Should I look for a new job?

[Ancalagon]

I'm getting fed up with my current job. I've been working at an IT consulting company for the past 13 months, on the same project. I'm mostly on development support, ie bugfixes and other trivial ****e, but I also do new work, enhancements etc from time to time.

Anyway, I had my performance review yesterday and I realized my career growth has effectively stalled. They are quite happy with me on support - I'm good at my job, good at client communication which is very important for this role as well as development. What bothers me is that I havent had a chance to do as much development as I would like. I hate support! I hate dealing with first line support and end users! I dont think any of my other colleagues work in support like I do, it looks like most of them do development and dont have to respond to day to day issues.

They promoted me last year and want to move to other projects where I'll get a chance to do more development, but there hasnt been any progress on that. They keep promising to find someone to replace me, but in the meantime, I'm stuck on support, wasting my abilities, and not learning or growing.

This past weekend I started writing my own game, and it was the most fun I've had in ages. It made me realize how k@k my work is. I've been saying I dont mind it for a while now, but in truth, I'm sick of it.

I dont think it would be too hard for me to find a job since I have a few years of experience, and while I havent done as much development as I would have liked, I still have learned new things here. Its just that the learning stopped a while ago.

They want me to learn new things on the side, but I dont think I'll learn it unless I have to do something with it. The best way to learn is by doing.

Rant over.

What concerns me about looking for a new job is that I have only been here a year. Well, 13 months. And, earlier this year I sold my car and bought a new one, and it was a massive stress. So I'm wary of such a major life change.

 

[CriticalConsumer]

You should always be in control of your future...and only YOU have the power to change how that pans out.

IN this era of change...the time you spend with a company is not viewed in bad light unless you are one for hanging around and oping something good will happen for you...IMHO not the best approach, the more you move within a 2 year period the more you learn as you will be presented with new challenges...else you sit in a dark corner letting your skills rot and your passion for challenges die!

I hope I make sense!

 

[Ancalagon]

Thats what I'm afraid of, I think, rotting away in the corner. I feel like I am, but perhaps most importantly right now I'm just not liking my job. I dont get to solve interesting problems really.

Will probably contact the recruitment agent who got me this job and see what he says.

 

[Greggle]

I have only been here a year. Well, 13 months.

I think that you're being a bit impatient - what you probably dont realise is that you are learning the intricacies of their products that will stand you in good stead when you come to do development. I would be somewhat suspect of receiving a CV on my desk from someone leaving after just a year and saying that they did not have opportunities to grow.

 

[Ancalagon]

I think that you're being a bit impatient - what you probably dont realise is that you are learning the intricacies of their products that will stand you in good stead when you come to do development. I would be somewhat suspect of receiving a CV on my desk from someone leaving after just a year and saying that they did not have opportunities to grow.

I already know enough development to do it, as I said I do development part of the time. I know the codebase probably better than anyone except the architect.

But yeah, that is what concerns me, that its too soon. I'm just really unhappy and not sure what to do.

 

[Cicero]

You said you haven't done much development. So I'd say finish your game, and add that kind of thing to your portfolio. Maybe start a personal website with the private projects you have going on - be them complete or not. IF they can see you're passionate and even developing in your free time, it'll really impress a potential employer.

Stay for a few more months, and then if nothing changes...leave. Thats what I would do.

 

[Ancalagon]

I dont really know how to explain what it is that I do. I am a developer, so I do develop, but a lot of that development is bug fixing so its not writing new code. My workload is probably 40-70% actual development, the rest technical support including bug fixes etc.

This is my 5th year of work, and I'm an intermediate developer according to my job description. So, I'm not a newbie developer, I just dont do as much actual development as I would like.

 

[Cicero]

I dont really know how to explain what it is that I do. I am a developer, so I do develop, but a lot of that development is bug fixing so its not writing new code. My workload is probably 40-70% actual development, the rest technical support including bug fixes etc.

Hold on...sounds like a normal dev job to me...

 

[|tera|]

I resigned two weeks ago and I'm at home looking for work. I sat in the exact same space as you do. I wasn't growing in my job and I supported almost 200 people (end users) daily. It became too much,

I'm depressed as hell since there aren't many job openings where I live, but I would rather stick it out and find the right job where I can grow and be a functional human being than sitting in the same spot doing the same tedious things every day of my life. I gave the previous employer 2 and a half years of honest hard work and I am good in what I do. It was just time to call it a day.

 

[stevenv]

Hold on...sounds like a normal dev job to me...

+1

Sadly not many developers work on "new code" as often as they should (or would like to) in order to keep them working for the same company for long periods. Some of the very few ways you will get that opportunity is to find a company that is porting their product to new technology or work for a start-up that has no product however both of those also have cons. In fact almost no developers I know actually prefer doing bug fixes over writing new code. The reality is that development is mostly bug fixing so don't let that be a reason to leave. You may not be getting free reign to create something new but you're still learning a lot, especially how not to write software (from fixing badly written code). If you're spending more time testing (not your own work) and doing administrative tasks instead of development-related activities (investigation, coding, testing, technical documentation) then perhaps its time to move on. None of that is really beneficial for your career unless you're interested in moving into testing or management.

 

[stevenv]

I'm depressed as hell since there aren't many job openings where I live

Is relocation not an option?

 

[Ancalagon]

Hold on...sounds like a normal dev job to me...

Nope... I'm the only one in my office who is on the phone pretty much every day to first line support. Also the only one supporting a project that has already gone live instead of developing a new project. The others never talk with clients, they just develop.

Its not that I mind talking with clients, I mind the constant stream of little problems to look at, like diarhoea.

I resigned two weeks ago and I'm at home looking for work. I sat in the exact same space as you do. I wasn't growing in my job and I supported almost 200 people (end users) daily. It became too much,

I'm depressed as hell since there aren't many job openings where I live, but I would rather stick it out and find the right job where I can grow and be a functional human being than sitting in the same spot doing the same tedious things every day of my life. I gave the previous employer 2 and a half years of honest hard work and I am good in what I do. It was just time to call it a day.

Thats what I'm afraid of - 2.5 years later and nothing to show for it. They have been looking since November for a new graduate/junior developer, and not found anyone. Surely it cant be that hard?

 

[|tera|]

Exactly. I have learned a lot re Servers and Networking during the 2.5 years, but just as much as anyone would of. There was absolutely no growth there for me and I'm sorry to say, but I'm turning 27 this year and I need money and knowledge to build my life. Staying in a job with no future is not going to help me or my future family.

 

[stevenv]

They have been looking since November for a new graduate/junior developer, and not found anyone. Surely it cant be that hard?

Apparently it is, to find decent ones that is.

Also the only one supporting a project that has already gone live instead of developing a new project. The others never talk with clients, they just develop.

Okay so that sounds a little skewed then, developers don't like support but the load should be shared in the very least.

Thats what I'm afraid of - 2.5 years later and nothing to show for it.

I don't know about that, having skills to provide support for a product can be considered important by companies. Also makes you a much better communicator than many developers.

 

[|tera|]

Is relocation not an option?

Sorry didn't see your question.

At this stage of my life I'd prefer not to relocate. My family lives nearby and so does my girlfriend. Relocating away will cause a rift I won't be able to heal.

 

[CriticalConsumer]

You'd be surprised!

 

[stevenv]

At this stage of my life I'd prefer not to relocate. My family lives nearby and so does my girlfriend. Relocating away will cause a rift I won't be able to heal.

Fair enough, I would also struggle with relocation and fortunately haven't found it necessary (yet) but if I were in your situation would certainly weigh it up against the alternative: depression can also lead to rifts, sometimes worse so than from living in another city.

 

[Ancalagon]

Apparently it is, to find decent ones that is.

I dont know, somehow I just dont buy it. Months?

Okay so that sounds a little skewed then, developers don't like support but the load should be shared in the very least.

The architect, my boss, takes over live support if I cant do it. Not often. But I always have to handle UAT support, and support on any enhancements.

I don't know about that, having skills to provide support for a product can be considered important by companies. Also makes you a much better communicator than many developers.

But what do those skills prepare me for? Support, not development.

 

[|tera|]

Fair enough, I would also struggle with relocation and fortunately haven't found it necessary (yet) but if I were in your situation would certainly weigh it up against the alternative: depression can also lead to rifts, sometimes worse so than from living in another city.

I'm not depressed, it was just a word I used to explain I'm getting a bit desperate My rents paid two months ahead and I have food to live, so I'm good. I'm going to stick it out and find the right opportunity.

 

[stevenv]

I'm going to stick it out and find the right opportunity.

Not trying to sell relocation at all but also consider the quantity and quality of opportunity in your local area. No idea what the IT industry is like in Nelspruit (never been there in fact) but I'm pretty sure that the larger cities are able to provide more in both respects.