

 Depressed engineer looking for advice - m_g_i
http://pastebin.com/BqXwY8ZC

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st04
Hey,

I think you should first decide whether you are happy in the company (or can
be if there are some changes) or not. If you are (or can be) happy, then you
should definitely sit down with the company owners. If you feel that you can't
be happy there, you should quit and look for a new job and the sooner the
better - otherwise you might burn out or loose the joy that software
development gives you because of your current job.

If you have decided to sit down with your boss, my opinion is the following:
1\. You are there from the beginning. That probably means that you have a lot
of knowledge of the business and products. This makes you very valuable and
irreplaceable to them! Use this in your advantage when negotiating. Keep in
mind that it will take a lot of time, money and effort to get someone to the
same level as you are at the moment.

2\. Have a clear list of requirements and requests. What kind of a title do
you want to have? What kind of work would you like to do? What will make you a
happy and motivated employee? What kind of salary do you want? Just go all out
on the list! Put everything that you want and then some so you can drop back
in the negotiations. A positive side effect of making this list is that you
will also identify to yourself whether there is something in this company that
can make you happy.

3\. When you sit down with your boss, remind him of all the work that you have
done for the company and explain to him why you deserve what you want.

Remember that just because you have spent so much time with this company, it
doesn't mean that you can't find something better. Also, if you decide to
leave I would recommend either starting something for yourself (freelance,
startup) or joining a bigger company/corporation - while the job can be a bit
boring compared to that in a startup, it certainly will be a nice change for
you - you will get better pay, company perks and much more relaxed
environment. If you can afford it, also take some time to rest before your new
job - travel a bit, party hard and all the nice things :)

Hope that helps!

~~~
m_g_i
Thanks for taking out your time and replying here.

Fresh out of college, I joined a BIG company. Didn't like the work/culture
there, so joining such company is out of question. I can be happy here, and
will try conveying to company owners what I've been feeling lately. I'm very
bad at this, but I've to give it a shot. :)

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pasbesoin
I'd suggest doing what you can to empower yourself. You mention money issues.
Do what you can to clear that deck as fast as possible. Put yourself in a
position to be able to make a change when you determine it is needed.

Even if you end up staying, I think this will put you in a stronger
negotiating position. You're not "trapped". Not just the facts, but also the
feeling of this may help in coming to better terms.

That said, at the same time, don't burn yourself out trying to get there. If
you just need to "get the fuck away" for a week or two, maybe that is a good
and healthy short term goal, even if it costs a bit. Stay sane, and hopefully
at least somewhat happy on a day-to-day basis.

The words are easy to write... I know. Put is this way: Your "job" right now
is _you_. Getting out of the current circumstance is the best for _all_
involved.

From someone who sat on his ass too long while things got worse and worse,
wishing you a more... "punctual" resolution. :-)

