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I would echo the comment you are responding to: if you have a bad direct boss, get out and work somewhere else. If you decide to stay, for example because you h

by ptero 9y ago

I would echo the comment you are responding to: if you have a bad direct boss, get out and work somewhere else. If you decide to stay, for example because you have golden handcuffs, make a clear decision on how long you have to / want to stick around and leave after that time elapses. If you cannot leave, understand why (e.g., does your resume feature COBOL as a top skill?) and try to fix this quickly. Having a mindset "I like working here, but I can find another job quickly if I have to" helps greatly in any job, e.g. by letting you take calculated risks at your job (and sleep well at night), which on success can give you great benefits. My 2c.

dvanduzer 9y ago
This is all very good advice. It costs me nothing to recognize my privilege as I endorse it. edit: My story is about developing the opportunities to leave several different mediocre bosses, sometimes more than once! It really did work out for me, even when I made the decision to go back to the devil I knew. All of these mediocre bosses were well-intentioned former engineers and I have no lingering ill will toward any of them. The part I left out of the story, is that behind the scenes in all of this, was the layer of management above and around them. I was incredibly fortunate that a Voltron had sort of built itself around me. Other engineers I barely got to know, noticed my work. The executive overseeing the departments at both companies paid attention to what his reports were doing. He didn't want to listen to me lament every possible bit I ever might have to twiddle, but he was a significant guiding force in my career for years before I even realized it. It is possible to develop relationships like this, through good faith efforts. But I honestly don't know how I would pass along any advice about this, other than by being as honest as possible about what happened in my life. Essentially: Look Around.
ThrustVectoring 9y ago
Skilled COBOL programmers have good job opportunities, IIRC. Lots of legacy systems, not many people who aren't retired who understand and can work with things. It's a different set of things you get to work on compared to having a sexier technology like React or Python or whatever on top of your resume, but there's lots of well-paid work out there.
- ptero 9y ago
  > Skilled COBOL programmers have good job opportunities I am sure they do, but this is likely due to a funky supply and demand state: low demand but even lower supply which leads to good compensation but fewer opportunities. To acquire a freedom to move to a new employer I would emphasize my high demand skills instead. Just an opinion

by ptero 9y ago

dvanduzer 9y ago

This is all very good advice. It costs me nothing to recognize my privilege as I endorse it. edit: My story is about developing the opportunities to leave several different mediocre bosses, sometimes more than once! It really did work out for me, even when I made the decision to go back to the devil I knew. All of these mediocre bosses were well-intentioned former engineers and I have no lingering ill will toward any of them. The part I left out of the story, is that behind the scenes in all of this, was the layer of management above and around them. I was incredibly fortunate that a Voltron had sort of built itself around me. Other engineers I barely got to know, noticed my work. The executive overseeing the departments at both companies paid attention to what his reports were doing. He didn't want to listen to me lament every possible bit I ever might have to twiddle, but he was a significant guiding force in my career for years before I even realized it. It is possible to develop relationships like this, through good faith efforts. But I honestly don't know how I would pass along any advice about this, other than by being as honest as possible about what happened in my life. Essentially: Look Around.

ThrustVectoring 9y ago

Skilled COBOL programmers have good job opportunities, IIRC. Lots of legacy systems, not many people who aren't retired who understand and can work with things. It's a different set of things you get to work on compared to having a sexier technology like React or Python or whatever on top of your resume, but there's lots of well-paid work out there.

ptero 9y ago
> Skilled COBOL programmers have good job opportunities I am sure they do, but this is likely due to a funky supply and demand state: low demand but even lower supply which leads to good compensation but fewer opportunities. To acquire a freedom to move to a new employer I would emphasize my high demand skills instead. Just an opinion