Burned out in an IT job: quit or get fired?

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I did e-mail my agency, and they said they wanted to discuss things on the phone. So I called them. Got the words of encouragement, actually the good kind, not the sappy, new age "don't worry, be happy" crap. But the problem is that my managers and my agency are in the same bed, so to speak. Think about it: I had to hire a lawyer just to get the on-call requirement eliminated.


I manage time by cutting corners and using obscure technical terms like "data corruption", "system file damage", etc., to avoid having to do extra work. I manage stress by smoking and drinking heavily. I manage conflict by smoothing things out and then "managing stress". Unhealthy? You bet! But neither is my job. I'm already having high blood pressure, recurring stomach pains, and disturbing nightmares at least a few times a week. So what's a shot of liquor and a cigarette?

The only real solution is a career change. I never want to work in IT again for as long as I live. That's why I'm meeting with a career counselor later this month. Wish me luck.

I really encourage you to dream big. For example, if you're under 35, think about being a doctor. Yeah, going to medical school, getting an MD, the real thing. Read some medical school autobiographies and see what you think, and don't be too quick to dismiss it, for there are a ton of different specialties.

Or be a lawyer, architect, CPA, or any other profession.

And if you take any career tests, like Myer Briggs, please trust your gut instincts regarding whether it feels right.

Maybe you could quit and move to the UK. I worked in IT for over 10 years and I think its a bit more polite than what you describe.

While I'm not moving to the UK, I do have an update. I'm researching a career change. I don't know, and honestly don't care, what field I'll be switching into, I never want to work another IT job for as long as I live. At this point, anything looks better than IT, even picking up dog poop off the sidewalks, as long as I get to wear rubber gloves. Jokes aside, I pretty much made up my mind: career change it is. I'm already going to regular meetings with a career coach to discuss this. Hope I can find a career that won't burn me out. And I'm pretty sure I will; there is absolutely no worse career than IT!

Instead of drinking and smoking, have you thought about using small doses of xanax (i.e. 0.25mg)? I use xanax when I get stressed and it helps me get through the day. I have similar problems - mine is more being expected to be an expert in technical accounting one day and a database design expert then facilitate workshops with executives using 'agile' methods the following day which involves me doing alot of study at night to prepare but not getting much sleep and then getting told "oh there is a spelling mistake on slide 34!" as feedback....or being told I need to take a 6AM flight instead of 8AM flight because the 6AM flight is $10 cheaper....I told them that there is an even cheaper option - I just won't go!....but then they claimed I was being "arrogant" and "lack interpersonal skills".....

I know what you mean. It seems that everyone who works in IT must be doing everything. I think it is worse since business managers took over the management of IT. They really don't understand how mentally taxing IT work is.

Aspie1, have you ever considered software testing? It's truly a 9-5 job, at least at my employer. The only time I have to work late is when I'm up against a deadline, which isn't often, because I'm good at time management. It's decent money and you aren't expected to know much the second you walk through the door - you're given ample time to learn the software you will be testing. The only downside is that it can be repetitive. It's basically like this: Load the software, see if it works, open tickets against any bugs you find. When bugs get fixed, load "fixed" software, called a "build", see if it works now, and so on. To keep the repetition down I started using test automation software. It's pretty easy to to automate testing with all the test automation products that are around these days - you basically "record" a set of actions and then "run" those actions each time you get a new build to test. I run my automated tests while I troubleshoot any issues that I find, open bug tickets, etc. I find this job extremely gratifying. I'm considered a guru in my office because of the expertise I have developed in the products I test, which allows me to sort of socialize in a less threatening environment.

http://www.amazon.com/How-Really-Stink- ... 0345502809

This is great advice. I've been in a similar situation twice in my career (in my 12th year as a software developer) and I know what it feels like. It sucks, you can't put it any simpler than that. I've had to deal with racist coworkers, an threatening and abusive boss, and another boss who would contract me out to anyone to do anything, despite the fact that my CV is only full of development work.

The same boss pushed me to the point of burnout and I got signed off work. On my return 7 weeks later he was all friendly, told me I could have two extra weeks off that year as a way of making it up to me and I must not have them paid out, I need to take the time off because he valued me and didn't want to lose me. OK, I got suckered in. We started having a few interpersonal problems - I'm ridiculously thorough about my work and take it very seriously so when I raised a few points about software quality, he flew off the handle at me in a massive way. After that things just went downhill. I took my two weeks that he promised me and even got it confirmed via email from him so I thought I was safe.. more fool me.

A week after I got back he called me into a meeting where he accused me of owing the company 200 hours of work time. He'd compiled a spreadsheet of days where he claimed I'd not bothered to turn up to work. Some of these days included good friday, easter monday, whitsun, national day and horrifically, my grandmother's funeral. I fought back and accounted for every day he claimed.. except the two weeks he gave me. He countered that I had to hand over two weeks of my holiday allowance or they'd dock my pay. I'm a member of a union so I took advice. The email was enough proof that he'd sanctioned those two weeks and my rep said I had a 90% or higher chance of winning a potential tribunal. I'm not a gambling man but I liked those odds, so I dug my heels in a bit more, told him that my union needs to see his claim in writing which he gave me weeks later and by a wonderful coincidence because I'd found a different job elsewhere I gave him my notice in writing in the same meeting, walked out of the office and left him sitting there, a truly great feeling!

The result was that I got all my holiday and all my money. He didn't want higher management to find out so he pretended to be all friendly with me up to the moment I left. I sensed some sour grapes from him when months later I got my written reference, it was really poor and his major criticism of me was that despite my in depth knowledge I produced average work at best, but at this moment in time I don't care. It's his problem.

The job I left for is the exact opposite. My boss is great, really sound guy and the team are really easy to get along with. I can focus on my specialities and my first two reviews have been great, with top marks for thoroughness and quality of work. I get to design and create interesting software while watching as many war documentaries and Louis Theroux episodes I can fit into a day. I finally feel like I've come home.

In my mind I fell into the trap of thinking I wouldn't find anything better and got really depressed for a while. I've found over the years that you have to go through some really awful times to be able to appreciate the good times and now that I know this I'm more determined than ever to make a go of what I have now. I think back to the bad times and smile because I know I've moved on and it's because of positive, decisive action I took myself, it's mine and nobody can take that away from me. I did that and I don't need to rely on a person I don't like and don't trust any more.

Not an option. My boss brushes me off every time I try. He even told me: "I will keep asking you to explain yourself until your productivity goes up". Even when my productivity did go up, he still asked me to do more. And there are a lot of factors beyond my control that limit my productivity. So I couldn't "increase my productivity" in those cases even if I wanted to. But he doesn't care. So a civil discussion is out of the question. I just cope by smoking constantly and getting drunk every night. That and planning for a career change to get out of IT for good.

I'd take Xanax, but I don't want to go through the hassle of going to a psychiatrist, wasting hours of my time and hundreds of dollars, to jump through hoops of talking about my feelings, just to get one lousy prescription. I'm making do with tobacco and alcohol for now; then I'll see.

Start looking for another job now.

If you get fired before you find another job, collect temporary unemployment, and keep looking for another job.

Honestly, a lot of jobs suck, and a lot of them have on-call requirements. In your job search, avoid jobs that say "may require working overtime" and try to look around and see if the new prospective employer has happy employees. Maybe even read reviews from their former employees.

Paid leave should be paid leave. Unpaid leave should be unpaid leave. Does your contract say you get paid for national holidays?

Your 'easiest' fix is probably to start searching for another job... unless you can tolerate this one.

I suggest going out for lunch so you're away from the office. Take the breaks you're able to in your country. Document hours worked however possible.

Not all IT jobs suck. IT Support is what sucks. Look for IT jobs that aren't support jobs, like software testing as I mentioned earlier. That way you can stay in a field that matches your skills.

Then I think you know the answer to the problem. Nothing you do will please him and he's being very unfair on you by not engaging in a meaningful conversation. Has he even defined an actual productivity metric of any kind for you to work towards?

If I were you I'd look for another job, quit when you have found one and make sure his superiors know exactly why you are going. I'd join a union as well, because in employment conflict situations they are by far the best people to talk to. My union made all the difference when I had trouble with my previous employer because I realised I wasn't in it on my own any more.

One last thing, don't quit IT. You'll find something better, I'm convinced of that.

He gives me plenty of productivity metrics, but he keeps changing them at random. I'm 99% sure he's trying to set me up to fail, but sadly, I have no proof. The most I can do is get my productivity numbers as high as I can, and cope with the verbal abuse by smoking and drinking. Yeah, it's unhealthy, but at this point, I couldn't care less. Talking to his superior won't do any good; in the past, I hired a lawyer against him, because he was putting me on call 24/7/365 with a requirement to go to the office immediately. Unions are out of the question: there are no unions for the IT field. So IT people are truly, completely, on their own, when it comes to dealing with abusive bosses.

I took another leap of faith and called a psychiatrist (the one who prescribes) for an appointment, to get myself anti-anxiety meds and antidepressants to help me deal with my job while I go through the process of changing my career. They can't be possibly any worse than the tobacco and alcohol that I use every day. Besides, it'll be such a self-esteem booster to sit there with a calm, Xanax'ed look on my face, while my boss is spewing bile and cinders as he chews me out over my "productivity". Having said all this, I wouldn't go near a psychologist (the one who doesn't prescribe) unless ordered by court. I already know how my job makes me feel; I don't need some overpaid dude in a suit rubbing it in my face by asking me that infamous question.

It's too late not to quit IT. I'm so burned out and jaded, that I never want to work another IT job for as long as I live. Besides, in small companies, it's just one overworked IT guy doing absolutely everything by himself: sofware testing, support, everything. I'll pick up dog poop with my bare hands before I take another IT job. And it's not just this job. My last IT job was only slightly less horrible, and I also did more stuff, like programming and network administration. At that job, my boss told me that I would be required to answer my phone on vacation. Needless to say, I never took vacations while I worked there. Luckily, it lasted only a year, before they let me go. I was upset at first, but as little as a week later, I felt so relaxed and happy, it was amazing.

Simply put, there's no future for me in IT. I hate to say it, but I can't wait until I'm the one disrupting some IT guy's dinner with a stupid but time-consuming question. OK, maybe I'll have more sympathy than that, but still, it must feel really empowering to do that.

The point is that you couldn't do it to most people in IT. Myself? My little lunchtime routine is to turn my mobile off, and head out to a small bakery where I get food, followed by sitting in the park with my Kindle until my break's over at which point I head back.

People just don't call me after work. I tell people to email me any problems and I will deal with the most important ones first. It took them a while to get used to it, but they got there in the end. Most of my phone calls are of the training variety these days, and those are on my desk phone rather than my mobile.

IT support is not particularly problematic, it's how you provide the IT support that matters.

Managing expectations in IT is sooo important. People need to understand how things work and follow it. It's a routine and it should be good for aspies.

If you don't have a triage system; suggest it. We use the following:

Code Red: s**t is all f'ed up.

Code Orange: Department wide or greater outage or issue. Also for issues that directly impact teaching and learning

Code Yellow: Issues that impair 1 person's ability to work

Code Blue: Recurring issues or other service failures from Code Green Issues

Code Green: Routine requests

Code Red and Code Orange are drop what your doing and get it fixed. These would be the ones we would call people in for.

Code Yellow depends on the issue.

Code Blue and Green. These get scheduled in the order received. No special treatment.