Time to start looking for a new job

HumblePie

Lifer
Oct 30, 2000
14,665
440
126
Things at my current job aren't going as I like so it's time to move on. Stupid management.

What brought this on? a write up our customer did about dis-satisfaction on a task I worked on. This was because of a couple bugs and the timeline of the poject. Because of this I get the sh1t poured on me.

So what happened? Easy enough, I was given a task with very few requirements, zero direction, and little contact with the customer. I have back logs of emails, wish I had the phone calls, and meetings of me TRYING to get information. I remember scheduling several meetings to get the customer to come and answer questions to which they never showed up despite telling me they were going to be there. A task that I thought would have taken 2 months turned into 5 months. I can show where I sent out an email asking for a bit of information that I needed to proceed and without it I could go no further and received a response 3 weeks later. That's 3 weeks I have no control of the situations.

Then, on top of that, I just BARELY manage to get the code done, with only a little bit of initial testing. No formal testing, had been done. I had written a 50 page test plan, which was not even complete and had everything taken out of my hands to be put on another more important project. I was told that the 2 new people being hired woul take over the testing and where I left off. No biggie. What happened? Nothing got done and my project was turned in as is with a few bugs. Not many and nothing system breaking, just minor quarks that could have been easily found and fixed had I completed the testing.

So what happens? I get formally b1tched at, reprimanded and dumped on for a task taken out of my hands. That's just pure BS and I can't deal with crap like that anymore.

Least now I have another excuse to leave this craptacular town I live in. I just really wanted my background paperwork/clearance to come through before I started looking. I had planned on leaving within the year but it looks like I might leave in the next few months or sooner if I can.
 

KLin

Lifer
Feb 29, 2000
30,941
1,071
126
So they didn't even look at/respond to any of your CYA documentation? Sounds like your management team is a bunch of idiots.
 

robphelan

Diamond Member
Aug 28, 2003
4,084
17
81
Originally posted by: HumblePie
Things at my current job aren't going as I like so it's time to move on. Stupid management.

What brought this on? a write up our customer did about dis-satisfaction on a task I worked on. This was because of a couple bugs and the timeline of the poject. Because of this I get the sh1t poured on me.

So what happened? Easy enough, I was given a task with very few requirements, zero direction, and little contact with the customer. I have back logs of emails, wish I had the phone calls, and meetings of me TRYING to get information. I remember scheduling several meetings to get the customer to come and answer questions to which they never showed up despite telling me they were going to be there. A task that I thought would have taken 2 months turned into 5 months. I can show where I sent out an email asking for a bit of information that I needed to proceed and without it I could go no further and received a response 3 weeks later. That's 3 weeks I have no control of the situations.

Then, on top of that, I just BARELY manage to get the code done, with only a little bit of initial testing. No formal testing, had been done. I had written a 50 page test plan, which was not even complete and had everything taken out of my hands to be put on another more important project. I was told that the 2 new people being hired woul take over the testing and where I left off. No biggie. What happened? Nothing got done and my project was turned in as is with a few bugs. Not many and nothing system breaking, just minor quarks that could have been easily found and fixed had I completed the testing.

So what happens? I get formally b1tched at, reprimanded and dumped on for a task taken out of my hands. That's just pure BS and I can't deal with crap like that anymore.

Least now I have another excuse to leave this craptacular town I live in. I just really wanted my background paperwork/clearance to come through before I started looking. I had planned on leaving within the year but it looks like I might leave in the next few months or sooner if I can.


hey.. san antonio's not that bad.. anyway.. what do you do? we have some openings.
 

TStep

Platinum Member
Feb 16, 2003
2,460
10
81
Originally posted by: KLin
So they didn't even look at/respond to any of your CYA documentation? Sounds like your management team is a bunch of idiots.
Problem is it seems management is looking to CYA and find a goat. I'm not in that business, but I am mangement. Management gets paid to manage. A project that slip 2 months to 5 months for whatever reason is poorly managed, plain and simple, regardless of how it got to this point. Management should have been firmly aware that the project wasn't going to make it before the 1 month mark, assessed the situation, add resources, made the necessary adjustments, consulted with the client, and moved on.

 

HumblePie

Lifer
Oct 30, 2000
14,665
440
126
Originally posted by: KLin
So they didn't even look at/respond to any of your CYA documentation? Sounds like your management team is a bunch of idiots.

Nope, I tried presenting it to them... then I got told, "Oh, we aren't just reprimanding you for ONE incident but a pattern of behavior across your projects." Well considering I had 3 projects, one went off smoothly and wasn't mentioned in the reprimand and the other two I had CMA (cover my a$$) information, that was just pure BS answer. The biggest and longest part of the reprimand was the project I described above since it was what the customer gave us feedback on. A project I never got to complete and had the most CYA info for.

They are so contradictory. At one point during my reprimand session they said, well your problem is rushing things, which is why there was bug introduced and we can't turn in anything with bugs. YAH RIGHT, like none of the stuff they've ever turned in was bug free. Oh wait, most of the projects we work on is fixing past mistakes. That's why were get most of our money for sustainment. But the fact I took longer to complete the job (to which I was NEVER formally given a deadline for it except before the end of the year and I had it done 5 months before the end of the year) shows I did try to take my time and do it right. Then they said I also can't have these conversations with them that take hours trying to agrue points over the phone or in meetings. WTF? Literally, that oxymoron came right of their mouth. One sentance, you need to take your time, get all the information and do the job right. Then the next is, I take too much time getting information to do the job right. That's the complete idiocy of my managers.


Oh, as for what I do. I'm a computer programmer. Senior level 3 software engineer if you are measuring the position how the goverment measures it.

Oh get this, I was given a task YESTERDAY, and due tomorrow by my boss. However to complete this task, I need a bunch of different documents from meetings and output from different sources that he said he would bring today. It's today and I don't have it. I still need to turn in my work tomorrow by miraculously pulling something out my butt, to which they will agree works for the situation tomorrow but 4 months down the line I'll be berated for doing a poor job. I see it coming now because it's already happened this way before in the past. I need to make a proposal on a new project to which I have absolutely ZERO IDEA of what project needs to be done except... that the customer wants some new post processing tools to duplicate some plots and excel spreedsheets some guy in timbuktu made. That's all I have to go on. The boss is suppose to bring me over these plots, the data this guy used, and any output or document that was generated and related to this task.

Sigh, I just hope I can quit before I get fired because it feels like that's where I am being steered.
 

HumblePie

Lifer
Oct 30, 2000
14,665
440
126
Originally posted by: robphelan
what languages do you program in, goof ball.



Oh lol, right now I deal with C and Java. Although I've worked with Fortran, ADA, Pascal, C++, and Visual Basic for several years each. Then the normal odd assortment of stuff I use for resume like, worked with linux, windows, office products, and open VMS.
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
"Ya see Doc, everyday is the worst day of my life. That means today is worse than yesterday, and tomorrow will be worse than today."

"I wouldn't call it a lack of motivation, I just don't care"

"So now when I screw up, I've got 3 people harping me about it"




"I just think I'm gonna go to work. I think I'd like to go fishing. Yeah, fishing."
 

Originally posted by: TStep
Originally posted by: KLin
So they didn't even look at/respond to any of your CYA documentation? Sounds like your management team is a bunch of idiots.
Problem is it seems management is looking to CYA and find a goat. I'm not in that business, but I am mangement. Management gets paid to manage. A project that slip 2 months to 5 months for whatever reason is poorly managed, plain and simple, regardless of how it got to this point. Management should have been firmly aware that the project wasn't going to make it before the 1 month mark, assessed the situation, add resources, made the necessary adjustments, consulted with the client, and moved on.
I'm falling out of my chair laughing.
 

HN

Diamond Member
Jan 19, 2001
8,186
4
0
tell your side of the story in a nice long, detailed, clearly written email and close with your resignation.
 

HumblePie

Lifer
Oct 30, 2000
14,665
440
126
Originally posted by: HN
tell your side of the story in a nice long, detailed, clearly written email and close with your resignation.



Can't resign until I get something new. I have these pesky things called bills and a powerful urge to eat every once in awhile.
 

robphelan

Diamond Member
Aug 28, 2003
4,084
17
81
Originally posted by: HumblePie
Originally posted by: HN
tell your side of the story in a nice long, detailed, clearly written email and close with your resignation.



Can't resign until I get something new. I have these pesky things called bills and a powerful urge to eat every once in awhile.


don't forget you have to fill up the Rx-8, too.
 

EagleKeeper

Discussion Club Moderator<br>Elite Member
Staff member
Oct 30, 2000
42,589
5
0
Contact your security office and have them find out what the status is of the clearance ASAP.

Sometimes they (Gov/DSS) can get sidetracked.

I got shafted by that situation and pushed out in a CYA situation that used the lack of a TS as an excuse (2+ years in process). Never got an answer from DSS where the blockage was.
 

Fraggable

Platinum Member
Jul 20, 2005
2,799
0
0
go higher. your boss has a boss. If you show you're worth being paid to do your job they might question what your boss is doing. On the other hand, if your boss finds out and gets mad you went above him then who cares. Sounds like you're going anyway.
 

TStep

Platinum Member
Feb 16, 2003
2,460
10
81
Originally posted by: DrPizza
Respond to management with a letter detailing your side of the story. Include documentation supporting your case.
That may make humblepie feel better, but in the end, there is no future if your dealing with snakes, which seems to be the case. The company I left was poorly managed. Nobody did crap except stroke cost reports to show projected profits in order to boost their bonuses.

They needed a goat, so they promoted me, gave me their two worst jobs ($40mil, 1/2 done, losing $3mil at the time), and I took them. I didn't care if I got fired, cleaned them up, finished on schedule, brought one back into the black. Owners were pleased once they found out what really went on through sources other than myself and I was offered big bucks to stay. The reason I left is because the management directly above me was incompetent and that was not changed. My advice is to seek employment elsewhere w/out burning a bridge.

 

HumblePie

Lifer
Oct 30, 2000
14,665
440
126
As for the RX-8, yah but I've been riding my bike to work now 2 or 3 times a week so it's not so bad.

As for my clearance... been in process for about a year and 4 months now. I've had one before, but just had to redo it since I was out of a slot for so long. I keep checking evey few weeks but it still shows as in processing. It's annoying as heck.

Seriously though, I knew 6 months ago I was being set up for a fall. I was trying to cover my a$$ as best as I could. I called a few people I used to work with to get some advice and help. Which might be the reason I am not completely out on my butt just yet. Who knows. I know I'm being set up again and chacnes are will have to put in a long weekend at work. Assuming my boss gets me the documents I need to finish this proposal by tomorrow. If he does, it will be the end of the day, not the beginning. This is something he said he would get me 2 days ago and I still don't have it. It sucks having to do work like this. Everything has to come second hand until my clearance gets done or I get escorted everywhere I go when I'm out of the office and at the job site. So, it takes longer to do my work but I despite that, it seems as if I can't use that as an excuse because it's biting me in the butt.