i-Technology Viewpoint: When to Leave Your First IT Job

Christopher Wilson explores the things to watch out for in the workplace that might be sure signs that it's time to move on from your current IT gig. Included in his analysis are three major mistakes to look for in your manager. 'Take any of these as a sign that it is time to have that interview suit dry cleaned,' writes Wilson.

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#8	Anonymous commented on 15 Oct 2005 This article reminds me of the junior pups that I worked with in various companies - they all seem to think they know everything and demand the world, but then when something doesn't go their way, they get all angry and blame management for this. Hate to tell you this, sport, but as someone who has been around the block a hell of a lot more than you have, you have a lot of growing up to do. This isn't the "dot-com" boom time where you can have no experience in a field and become a Director or VP overnight. People nowadays want SMEs and people who have a clue - people who can contribute and not bitch about the fact they have a cubicle versus a hard walled office. I would feel remotely sympathetic to you if 1) you were not given the proper equipment to do your job (this has happened to me more times than I care to count 2) I am surrounded by coworkers who sit on their collective asses and complain that you aren't working hard but they are there doing even LESS and demanding MORE (been there too) 3) you have a boss who refuses to communicate with you, even when you just join the company and expect you to figure out by osmosis what the goals of the company are and you are to chart your own course (this has happened to me as well). So... to make a long story short, you are an ungrateful little punk who might be better off working in an electronics store or a fast food restaurant. If you can't handle how companies think or operate, then I suggest you see what's wrong with YOU before you look at the company and their flaws. I know for one thing, I wouldn't hire you to work with me - you seem to be very high maintenance and I can't deal with that -- we want results and we want team players but ones who actually can work on their own - it seems to me you can't even do that right... Good luck to you... you will REALLY need it.
#7	damienm commented on 13 Oct 2005 Chris, the innocence of inexperience is all I can say to describe your view! You have a long way to go before you can give solid advice to people on how they manage their career. Admittedly there are some factors in your argument that hold water. The logic you use, however, indicates your lack of objectiveness and experience. While you might very well strike it lucky irrespective of your attitude, it is an attitude that would make you an unlikely candidate for hiring for the reason that it indicates that you are nowhere near as effective in a work situation as you might think you are. Don't let your bitterness about one situation mold your view from this point forward. With any luck you'll look back on this article in 10 years time and laugh at your innocence, perhaps even blush! Keep an open mind, man... good luck in your future career.
#6	mohamed yusu faizal commented on 12 Oct 2005 Christopher excellence has been proved keep it up
#5	Free Thy emoTiOns commented on 9 Oct 2005 Trackback Added: Why should you leave your tech job.; Being in the tech line, there are stuff I read in there that make sense. But then again, I think the place I work in does not really has some of the restrictions, cause I work alone. Schedule bullies do not only apply to the IT industry, many industr...
#4	ohbayy commented on 7 Oct 2005 Excellent article Christopher Wilson. You got the key issues hammered-out, spot-on. Way to go. I really hope a lot of stay-put, miserable programmers read this.
#3	Wolfgang commented on 7 Oct 2005 Ahh, the idealism of youth. I work for one of the largest and most profitable insurance companies in the world and guess what? Surprise, Surprise: cubicles. I've also worked for engineering companies that build hardware and have done embedded code - also successful companies, also cubicles. This sounds like the same type "woulda, shoulda, coulda" whining that I hear from my interns. And no, I'm not a manger - I'm a senior technical architect (an "old hand" if you like, who has kept current on technology). The answer is fairly simple - if you work for "start-up" companies you have great opportunites if you are in on the ground floor (i.e. Microsoft millionaires)but also have to understand the balancing side of the equation -with this type of opportunity comes great risk. For every Microsoft or Oracle out there, there are 5,000 starups that fail or achieve mediocre success at best. So if you are going to work in high risk/high reward environments, accept the fact that the probability of the type of experience you had repeating is high. Or take a different road. And while you are whining about your manager and how unfairly you were treated by the company, think about how much those same owners invested and lost. I can assure you they did not fail just to persecute you. If you want security, join a big corporation (even that is no garauntee today with all the outsourcing)- but then you'll have to deal with the rules an regs - dress codes, cubes, bosses who want you to report your status at least 3 different ways. Your only option for the complete creative freedom you want is to come up with, develop and sell your own product. Of course, if you are even slightly successfull, you will become the "man" and do to a new crop of software engineers all the horrible things that you endured. This is called "business". Deal with it.
#2	Tiger One commented on 6 Oct 2005 Hi, Great write up. One question, all these are points that can only be answered once you have already started working in a company. How can one judge a company from what is available when you walk in for the interview. Cheers, Tiger
#1	Yakov Fain commented on 5 Oct 2005 Chris, Just stop whining, will you! This entire article is about yourself and how bad guys underestimate you.If you are following your own recommendations, you should not be working for the same comany for more than a couple of months. Whenever something goes wrong your response is always the same: update your resume and run. Just relax a bit... Most of the software engineers work in cubicles, and some of them are making tons of money. And if you do not like the noise around you, put on the headphones and listed to some elevator music. Yes, not all managers are the smartest people in the world, but they need to worry about more things than just bringing a server up. Try to ajust to the environment you're in now, or you'll run out of emploeyrs to go to. It's a small world, really. Meanwhile, our friends from Asia will be more than happy to move into your noisy cubicle. Put yourself together and see what has to be done to have a better review then "in the middle of the pack". As the President Bush put it, "You can run, but you can't hide!". Sorry for the angry tone :)