Re:My Angry Letter to My Ex-Employer
by cookiecaper on Friday September 25, 2009 @07:07PM
(#844645)
I don't know. I actually used to go to job interviews in street clothes intentionally to help provide assurance that my bosses wouldn't be tightwads; that's when I was a teenager and I dress up more now, but I still try to live by the same general philosophy when seeking employment. I'm honest in the interview and I don't try to project myself as something that I'm not; it's just a waste of time, imo, because neither of us will be happy if I make a misrepresentation to get my foot in the door, and it will just result in another bad sad story, of which I've had quite enough. I'm tired of roving. I need to find something that I'll be content to stick with for a long time. That's part of why my major focus is my own business right now.
I hope this letter does come up in a job search and that the employer allows me to provide context if he runs across it. I think it represents my personality; I'm not afraid to talk to you, I won't submit to scare tactics or disrespect any longer than absolutely necessary, and I expect respect and influence in my next position. I've never considered myself a "code monkey", that is, an inputless pawn of the higher-ups with no authority or place to influence or change systems, someone on staff only to implement things exactly as specified by his departmental superiors. I didn't get into programming to be a chump, I'm in it because I like solving problems, I like the actual engineering process. It's the difference between your civil engineer and your construction worker; the engineer designs the bridge, the construction worker puts it together. I don't mind wearing both hats, as long as it's established that I'm included, respected, and now I'd probably demand invested with the authority to determine direction in the actual engineering phase.
I understand chain-of-command and can acquiesce appropriately, as long as the circumstances are agreeable. As noted in the letter, I'm not willing to play the chump, I'm not willing to sell my sanity or emotional well-being or that of my family to line your pockets, and I'm sick of being put down by arrogant or dangerously naive patsies. If that's what you're looking for, then I hope you don't hire me.
That said, I don't really intend on getting another job. I've had enough of productions like this one, I'm really quite tired of it. I don't think I'll accept another full-time position unless I can be placed as an IT overlord; not necessarily singly, I don't mind and would probably appreciate a cooperative effort, but I don't want to be subject to a developer with six years less experience than me again, because it's happened a few times before this and it's never been very fun. I've had quite enough of that, I think.
I hope this letter does come up in a job search and that the employer allows me to provide context if he runs across it. I think it represents my personality; I'm not afraid to talk to you, I won't submit to scare tactics or disrespect any longer than absolutely necessary, and I expect respect and influence in my next position. I've never considered myself a "code monkey", that is, an inputless pawn of the higher-ups with no authority or place to influence or change systems, someone on staff only to implement things exactly as specified by his departmental superiors. I didn't get into programming to be a chump, I'm in it because I like solving problems, I like the actual engineering process. It's the difference between your civil engineer and your construction worker; the engineer designs the bridge, the construction worker puts it together. I don't mind wearing both hats, as long as it's established that I'm included, respected, and now I'd probably demand invested with the authority to determine direction in the actual engineering phase.
I understand chain-of-command and can acquiesce appropriately, as long as the circumstances are agreeable. As noted in the letter, I'm not willing to play the chump, I'm not willing to sell my sanity or emotional well-being or that of my family to line your pockets, and I'm sick of being put down by arrogant or dangerously naive patsies. If that's what you're looking for, then I hope you don't hire me.
That said, I don't really intend on getting another job. I've had enough of productions like this one, I'm really quite tired of it. I don't think I'll accept another full-time position unless I can be placed as an IT overlord; not necessarily singly, I don't mind and would probably appreciate a cooperative effort, but I don't want to be subject to a developer with six years less experience than me again, because it's happened a few times before this and it's never been very fun. I've had quite enough of that, I think.