7 ms·

Work for money.

giantg2 4y ago
What money? There's no way to get a raise at my company without a promotion and they won't promote me. I have no motivation to work hard if it won't be rewarded. I do the minimum to get paid my shitty salary.
- TameAntelope 4y ago
  Who said anything about your current company?
  - giantg2 4y ago
    I don't have the skills to switch to a different company, tech jobs are limited in my area, I don't perform well remotely, and my wife won't consider relocating. My current shitty job is the best job I can get.
    - bumby 4y ago
      It's okay to say tech jobs aren't the right fit as well.
      - giantg2 4y ago
        They might not be. I'm hesitant to admit that because 1) They used to be and I was a high performer at a mediocre non-tech company 2) There's nothing else I can do to earn enough to support my family.
        bumby 4y ago
        >There's nothing else I can do to earn enough to support my family. Honest question that I know won't be well-received on HN: I don't know your personal details, but do you think there is not anyone else in a lower paid job who has figured out a way to support their family? Frustration stems from when reality doesn't meet our expectations. You can choose to try and bend reality to your will or change your expectations. One is significantly easier than the other.
        giantg2 4y ago
        Sure, I can take a lower paying job. We would likely have to sell our house and move to an apartment and give up hope of retirement. The thing is, many of these people in lower paying job still make decent money, but those are skilled jobs. I would have to go to a trade school or apprentice for many of those, but likely couldn't due to needing an income. Because I would be unskilled labor, I would probably be looking at jobs around $20/hr with benefits (if I'm lucky). Without benefits, we'll be bankrupt quickly. Most of my frustration is because my bosses are assholes. I now expect bosses to be assholes, but it's still frustrating.
    - frostwarrior 4y ago
      > I don't have the skills to switch to a different company Go and learn. Skills are not set in stone. > I don't perform well remotely, and my wife won't consider relocating I understand that. I don't know you, but maybe a nicer setup with more (not too direct) sunlight can make it better?
      - giantg2 4y ago
        "Go and learn. Skills are not set in stone." Sure, but learning takes time, which I have little of. It's also much easier for some than others (getting significantly more difficult as I age). The main remote issue is that my wife interrupts me to do stuff or answer questions throughout the day. I also feel I'm slower to learn remotely. I think that if I'm an expert in the tech already, then remote could work.
        frostwarrior 4y ago
        I get it, but you already have a job. I assume you are be pretty busy, but at least you already have a secure source of money and you're not against the clock or anything like that. You don't need to spend all day in a class like a university student. An hour a day dedicated to lectures, practice and taking some notes with pencil and paper* can do wonders on the long term. As for your wife, maybe you can talk to her and ask her to leave you alone for some specific times, unless it's urgent. Or ask her to send you a message instead of talking so it doesn't interrupt your focus so much. * Some research on learning has proven that taking notes like that is way more effective than typing on a keyboard.
        giantg2 4y ago
        Thanks. I have tried talking to her, but the results weren't great. I do try to learn things outside of work. The main problem is if you don't use it, you lose it. Without constant practice it's hard to build and retain skills. I don't even have an hour a day free for that due to work and home responsibilities.
        4y ago
    - TameAntelope 4y ago
      Get the skills, limited doesn’t mean none, get better at performing remotely, drop the wife… You are in complete control over your life, but you have to accept that responsibility. Stop blaming externalities and start owning your choices.
      - giantg2 4y ago
        Everything is a tradeoff. Just because someone view the weight of the choices differently doesn't mean they are wrong. Check your ego.
        TameAntelope 4y ago
        Did I say you were wrong? No, you did. No ego, just facts, and your attitude here is crap, your headspace is so negative I’m not at all surprised you’re suffering such as you are.
        giantg2 4y ago
        Based on your comment history, you seem to be very aggressive and derogatory. I would almost say you're trolling. It's quite pedantic to claim you never said someone is wrong even after you've said several things which effectively say that.
        TameAntelope 4y ago
        I'm not the person who is causing your anger and frustration, but the fact that you choose to berate me instead of do anything about your situation speaks volumes.
- frostwarrior 4y ago
  If your current job can't motivate you, work on a side project or look for another job. And don't be the weakest link in the (faulty) chain. It's leaves a better impression by notifying external inefficiency and quitting because lack of change, rather than being fired because your motivation and productiveness withered in silence.
  - giantg2 4y ago
    Yeah, I have side projects. They aren't anything that I could make money on though. If I had a better option I would leave.
    - frostwarrior 4y ago
      Personally, I wish I could have more side projects to post them on my Github and use them as a developer portfolio. I have a few years of experience as a Web Dev, but sadly my GitHub is barren from code.
      - giantg2 4y ago
        I have an Angular site, a Python project, and a couple of Android apps. I don't think it matters. The Android apps helped me get a job out of college. But I feel like now that I've been in the industry, nobody cares about dev portfolios. It's all about the current/prior job.
VyseofArcadia 4y ago
My experience is that the more politics and BS and organization has, the more you can coast. Individual performance can get lost in the noise. Even in orgs that have their stuff together, I see a preference for internal transfer over termination. I think it's some sort of HR sunk cost fallacy.
- giantg2 4y ago
  My experience is that the politics and BS lead to BS ratings that go against the written policies because there are contradictory backroom policies. In this market, we can't seem to hire anyone (we aren't competitive on salary). So I guess it makes sense that they want to keep the low performers since they wouldn't be able to backfill. This still sucks since there's a lot of stress dealing with poor ratings and not know if you will get fired. And then even if you do work hard and perform well, there'd no guarantee that will increase your rating or comp.
- ge96 4y ago
  I'm kind of coasting myself (not being a leader/taking anything big on). What I like it about it is, I can leave work at work after work and focus on my own things that are more challenging. At the moment I burned money/got into a lot of debt trying to get a start up going. When that failed I just grabbed the first job/company that gave me an offer. I'm not that pumped about what I do but I can deal with it for now. Pay is still good for my level (low six figs) and it's 100% remote.
bumby 4y ago
While I think it's healthy to not tie your identity and well-being to your job, I think it might be a bad habit to view everything through the lens of a financial transaction. We've all probably worked with people who will only lift a finger if it benefits them. Create an organization of people with this mindset and much of the necessary but un-glorious work never gets done. I suppose you could say people can play the long game and do that stuff in hopes of getting noticed, but if it doesn't and you have a transactional mindset, it's a recipe to be miserable. (We've probably all worked with those people too - the ones who feel slighted because they believe they've done all the hard work without getting rewarded).
- BLKNSLVR 4y ago
  > I think it might be a bad habit to view everything through the lens of a financial transaction Unless you want to get promoted into management... Hire new people to do the inglourious work.
  - bumby 4y ago
    >Hire new people to do the inglourious work. But I'm assuming this means hiring people without the same transactional mindset? Otherwise, there will just be endless employee churn as they realize there's nothing in it for them. It's hard for me to get on-board with a management approach that effectively says, "I don't want to do this stuff because I want to get paid but it's okay for you to do it because I don't care whether you get paid or not." Either you think the work is worth doing or you don't, but it's a weak leadership style to say it's only worth doing if someone else is doing it. (That's different that strategically assigning duties to get the most out of the team.)
    - giantg2 4y ago
      "But I'm assuming this means hiring people without the same transactional mindset?" Our company tries to outsource the more boring/routine stuff to overseas contractors. The results vary.
- brokenkebab2 4y ago
woweoe 4y ago
Many cultures even in the West look down on that kind of attitude.

Work for money.

What money? There's no way to get a raise at my company without a promotion and they won't promote me. I have no motivation to work hard if it won't be rewarded. I do the minimum to get paid my shitty salary.

TameAntelope 4y ago
Who said anything about your current company?
- giantg2 4y ago
  I don't have the skills to switch to a different company, tech jobs are limited in my area, I don't perform well remotely, and my wife won't consider relocating. My current shitty job is the best job I can get.
  - bumby 4y ago
    It's okay to say tech jobs aren't the right fit as well.
    - giantg2 4y ago
      They might not be. I'm hesitant to admit that because 1) They used to be and I was a high performer at a mediocre non-tech company 2) There's nothing else I can do to earn enough to support my family.
      - bumby 4y ago
        >There's nothing else I can do to earn enough to support my family. Honest question that I know won't be well-received on HN: I don't know your personal details, but do you think there is not anyone else in a lower paid job who has figured out a way to support their family? Frustration stems from when reality doesn't meet our expectations. You can choose to try and bend reality to your will or change your expectations. One is significantly easier than the other.
        giantg2 4y ago
        Sure, I can take a lower paying job. We would likely have to sell our house and move to an apartment and give up hope of retirement. The thing is, many of these people in lower paying job still make decent money, but those are skilled jobs. I would have to go to a trade school or apprentice for many of those, but likely couldn't due to needing an income. Because I would be unskilled labor, I would probably be looking at jobs around $20/hr with benefits (if I'm lucky). Without benefits, we'll be bankrupt quickly. Most of my frustration is because my bosses are assholes. I now expect bosses to be assholes, but it's still frustrating.
  - frostwarrior 4y ago
    > I don't have the skills to switch to a different company Go and learn. Skills are not set in stone. > I don't perform well remotely, and my wife won't consider relocating I understand that. I don't know you, but maybe a nicer setup with more (not too direct) sunlight can make it better?
    - giantg2 4y ago
      "Go and learn. Skills are not set in stone." Sure, but learning takes time, which I have little of. It's also much easier for some than others (getting significantly more difficult as I age). The main remote issue is that my wife interrupts me to do stuff or answer questions throughout the day. I also feel I'm slower to learn remotely. I think that if I'm an expert in the tech already, then remote could work.
      - frostwarrior 4y ago
        I get it, but you already have a job. I assume you are be pretty busy, but at least you already have a secure source of money and you're not against the clock or anything like that. You don't need to spend all day in a class like a university student. An hour a day dedicated to lectures, practice and taking some notes with pencil and paper* can do wonders on the long term. As for your wife, maybe you can talk to her and ask her to leave you alone for some specific times, unless it's urgent. Or ask her to send you a message instead of talking so it doesn't interrupt your focus so much. * Some research on learning has proven that taking notes like that is way more effective than typing on a keyboard.
        giantg2 4y ago
        Thanks. I have tried talking to her, but the results weren't great. I do try to learn things outside of work. The main problem is if you don't use it, you lose it. Without constant practice it's hard to build and retain skills. I don't even have an hour a day free for that due to work and home responsibilities.
        4y ago
  - TameAntelope 4y ago
    Get the skills, limited doesn’t mean none, get better at performing remotely, drop the wife… You are in complete control over your life, but you have to accept that responsibility. Stop blaming externalities and start owning your choices.
    - giantg2 4y ago
      Everything is a tradeoff. Just because someone view the weight of the choices differently doesn't mean they are wrong. Check your ego.
      - TameAntelope 4y ago
        Did I say you were wrong? No, you did. No ego, just facts, and your attitude here is crap, your headspace is so negative I’m not at all surprised you’re suffering such as you are.
        giantg2 4y ago
        Based on your comment history, you seem to be very aggressive and derogatory. I would almost say you're trolling. It's quite pedantic to claim you never said someone is wrong even after you've said several things which effectively say that.
        TameAntelope 4y ago
        I'm not the person who is causing your anger and frustration, but the fact that you choose to berate me instead of do anything about your situation speaks volumes.
frostwarrior 4y ago
If your current job can't motivate you, work on a side project or look for another job. And don't be the weakest link in the (faulty) chain. It's leaves a better impression by notifying external inefficiency and quitting because lack of change, rather than being fired because your motivation and productiveness withered in silence.
- giantg2 4y ago
  Yeah, I have side projects. They aren't anything that I could make money on though. If I had a better option I would leave.
  - frostwarrior 4y ago
    Personally, I wish I could have more side projects to post them on my Github and use them as a developer portfolio. I have a few years of experience as a Web Dev, but sadly my GitHub is barren from code.
    - giantg2 4y ago
      I have an Angular site, a Python project, and a couple of Android apps. I don't think it matters. The Android apps helped me get a job out of college. But I feel like now that I've been in the industry, nobody cares about dev portfolios. It's all about the current/prior job.

VyseofArcadia 4y ago

My experience is that the more politics and BS and organization has, the more you can coast. Individual performance can get lost in the noise. Even in orgs that have their stuff together, I see a preference for internal transfer over termination. I think it's some sort of HR sunk cost fallacy.

giantg2 4y ago
My experience is that the politics and BS lead to BS ratings that go against the written policies because there are contradictory backroom policies. In this market, we can't seem to hire anyone (we aren't competitive on salary). So I guess it makes sense that they want to keep the low performers since they wouldn't be able to backfill. This still sucks since there's a lot of stress dealing with poor ratings and not know if you will get fired. And then even if you do work hard and perform well, there'd no guarantee that will increase your rating or comp.
ge96 4y ago
I'm kind of coasting myself (not being a leader/taking anything big on). What I like it about it is, I can leave work at work after work and focus on my own things that are more challenging. At the moment I burned money/got into a lot of debt trying to get a start up going. When that failed I just grabbed the first job/company that gave me an offer. I'm not that pumped about what I do but I can deal with it for now. Pay is still good for my level (low six figs) and it's 100% remote.

bumby 4y ago

While I think it's healthy to not tie your identity and well-being to your job, I think it might be a bad habit to view everything through the lens of a financial transaction. We've all probably worked with people who will only lift a finger if it benefits them. Create an organization of people with this mindset and much of the necessary but un-glorious work never gets done. I suppose you could say people can play the long game and do that stuff in hopes of getting noticed, but if it doesn't and you have a transactional mindset, it's a recipe to be miserable. (We've probably all worked with those people too - the ones who feel slighted because they believe they've done all the hard work without getting rewarded).

BLKNSLVR 4y ago
> I think it might be a bad habit to view everything through the lens of a financial transaction Unless you want to get promoted into management... Hire new people to do the inglourious work.
- bumby 4y ago
  >Hire new people to do the inglourious work. But I'm assuming this means hiring people without the same transactional mindset? Otherwise, there will just be endless employee churn as they realize there's nothing in it for them. It's hard for me to get on-board with a management approach that effectively says, "I don't want to do this stuff because I want to get paid but it's okay for you to do it because I don't care whether you get paid or not." Either you think the work is worth doing or you don't, but it's a weak leadership style to say it's only worth doing if someone else is doing it. (That's different that strategically assigning duties to get the most out of the team.)
  - giantg2 4y ago
    "But I'm assuming this means hiring people without the same transactional mindset?" Our company tries to outsource the more boring/routine stuff to overseas contractors. The results vary.
brokenkebab2 4y ago

woweoe 4y ago

Many cultures even in the West look down on that kind of attitude.