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Anonymous
Work is Slowly Killing Me Inside 2016-09-25 03:52:09 Post No. 17603545
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Work is Slowly Killing Me Inside 2016-09-25 03:52:09 Post No. 17603545
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I'm really starting to hate my job, and I'm beginning to think it's the source of many of my problems.
I just hit my five-year anniversary at work this year. Everyone was congratulating me and all I could think about was that I couldn't believe I'd wasted so much of my life. Five years of going nowhere with basically nothing to show for it. Five years of making absolutely no progress in my career or any other aspect of my life. I don't even know why I'm still there, other than I have nowhere else to go.
It's certainly not because I love the work. In the past five years at the company, my job (Software testing) has been a major source of my stress and anxiety. I hate the stupid cycle of boredom and extreme pressure that repeats every three months. The work itself isn't rewarding or satisfying, and I grow to hate it more every single day. It's equal parts mind numbing busy work and hair-pulling frustration. I can't even hope things will improve through hard work and good performance since there's no room for advancement. They just keep stringing me along, with little raises that don't cover the cost of living increases, and the promise of a promotion that keeps getting snatched away from me just when I think it's in reach.
It's not due to the great company of my coworkers either. I get along with everyone, but I can never really connect with them, or get to know them. I just don't have much in common with any of them, and I know I'll never have their respect. They'll always just think of me as "the new kid" no matter how long I work there.
I need to change something, but I don't have any idea what I can do at this point. I've been trying to take classes to work towards a masters degree to get me some options, but it's going to take a long time, and I feel like I'm burning out faster than I'm making progress.
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Just move to a different company if they aren't paying you enough.
If that isn't possible raise your level of skill so you become in demand.
If that isn't possible because you've hit the ceiling in your career path then pick a new career path.
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>>17603565
>Just move to a different company if they aren't paying you enough.
Part of the problem is that so much of my knowledge applies only to my company's products or the devices they interface with. The basic principles of software testing are the same everywhere, but a trained monkey could learn the basics of software testing. I really just need to get out, find a different career, but then I'm basically starting from scratch with no relevant knowledge, experience, or education.
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>>17603591
You've been doing this for 5 years and you just realized this now?
You need to decide your goal beforehand then do what you need to to get there. Do you want to make $300k? Do you just want a $100k low stress job? $1m? All of these are possible with low risk provided you put in enough effort and plan ahead.
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>>17603545
You ever watch the movie "fight club"?
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>>17603605
No, I had a pretty good idea it wasn't going to be amazing going in, but it was the best job I could land coming straight out of college. I didn't count on being stuck in this job for so long and denied every chance at advancement.
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>>17603626
Did you apply to other companies? Do you really have the skills to be worth the pay you want?
You have to be really proactive and convince your boss you could leave at any moment.
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One more thing - don't commit to any employer that doesn't give you a decent raise every year. Just improve your skills and look for a new job the moment the raises stop coming in.
And always think about the eventual possibility of starting your own firm.
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>>17603633
I applied to dozens of companies before I got the job I currently have. I haven't put in any applications lately because I know I don't have the skills. I've been taking classes to try and get a masters in CS and accumulate some certifications but it's slow going at one class per semester. If I could write code, I could work anywhere.
>convince your boss you could leave at any moment.
If my boss had any idea I was unsatisfied with my job I'd have been laid off in one of the many, many rounds of layoffs I've managed to dodge. Everyone is replaceable.
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>>17603675
So the problem is that you don't have enough skills to get to where you want to be. Sounds you already know the solution, great
/thread
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