Software Development as a career

^^vampire^^ said:
You know how they teach you to say "No" when you're growing up? Like no to drugs, no to peer pressure. Well you'll fall into 1 of 2 types of developers, those that have learned to say no to their team lead/manager/boss and those that haven't.

When I have a project I purposely move the expected deadline out by at least a week (depending on size) to avoid clashes with the eventual planning **** up that the "project managers" make with deadlines. Also I tell my team lead/manager/boss I WILL NOT be doing what they ask of me unless it's scheduled after what currently is the pipeline as I am currently busy with what was previously scheduled - otherwise they must assign it to someone else.

Those **** hot devs with bad attitudes - tell them if they think they're better then they are more than welcome to do the work for you or deal with the level of skill you are at now while you try improve. I've worked with mad scientist type devs that I don't think I'll ever be as good as but they were always humble and willing to help. Your code doesn't need to be exceptional unless the type of work specifically requires it. Too many times I've seen these **** hot devs produce "amazing" work and then the next poor guy who has to maintain this work cannot, or it takes them time to figure out what's happening which is a waste of time and resources and loses the company money.

Honestly though I've never worked in an environment with unpleasant devs and will never work in a company that operates as a development cult with the "most awesome dev ever" sitting at the top with all the lackeys grovelling at his feet. It's a miserable environment to work in and makes everyone bitter.
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Unfortunately there are many companies like that out there. I've had to deal with the proverbial flogging of the developers ego. It's ironic, these so called **** hot developers are amateur at best. The ones that are hot, tend to be more introvert and chilled.

My current place listen to us on deadlines, the one director tried a stunt last year where he said, if it's not done, the company will close. He was soon wrapped over the knuckles by the CEO.
 
^^vampire^^ said:
You know how they teach you to say "No" when you're growing up? Like no to drugs, no to peer pressure. Well you'll fall into 1 of 2 types of developers, those that have learned to say no to their team lead/manager/boss and those that haven't.

When I have a project I purposely move the expected deadline out by at least a week (depending on size) to avoid clashes with the eventual planning **** up that the "project managers" make with deadlines. Also I tell my team lead/manager/boss I WILL NOT be doing what they ask of me unless it's scheduled after what currently is the pipeline as I am currently busy with what was previously scheduled - otherwise they must assign it to someone else.

Those **** hot devs with bad attitudes - tell them if they think they're better then they are more than welcome to do the work for you or deal with the level of skill you are at now while you try improve. I've worked with mad scientist type devs that I don't think I'll ever be as good as but they were always humble and willing to help. Your code doesn't need to be exceptional unless the type of work specifically requires it. Too many times I've seen these **** hot devs produce "amazing" work and then the next poor guy who has to maintain this work cannot, or it takes them time to figure out what's happening which is a waste of time and resources and loses the company money.

Honestly though I've never worked in an environment with unpleasant devs and will never work in a company that operates as a development cult with the "most awesome dev ever" sitting at the top with all the lackeys grovelling at his feet. It's a miserable environment to work in and makes everyone bitter.
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Very insightful post. Our hotshot devs don't exactly have a bad attitude, and they are willing to help, and are in general very nice guys, but there is the occasions where they insist on some things being done their way, even if that means re-writing half of the spec, and it does not always have any benefit. If it has a performance benefit, or if the current code is simply bad I can understand why it needs to be redone.

The deadlines by "project management" is a big issue though.
 
Koosi said:
This, and having bosses breathing down your neck because they think you can just fix it like that...
And working open plan with other developers, one of whom is apparently "hot s**t" and just disses you all the time because you write "p1sspoor code" apparently.

I am an engineer. I wound up doing this because of an employment agency cock-up. Never again. I left that job within 12 months. I couldn't handle the constant pressure of people thinking I can just code 1/2 of the app in one day... that, and having to work with people who behave like Sheldon Cooper, and being made to feel inferior, like I am intruding in the department.
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Lord Nikon6 said:
Oh so it's like this everywhere in this industry? I thought it was just me. The "Okay so are you done yet?"on work that will take a week but is expected in a day really gets to me as well.
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Luckily in my workplace I have the bonus that the "bosses" know it doesn't happen on a dime.
 
Hamster said:
Don't do it. Become a game ranger and go live in the wild. You'll be poor, but happy :p
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You say that... however we have a Java dev in-house who was a Game Ranger. :)

Lord Nikon6 said:
Oh so it's like this everywhere in this industry? I thought it was just me. The "Okay so are you done yet?"on work that will take a week but is expected in a day really gets to me as well.
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Koosi said:
This, and having bosses breathing down your neck because they think you can just fix it like that...
And working open plan with other developers, one of whom is apparently "hot s**t" and just disses you all the time because you write "p1sspoor code" apparently.

I am an engineer. I wound up doing this because of an employment agency cock-up. Never again. I left that job within 12 months. I couldn't handle the constant pressure of people thinking I can just code 1/2 of the app in one day... that, and having to work with people who behave like Sheldon Cooper, and being made to feel inferior, like I am intruding in the department.
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Doesn't happen like that at my place of work.

_kabal_ said:
You guys really need to find better places to work :p
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Agreed! :D
froot said:
Luckily in my workplace I have the bonus that the "bosses" know it doesn't happen on a dime.
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I'm fortunate enough that my boss knows exactly what dev work is about and deadlines cannot always be met. Stuff cannot always be fixed then and there.
 
Tander said:
You say that... however we have a Java dev in-house who was a Game Ranger. :)





Doesn't happen like that at my place of work.



Agreed! :D


I'm fortunate enough that my boss knows exactly what dev work is about and deadlines cannot always be met. Stuff cannot always be fixed then and there.
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Yeah but you work for an awesome boss. :p
 
Read this somewhere (can not remember where) and it make a huge impact

Developers are the only group where they are asked to do something which has never been done before, and tell someone else how long it will take before they even know what actually needs to be done
 
midnightcaller said:
Read this somewhere (can not remember where) and it make a huge impact

Developers are the only group where they are asked to do something which has never been done before, and tell someone else how long it will take before they even know what actually needs to be done
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I've read that too. So true as well.
 
midnightcaller said:
Read this somewhere (can not remember where) and it make a huge impact

Developers are the only group where they are asked to do something which has never been done before, and tell someone else how long it will take before they even know what actually needs to be done
Click to expand...

A lot of truth in this. Started working for a new company a few months ago. My 2nd day in we had a sprint planning session where I was the senior developer on the project. They kept asking me to rate the tasks (bugs and new dev) on complexity and how long I thought it would take. I hadn't even had a chance to look at the current code or any time to gain some domain knowledge so best I could do was educated guesses >.<
 
semaphore said:
My current place listen to us on deadlines, the one director tried a stunt last year where he said, if it's not done, the company will close. He was soon wrapped over the knuckles by the CEO.
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We used to get the "if we don't get this by tomorrow we'll lose/won't get the client". To date we are yet to lose a client due to a feature not being available.
 
AdrianH said:
We used to get the "if we don't get this by tomorrow we'll lose/won't get the client". To date we are yet to lose a client due to a feature not being available.
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Yeah had plenty of those as well. I just laugh most of the time.
 
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