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[–]ronsoness0 points1 point2 points 10 years ago (5 children) | Copy Link
sounds kind of like how i feel with my last 2 jobs. self employed web developer and my brain is just rotting doing mindless things, but things that were dificult 2 years ago. you could self study on the side, but that is a pain in the ass esp. w/o a work mentor to guide you. learning at work is really different from learning something as a hobby.
this situation is pretty much exactly what people mean when they say 'money isn't everything.' your boss could double your pay, but you would still be rotting your brain and that money really would be money to help you cope with the shitty work life.
i think many people would be happy to have your situation, cruise at work, get a shit ton paid leave (40 days? WTF man), and just be a reliable cog at work. unfortunately, you have more needs and a need to learn and grow. in a way, it sux to be you.
suggestions: 1- you can ask for more responsibilities. software dev? maybe take on a project manager role? maybe meet with clients? work in support? not sure how it works there, but inquire about flexibility.
2- join some hackathon on the side. it will stimulate your brain.
3- change jobs. not learning anything? work at a startup. you'll get paid less, work way more, but you'll have young, arrogant, software devs next to you pushing you to work harder and probably with some interesting skillsets. and if it's a small operation, who knows, you might be working on other responsibilities (front end, back end, marketing, client meetings, funding, accounting, etc) instead of a segregated role.
just my 2 cents.
[–]shd7 1 points1 points1 points 10 years ago [recovered] | Copy Link
learning at work is really different from learning something as a hobby.
This. If the company decides to leave me for some reason then I will be in trouble, as I am not employable right now. I can't ask for more work as the work itself does not interest me.
What about academia ? Do you think it is a bad idea?
[–]ronsoness0 points1 point2 points 10 years ago (3 children) | Copy Link
I think it's smart to be looking ahead. If there are no opportunities to learn more or advance in the company you're at now, then it's a good move to change companies and/or go back to school to boost your resume. i did have an old friend who stated that not having deeper academic credentials limited him (he is an ios app developer). and doing things like research would have been interesting to him. so it's a given you will switch jobs eventually. the question is can you afford it and what kinds of opportunities do you have now.
also, i'm curious, you state that you are bored and that your job leaves you unemployable. how is that possible as a software developer? i thought the role requires a lot of hard skills, which would mean ease of finding a new job. are you working with an old language?
I am working with a language that it is not popular, and I am not using it a lot. My job is mostly support.
[–]ronsoness0 points1 point2 points 10 years ago (1 child) | Copy Link
now i understand. i see some other suggestions about things you could learn or do on the side. but it seems you are not the type of person to be content with a support role. there are people out there who are. let them fill that role. you need a job that fulfills your need for challenges, advancement, working on long term projects. fuck the money and paid tiem off to travel. like i said before, it all means nothing if you feel hollow at work.
what are you using, COBOL or something? the main challenge I guess is finding the next job, which might be difficult since you don't get a lot of programming time and you might need to pick up some new languages to increase marketability. alternatively, you could try a coding boot camp and go into web development. it'll cost ya, but they ream you with work because it's full time intensive learning and that should stimulate your brain. this article is from 2013, but maybe these bootcamps are still around: http://www.skilledup.com/articles/the-ultimate-guide-to-coding-bootcamps-the-exhaustive-list or for faqs https://www.coursereport.com/coding-bootcamp-ultimate-guide
[–]shd71 point 10 years ago [recovered] | Copy Link
thanks man! I might have an interview next week, hope it goes well. I have academia as a backup for now.
[–]Senior EndorsedVasiliyZaitzev0 points1 point2 points 10 years ago (6 children) | Copy Link
It's called "Work" not "Play". Sometimes shit is boring as hell. I had a gig like that once. I got all my shit done at light speed, and then worked on my own projects, and then turned work in a bit before it was due. If you are bored, then it's kind of your fault.
[–]shd7 points points points 56 years ago [recovered] | Copy Link
I used to work on my own projects. I got bored. It is different writing code in your job and for your own hobbies. It does not look good on your CV. Also I see myself down the road in 10-12 years man. I can't stay here. I am not learning anything. I have been working on the same project for the past 3 years. I am not growing, and I want to try something new.
[–]Senior EndorsedVasiliyZaitzev1 point2 points3 points 10 years ago (3 children) | Copy Link
You have a job where you have a good salary and a lot of time off. I would not give that up in this economy without figuring out what your next move is. If you feel you need to leave, ok, but put together a plan first.
Another factor to consider is whether or not it's easy to move in and out of jobs in your industry. In mine, it's not, so no way do I leave where I am without a clear idea of where I'm headed. If coding is like nursing and it's easy-on, easy-off, then you have a bit more freedom.
What I would recommend is to put together an action plan for what you want to do--including whether or not you will take time off before your next gig. Up to you, but it depends on conditions in your industry. So decide when you are going to pull the ripcord, and what you're going to do after. You might even want to say 6 months out or 8 months or whatever, and then save money with that goal in mind so that if you wind up taking time off you have some cushion.
Good luck!
If I am going to leave my job, I will need to have another job lined up (signed contract and all that). Is that what you meant ?
[–]Senior EndorsedVasiliyZaitzev0 points1 point2 points 10 years ago (1 child) | Copy Link
Yes, exactly. Save money while you are looking. Generally, it is easier to find a job when you currently have one currently.
Yes this is the process I am following.
[–]dumbTRPguy0 points1 point2 points 10 years ago (1 child) | Copy Link
You don't mention what you're job is, but being bored in CS/IT is your fault. Pick up robotics. Learn about cybersecurity. Build a webgame. Start contributing to an open-source project. Rinse/repeat until you have enough to up and leave your job in six months' to a year's time.
I was thinking of going away and studying something else, but I do not have the money and I am old to do a masters and switch careers.Also I see myself down the road in 10-12 years man. I can't stay here. I am not learning anything. I have been working on the same project for the past 3 years. I am not growing, and I want to try something new.
[–]youguess1230 points1 point2 points 10 years ago (1 child) | Copy Link
What about your life besides your career ? Is it interesting, do you have hobbies that make you want to get out of bed? It is hard not to be learning as a developer and i would say its rather challenging.
I have no life outside work. I got some friends but I do not meet with them a lot. I have no hobbies, except the gym.I mainly concentrate on my job.
[–]disgruntledearthling0 points1 point2 points 10 years ago (1 child) | Copy Link
I've been in software dev for 30 years. If you're bored then ask to do something else - different group or technology. If they view you as a cog and refuse then just leave. I've had quite a few jobs/contract over the years and its not that hard to job-hop when you are young.
Or stay and grind through it if the travel thing is what you
I could still get another job and travel man. It is not like I would have no leave. I am mostly worried that I am not learning anything new, and doing the same things over and over again.
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[–]ronsoness0 points1 point2 points (5 children) | Copy Link
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