

My boss can't parse a CSV file - throw_for_throw

I recently found a new a job hoping to gain some mentorship,  but it turns out my boss can&#x27;t even parse a CSV file, and I&#x27;m working 16 hours to compensate. Really not looking forward to having to find another job. WWYD HN?
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brongondwana
If they're demanding 16 hours and you don't want to work 16 hours, get the
hell out. Otherwise knock off at 5pm "time to go boss, my pet goldfish needs
me. See you 9am tomorrow". They obviously did something before you started.
Worst case they fire you instead of you quitting - best case they respect you
more. Either way, you're doing better work than if you're putting in
consistent 16 hour days.

If your boss can't parse CSV files, presumably (s)he has some other skills -
find out what they are and learn them.

You're supposed to be working together right? So go teach your boss how to
parse CSV files (nicely).

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geoff-codes
> I recently found a new a job hoping to gain some mentorship

I this is probably the real error. Lacking greater context, what made you
expect that your boss at this new position would be able to mentor you?

Is he _supposed_ to know how to parse a CSV? (Manually? Like, with awk or
something?) Or is that why he hired a hacker/programmer like you?

I'm not saying your boss _isn 't_ incompetent. Maybe he is. But you shouldn't
expect that your superior is always going to be more technically competent
than you.

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JSeymourATL
> new a job hoping to gain some mentorship...

Be patient, there may still be something useful you can learn from the Old War
Horse.

Sometimes we learn by teaching. Your boss might welcome and appreciate a
tutorial on Parsing CSV files. Assuming the work environment is otherwise
congenial, your job can serve as a research lab to master your craft. Think
Gladwell's 10,000 hour rule>
[http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/201...](http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2014/09/malcolm_gladwell_s_10_000_hour_rule_for_deliberate_practice_is_wrong_genes.html)

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olalonde
Parsing CSV is notoriously hard:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7796268](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7796268)

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NeutronBoy
Presumably your boss hired _you_ to do the CSV parsing so he can do other
stuff. No point having a team of people all with exactly the same skills.

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calcsam
[https://medium.com/@calcsam/outsource-your-job-
search-3e9909...](https://medium.com/@calcsam/outsource-your-job-
search-3e990967a1f3)

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geoff-codes
This is awesome. Thanks!

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MalcolmDiggs
Well, what _is_ your boss good at? Maybe they have some business, management,
marketing, or other kind of experience that you would benefit to learn?

