

Ask HN: Since college I've had 3 bad jobs in a row. What should I do? - aerovistae

I am really well aware of the notion of when someone tells you all their ex-girlfriends or ex-boyfriends were awful, you have to wonder whether maybe the problem is actually not with the ex&#x27;s.<p>But for the sake of argument, please assume that isn&#x27;t the case.<p>Since college I have had 3 jobs in two years. I am currently at the third job and I&#x27;m very unhappy. At all three jobs I have found the people to be unfriendly, impatient, and even downright hostile. At my present job, when I sat down at my desk on my first day, the people sitting on either side of me didn&#x27;t even trouble to say hi.<p>I am making excellent money as a JavaScript dev, $90k, but I&#x27;m just miserable. I want a job where I can laugh with my coworkers and actually go out to lunch and enjoy each other&#x27;s company and look forward to working together. I hear all these stories from SF about amazing work environments and how it&#x27;s &quot;a privilege to be part of the team at such-and-such awesome company&quot; and I just don&#x27;t know what I&#x27;m doing wrong.<p>I am afraid if I keep switching like this, I will have an increasingly difficult time finding work despite how in-demand our profession is. Surely, eventually, people will grow too suspicious of my short tenures at previous positions.<p>Am I wrong? Should I switch? Or should I stay in a really unhappy environment for a year just for the sake of having a better-looking resume?
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nartz
Turns out that the amount of 'good companies' that you describe is extremely
small, unfortunately.

However, there is an alternative - be the change you want to see. Its going to
take work - but maybe you could arrange lunches, or bar or game nights. You
may even find that other people rally around it - they just need a leader to
stick his/her neck out so they can have fun and express themselves.

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lturner21
Plus, I feel like there isn't a shortage on jobs in JavaScript dev so go out
and find one that you love! With a company you'll be happy at.

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lturner21
Switch jobs. Do NOT stay in a place that makes you unhappy. It's not worth it!

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paulhauggis
Are they all in SF? Maybe you should choose a job in a different city?

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aerovistae
No, my jobs have been Boston and Chicago.

