October 26, 2011 at 9:53 am
Steve, again thank you for saying this right out there in front of God and everyone and I believe it is said with emotion. You are correct.
How can you really do your best and be loyal to a company who treats you poorly? Andy W. said "you are what you eat" and to a point he is right. If you work for a second or third rate outfit you become known as a second or third rate employee.
One can not sell themself short and must completely understand what you have said. "Life's too short to live with a crappy job for a long time, no matter how much they pay you."
Right on Brother!
M.
Not all gray hairs are Dinosaurs!
October 26, 2011 at 9:57 am
Steve is right on the mark, and I'd like to add one thing coming from direct experience: When you finally leave the job - or employer - that you're unhappy with, you'll find yourself saying "Why didn't I do that ___ year(s) ago?" I think we put our heads down and just "tough it out" to a point but when (in my case) your salary is frozen in the same year that the company produces record profits - and record executive bonuses - the whole "loyalty" thing goes down the drain.
Personally, I've always enjoyed what I do and my co-workers have all been great to work with but I'm also responsible for a family and I refuse to "tough it out" while others are getting bonuses.
For the record, I hate looking for a new job. I'm happiest when I'm doing DBA stuff.
October 26, 2011 at 10:02 am
I work for a great company right now. Cream of the crop in consulting throughout the region, maybe the country. The company's motto "Expect the Best" is not a motto. It represents what the company tries to achieve on every project. I feel very fortunate to be a member of this team of consummate professionals, even a little surprised to be counted among them.
Is the pay the greatest? By most accounts it is top notch. Is the environment great? Well, as long as you are a top performer, yes. Those who cannot deliver top quality will not last. Is that a negative? Not for me since that is the challenge I need and desire to move into the top percentile. Why be in the top percentile? Pay, the thrill of the challenge, prestige.
Do I love every minute? Well, no. 🙂 I work long hours sometimes, travel away from family sometimes. Endure tough conference calls with customers who may not be sure they got the "best" (usually an expectations disconnect). But I expect to sacrifice some comfort for some compensation and growth.
I work with many in-house staffers who like the stability and lack of change working in the same environment every day for years. Good for them!! 🙂 Seriously! I may go back to that once... if... I tire of the challenge of consulting, though that is hard to imagine. We all have a place in the IT matrix.
I agree with most of the posters and Steve on this: Love what you do or move on!! I worked for an extremely large defense contractor for 13 years. I hated most of it and took what little comfort I could in some of the work that I enjoyed. Then I discovered IT and I have loved 98% of it, with very days that I dreaded going in BECAUSE this is stuff I did for fun before I became a professional.
What are your favorite hobbies?? Your perfect career is right there inside of them if you just look. Do what you love. Like Kip said, "I love technology"...
Peter Trast
Microsoft Certified ...(insert many literal strings here)
Microsoft Design Architect with Alexander Open Systems
October 26, 2011 at 10:48 am
Thanks, everyone, for the kind words.
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October 26, 2011 at 10:58 am
Tony++ (10/26/2011)
I did make my move 3 months ago. The funny part was that the company I was leaving had a hard time believing that I wasn't leaving for pay (new salary is a few hundred dollars less), and they kept asking if they could make up the difference to get me to stay as if I wasn't telling the truth. It HAD to be the money, no way it could be the job or company, right?Major pluses on the new company: I'm discouraged from overtime - my building security card doesn't work before 6am, after 630pm, or on weekends. I have a laptop but I'm encouraged to leave it at work. They're resisting giving me a corporate phone, saying that off-hours means not available, even for checking email. The IT manager is the first person on the emergency call tree, not the people under him.
Lovely words -- "we pay you for 40 hours, we want 40 hours and no more."
WOW! If only the majority of employers thought and acted that way! I've worked next to guys who were salaried 40-hours but were obligated by the demands of managers and the head honcho to work far more than that and weekends. Unjust and unwarranted and thoughtless on the part of the heads. I was happy for them when they escaped to a life...
Steve, you're wise, especially in California (a fully at-will employment state), to advise folks to regard their salaried employment as a contract. I've done that for the past 2 decades - it's a contract with benefits.
The threat, while at Ford, was to never advance unless 2 hours per day of unpaid overtime was given for the next grade. Then more overtime for the next grade. Both my older brother and I said a firm "NO!" and were passed over - but our families benefitted from us being there and having the energy to actually be an active Dad, rather than a worn-out, leave me be, harassed member. I left for a lower paid job closer to home to be with my wife and our 2 kids and ended up unexpectedly blessed with a fixed low% mortgage and more inside 4 months. Definitely the best move. Did the same thing twice more with different moves and have a great now-adult family - well worth it.
Sometimes, like the last 5 or so years, it is more difficult to get a new position. As you advise, make the plan, make the connections, take the resume advice, do the Linked-In thing, whatever it takes to find a job you want to stay at - those around you, from family to friends and even folks who serve you (restaurants, etc.) will appreciate your pleasant demeanor because you're happy.
Thanks for the timely reminders, Steve.
October 26, 2011 at 11:19 am
This was a good read. I feel like "company loyalty" is quite antiquated and a bit foolish on the part of the employee. I like my job, I work hard, and I perform well but I feel no sense of loyalty to the company. They will cut me loose at the first opportunity that it makes good business sense and I will do the same. 😎
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