Comment On The Sub-Sub-Sub-Subcontractor

Yeah, IT processes are messed up badly. I was just talking to a friend about the same thing, actually: IT in general is too often considered to be "the problem" rather than "the solution". It doesn't make for a very nice working environment.

I've noticed that a lot of IT people in their mid-thirties to early forties are leaving IT (or considering it), and moving to completely unrelated industries. Is that just in my environment, or does it happen everywhere?

What are your experiences?

Seriously? So there was a project that had some (not especially interesting) development problems and had to work hard to deliver a buggy product? I'm on the edge of my seat!

Hans:

Yeah, IT processes are messed up badly. I was just talking to a friend about the same thing, actually: IT in general is too often considered to be "the problem" rather than "the solution". It doesn't make for a very nice working environment.

I've noticed that a lot of IT people in their mid-thirties to early forties are leaving IT (or considering it), and moving to completely unrelated industries. Is that just in my environment, or does it happen everywhere?

What are your experiences?

It's not you - it happens everywhere. People get tired of being treated as cost-centers that add no value, called in at the last second to save inept management, mandated to work 90+ hour weeks, and then tossed aside without loyalty just to save a few bucks to compensate for management's mismanagement of pretty much everything.

If I had it to do over, I would definitely have gone another career route, but I'm now at the point where I do things my way whether management likes it or not (I can usually back it up, so I tend to get away with it) - because I just don't give a **** any more.

This is a WTF? I would have called it a BAU.

some idiot:

Seriously? So there was a project that had some (not especially interesting) development problems and had to work hard to deliver a buggy product? I'm on the edge of my seat!

Yeah, I think they left the punchline off this one?

That Irish girl is distracting. Reading, reading, scroll up the page and - BAM!

Anyway, as soon as I saw this:

The general attitude was that it'd get done sooner, but it'd be nice to have some breathing room.

I'm sure we all knew where this was going.

This type of crap just pisses me off. Seriously.. how do these people do it?! I have a hard enough time getting my foot into the door at half (or less) of regular developer's pay, yet my work is magnitudes greater than this garbage. Damn I wish I could change industries. This one is too dependent on who you know and how well you can con people.

WhiskeyJack:

That Irish girl is distracting. Reading, reading, scroll up the page and - BAM!

I would do everything to her.

WhiskeyJack:

That Irish girl is distracting.

She's subpar at best. It'd take some drinking and some convincing.

I've noticed that a lot of IT people in their mid-thirties to early forties are leaving IT (or considering it), and moving to completely unrelated industries. Is that just in my environment, or does it happen everywhere?

Happened to me. Left IT 2 years ago at 32 for medical school. Of course, the medical field has its own huge WTF, but school is great. Just didn't like the career paths and options in IT. I still consult for side money, but usually it just makes me very glad I left. Med school is quite a lot of fun - new challenges and interesting stuff every day. And hey, the great looking women around me every day helps too!

- The Zoner

DeLos:

WhiskeyJack:

That Irish girl is distracting.

She's subpar at best. It'd take some drinking and some convincing.

You have never been laid before, have you?

Huh - some WTF. Seems like the SOP of the IT world. And a designer working on the front end not getting bonus or credit? Wow, what a terrible injustice. :P

AbbydonKrafts:

This type of crap just pisses me off. Seriously.. how do these people do it?! I have a hard enough time getting my foot into the door at half (or less) of regular developer's pay, yet my work is magnitudes greater than this garbage. Damn I wish I could change industries. This one is too dependent on who you know and how well you can con people.

If you have trouble getting work at half the regular developer's pay, then either your work sucks, or your interviewing skills. You need to figure out which one and work at it.

DeLos:

WhiskeyJack:

That Irish girl is distracting.

She's subpar at best. It'd take some drinking and some convincing.

This is today's real WTF.

Russ:

AbbydonKrafts:

This type of crap just pisses me off. Seriously.. how do these people do it?! I have a hard enough time getting my foot into the door at half (or less) of regular developer's pay, yet my work is magnitudes greater than this garbage. Damn I wish I could change industries. This one is too dependent on who you know and how well you can con people.

If you have trouble getting work at half the regular developer's pay, then either your work sucks, or your interviewing skills. You need to figure out which one and work at it.

I think his problem is that he is performing correctly during interviews. That is a huge mistake. You have to make yourself out to be the biggest fucking hotshot in the world and claim to have 85 years experience using ever programming language and tool. Basically: lie; lie harder than everyone else.

DeLos:

She's subpar at best. It'd take some drinking and some convincing.

You found this link on Fark didn't you?

"negotiations"

Stupidumb:

I think his problem is that he is performing correctly during interviews. That is a huge mistake. You have to make yourself out to be the biggest fucking hotshot in the world and claim to have 85 years experience using ever programming language and tool. Basically: lie; lie harder than everyone else.

I think that's the problem. I tell the truth in interviews. Even if I put aside my morals, I'd end up worrying the whole time that I'd be caught.

The real WTF:

They pretty much could have had an intern set up a wiki in one day, and been done with it.

There wasn't really any call for a custom application.

WhiskeyJack:

That Irish girl is distracting.

Damnit, I don't get to see the Irish girl. I guess that's the downside of Adblock.

Chris Ridenour:

DeLos:

She's subpar at best. It'd take some drinking and some convincing.

This is today's real WTF.

Obviously. Who can deny the firecracker?

WhiskeyJack:

That Irish girl is distracting. Reading, reading, scroll up the page and - BAM!

But has anyone actually bought a t-shirt?

TWENTYSCEOND

(yay, my captcha is autocompleting now!)

Fishcake:

But has anyone actually bought a t-shirt?

They are cheaper in a department store.

damn, too slow

AbbydonKrafts:

Stupidumb:

I think his problem is that he is performing correctly during interviews. That is a huge mistake. You have to make yourself out to be the biggest fucking hotshot in the world and claim to have 85 years experience using ever programming language and tool. Basically: lie; lie harder than everyone else.

I think that's the problem. I tell the truth in interviews. Even if I put aside my morals, I'd end up worrying the whole time that I'd be caught.

I know how you feel. I have a suggestion that may help: lie just enough that you would be able to bullshit your way out if you needed to. Like, push it as far as you think you can, after all, it seems that extra edge is needed nowadays.

The way I see it, these under qualified people keep getting the jobs because they don't know what they don't know, i.e. they don't understand how under qualified they are. So, this leads them to believe they are appropriate for the job and it gives them confidence, and the confidence shines through on the interview. They appear adept, and if the screening process isn't thorough, the interviewer will see them as competent workers.

Generally, IMO, smarter people have the blessing/curse of knowing their limits. Just don't let the interviewers think you have any.

Fishcake:

WhiskeyJack:

That Irish girl is distracting. Reading, reading, scroll up the page and - BAM!

But has anyone actually bought a t-shirt?

Only if she came with it.

Stupidumb:

Generally, IMO, smarter people have the blessing/curse of knowing their limits. Just don't let the interviewers think you have any.

Thanks for the advice. I'll keep it in mind when I'm ready to jump this ship.

MadJo@Work:

Fishcake:

WhiskeyJack:

That Irish girl is distracting. Reading, reading, scroll up the page and - BAM!

But has anyone actually bought a t-shirt?

Only if she came with it.

DOUBLE ENTENDRE

MadJo@Work:

Fishcake:

WhiskeyJack:

That Irish girl is distracting. Reading, reading, scroll up the page and - BAM!

But has anyone actually bought a t-shirt?

Only if she came with it.

I would come if she came in it.

I'm mildly amused that the comments are swaying towards Irish Girl instead of the article.

A sweet piece of Irish lass!

TRWTF is the .gif

WhiskeyJack:

That Irish girl is distracting.

Yes, she certai

AbbydonKrafts:

I'm mildly amused that the comments are swaying towards Irish Girl instead of the article.

A sweet piece of Irish lass!

I think it's because, while there definitely was a WTF in the article, it was a pretty weak one and there's nothing really to say about it. I mean, how much can you say about a development project that was over budget and buggy?

LKM:

WhiskeyJack:

That Irish girl is distracting.

Yes, she certai

I think something went wrong while you were comm

SomeCoder:

I think it's because, while there definitely was a WTF in the article, it was a pretty weak one and there's nothing really to say about it. I mean, how much can you say about a development project that was over budget and buggy?

True. Might as well put the comment space to some use.

Stupidumb:

LKM:

WhiskeyJack:

That Irish girl is distracting.

Yes, she certai

I think something went wrong while you were comm

Having Premature Ejac.. err.. Submit problems?

AbbydonKrafts:

Stupidumb:

Generally, IMO, smarter people have the blessing/curse of knowing their limits. Just don't let the interviewers think you have any.

Thanks for the advice. I'll keep it in mind when I'm ready to jump this ship.

You can also brush your limits aside and say "yeah, i don't have experience doing 'x', but I am sure I could pick it up."

That is how I got my first IT related job. I was in college, it was part time working for the school, and I wasn't the most qualified candidate. I didn't know everything listed on the job posting, but I did my research and told them I didn't have that particular skill set, but that I had already started looking into it. I got the job and did very well. My boss told me when he hired me that I wasn't the most qualified, but he knew that I could pickup whatever skill set I needed and hired me because of the initiative I showed.

It doesn't always work out this way, but I think it is important to be honest. Why would you want the stress of working for a company where all you did was struggle with your deficiencies?

I make some of the hiring decisions at my company. I usually know when a candidate is BSing me on stuff and embarrass them in the interview for doing it. I won't be a jerk about it. I just let them know I caught them in their lie. I try to ask questions that will help me gain insight into how a person thinks. When hiring employees, I look for the following:
1. Do they show initiative?
2. When faced with a technical problem, do they give up, BS completely, or do they admit they aren't sure and try anyway?
3. Are they moldable into the type of employee we need?
4. Do they have the skills we are looking for or similar skills?
5. Will their personality fit in with the team?

There are very few companies in our industry, and few that are as advanced as ours, so we aren't going to find people who know 100% of what we need, or even 50%. In this scenario, I would rather have the honest employee.

</rant>

So what was our hero Leon doing this whole time? What's his job, anyway? Is he a programmer or some sort of very, very bad manager who can't outsource a simple task to save his life?

Anyone with a smidgen of web development experience could have *done* this job in a month. The fact that the protagonist can't do that, and can't even find someone who can do it properly after four attempts, and expects gratitude or credit for whatever role he played in inefficiently getting a pathetic implementation of a simple project to market, late, doesn't win him any sympathy from this quarter. He's so stupid he can't even tell his *fourth* contractor to use HTML instead of text in GIFs.

Either that or he didn't actually have any role in anything at all, and got thanked for making the tea.

NCBloodhound:

AbbydonKrafts:

Stupidumb:

Generally, IMO, smarter people have the blessing/curse of knowing their limits. Just don't let the interviewers think you have any.

Thanks for the advice. I'll keep it in mind when I'm ready to jump this ship.

You can also brush your limits aside and say "yeah, i don't have experience doing 'x', but I am sure I could pick it up."

That is how I got my first IT related job. I was in college, it was part time working for the school, and I wasn't the most qualified candidate. I didn't know everything listed on the job posting, but I did my research and told them I didn't have that particular skill set, but that I had already started looking into it. I got the job and did very well...
...

</rant>

Great advice, providing, of course, that the interviewer is someone that has the same hiring strategy as your boss. (I'm not being sarcastic, btw)

snoofle:

If I had it to do over, I would definitely have gone another career route, but I'm now at the point where I do things my way whether management likes it or not (I can usually back it up, so I tend to get away with it) - because I just don't give a **** any more.

Right on brotha. Been through the same shit where I'm at.

AbbydonKrafts:

Chris Ridenour:

DeLos:

She's subpar at best. It'd take some drinking and some convincing.

This is today's real WTF.

Obviously. Who can deny the firecracker?

HOLLLLA

Stupidumb:

Great advice, providing, of course, that the interviewer is someone that has the same hiring strategy as your boss. (I'm not being sarcastic, btw)

That's usually the problem I've run into. I rarely know the language before getting the job, but it's convincing them that I can pick it up that's the hard part. I tend to get the Well we need someone who knows it right now routine. The others sling the "corporate policy" excuse at me. So far I've only been hired by very small, private companies because the owners were willing to risk it (especially at the reduced pay I previously mentioned). The only reason I make it to mid-range public companies is because said small fish end up getting eaten by the larger ones.

Ah well, she has a bit of a pointy chin, a stuck eyebrow and a nose you would really have to see from the side to able to give a true judgement.

But besides that, a real sweet and sensual girly face.
A+ material.

Hmmm..redheads...

Fishcake:

But has anyone actually bought a t-shirt?

If I wanted to celebrate the well-known Irish facility with intoxicating liquors, I wouldn't spend $14.99 on this dumb shirt. I'd spend it on a bottle of Jamieson's.

-Harrow.

Zebra:

Ah well, she has a bit of a pointy chin, a stuck eyebrow and a nose you would really have to see from the side to able to give a true judgement.

But besides that, a real sweet and sensual girly face.
A+ material.

The chin is a big pointy, but hey.. everyone has at least one flaw. It's not that big of a deal.



Is this the same girl? The lighting differences between the three pics is throwing me off if it is.

Zebra:

But besides that, a real sweet and sensual girly face.
A+ material.

Anyone else get pissed off when they clicked the ad and got to the men's shirt page by default?

Harrow:

If I wanted to celebrate the well-known Irish facility with intoxicating liquors, I wouldn't spend $14.99 on this dumb shirt. I'd spend it on a bottle of Jamieson's.

-Harrow.

Amen! The only shirts we (my wife and I) have bought are ones that simply state "Ireland" and have the Irish flag and a clover on them. The styling is different enough to make them unique from each other. Also, mine's gray and her's is white. We got the shirts because we both have Irish heritage.

I absolutely love that Irish girl.
This WTF put me to sleep.