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I resigned during the pandemic. The lockdown stripped my job to the essentials: No colleagues, no coffee corner, no nice fancy office, no treats (lunches, dinn

I resigned during the pandemic. The lockdown stripped my job to the essentials: No colleagues, no coffee corner, no nice fancy office, no treats (lunches, dinners, drinks), brainstorms, etc. I was left with something that was boring me to death. I felt perfectly happy in that job for 5 years before covid.

irrational 5y ago
It’s interesting how different people are. All those things you list are reasons I would want to quit a job. I don’t ever want to work in an office ever again.
- MattGaiser 5y ago
  Indeed. Besides the free food, those are the less desirable parts of work to me.
  - cratermoon 5y ago
    The free food didn't really excite me much. It was mostly junk food, or something dressed up as natural and healthy but turned out, when you looked at the label, to be junk. The coffee was good, though. Junk like https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-are-ultra-processed-foods-and-are-they-bad-for-our-health-2020010918605 https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-are-ultra-processed... and https://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/clean-eating/how-unhealthy-are-protein-bars https://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/clean-eating/how-u...
- iammisc 5y ago
  You must understand that this attitude is the minority. Most people like their workplace because they like the people there. My dad worked in pharma sales for 30 years. Do you think he cared to sell the drugs? I mean... in that the drugs were helping people, he was happy. But his reason for going to work everyday was talking to his colleagues. To this day, he and his old colleagues still visit each other, still party together, and vacation together. When I tell my parents that I do things like work on programming projects outside of work, they think I'm crazy. Being genuinely interested in the content of your work so much so that you'd do it outside of a job is unique to engineering professions, IME.
  - quaffapint 5y ago
    I used to be this way in my first job when I was surrounded by people in the same life stages (recently married started having kids/etc). I still hang out with those same people outside the office. Now that I'm an older person and surrounded by younger people who are doing their own thing I don't socialize much at the office outside the basic daily banter. I left to be able to go remote. Then I can just socialize outside the office which I enjoy more.
  - axguscbklp 5y ago
    Are you sure that this attitude is the minority? I can easily go have fun with people outside of work, so I have no incentive to put up with the annoying parts of office work just to get to interact with people.
    - iammisc 5y ago
      Well you have to work, so it's better to do it with people you like. Obviously, if you didn't have to work, you wouldn't work just to see office mates. But if you do have to work, slogging away in a common place with friends is more compelling than sitting behind a computer.
      - axguscbklp 5y ago
        >But if you do have to work, slogging away in a common place with friends is more compelling than sitting behind a computer. Not for me. When it comes to work, I would rather sit behind a computer at home and talk with my friends on another computer at the same time than sit behind a computer at an office and talk with my friends there in person.
      - teclordphrack2 5y ago
        "so it's better to do it with people you like." How does that equate to me being able to interview everyone at an office while I am being interviewed to be hired? What you are getting at is some mantra of just be happy with where you are at.
      - 5y ago
mgh2 5y ago
I mean wow, I get that boredom can slowly kill a white-collar worker, but...think of the millions trying to cross the border just for a slim chance of a better future. To me this sounds like a typical American/tech worker entitlement problem. Do you even know how privileged you are by the simple fact that you are American? Most jobs are only eligible for Americans, while millions who are qualified are not allowed to work just because they were born in a different place. Billions struggling to even get food on the table...it is all perspective. A little bit of "hardship" just because you have to work from home? Come on...
- evan_ 5y ago
  My life isn't improved because others are suffering.
  - mgh2 5y ago
    Sure, it is not. Maybe you are not using your talents properly. Consider a change in career to help others, maybe then you will find meaning and fulfillment...
    - selfhoster11 5y ago
      Changing away from a career in tech could be a one-way operation. Future employers may read a five-year foray into an unrelated type of work as a negative, and make it harder to find a job similar to what you did before.
    - RobRivera 5y ago
      Why do you exhibit such rage towards fellow humans seeking their definition of happiness? I know what its like to not know where my next meal is com8ng from, and I wouldnt be offended by anothers' journey for improvement.
      - mgh2 5y ago
        No "rage", just sounded that way. I just get a sense that in HN, perspectives are heavily tilted towards the rich and comfortable.
cratermoon 5y ago
Same. I quit at the end of April. I'm calling it a sabbatical and barring the unexpected I should be able to take a year. I was burnt out anyway. See the section titled "Leaving without a job" here https://lethain.com/deciding-to-switch/ https://lethain.com/deciding-to-switch/
icedchai 5y ago
Yes, exactly this. I realized the separation between work and home is very important to me. The little things, like lunches with colleagues, were something to look forward to.
ladyattis 5y ago
I think some folks are use to the noise and filler time at the office. In absence of that kind of chatter, work becomes a bit more soul sucking than expected so it's no surprise to me that anyone would want to move to another job just for some kind of change that requires interfacing with co-workers (training, on-boarding, etc).

irrational 5y ago

It’s interesting how different people are. All those things you list are reasons I would want to quit a job. I don’t ever want to work in an office ever again.

MattGaiser 5y ago
Indeed. Besides the free food, those are the less desirable parts of work to me.
- cratermoon 5y ago
  The free food didn't really excite me much. It was mostly junk food, or something dressed up as natural and healthy but turned out, when you looked at the label, to be junk. The coffee was good, though. Junk like https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-are-ultra-processed-foods-and-are-they-bad-for-our-health-2020010918605 https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-are-ultra-processed... and https://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/clean-eating/how-unhealthy-are-protein-bars https://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/clean-eating/how-u...
iammisc 5y ago
You must understand that this attitude is the minority. Most people like their workplace because they like the people there. My dad worked in pharma sales for 30 years. Do you think he cared to sell the drugs? I mean... in that the drugs were helping people, he was happy. But his reason for going to work everyday was talking to his colleagues. To this day, he and his old colleagues still visit each other, still party together, and vacation together. When I tell my parents that I do things like work on programming projects outside of work, they think I'm crazy. Being genuinely interested in the content of your work so much so that you'd do it outside of a job is unique to engineering professions, IME.
- quaffapint 5y ago
  I used to be this way in my first job when I was surrounded by people in the same life stages (recently married started having kids/etc). I still hang out with those same people outside the office. Now that I'm an older person and surrounded by younger people who are doing their own thing I don't socialize much at the office outside the basic daily banter. I left to be able to go remote. Then I can just socialize outside the office which I enjoy more.
- axguscbklp 5y ago
  Are you sure that this attitude is the minority? I can easily go have fun with people outside of work, so I have no incentive to put up with the annoying parts of office work just to get to interact with people.
  - iammisc 5y ago
    Well you have to work, so it's better to do it with people you like. Obviously, if you didn't have to work, you wouldn't work just to see office mates. But if you do have to work, slogging away in a common place with friends is more compelling than sitting behind a computer.
    - axguscbklp 5y ago
      >But if you do have to work, slogging away in a common place with friends is more compelling than sitting behind a computer. Not for me. When it comes to work, I would rather sit behind a computer at home and talk with my friends on another computer at the same time than sit behind a computer at an office and talk with my friends there in person.
    - teclordphrack2 5y ago
      "so it's better to do it with people you like." How does that equate to me being able to interview everyone at an office while I am being interviewed to be hired? What you are getting at is some mantra of just be happy with where you are at.
    - 5y ago

mgh2 5y ago

I mean wow, I get that boredom can slowly kill a white-collar worker, but...think of the millions trying to cross the border just for a slim chance of a better future. To me this sounds like a typical American/tech worker entitlement problem. Do you even know how privileged you are by the simple fact that you are American? Most jobs are only eligible for Americans, while millions who are qualified are not allowed to work just because they were born in a different place. Billions struggling to even get food on the table...it is all perspective. A little bit of "hardship" just because you have to work from home? Come on...

evan_ 5y ago
My life isn't improved because others are suffering.
- mgh2 5y ago
  Sure, it is not. Maybe you are not using your talents properly. Consider a change in career to help others, maybe then you will find meaning and fulfillment...
  - selfhoster11 5y ago
    Changing away from a career in tech could be a one-way operation. Future employers may read a five-year foray into an unrelated type of work as a negative, and make it harder to find a job similar to what you did before.
  - RobRivera 5y ago
    Why do you exhibit such rage towards fellow humans seeking their definition of happiness? I know what its like to not know where my next meal is com8ng from, and I wouldnt be offended by anothers' journey for improvement.
    - mgh2 5y ago
      No "rage", just sounded that way. I just get a sense that in HN, perspectives are heavily tilted towards the rich and comfortable.

cratermoon 5y ago

Same. I quit at the end of April. I'm calling it a sabbatical and barring the unexpected I should be able to take a year. I was burnt out anyway. See the section titled "Leaving without a job" here https://lethain.com/deciding-to-switch/ https://lethain.com/deciding-to-switch/

icedchai 5y ago

Yes, exactly this. I realized the separation between work and home is very important to me. The little things, like lunches with colleagues, were something to look forward to.

ladyattis 5y ago

I think some folks are use to the noise and filler time at the office. In absence of that kind of chatter, work becomes a bit more soul sucking than expected so it's no surprise to me that anyone would want to move to another job just for some kind of change that requires interfacing with co-workers (training, on-boarding, etc).