When Should You Quit Your Job?

Moe Taxes asks: "I want to hear from Slashdot readers who have quit jobs or turned down offered jobs because it was not what they wanted to do. Why did you do it? Was it ethics, ambition, pride, or disgust? And how did it turn out? Did you get to do what you wanted to do, are you still looking, or did you come back begging for another chance? I have always written software for windows, but never with Microsoft tools. I don't feel like I have enough control over the product when I use Microsoft programming environments. My company was bought recently, and is in the process of becoming a C# VisualStudio shop. I said thanks, but no thanks and left. Am I a fool for giving up steady work and good pay?"

Better have something inline

[by Anonymous Coward]

Am I a fool for giving up steady work and good pay

Yes.


Don't ever quite (read it twice) unless you have something else in line.

Re:Better have something inline

[DoktorMel (35110)]

Maybe not a fool, but definitely foolhardy. I think a lot in this situation depends on whether or not you have anyone else to support. Would I do the same? Absolutely not, but I've got a wife with MS and a need for continuous health coverage.

All that aside, the choice of programming tools strikes me as a very silly reason to leave a perfectly good job when you could have sat there getting paid to look for another one.

Re:Better have something inline

[aspx (808539)]

I have a hard time believing that was his only reason to leave. I think it may be the only reason he can verbalize. If everything inside you is screaming "leave this job," then you should probably do it.

Re:Better have something inline

[networkBoy (774728)]

"If everything inside you is screaming "leave this job," then you should probably do it"

I didn't follow my gut's advice for over a year and was miserable. I finally told my boss I was leaving and if he was nice about it I would remain available for a period of time after my departure. If he was a dick about it or if I was classified as non-rehirable I was gone for good. I've never been happier or felt more liberated than my last week there when people tried adding new tasks to my stack and failed.

-nB

Re:Better have something inline

[WinterSolstice (223271)]

That last sentence nearly cost me my keyboard... I immedietly saw it as:

if( push( networkBoy, newcrap ) ){
...
}
else{
panic();
}

-WS

Re:Better have something inline

[Thunderstruck (210399)]

It was always the commute, or being bored with the work, or wanting to move to another coast.

As a proud citizen of North Dakota, I find this offensive and will be writing my senator about having you censored.

Re:Better have something inline

[Alien54 (180860)]

Don't ever quite (read it twice) unless you have something else in line.

the spell checking nazis will have fun with that

That said, I actually quit one job because the boss was a roller coaster alchoholic, smooth and polite one day, mean and vindictive and nasty the next. I left for mental health reasons, not wanting to become a news item in the local news paper. It is never a good thing when you start contemplating evil things to do to your boss.

In this case, it was a wise move on my part

Re:Better have something inline

[DoktorMel (35110)]

You've got a valid point. And it's entirely possible the dear questioner has such a situation. I've quit a job before myself and spent a bad several months looking. THere are valid reasons.

But if the only reason the poster can be bothered to include is that they're moving to C# and visual studio...well, that's just unconvincing to me. I work for a Linux shop. We use Red Hat. Personally, I don't like Red Hat, I distinctly prefer Gentoo. Do I make a big deal of that at work? No. Would I make a big deal of it if we moved to doing more Windows work? Or even 100% Windows?

NO.

It's just an operating system.

Would I start looking for a new job?

YES.

And that, really, is what this guy should have done, unless there's a lot he isn't telling us.

Quitting a good job because of a dislike of the software platform choices that are made above your level isn't good management of your CAREER. Management of your career is a big portion of what separates the long-term successes from the long-term failures, IMHO.

Re:Better have something inline

[Thangodin (177516)]

I have to agree with this: if the job is driving you crazy, you pretty much have to quit. I worked at one company that was so disfunctional that a lot of people came out of it damaged--paranoid, burnt out, with bad work habits, and with egos either so over-inflated or badly broken that they were useless to any employer for a couple years afterwards. Some of the people who worked there crashed and burned spectacularly in their next job and ended up unemployed for a while.

I've seen this in other places since, people in jobs that are no-win situations, which literally drive them to drink. The boss or the environment just has some toxic psychological effect, and the worst part is that it's hard for the person to tell if its them or the job until some time afterwards. This usually happens when someone higher up doesn't actually want the job to be done (and ensures that it can't be, while the person trying to do it takes the blame,) or when the employee's immediate supervisor is scapegoating the person to make themselves look better. In both cases, the real problem is hidden, because the manager creating the problem always does so covertly. This is a helluva lot more common in large organisations (private or public) than you might think.

But this is a whole different ballgame than just personal tool preferences--these kinds of situations can trash your career or sanity.

Re:Better have something inline

[Jakhel (808204)]

Don't ever quite (read it twice) unless you have something else in line.

The same rule applies to relationships..don't ever break up with a girl unless you have someone else in line. :)

Re:Better have something inline

[lucabrasi999 (585141)]

Unless of course both relationships dump you for seeing two people at once.

It never works out that way. Usually, when two women find out they are dating the same man, they mutually agree to join the man in a threesome.

Re:Better have something inline

[drakaan (688386)]

You owe me a keyboard, dammit.

Re:Better have something inline

[alnjmshntr (625401)]

It's probably a very personal thing and depends a lot on your personality. I myself have left 4 jobs without another lined up (only once out of disgust, the rest was when I decided to travel).

I have always found good employement again (though the last time I had to spend a few months looking and I admit this has made me hesitant about doing it again). In retrospect all of those decisions were good for me, some of them amazingly so.

Re:Better have something inline

[Wylfing (144940)]

It's probably a very personal thing and depends a lot on your personality. I myself have left 4 jobs without another lined up (only once out of disgust, the rest was when I decided to travel).

I have always found good employement again (though the last time I had to spend a few months looking and I admit this has made me hesitant about doing it again). In retrospect all of those decisions were good for me, some of them amazingly so.

It's amazing that this is not modded higher. If you are single, and especially if you are single and young you should immediately quit a job that sucks. If you can muster a pleasant personality and view life's obstacles as challenges that you can and will overcome, you will always land on your feet. Do anything that feels right. Follow your bliss. This is the time in your life when these things are possible.

Never Quit!

[PopeAlien (164869)]

No! dont do that. spend every single weekday sitting in an environment you loathe doing something you hate with people that you dont like. do it for the economy.

wont somebody please think of the economy!?!

Re:Better have something inline

[Greslin (842361)]

Don't ever quite (read it twice) unless you have something else in line.

If we're going to read it twice, then at least spell the word right.

"Don't ever quit without another job lined up." Yeah, I've heard this one over the years many times myself, even though I've ignored it just as many times. Last time was from a friend who'd spent years working a job that wasn't any good for him, that was screwing up his personal life, but was more "stable" than going out and taking risks on what he really wanted to do.

About six months after he told me that line, regarding my headfirst plunge into self-employment a few years back, my friend died of cancer related to his job. He was 29 years old and it was a very nasty, ugly, painful death.

So give it a rest. Life's a lot shorter than people think, and sometimes rushing where angels fear to tread can be the best thing for a guy. In fact, sometimes it can save a life.

I don't know about that

[einhverfr (238914)]

I used to work at Microsoft (go ahead and laugh) and it was a stable and secure job aside from the fact my department was being globalized and sent to India (I could have probably found another job at Microsoft if it had come down to it).

I quit due to a number of reasons. First, it became clear to me that family obligations (unusually intensive for the time) were not going to be met if I continued to work there. But additionally (why I have not reapplied) I realized that I would be continuously underemployed because I didn't play the political games the way others expected me to.

So when I returned to the US after helping my wife get her visa, I went into business for myself.

My experience:

Don't kid yourself-- it is very (!) difficult to quit to start your own business unless you have a lot of external support (I was lucky in that regard, and it is still hard).

That being said, there is no price you can pay for the feeling of satisfaction you get from having a fulfilling job or business.

So it is your choice.

Re:Better have something inline

[BrookHarty (9119)]

Am I a fool for giving up steady work and good pay

Yes.

Keep a Fuck You fund just for this reason, so you can walk away from the job. Depending on what you do and skill level, you can quit a job at a moments notice and work for someone else, (Or yourself).

If you are smart, you are networked, have other jobs waiting, working multiple jobs, stay in demand, you shouldnt fear switching jobs.

Unless you have your life invested in a company, loyalty stops at the paycheck, they have no problems outsourcing you if it can save them money. Treat your work with as an investment, if you are not getting your moneys worth, invest somewhere else. Your time and work is an investment.

Re:Better have something inline

[by Anonymous Coward]

Hopefully this can get modded up as a bit of a warning.

I had a great job at the end of 2003, but ended up getting fired because I had an attitude that signaled I wanted a better company to work for. I didn't like the directions they were taking, etc. I had publicly talked about quitting and finding a better job, and after a heated argument with an incompetent boss, I was terminated.

I initially felt relief and freedom. It was great to be able to take the time to find that perfect company that did things the way I wanted them to be done! Until 2 weeks of unemployment turned to 2 months. Then 3. Then 4. Then a short contract out of desperation for little money. Next thing you know, I'm behind on the house and the car. Child support gets missed. A year later I ended up filing for bankruptcy in order to attempt to keep a roof over my head, and even then I'm barely able to keep up with the increased payments that come with reaffirming my loans.

Now, almost a year and a half later, I have a great job with a company less than 10 minutes from my house. They don't do things any better than the last company, but I've had to learn to be more political in the last several months.

The point is this : you won't know if it was a stupid move for 6 months. If you find some kick ass company to work for, then it was a smart move. If you're borrowing money from family and friends to pay for a bankruptcy attorney, then you were a fool.

And, not to start a flame war, what's so bad about C#? I will make the assumption that you are either a VB or Windows C++ programmer, which means that C# is just another tool in your toolkit, another skill on your resume. I still prefer C++ to C# because I feel like I haven't even scratched the surface of the full power of C++, but I use C# to pay the bills. And if you really love programming, you should love learning new languages, like I do.

Post back in 6 months and then we'll know for sure if you were a fool.

Re:This is really extrange

[peragrin (659227)]

Take the higher paying job. Less to have to deal moving.

If you really and truely want a degree, you can take night courses at a local school, or even online.

As a manager with programing experience, don't forget the people you manage where once just like you.

design your own programs on the side, to fufill your programing desires. or 'help' out the Testing and patching sections during quiet times of the year.

Now if the more expensive job required relocation that's a different story. The headache of moving, and a new job may or may not be worth the higher salary.

Re:This is really extrange

[donbrock (705779)]

I know people don't hire older programmers, and being 27 this is something that's hainting me.

This is news to me since I'm a programmer in my 50's and considered a youngster on my project.

Re:This is really extrange

[EvilNight (11001)]

I can second this. I'm 28, and at least five years younger than anyone else working at my company. Fully two thirds of our employees are over 40, and we have several greybeards here who are in the late 50's, even late 60's. Believe me, programming skill does *not* lessen with age; it can sharpen to the point where, like the parent says... coding is simply instinct. We also have the kind of management that laughs uproariously when someone mentions overseas projects, and has taken up projects that are being brought back from overseas in shambles.

It's a really smooth, calm, sane work environment. It would literally take someone offering me more than double my current salary to get me to leave, because I'm reasonably sure this will be the best job I ever have, in terms of working environment.

I think that idea of 'only young people make good programmers' has passed its time. The field has become too mature for an illusion like that to continue any longer. Good programmers are good programmers, and that's all there is to it. If you're good, you're all set.

Re:This is really extrange

[Mark_Uplanguage (444809)]

There are many different types of people in the world. I don't know which one you are, but not everyone can manage well, nor wants to. You sound like you've found what you're happy with. The money you get with a managerial role and no formal training may be offset by increased stress, and frustration at a job that's not necessarily as easy for you nor makes you as happy.

Case in point, as a manager with people under you, you'll have to rate them, listen to them, and be responsible to make them play nicely together. Are you stong with social interaction? Do you listen well? Do people respect you and see you as a leader?

The "Peter Principle" says good people get promoted to their "level of incompetence". Make sure that never applies to you, because you'll be miserable and that will affect the people you manage as well as your new set of co-workers.

Money isn't everything. One serious illness caused by stress can wipe it all out faster than the IRS.

Good luck in whatever you decide!

Re:This is really extrange

[kevlar (13509)]

Whats your current salary? 3x $20k isn't as significant as 3x $60k...

Re:This is really extrange

[sunwukong (412560)]

In addition to all of the advice above keep in mind this: people who become professional managers are just as much geeks as those who program.

By that I mean people who become executives and mid- and upper level managers are people who should love the political/people stuff as much as a programmer loves technology.

Think about mid to senior management as the equivalent of mid to senior level developers -- how much time and energy have they spent working on the skills that matter in a political, people-everything environment? Just as much as the developers did in their coding and technical stuff, if not more. And they're just as motivated as well.

Be sure that you're comfortable in making a jump to that kind of peer group!

Now

[obrienb (579428)]

About the time you start asking Slashdot if it is time to quit:-)

You are the only one

[stoolpigeon (454276)]

who can know. It's like asking-- "I got Rocky Road at Baskin Robins with my Yahoo coupon, did I get the wrong flavor?"

yes

[SparafucileMan (544171)]

Yes. I mean, ok, so it's your call. But does it really matter what OS/environment you work with? I always thought real programmers could care less... It's not like you're doing it for fun--you ARE getting paid, after all. Besides, you should have waited till you found a new job before you quit your old one.

Re:yes

[tetrode (32267)]

Sure. Real 'real' programmers don't give a rats' ass in what OS/environment they work. Take for for instance. I used to work in the webservices department; running all these apache servers, java servlets on linux on these big iron S390 was kinda nice.

But hey, they needed someone do an update of the telephony taxation programme in brainf*ck on a SCO openserver. It is quite old, I must say, I had to set the date back 10 years, so I don't run into Y2K problems.

Anyway, I don't care what environment I work in. And I start to like Brainf*ck.

>+++++++++[-]+++++++[-]>>++++++++[-]
>>++++++++ ++[-]>+.

I think I do my next assignment in Ook. Preferably in Ook.NET - I already made my first programme, look:

Ook. Ook? Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook! Ook? Ook? Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook? Ook! Ook! Ook? Ook! Ook? Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook. Ook.

Always have another paycheck lined up...

[stankulp (69949)]

...before quitting any job with a paycheck.

Unless you have no use for money.

When You get Bored

[moofdaddy (570503)]

Life is very short, if you don't believe in god then this is truley the only go at things you'll have. Every day should be fun and everything you do you should enjoy, you should be interested in, it should intrigue you. Because of this you shouldn't spend time doing something you dislike, that bores you, etc. A smart person can find a good job, one that they like, one that they love, if they look hard enough.

A great indication of when you should quit your job is when you wake up every morning and dread going into work. Its okay to wish you were doing something else, but if you wake up and always hate the idea of going into the office then it is probably a good time to find a new line of work.

Re:When You get Bored

[TonyZahn (534930)]

"A great indication of when you should quit your job is when you wake up every morning and dread going into work." I've always told people I base it off the quality of my Sunday afternoons. If you get a sick feely in the pit of your stomach Sunday afternoon knowing that you have to go back tomorrow, it's time to leave.

Re:When You get Bored

[by Anonymous Coward]

Life is very short ...and reputations too long to erase by career ethical issues.

I live in a top 50 US market and was offered a job writing PR for a major election systems company. The pay offered was attractive and they were totally thrilled with my writing (I was referred by their PR firm who had come into contact with me at another company). I'm a half-breed tech/business type and have been fortunate enough to be able to take a technical topic and explain it for normal people to understand.

This company gave me a pile of product manuals, corporate documentation, etc. to read through as I wanted to assess what I'd be jumping into. I don't like promising anyone to solve their problems unless I really can have a realistic chance of doing so. Upon reading through the materials, I was horrified. They lacked any process maturity and relied upon a crew of hostile, overworked programmer fossils that were combative to any development. Project management was a myth. Sales would routinely ignore the obsolete programming staff and make outlandish commitments ("touch screen with custom layouts? No problem!") just to book the sale. They'd learned long ago to just toss the orders over the wall instead of dealing with the antisocial technical crew. Both groups were at war with each other.

And management wanted me to put frosting on it all as they clearly viewed their problems as public relations. "We just aren't communicating our product vision effectively" they said.

I turned it down. Every time I get on a commercial aircraft, I pray they don't make planes the way they make election systems. Best of all, I'm not associated with that company. Several of the programmers have been trying to get hired at companies I know and my horror stories have kept some of my peers from bringing on the dead weight. People have no idea how small a big city can be when it comes to hiring and networking.

RE: Parent post is a bit too utopian, IMHO....

[King_TJ (85913)]

Not saying that it's "bad advice" - but perhaps it's just over-simplistic?

I agree that life is too short, and there's ultimately no real point to spending most of it doing work you loathe.

But there's a flip-side to this. Job searches and the uncertainty of when you'll be able to get the bills paid can be more stressful than a job you don't particularly like.

Furthermore, it's quite possible to discover something you truly enjoy doing on your own terms and conditions, which doesn't ever seem to really translate into a "job you enjoy" when working for someone else. For example, I've always had an interest and enjoyment of music - and used to be told I had a "pleasant reading voice" and the like. Therefore, I had an idea that I'd enjoy becoming a radio DJ. Know what? After going to college and taking a few courses towards this goal - I realized there was no way I'd ever like it! The problem? Practically nobody in the commercial radio business is willing to turn over control to a DJ. The DJ is basically a "robot", playing the music pre-designated in set lists, and required to only speak for X number of seconds or minutes each hour, at pre-designated time slots in the program. That's not at all what I envisioned would make being a DJ fun!

All of that being said, I think there's nothing at all to be ashamed of to say "Look, I'm not comfortable writing your software using *this* set of tools (or for *this* platform)." Only you can really make that judgement call. To me, it's rather like being a carpenter, and suddenly being told "We're taking away your entire toolbox, because our business partnered up with Black & Decker. You can only use Black & Decker saws, drills, hand tools, etc. from here on out. Here's your new set of tools, and if you need ones they don't make - you just have to do without! Enjoy!" Some people might get by fine under those conditions, but it surely wouldn't do for every carpenter out there.

In the post dot-com bubble world...

[KiltedKnight (171132)]

Yes. You should've held on, but been actively looking. For whatever reason, business logic is, "We'll wait 2-3 weeks for the person who has a job instead of hiring the person who's available immediately because they're out of work."

Not a Smart Move

[EastCoastSurfer (310758)]

Unless you were being forced to do something illegal it doesn't make a lot sense to quit a job before having another one lined up. It sucks to be forced into an unfun job situation but there is a reason why work is called work. Sometimes you have to do things that suck. Good luck on finding another job.

Dear Slashdot,

[wolf- (54587)]

I got a burr up my rear when my company changed hands. I'm an arogant bit of a programmer, and thus left my well paying job.

Now I'm regretting it, and want this forum to bless my rather hasty and immature decision to leave my employee.

Well, I'm not really regretting it, but Mom says it was a fool thing to do, and I'll have to move out of the basement if I dont find work soon.

Thank you.

Duh

[bored (40072)]

Am I a fool for giving up steady work and good pay

Yes, especially if it was just because you hate M$. If you had stayed there long enough to learn C# and then decided it wasn't in your best long term interest that might have been something different. As it is you just lost a perfect opportunity to learn something new and expand your skill set.

You are considering the wrong data.

[mo26101 (518770)]

In deciding to leave a job or not, you are looking at the wrong data. IMHO, the important thing in a job is not the OS or programming tools. The main factor is do you like working with your co-workers. If you like your fellow workers, then you are a fool to leave over the programming tools.

At the end of the day code is code no matter where you wrote it. What gets us interested in getting up and going to work each day is do we like the working environment, not the coding environment.

Stupid

[realmolo (574068)]

You're an idiot.

You do realize that you're going to be remembered as "that guy who quit because he didn't want to use Visual Studio"?

They're going to laugh every time someone tells that story. Of course, they'll be laughing on company time, and getting payed for it.

Dont ask Us

[ethzer0 (603146)]

Everybody's been saying the same goddamned thing.

"Yes you were foolish for quitting your job."

What do you want from these people? Reassurance that you've done the right thing? They don't know you. They don't know what you're capable of, and they dont know what you want to do. Only YOU know that. Would you seriously read 100 replies and go "Shit... I KNEW I shouldn't have done that." ?

Listen man. You live ONCE. You've made your choice now move on. Go try and find something that makes you happy, and preferably pays you rather well. You know what you're capable - or not capable - of, so don't sell yourself short by asking for Career advice on Slashdot. ;)

Well, it depends

[Sycraft-fu (314770)]

I'd say your reason for quitting is a bad one, unless you have another job lined up. If your only complaint is that the Microsoft tools don't give you enough control, well that's a pretyt minor one. I mean it's work, not play, who cares if you don't get your ideal dev environment? You also ought to know that you can ignore their IDEs and just use their compilers, in which case there's really no way that they limit you.

Now it's different if you've got another job you could walk in to that you'd like more. Even if it pays less, if you enjoy the work more that's often worth it. Never let money get in the way of quality of life. Happiness isn't how much you have in the bank. I'd take a $40,000/yr job that I lvoe any day over a $80,000/yr one I hate.

However it sounds to me like a minor complaint, and also your tone would infer you have nothing lined up. In that case, quitting is a bad idea. You can be looking for other jobs, but just running away with nothing plannedbecause you don't like the VS IDEs is silly.

Also, this sounds like a chance to push your boundries and grow. A whole lot of people use VisualStudio, including some very well respected programmers. So, maybe there is something to it. Look at this as an oppurtunity to learn a new method of development. See how the whole RAD model works and see what oyu think. Maybe you discover it blows and you don't want to do it, maybe you discover it's a valuable new tool in additon to how you already know how to code. Who knows?

Now if you've already quit, well then I dunno what to tell you excpet find another job as soon as you can and hope you like it. I wouldn't go begging back to them, they aren't all that likely to hire you.

In the future don't leave your job unless you have a very good reason. These could be (but are not limited to):

1) A significantly better monetary offer.
2) A job that you feel you will enjoy more.
3) A severe ethicial conflict.
4) A work environment that streeses you to the point you'd rather work minimum wage if it came to that.
5) You win the lottery.

However do not quit for silly reasons like "My boss makes us go to too many staff meetings" or "I don't like the dev tools we use" and so on. IF you find the work at least tolerable and you've got nothing better lined up, keep the job.

You should quit when you have your next job....

[wowbagger (69688)]

You should quit when you have your next job lined up.

That is, when you have the offer of employment from your new employer, and a starting date set.

I had a friend who did the "take this job and shove it" trick with what was truely a bad situation. However, it was several months before he had another job lined up, and he very nearly had to file for bankrupcy. It *did* screw his credit up for a long time, due to the amount of debt he racked up during that time.

All jobs suck - but some more than others.

So you should ask yourself, "Realistically, does this job suck worse than any new job I might get?"

Assuming the answer is "HELL YES!", then start looking for a new job - BUT DON'T LET YOUR CURRENT EMPLOYER KNOW. Make sure you tell any headhunters you work with that you don't want your current employer contacted.

Look long and well - do everything you can do to insure that your new job will suck less than your current job.

Then, when they offer you a position, set your start date no earlier than two and a half weeks into the future, get the formal (and legally binding) letter of offer and your letter of acceptance.

THEN, and ONLY then, do you go to your current boss and tender your resignation. And no matter how strong the temptation, no matter what you feel your justification is, no matter how badly you'd like to tell them off, resign in a calm, professional manner. This world is too damn small to say "First of all, you ain't no good, never been no good, you smell like old wet cheese, you pay shit ...." - those words WILL come back to haunt you (like, the *next* time you go to look for a new job, and prospective employers are calling this guy!) Make sure you give them your two weeks (they may offer to let you go immediately or ask that you continue to work - be ready either way).

Also, when changing jobs, you are shaking your world up - so do your best to save up some emergency money before hand, and even if your new job pays 4x what you were making - act as though you were making your old salary and save the difference - at least for a year. Remember, last in, first out.

You may want to quit today - you may go home every night grinding your teeth, but USE that anger to drive your job search - remember, while your current job may suck, imagine how much MORE it will suck if you have to go crawling back in order to keep a roof over your head!

In other news...

[lcde (575627)]

I just landed a great job at a C# VisualStudio shop. :D

I've had 18 jobs in 30 years

[museumpeace (735109)]

and been re-hired 3 times, though each was a unique circumstance. But NEVER ask to go back...it almost never works out and you mostly never get to find out honest answers about why they don't want you back.
The happiest outcomes seem to stem from leaving a large, stale, hide-bound bureaucratic corporation [defense contractor in my case] for a raw startup with maybe 1st round funding...the new situation should be fluid and even if it is risky, it can be absolutely engaging and require all the energy and smarts you possess. Unless you are a weak performer, you will usually not wait too long between jobs and in the end, the jobs you will be fondest off will be the ones that needed you the most and let you be the best programmer you were capable of being. This is, of course, MHO: your personality and comfort level in uncertain circumstances is a huge part of the decision.
I should temper this idealism a bit. A startup either grows up and each programmer's role shrinks, or it fails and you go looking again. That optimum state of programmerly grace is fleeting yet you don't want to be a start-up junky. A good rule of thumb [I've heard it from others who have worked in the same ways at the same companies as I] is about 3 years at a start up. You are either rich by then or have settled into some role with depleted novelty and challenges...or you are suddenly cleaning the pizza boxes and coke cans out of your cube and using the pink slip to book mark where you left off in your latest programming manual. It is no shame and in some quarters a sign of your value that you went down with the ship. YMMV but JUMP anyway 'cause life is short.

I quit my WTC job in NYC on Sept, 01, 2001

[crovira (10242)]

I was a victin of the following economic crash but not of the airframes that would have slammed into my floor (the 83rd) just about where my cubicle was.

Was I foolish to quit? You tell me.

I left because they didn't know what a state machine was (which had a SEVERE impact on the system's design,) my immediate boss expected to follow her around and commit everything to memory because she never wrote anything down, and I was expected to do miracles, like being prescient.

Was I foolish to quit? No way. I couldn't take working there one more day.

It may have cost me (I've recouped it all since,) but it was worth it.

I'm still here. 2 of my co-workers weren't so lucky.

Re:I quit my WTC job in NYC on Sept, 01, 2001

[oGMo (379)]

and I was expected to do miracles, like being prescient.

You may have more talent in this area than you know... ;-)

Have you ever walked out of an interview

[gelfling (6534)]

I once interviewed with some idiot tool at Price Waterhouse who took a phone book sized questionnaire out and began reading, head down, eyes down, one absurdly arcane technical question after another. After about 30 of these I asked him if a) he could answer any of these and b) most of them you could just look up. So I got up, called him a idiot tool and walked out.

I interviewed once at a boutique consultancy long since sold out, for an entire day. 12 people, 12 half hour interviews. Each and every one of them had only one thing to say. That anyone hired would be expected to work at LEAST 100 hrs a week 6.5 days a week. The final interview was with the managing partner who had one question: do you think you can work this hard. My answer was "sure I can but I'd have to be retarded to do it for you." and walked out.

I interviewed with the 'director of applications of a retail chain owned by Trump. The fellow was an insane basket case who said flat out "I want to go to meetings and basically do nothing. You would have to be here 80-90 hrs week banging out CICS programs and screaming at the monkeys who work here to do the same. Are you interested?" I suggested that he should either get off or on drugs, right now and seek help.

I was once lectured for 15 minutes at TIAA-CREF over a misplaced comma on a resume by a guy who made me wait an hour to speak to him. WTF kind of OCD poster child did he want to be?

I interviewed at Gartner by a guy who was on his very last day at the company and told me to me face he didn't care who they hired or why.

In short you really have to retain a sense of humor for the people you interview and ultimately work for. Because nearly all of them are shitheads.

If your company sues IBM you should quit your job

[Frank T. Lofaro Jr. (142215)]

If your company sues IBM you should quit your job. :)

Re:I just turned one down last week...

[by Anonymous Coward]

I just turned one down last week... My rule is if they can't beat me in a sales call, I won't even consider it.

Please explain what this means. Apparently it is very important, as it has been moderated to +5 Insightful. I don't get it.