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Ask HN: Should I quit my new job?

by Limes102 on 6/8/11, 10:31 PM with 10 comments

• by GHFigs on 6/8/11, 11:24 PM

  Think of this as an opportunity to learn how to deal with things you don't particularly want to do. If you walk away because it's draining, when are you ever going to not walk away? How will you know the difference between something you should walk away from and something you should stick through?

  If it's truly making you miserable or you have a better opportunity lined up, then by all means. But I think first making a more refined distinction about what the problem is will be more useful to you, even if you do eventually decide to leave. Is it the company or the project? Is it the technology or the fact that you're picking up a project someone else already started? Is it the work itself or the expectations and constraints involved? Do you have the power to set or change those constraints to make the project better for you? Can you get that power or authority? Can you, personally, ask for it in lieu of quitting? There will always be some things you can't change, but you should always look for things that you can.

  Also, regarding passion: reading HN and being 19 are both great ways to get an exaggerated notion of the importance of passion. You don't have to care about games to be highly engaged in the creation of something that happens to be a game. It helps, I'm sure, but your job isn't the like the game, but to like the work. The verb is the work. And if you need something to be passionate about, try answering the ever-evolving question: "How can you do your best work, given the constraints?"

• by SandB0x on 6/8/11, 11:30 PM

  Go to university mate.

  You can do some contract development work or write something on the side to keep up your skills and to earn some cash. For now, if you don't have any other job options, stick with the games job for a little while, earn some money and maybe go see the world for a few months.

• by rileywatkins on 6/8/11, 11:20 PM

  (I'm curious why you would take a job in game development if you weren't into games in the first place. Or maybe you didn't know you'd be working on games before you accepted the job. I'm not sure.)

  You can't guarantee that every task you'll be given throughout your career is something you would prefer to do. That's part of what school is about: you're assigned a wide range of projects that are designed to grow you in ways you wouldn't have chosen otherwise. Maybe you'll like them, maybe you won't. The fact is, you can always find something to learn from your current situation.

  Don't underestimate the value of finishing a project, either. Even if it's not your cup of tea right now, there's something to be said for sticking it out.

  Sometimes it's okay to leave where you are to find something you might like better, but that isn't _always_ the best answer.

• by petewailes on 6/8/11, 11:06 PM

  I think there's two things to consider here.

  1. Are you unhappy because you're not proud of what you're working on?

  2. Would you be happier elsewhere?

  As someone who's done a lot of work for a lot of clients over the years, you learn eventually that even in the best jobs, it's not all rainbows and unicorns all the time. It's about the ratio of good to bad.

  Now, on the one hand, you said this app is all HTML and it shows. Is this a concern you've raised, and if so, what was the response?

  Secondly, from the standpoint of someone who's run a business, whilst my default position is strive for awesome, when you've got budgets and employee time and client billing and other such things to worry about, sometimes you have to decide what's acceptably good, and anything past that is great.

  From a businessman's point of view, the measure of success isn't design quality or usability or anything else, those are just tools to the main goal: profitability.

  So, if you haven't had the concerns discussion with those higher up the chain yet, bare those things in mind. Understand that your concerns and theirs will be different. This will result in them taking your concerns more seriously, as it'll show that you're not just concerned with wide-eyed idealism, but with wanting to help further their goals, by making the end product better, thus delivering more profit. Sell the business case for your viewpoint.

  Failing that, if you do leave, be realistic about your prospects for a new job. You're not going to be doing high-end super-cool exciting thing yet, but that's OK, because by not doing those things, you can learn how what you do fits in to businesses. That's valuable, and will make you a much more capable developer long term, because you'll be able to relate to the client, the boss, and your work together. That's killer.

  Regarding the product itself, I've found that there's ways to find even the most boring things interesting. Just gear it around the things you do find interesting. Nothing, but nothing, is just flat boring. Which isn't to say some things are unpleasant, as they are. But not boring. There's always ways to make work fun.

  Hope this helps. If there's anything further I can do, reply here or drop me an email - I'd be happy to help.

• by imjonathanlee on 6/8/11, 11:07 PM

  The first question you should as is- what happens after you quit your new job? Would you go back to college, find a new job, create a startup?

  It might be difficult securing another job to support yourself financially without the help of parents based on your age and the fact that you don't have a bachelors yet. I'm personally one that believes that a degree isn't necessarily a strong reflection of how well your skill level is, but others might not see it the same way, especially if they're paying you.

  It might suck working for a company that develops apps that you're not interested in, but working in an environment like that might give you valuable experience. How long will it take before the web app is completed? Have you tried talking to someone else about why you don't like the app?

  What are your aspirations? What are you trying to achieve? I'm not sure what you're actually looking for in a job or how you want your future to be.

• by Limes102 on 6/9/11, 5:44 AM

  Hey, thanks for all your comments.

  A few of you said university might be a good route, and I do not disagree - But I'd much rather see how far I get without it, and leave that almost as a last resort.

  And I will stick it out! I agree with what all of you have said about finishing a project is still finishing a project, even if it's not something I feel particularly passionate about.

  Thanks for the help, everyone :)

• by thiagofm on 6/9/11, 2:48 AM

  You can:

  #1 try to find another job, #2 finish your degree and #3 create your own stuff.

  It's up to you.

  I seriously thing that you should try #1 if you want to work, #2 if #1 fails and #3 if you are passionate about something.

• by SamReidHughes on 6/8/11, 11:01 PM

  What will you do if everybody suggests quitting your job and finishing your degree?