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Career advice needed (as a web developer)

Discussion in 'General Support and Advice' started by Vega222, Dec 11, 2020.

  1. Vega222

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    About 4 months ago I started to work for a remote company. It's designing (and developing) websites using WordPress and PHP. I chose to work for them because an acquaintance works there and she offered me that job.

    Otherwise I had to search for a job and probably there would be difficulties because most of them don't give a job to those who have no experience. And also they probably wouldn't allow working remotely to a novice (I don't live in a big city).

    The problem is I am a Microsoft guy. I had been self-learning ASP.Net Core and I want to pursue it. So, I chose to work there only temporarily.

    I learned so much since I started to work for this company. A good experience for my career. So much general information. But I really don't enjoy remote working. It literally consumes all of my time! It'd not like you work 9 or 12 hours a day and then relax for a few hours. And it's not because they demand too much working. In fact they've been very nice to me. It's me that can't focus on the work. I seat behind my desk and do other things rather than my works. Surfing the Internet, etc.

    Right now I am sick and tired of this highly pressuring job. Somehow, Practically I've been working all the time. I count web-surfing and things like that as working because they consumes me just like working on my projects. I feel stress and tension when I procrastinate. So, No weekend and no relaxing time, etc.

    So, My plan was to leave this job after about 6-8 months. But now I'm not sure if I can do this job for that long. We live about an hour from a big city. I wanted to get an office-job there and live in one of my close relatives' house that lives there. That would be very good. Living in a big city and especially non-remote working means a lot of good things for me. Because I've been very isolated for many years.

    Problem is, I don't know how should bring this up to my employer. I'm also not decided when to do that yet. If I am to be unemployed for a while, I need more money before quitting current job. I also don't know if I should get an ASP.Net job first and then tell my current employee about my leaving or vice versa.
     
  2. Vega222

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    I got this job to help my resume. But if I leave it now, I have not much better situation than I had before getting this job (the purpose will be defeated somehow). I mean, If I quit now, 4 months experience is not something to help getting my office job easier. But I think I actually this is a excuse I made (experience is a must), because I was a bit lazy and also I feared I can't do more serious jobs. But now I am much more confident that I can get a job and I don't care I don't have much experience.

    A little more about my job: At first day, I did say my employer that it's meant to be temporary and my preference is for ASP. I said I only work for you to make some experience to persuade other employers to employ me later. But I think my employer somehow wants/expects me to forget about ASP and get used to PHP. I myself considered to at least try to learn PHP and see if how good it is. But I don't think it's possible. I am like a helpless stranger in PHP world. As a slow learner, I think it's difficult to achieve it in a reasonable time.
    My problem was this expectation. I think they expect me to stay with them and I don't know how should I deal with this.

    Through this 4 months, I really missed ASP.Net and I really like to get a job related to it sooner.
     
  3. bingostring

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    I don’t know much about your line of work but I do HATE remote working.
    Like, today, I have been on my laptop all day, stressed and with aching back for being in a bad posture.
    And I have not been in the company of another human being for days. All just Teams / Zoom meetings.

    it sounds like, for your spirit and mental health, you need to be in a happier more fulfilling environment/ job/ place.

    But it also sounds like
    - your logical brain is “clinging” to the security of the existing job..
    - but your heart is telling you to make a change?

    If you take a little risk, a potential new life could just fall in to your arms.
    why not stay where you are for now but at the same time send out job enquiries and see who responds positively. That way you keep your income coming in and only jump to a new job when it is safe to do so?
     
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  4. Vega222

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    Please don't sue me for lengthy posts. :grin:
    Interesting that you also don't like remote working. Sorry for that...

    I actually didn't tell the whole story. There are other problems. Actually I think they are a bit unsatisfied with my speed of working. I have been really slow I think. These thoughts makes me suffer. And when I show some sorry feelings, My employer keeps telling I am really satisfied with your job and you're doing great, etc.

    They think I fear losing my job. But it's just that I don't want to do a bad job and disappoint them. It actually makes me happy if they help me quit the job by being unkind. But always they disappoint me by being generous, etc. But not always, This month they didn't raise my salary (my employer had said I'll increase it and mentioned the number). They explained nothing about the reason and I asked nothing. I really didn't expect the salary raise. But the fact that they change their decision must mean something bad. Also, At the start my employer said "after three months of working, You will decide if you ok with the work and we'll decide if we want you and then we make an [official] agreement". But it's about 4 months and he hadn't said anything about that yet. I am happy for it. Because I think it'll make it obligatory to work for them for a certain time (one year at least I heard).

    Now it's several days that my employer don't give me much work. I am free! And it makes me feel only worse! I don't know why he doesn't give me any work. He says keep learning PHP in your free time. But actually I don't do that much (This the main reason for startting this topic. I am not well when I don't feel I am useful). I want but in practice it seems I am not that motivated to learn PHP. I'm also not familiar with it and it'd take too much time to learn something useful.
    The fact that PHP is not my main career path and I awfully missed ASP, Makes me unable to rationalise learning PHP now.

    Interesting. I think it's not far from truth. But I'm not really ready for this now. Because it was not part of my plan to quit so soon. I don't even have proper clothes for an office-job. :grin: I don't wanna seem to be someone desperate to my new employers. Because I am not. So, Maybe it's not possible to quit now.

    There are other factors as well. I don't know what my mother would think. She likes I stay here with them. Also, I have to study ASP more before applying for an ASP job. It was my plan to give some share of my time to ASP, preserve my current knowledge and learn some new things. But it was only several 2-3 weeks ago I could start to do something for it. For 3 months I had no time for it. Actually I offered a lower wage to have more time for ASP, But he kept increasing it and the increase pressured me to spend more time on my work.
     
    #4 Vega222, Dec 11, 2020
    Last edited: Dec 11, 2020
  5. Vega222

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    I really needed some advice guys and I don't have much time. I understand it's a bit difficult for those unfamiliar with IT and programming jobs. Also I don't think you understand some important factors unless you've lived in this country.

    I need to know "how" and "when" bring this up to my employer.

    Anyway, Thanks for your help.
     
    #5 Vega222, Dec 13, 2020
    Last edited: Dec 13, 2020
  6. D Artagnan

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    I'm not sure what advice I can give but I might have some insight on why you are struggling so much.

    Working or schooling remotely is a huge issue right now. The problem is that for most people, home is their sanctuary. With this pandemic, people have no other choice then to work/school from home. It's almost a violation of your personal space.

    The recommendations I have seen is to set up a home office in an area that you normally don't spend much time in. Or to set up an area that is office-like/school-like. I guess it's a matter of boundaries.

    We all know that school/work are tasks in life that we must perform. And in normal times, we get to go home at the end of the day to get away from the stresses of working/schooling. That doesn't exist for many at this time.....and it's stressing people out.
     
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  7. Vega222

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    Interesting points. I didn't know some people think about it like the emboldened part. Thought it's only me.

    Actually I had never heard someone say s/he dislikes remote working. Mr @bingostring was the first. Not that I've discussed it with many people. But I have worked remotely for years (not a full-time, but mostly as part-time job) and know some people that have been doing it happily.

    Actually one of my problems is that we're a large family and I don't have enough silence for doing my work. Let alone having an office-like place. Programming needs thinking and calculating and it hurts when it's noisy.
     
    #7 Vega222, Dec 13, 2020
    Last edited: Dec 13, 2020
  8. SemiCharmedLife

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    I work in HR. This is a crazy time. Some people love remote work (I do) and others don't. I can see how someone early in their career might struggle in a remote environment without a team to help support them and bounce ideas off of each other.

    I absolutely would not leave this position without anything else lined up. It's a crazy time for hiring with the pandemic plus it being the end of the year. You might not be able to find something quickly.

    In terms of which tech stack you're using, it's definitely good to check with your employer to see what their plans are for you. If you were brought in to do something besides what you're doing now, find out what their plans are. I'm sure a lot is up in the air right now for them too.
     
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  9. Vega222

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    So, Tonight I talked to my employer. I directly said I tried it but don't like PHP. He said it's fine. But again he insisted me to learn at least one hour a day about PHP! (That was funny) Adding "I'll pray him (my employer) for this advice in the future." I did thank him and said I'll try. But I actually lied when said I don't like it. I don't dislike PHP. It worth to learn. It doesn't make sense to learn it now for this temporary job though. I couldn't mention that the reason is I want to learn ASP instead. He acted as if he has no idea about it, saying, "we have many things to do with each other and I look forward for you getting promotions, etc." :slight_smile:))) The danger has passed for now I guess.

    Good point. If I were experienced, then remote working was very different. Actually I had been self-learning ASP.Net for like 8 months. And then I got this WordPress job with near zero experience! Not even many remote colleagues with that skills to ask about things. Poor me. Poor other guys who are even less experienced than me. I've studied software engineering at least.

    Yeah, I was cautious about keeping my job. Actually a friend gave me that advice.

    If I say I am to work in ASP, I risk losing my job too much. At the first day I talked about that with him. I said I only work for you for making some official experience to get ASP jobs easier. But now it's risky to mention it.
     
    #9 Vega222, Dec 14, 2020
    Last edited: Dec 14, 2020