Quit job or not?

Haircut · 20 Dec 2006 at 20:28

I've been in my current job since the end of July and so far it hasn't gone particularly well.
I'm thinking of quitting but would like to get peoples' opinions on the matter.

Basically I'm a software developer and the job I was offered was to act as lead dev on a redevelopment project converting a legacy VB6 application to C#.
Shortly after I joined a new boss (3 levels above me) came along as well and decided to shake things up a bit.

What this has meant so far is that I've spent my time doing little bits of support/development work on the VB6 app as he wanted to re-evalutae the C# project.
I heard the other day that he now wants to keep the VB6 app supported for another year with no further development and then enhance a US based Java application currently in development to replace our system. Effectively cancelling the project for which I was hired.

Development for this other project will be done in New York, not London which leaves our team acting as support for the next year, then who knows after that?!

Now at this point I'm sure you're thinking that I should just quit now.

The thing that complicates matters is that the company I currently work for is a large and very well respected US investment bank.
It's pretty difficult to break into banking development without working for another bank. I'm concerned that quitting one of the top banks after less than 6 months would make it difficult to get another investment bank job from the point of view of not having much banking experience and just generally not looking great on my CV.

There's also the money aspect. I got >£10K payrise when I joined and have already had a £6K bonus on the basis of 4 months work. Over the course of a year, including bonus, I'm probably on around £20K more than at my last job so I would probably have to take a hefty pay cut unless I got a job at another bank!!

scratch · 20 Dec 2006 at 20:45

Sounds to me like you'd benefit more in the long-term by sticking around for the next year at least. Sometimes it's worth putting a job before your overall happiness if you're going to get something out of it.

Andy

regulus · 20 Dec 2006 at 20:45

So you get paid a lot of money and bonusses for not doing much work?? We cannot begin to imagine the pain you're going through right now. I hurt for you as I type this

Seriously. Sit tight, get the experience needed and move on when the time is right. You can always brush up on your skills at home and work and keep helping me with C++ in the programming forums!

yhack · 20 Dec 2006 at 20:49

Well the first thing I would do is ask an internet forum as they know everything about my life.

I'll trade your job for mine.

Haircut · 20 Dec 2006 at 20:55

regulus said:
So you get paid a lot of money and bonusses for not doing much work?? We cannot begin to imagine the pain you're going through right now. I hurt for you as I type this

Yeah, I know how it probably sounds but I'm bored as hell there at the minute.
I spend every day just waiting for 6 o'clock so I can go home.

I'm trying to learn as much as I can off my own back, but at the end of the day I'm a .NET developer who's supporting a VB6 application.

Xon · 20 Dec 2006 at 21:10

Heh I work at a major hosting company (doing a lot of work for the co-location clients and monitoring all the links), doing long shifts (>12 hours) without shift allowance and without extra pay on ph (like new years eve!) for around 6300 yearly! Dude, you seriously don't have it bad so get going come on!

regulus · 20 Dec 2006 at 21:24

Valkyr said:
Heh I work at a major hosting company (doing a lot of work for the co-location clients and monitoring all the links), doing long shifts (>12 hours) without shift allowance and without extra pay on ph (like new years eve!) for around 6300 yearly! Dude, you seriously don't have it bad so get going come on!

That's just taking the peepee. I'm sure there's some better paying jobs in your area??

Duke · 20 Dec 2006 at 21:27

yhack said:
Well the first thing I would do is ask an internet forum as they know everything about my life.

What makes you think peoples opinions and suggestions are not valid here?

Jimmeh · 20 Dec 2006 at 21:32

Stick at it.
Not only would you have to take a pay cut if you were to leave now, but questions would always be asked of you if potential employers were to look at your CV to see that you had a job at such a company for only 6 months.
i.e. Are you a quitter? Did things get too tough?

Another year will do you just about right, at which time you can move on with the statement 'I outgrew the role'.

HangTime · 20 Dec 2006 at 21:43

The key question here is: How easy would it be to land a more interesting/challenging role which an equal/better benefits package than what you have now?

Looking at your last paragraph, this doesn't seem that likely. Stick around a while and keep an eye out for any diamond opportunities. over the course of the coming year.

Sitting around all day bored, waiting for home time is something that quite a lot of people do. I go to work to earn money, that's the primary concern.

Megz2007 · 20 Dec 2006 at 21:45

Stick with it if it makes you happy or content to carry on what you are doing. Money is not end all...job satisfication is important (Well, to me it is).

wolseley · 20 Dec 2006 at 22:54

Have you raised these concerns with your boss? Tell him that now that the job spec has changed, you don't feel that your talents are bing put to the best possible use, which is causing you to be less motivated. You may find that there is another opportunity available for you, but your boss can't offer it to you if he does not know how you feel.

Haircut · 20 Dec 2006 at 23:03

wolseley said:
Have you raised these concerns with your boss? Tell him that now that the job spec has changed, you don't feel that your talents are bing put to the best possible use, which is causing you to be less motivated. You may find that there is another opportunity available for you, but your boss can't offer it to you if he does not know how you feel.

Yep, raised it with my boss and his boss.
Neither of them can realistically do anything about it though.

I had a meeting with them both yesterday and was told that they appreciated I wasn't doing what I was recruited for and what I wanted to be doing and apologised about it.
They said if I wanted to apply for any other jobs I would have their support and they would prefer it if I moved internally. Not particularly positive!

The thing is with moving internally is we're mostly a Java place with very little .NET development so finding another suitable position might be tricky.

I know for my career that I should stick it out for a while longer and I know that in the grand scheme of things I still have a pretty good job, but it's driving me mad.

I get bored quite quickly and need new challenges and excitement to keep me motivated. I just don't know if I can handle sitting around and doing little bits of support for a year.