

Ask HN: Should I quit my new job? - Limes102

I'm 19, and for my age I consider my skill set to be quite good. I have just left college and had my first job interview for a PHP web app company. I got the job and was quite happy with myself considering I was against several other people who all had degrees (I just have a few A Levels), and in the past I have only ever done contact work.<p>The company mainly looks after a range of games they developed, and I have been assigned the task of finishing off a mobile game which was started a short time ago (I think the guy before me had to leave). There are several things I don't like about this...<p>Firstly, it's in HTML and JS (jQuery Mobile, mainly), and although it's going to be put on the app store (through phonegap most probably), you can tell that it's just HTML. I don't find the app pleasant to use, so I don't feel remotely proud of it.<p>Secondly, I don't really care much for games. I play Minecraft now and then, but that's as far as it ever really goes. I'm building an app that I don't feel passionate about and it's draining me.<p>Has anyone else had a similar experience? Not really sure what I should do.<p>Thanks
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GHFigs
Think of this as an opportunity to learn how to deal with things you don't
particularly want to do. If you walk away because it's draining, when are you
ever going to _not_ walk away? How will you know the difference between
something you should walk away from and something you should stick through?

If it's truly making you miserable or you have a better opportunity lined up,
then by all means. But I think first making a more refined distinction about
what the problem is will be more useful to you, even if you do eventually
decide to leave. Is it the company or the project? Is it the technology or the
fact that you're picking up a project someone else already started? Is it the
work itself or the expectations and constraints involved? Do you have the
power to set or change those constraints to make the project better for you?
Can you get that power or authority? Can you, personally, ask for it in lieu
of quitting? There will always be some things you can't change, but you should
always look for things that you can.

Also, regarding passion: reading HN and being 19 are both great ways to get an
exaggerated notion of the importance of passion. You don't have to care about
games to be highly engaged in the creation of something that happens to be a
game. It helps, I'm sure, but your job isn't the like the game, but to like
the work. The verb is the work. And if you need something to be passionate
about, try answering the ever-evolving question: "How can you do your best
work, given the constraints?"

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SandB0x
Go to university mate.

You can do some contract development work or write something on the side to
keep up your skills and to earn some cash. For now, if you don't have any
other job options, stick with the games job for a little while, earn some
money and maybe go see the world for a few months.

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rileywatkins
(I'm curious why you would take a job in game development if you weren't into
games in the first place. Or maybe you didn't know you'd be working on games
before you accepted the job. I'm not sure.)

You can't guarantee that every task you'll be given throughout your career is
something you would prefer to do. That's part of what school is about: you're
assigned a wide range of projects that are designed to grow you in ways you
wouldn't have chosen otherwise. Maybe you'll like them, maybe you won't. The
fact is, you can always find something to learn from your current situation.

Don't underestimate the value of finishing a project, either. Even if it's not
your cup of tea right now, there's something to be said for sticking it out.

Sometimes it's okay to leave where you are to find something you might like
better, but that isn't _always_ the best answer.

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petewailes
I think there's two things to consider here.

1\. Are you unhappy because you're not proud of what you're working on?

2\. Would you be happier elsewhere?

As someone who's done a lot of work for a lot of clients over the years, you
learn eventually that even in the best jobs, it's not all rainbows and
unicorns all the time. It's about the ratio of good to bad.

Now, on the one hand, you said this app is all HTML and it shows. Is this a
concern you've raised, and if so, what was the response?

Secondly, from the standpoint of someone who's run a business, whilst my
default position is strive for awesome, when you've got budgets and employee
time and client billing and other such things to worry about, sometimes you
have to decide what's acceptably good, and anything past that is great.

From a businessman's point of view, the measure of success isn't design
quality or usability or anything else, those are just tools to the main goal:
profitability.

So, if you haven't had the concerns discussion with those higher up the chain
yet, bare those things in mind. Understand that your concerns and theirs will
be different. This will result in them taking your concerns more seriously, as
it'll show that you're not just concerned with wide-eyed idealism, but with
wanting to help further their goals, by making the end product better, thus
delivering more profit. Sell the business case for your viewpoint.

Failing that, if you do leave, be realistic about your prospects for a new
job. You're not going to be doing high-end super-cool exciting thing yet, but
that's OK, because by not doing those things, you can learn how what you do
fits in to businesses. That's valuable, and will make you a much more capable
developer long term, because you'll be able to relate to the client, the boss,
and your work together. That's killer.

Regarding the product itself, I've found that there's ways to find even the
most boring things interesting. Just gear it around the things you _do_ find
interesting. Nothing, but nothing, is just flat boring. Which isn't to say
some things are unpleasant, as they are. But not boring. There's always ways
to make work fun.

Hope this helps. If there's anything further I can do, reply here or drop me
an email - I'd be happy to help.

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imjonathanlee
The first question you should as is- what happens after you quit your new job?
Would you go back to college, find a new job, create a startup?

It might be difficult securing another job to support yourself financially
without the help of parents based on your age and the fact that you don't have
a bachelors yet. I'm personally one that believes that a degree isn't
necessarily a strong reflection of how well your skill level is, but others
might not see it the same way, especially if they're paying you.

It might suck working for a company that develops apps that you're not
interested in, but working in an environment like that might give you valuable
experience. How long will it take before the web app is completed? Have you
tried talking to someone else about why you don't like the app?

What are your aspirations? What are you trying to achieve? I'm not sure what
you're actually looking for in a job or how you want your future to be.

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Limes102
Hey, thanks for all your comments.

A few of you said university might be a good route, and I do not disagree -
But I'd much rather see how far I get without it, and leave that almost as a
last resort.

And I will stick it out! I agree with what all of you have said about
finishing a project is still finishing a project, even if it's not something I
feel particularly passionate about.

Thanks for the help, everyone :)

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ulisesroche
Why almost as a last resort? And, are you aware of what a weasel word is?

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Limes102
Well obviously not actually a 'last resort', but something which I will try if
I fail to get where I want to be.

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thiagofm
You can:

#1 try to find another job, #2 finish your degree and #3 create your own
stuff.

It's up to you.

I seriously thing that you should try #1 if you want to work, #2 if #1 fails
and #3 if you are passionate about something.

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SamReidHughes
What will you do if everybody suggests quitting your job and finishing your
degree?

