed in electronics design), and a lot of gut-level knowledge about electrical physics to do the design wrk and determine causes after the fact when problems do occur. It's a great challenge, but not an insurmountable one, and a fun and necessary field in which there are far too few new entry-level candidates. If the trend doesn't reverse, in 10 years this country will be outsourcing electrical substation and transmission system design and construction. The existing pool of experts is dying of old age, and no young ones are entering the field. So, yes, I was able to find a job I enjoy. How long did it take? Fifteen years since the last one, and worth the wait...
"...a photo album is like Life, but flat and stuck to pages." - Shog9
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What is it that makes it enjoyable? Do you have a good manager or a poor one but good co-workers? Is the work exciting or is there some other perk to the job that helps you forget how boring the work is? There are a lot of great programmers on this site, I'm curious if you were able to find jobs you enjoyed. If so, how long did it take you to find it?
Dustin Metzgar wrote:
What is it that makes it enjoyable?
A combination of things. I have a great manager and supervisor, I even have a good project leader even if we sometimes clash on issues dealing with work pressure. And I have had much, much worse in the past, I know all of those are at least trying. The primary thing is content, and usefullness. Much of what I do is used often and thus gives a sense of worth in that I am actually doing something that is used. Variety is another, R&D monies are always a plus, but not always available. Still the variety and chance to try something no one has tried before is great fun. Currently augmented reality is a blast. :)
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
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Dustin Metzgar wrote:
What is it that makes it enjoyable?
A combination of things. I have a great manager and supervisor, I even have a good project leader even if we sometimes clash on issues dealing with work pressure. And I have had much, much worse in the past, I know all of those are at least trying. The primary thing is content, and usefullness. Much of what I do is used often and thus gives a sense of worth in that I am actually doing something that is used. Variety is another, R&D monies are always a plus, but not always available. Still the variety and chance to try something no one has tried before is great fun. Currently augmented reality is a blast. :)
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
Jeffry J. Brickley wrote:
Much of what I do is used often and thus gives a sense of worth in that I am actually doing something that is used.
Cool. Everytime I see a client using software I had written it's very encouraging. It does make you feel useful.
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Yes and it takes many things - management, people, environment and work. The only problem is that the better we do the more work gets thrown at us. Elaine :rose:
Trollslayer wrote:
The only problem is that the better we do the more work gets thrown at us.
Sometimes I feel I could use a little more work.
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Absolutely! The boss is as bright as I am, and more knowledgable in our field - something I've very rarely experienced. The company is small and agile, and everyone has to wear several hats for it all to work, so it's never boring. The company culture is relaxed, except during a power system emergency, and ad hoc trips out to breakfast or unplanned barbeques are frequent. When the occasional emergency strikes, all hands turn out together, fully professional and on the jump. The boss' one shortcoming is that all tasks are equal in his mind, and though all he cares about for weeks is task X, out of the blue he'll demand to know why task C hasn't been completed. We're working on him in that respect. Best of all I'm doing real work, not service crap suitable for crackheads and high school dropouts, but real engineering designing and maintaining power services for a tribal population. It requires all of my engineering judgement (though admittedly very little of the engineering ability I needed in electronics design), and a lot of gut-level knowledge about electrical physics to do the design wrk and determine causes after the fact when problems do occur. It's a great challenge, but not an insurmountable one, and a fun and necessary field in which there are far too few new entry-level candidates. If the trend doesn't reverse, in 10 years this country will be outsourcing electrical substation and transmission system design and construction. The existing pool of experts is dying of old age, and no young ones are entering the field. So, yes, I was able to find a job I enjoy. How long did it take? Fifteen years since the last one, and worth the wait...
"...a photo album is like Life, but flat and stuck to pages." - Shog9
Roger Wright wrote:
The existing pool of experts is dying of old age, and no young ones are entering the field.
I wonder what keeps the younger crowd away. Is it that they just don't know about the job or because it seems like an undesirable profession on the surface?
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Roger Wright wrote:
The existing pool of experts is dying of old age, and no young ones are entering the field.
I wonder what keeps the younger crowd away. Is it that they just don't know about the job or because it seems like an undesirable profession on the surface?
Probably the latter; it's hard, dangerous work, and the crews are required to be out in the absolute worst kinds of weather. But those who do it are dedicated, proud, and well-deserving of respect for what they do for all of us. For some people the respect is worth everything...
"...a photo album is like Life, but flat and stuck to pages." - Shog9