DrGravitas Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 Today marks seven years with The Company. I've been on this same project for 5 of those years. The same work, same people, same tasks, same meetings, day in day out, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for 7 years. This project doesn't have an end date, it could very well be the last project I work on. The original mainframe developers became business analysts when the client hired our company to develop the new system; many of them have retired since then. They retired off this project. I have 35 more years until I hit retirement age. 35 more years of the same thing for the same company? I don't see any better options cropping up. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#00Buck Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 People want job security. Why do you not like it? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrGravitas Posted August 17, 2016 Author Share Posted August 17, 2016 5 minutes ago, #00Buck said: People want job security. Why do you not like it? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 Once it is all done, you'll miss it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrGravitas Posted August 17, 2016 Author Share Posted August 17, 2016 To clarify (mobile network' super slow this morning and I'm unable to edit the post above) I don't think I hate it so much as I'm incredibly bored with it. The only new things have been the annoying new buerocrate, a couple super-new hires I have nothing in common with (execept the one that's already leaving), and that godawful new task management process. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 3 minutes ago, DrGravitas said: To clarify (mobile network' super slow this morning and I'm unable to edit the post above) I don't think I hate it so much as I'm incredibly bored with it. The only new things have been the annoying new buerocrate, a couple super-new hires I have nothing in common with (execept the one that's already leaving), and that godawful new task management process. I know that feeling all too well. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strongbob Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 I felt like you do ten years ago at my old job, so I gave them my notice and started my own company and never looked back. Reality check, if you aren't the boss you will always get bored with your job. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xaende Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 Sounds like a sweet gig to me. What languages and platforms do you work with? I've had my current job since '07. We're a small team with a crazy number of ever-changing responsibilities. On the one hand, I've been tempted to focus on Linux/Unix and C. On the other, I feel pulled toward the gaming industry, considering what I've been doing with Unity and VR. The idea of focusing on one project for years has a certain appeal, but I suppose the grass is always greener. This is probably the best place for me at the moment, but 5 years from now? That's harder to say. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrGravitas Posted August 17, 2016 Author Share Posted August 17, 2016 12 minutes ago, Xaende said: Sounds like a sweet gig to me. What languages and platforms do you work with? I've had my current job since '07. We're a small team with a crazy number of ever-changing responsibilities. On the one hand, I've been tempted to focus on Linux/Unix and C. On the other, I feel pulled toward the gaming industry, considering what I've been doing with Unity and VR. The idea of focusing on one project for years has a certain appeal, but I suppose the grass is always greener. This is probably the best place for me at the moment, but 5 years from now? That's harder to say. Java. It's a primarily a web application, but thankfully I mostly deal with the behind-the-scenes stuff that does the heavy processing as little standalone batch jobs. So, I don't often have to mess with the icky front-end and UI stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrGravitas Posted August 17, 2016 Author Share Posted August 17, 2016 16 minutes ago, 6tails said: Good idea, but you'd best pay attention to the lacking garbage collection regular C has. If you don't, you will bite yourself in the ass multiple times. This might be one of the big issues. Loads of smaller batch jobs have a tendency to bog down a system more than one which can handle larger batch jobs more infrequently, but this depends on the database config. Nah, that's not really a problem for us. We do it this way because of the complexity of the business rules, aggregation requirements, and the need to interact with 3rd-party systems (most of which are mainframes that communicate through timed file dumps) external to our client. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrGravitas Posted August 17, 2016 Author Share Posted August 17, 2016 11 minutes ago, 6tails said: I can see three problems already inherent in the system you describe as-is. The complexity allows for major fuckups in coding (or the programmers are too full of themselves to think a complex system they designed is better than a simple system with lower attack surface) now as far as the aggregation requirements go (assuming this is all medical records like I dealt with) you'd best have the entire record database salted and hashed so only those with proper access can see them. You're literally a 3rd party if you have to interact with other 3rd party systems. You are easily replaceable, so work hard to get that crap fixed to the point you can keep their business. It's a lot like medical records,but the key difference in domain is our client is the only one who can legally perfrom this function. They also handle the DB management, we just do the coding. The complexity is such that most of the client's people don't seem to understand the whole thing either and with the speed the curn though new project members, they're largely dependent on our stable, remote group. Still, even if the company loses this project, our structure is such that I'd just be shuffled off to some internal thing until they find something new. Hard to explain, especially with this limited internet connectivity right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrGravitas Posted August 17, 2016 Author Share Posted August 17, 2016 53 minutes ago, 6tails said: Oh, you're in *THAT* industry. Let me add on two more things you should be aware of, then. 1. You'll be on this project nearly-endlessly as long as your client company can keep their game up. 2. These kinds of projects tend to last no longer than fifteen years. You're getting close to halfway through the average mark, and in this day and age of accelerated development, I'd not even count on having that much time. Start expanding your skills and shopping yourself to other places. This is the EXACT route my father and uncle went through with Texas Instruments and Jimmy Dean, respectively.. Project started before me, too, back in 2006. XD So, 5 years left in that regard. I mostly mean it feels like I could retire off it. Certainly, I have backup plans. But, the project is also expanding to bring new versions of the system online in other states that have their own rules and requirements, so this thing isn't showing signs if slowing down, either. Hmm... You known, talking about this has me thinking. I guess maybe the problem that's got me down on it has more to do with me than the work. Maybe there's something I can do for that, at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fantasma Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 I'm just hitting my first year with my job and it's crazy to think people actually have long lasting jobs. I mean mine kinda is but it does not exist where I want to move. And it is pretty stressful at times. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrGravitas Posted August 17, 2016 Author Share Posted August 17, 2016 Ok, scratch the whole 'maybe its me' line. I just spent an hour waiting on approval/implementation of an insert on testing data. Its the new process/hierarchy. Maybe it's just growing pains of the project, but this project is growing to be a pain in my butt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azure Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 Bored at work? Do drugs and become homeless. Plenty of adventure there if you're willing to take the risk. Really what I mean to say is that there are worse things that could be happening in life and maybe you need a new hobby or some new life in your social circle. You could always do what Kevin Spacey did in American Beauty and quit to become a burger jockey. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Socketosis Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 6 hours ago, DrGravitas said: Java. No wonder you hate it. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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