(jcwren) RE: Why do monks put up with it?

[jcwren]

This is an interesting problem that is bounded by a largish set of variables.

I'm probably being a fool dating myself, but I've been writing software for over 20 years. I've never done anything else, except some hardware design. Never worked at the local grocery store, never delivered papers, never slung burgers. I got interested in computers when I was in grade school, been lucky enough to stay in the field ever since.

In that 20+ years, I've worked for a handful of companies, ranging from writing medical software where the office was someones basement, to working in some of the most modern labs at IBM. When I started my first job, and was making about 25K a year, I was pretty happy. I was young, and I put up with some less than ideal situations because the newness of getting paid 'big bucks' was addictive. Since then, as I've moved along, I've increased my salary. I've also increased my expectations of what a company should (and shouldn't) do for me.

I won't work for a company that expects 50 hour weeks (at least, full-time. If you can bill 50 hours a week, that's a little different). As I get older, I value my free time more and more. It was fine to work a lot when I was young, and didn't appreciate that the number of days or hours you get to spend with your wife and/or dogs are ultimately limited (kids, if you're into that sort of thing). Consider this fact: When you negotiate a position with a company, and they offer to pay you $100K a year (it's a round figure). Now, a work year is considered to be 2000 working hours, and 2080 paid hours (2 weeks vacation). That means you're making $50 an hour. OK money, and you usually get benefits, etc. Now, work 50 hours a week. You just cut your salary by 20%! (remember, that's only 2 extra hours a day...)

Now, there are times when you can and should work some overtime. Sometimes the product needs it, sometimes the fate of the company is tied to your actions, sometimes it's your own damn fault. It's gonna happen, and you should accept that. However, accepting a 20% across the board pay cut by working 50 hours a week is not acceptable.

Sometimes conditions aren't always acceptable. OSHA does impose certain requirements, but most companies aren't those kind of sweatshops or high risk work areas (avoid working on oil rigs. I'm told it's fun, but it's dangerous as hell, esp if you work around the drill head). But there are other conditions that make working somewhere less than fun. For some, it's not using the O/S of choice. For others, it can be the drive to work (takes me typically 1 hour, one way, and it's only 23 miles). You have to balance what you're willing to accept as work conditions for the money you make. One of the things I DO NOT TOLERATE is not being paid on time. I live paycheck to paycheck. If a company is having hard times, and it's looking bleak, don't ride the ship to the bottom. Jump early, while you can still see the shore. (I will admit that going down with the company is a great time to pick up deals on equipment you might have an eye on...) Carefully evaluate the odds of the company surviving, and what ties you have to it (100,000 shares at $20 a share may be worth saving).

For the most part, just saying "I'll quit if I have to use NT" is a bit of arrogance on most peoples part. If you're that tied to the specific tools you think you need to make something work, it's my belief that you're not as good as you think. A *real* programmer sees that as a challange. Make something work, in spite of the tools you have. Sure, it's better to have the toolkit you like, but are you gonna walk on a $100K+ job, just because you have to touch an NT machine now and again? Maybe actually have to type 'dir' at a DOS prompt? No, that's just stupid.

The flip side of that is to maintain the attitude that you are an employable individual, with a desired skill set. The reality (for me) is that if this company goes under, inside of two weeks I can be working somewhere that can keep food on the table, bits in the IDSL pipe, and electrons to the CPU. It may not be a dream job, but the majority of us *are* employable. Always remember that no job *really* owns you. In spite of financial hardships, bad times, whatever, you CAN walk away from a job that's intolerable. Too many work hours, unreasonable expectations, sexual harrassment (oh, how I've longed for that at work!), whatever.

Summary? (Yea, I've rambled, I know that). Quitting because you don't get your favorite toys is probably unreasonable. Walking because of intolerable work conditions is another. And you can always find another job. Even if you have to borrow money to get through the bad times. It sucks, sure, but it's *your* life. Live it for yourself, and the people you care for, not some corporate entity that will forget your name 10 minutes after you're out the door.

What are my qualifactions to say this? Most of the companies I've worked for have been small companies (this means full-time or contracting). I've had to leave two companies because they couldn't pay me. I've left 2 companies because the drive time was occupying more than 3 hours a day (I used to drive from Atlanta to Raleigh, and back, once a week. 5-6 hour drive each way. Great company, but it was wreaking havoc on the home life). I've had 3 companies go out of business under me (no, it wasn't my fault!). And a 4 times I've left to pursue larger paychecks.

I've worked on lots of projects. Some were fun as anything. Working on the first tablet computers that went in J.B.Hunt trucks (you know those little Qualcomm dishes you see on top? J.B. Hunt started that trend). I've also worked on projects that I thought would *never* end. I've also never walked out in the middle of a project simple because I found the project not to my liking (personal pride). I have left in the middle of projects with ample notice and documentation for it to continue without me. Working on a few good projects can also temper the bad times. Not every project is gonna be a glamour project. Some are just going to be a living hell. Just be ready for them.

And never say quit... (always say 'to pursue other interests' It sounds better on a resume!)

--Chris

e-mail jcwren