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I was hired into my current position (as a contractor at a government facility) to be a 'software architect and software engineering subject matter expert.' Th

by jcadam 9y ago

I was hired into my current position (as a contractor at a government facility) to be a 'software architect and software engineering subject matter expert.' The way the position was sold to me, it sounded like a good step-up in responsibility and an opportunity to grow. What I'm actually doing could be considered a cross between 'IT guy' and 'generic office staff' (I go to tons of meetings, write lots of system-engineering-esque documents no one will read, and because I am 'a computer guy', I'm bombarded with annoying IT technician-level questions all the time). I'm extremely overpaid for what I'm doing (I'm bored out of my skull most of the time), but the local job market is such that I'd probably spend several months unemployed if I were to just up and quit.

phkahler 9y ago
... but the local job market is such that I'd probably spend several months unemployed if I were to just up and quit. Just keep looking for something else. It's easiest to find a job when you already have one. That's because there is no financial pressure to take whatever comes along. You can take a little time to find a good fit. Don't feel that this reflects in any way on your attitude toward your current job. Do your best at that, but when you go home spend at least a few hours a week looking for something else. If you stay in your present job for too long (years) it will stunt your professional (and possibly personal) growth.
caseysoftware 9y ago
Then take advantage of it! Pay off as many debts as you can and bank the rest. A few years ago, the single most powerful thing I did was knock out all our non-mortgage debt. It's freeing to know that if something happened, I could take a pay hit of $Xk/month and still have the same lifestyle. Being unemployed for several months is way less scary if your monthly expenses are lower and you have cash in the bank.
- jcadam 9y ago
  In a way I suppose I am. My side project is getting a lot more love than it used to, given that my day job is pretty much a straight 40-hour gig that just isn't all that mentally taxing. I'm also taking some MOOC courses, etc.
- cr0sh 9y ago
  > Being unemployed for several months is way less scary if your monthly expenses are lower and you have cash in the bank. I call this being "Dave Ramsey Debt-Free" - and everything you say is true. There's a lot more to it than that (how to properly pay down debt, how to properly use credit cards, buying vs leasing automobiles, plus buy used only, etc) - but the "debt free" part of it is spot on. The money in the bank? That's f-u money, meaning you get tired of things, tell yer boss to take the job and shove and walk out the door. I've done this a couple of times, and both times it was ultimately worth it, and wasn't scary because I knew I had enough saved that I could keep going at my expenses level for a couple years or more if I had to. It's a very freeing position to be in.
usmeteora 9y ago
I see this happening alot. Basically government needs smart people like this to step in and rescue things when things go wrong, but they don't by any means want people like this changing the company culture or inconveniencing other people with doing more work or better work. You are there to be that smart computer guy who fixes things when things they don't understand go wrong. They pay you alot of money to be there to do stuff they don't understand, but outside of that, they don't really want you interfering with their day to day life with all that "tech stuff". Definitely find a better job, and don't underestimate the value increase in you quality of life by being around better people who challenge you. Nothing is worth more than that. So outside of minimum financial obligations, make plans to move elsewhere even if it will take a while. If you are the breadwinner in your situation for yourself and or other people, they will have to deal with it. It may take even 3-4 years to move if you have long term commitments and get ready to go and do it without being risky financially, but honestly its worth it. If you are the one providing for people and you are the one donating half of your waking life and you are the one smart enough to be dissatsified with the lack of mental stimulation then you deserve to have a job you enjoy. Being around people at work who challenge you and being on a good team will without a doubt increase your personal joy in life as well. Being emotionally isolated in a company who designates you as the computer guy and wants to drain your brain more by asking to create documentation to make the integration of technology in the company appear more valid than it really is, or save them if you don't show up work one day, is an abuse to your mental situation as much as you allow it to happen. If you are already that smart, rising to the challenges you wish you could will only result in more income later, so don't let the current financial benefits/perceived location limitations stop you from pursuing a more rewarding career. A couple years may seem like a long time but...what are you going to do, rot in a n IT office for the next 40 + years of your life? Make the difficult decisions/sacrifices now and even if you are in your 30s or even more, still youll get decades of happiness and challenges you won't if you throw your hands up in the air now.
- jcadam 9y ago
  > drain your brain more by asking to create documentation to make the integration of technology in the company appear more valid than it really is Exactly this. This is my number one job here.
matwood 9y ago
I never just quit the other jobs outright. I simply started looking once I figured out what was going to happen. The rest of the time at work, I spend inventing projects to helped me learn some interesting technology. My bosses were happy because I stopped bugging them for work to do.

by jcadam 9y ago

phkahler 9y ago

... but the local job market is such that I'd probably spend several months unemployed if I were to just up and quit. Just keep looking for something else. It's easiest to find a job when you already have one. That's because there is no financial pressure to take whatever comes along. You can take a little time to find a good fit. Don't feel that this reflects in any way on your attitude toward your current job. Do your best at that, but when you go home spend at least a few hours a week looking for something else. If you stay in your present job for too long (years) it will stunt your professional (and possibly personal) growth.

caseysoftware 9y ago

Then take advantage of it! Pay off as many debts as you can and bank the rest. A few years ago, the single most powerful thing I did was knock out all our non-mortgage debt. It's freeing to know that if something happened, I could take a pay hit of $Xk/month and still have the same lifestyle. Being unemployed for several months is way less scary if your monthly expenses are lower and you have cash in the bank.

jcadam 9y ago
In a way I suppose I am. My side project is getting a lot more love than it used to, given that my day job is pretty much a straight 40-hour gig that just isn't all that mentally taxing. I'm also taking some MOOC courses, etc.
cr0sh 9y ago
> Being unemployed for several months is way less scary if your monthly expenses are lower and you have cash in the bank. I call this being "Dave Ramsey Debt-Free" - and everything you say is true. There's a lot more to it than that (how to properly pay down debt, how to properly use credit cards, buying vs leasing automobiles, plus buy used only, etc) - but the "debt free" part of it is spot on. The money in the bank? That's f-u money, meaning you get tired of things, tell yer boss to take the job and shove and walk out the door. I've done this a couple of times, and both times it was ultimately worth it, and wasn't scary because I knew I had enough saved that I could keep going at my expenses level for a couple years or more if I had to. It's a very freeing position to be in.

usmeteora 9y ago

I see this happening alot. Basically government needs smart people like this to step in and rescue things when things go wrong, but they don't by any means want people like this changing the company culture or inconveniencing other people with doing more work or better work. You are there to be that smart computer guy who fixes things when things they don't understand go wrong. They pay you alot of money to be there to do stuff they don't understand, but outside of that, they don't really want you interfering with their day to day life with all that "tech stuff". Definitely find a better job, and don't underestimate the value increase in you quality of life by being around better people who challenge you. Nothing is worth more than that. So outside of minimum financial obligations, make plans to move elsewhere even if it will take a while. If you are the breadwinner in your situation for yourself and or other people, they will have to deal with it. It may take even 3-4 years to move if you have long term commitments and get ready to go and do it without being risky financially, but honestly its worth it. If you are the one providing for people and you are the one donating half of your waking life and you are the one smart enough to be dissatsified with the lack of mental stimulation then you deserve to have a job you enjoy. Being around people at work who challenge you and being on a good team will without a doubt increase your personal joy in life as well. Being emotionally isolated in a company who designates you as the computer guy and wants to drain your brain more by asking to create documentation to make the integration of technology in the company appear more valid than it really is, or save them if you don't show up work one day, is an abuse to your mental situation as much as you allow it to happen. If you are already that smart, rising to the challenges you wish you could will only result in more income later, so don't let the current financial benefits/perceived location limitations stop you from pursuing a more rewarding career. A couple years may seem like a long time but...what are you going to do, rot in a n IT office for the next 40 + years of your life? Make the difficult decisions/sacrifices now and even if you are in your 30s or even more, still youll get decades of happiness and challenges you won't if you throw your hands up in the air now.

jcadam 9y ago
> drain your brain more by asking to create documentation to make the integration of technology in the company appear more valid than it really is Exactly this. This is my number one job here.

matwood 9y ago

I never just quit the other jobs outright. I simply started looking once I figured out what was going to happen. The rest of the time at work, I spend inventing projects to helped me learn some interesting technology. My bosses were happy because I stopped bugging them for work to do.