Substandard Perfomance. Resign or be fired?

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I work for a web development consulting firm where I've done some cool things like build a server that can handle 60 hits per second and a hosting platform that supports HTTP/2. However I've overworked myself past the point of exhaustion and my work performance is fading fast. My boss is very unhappy with my performance. He complains that I don't complete projects fast and I don't reply to client e-mails immediately. This kind of work environment is not comparable with my ASD. I'm best when I can work at a moderate pace and deliver top quality work. But this company is all about speed, speed, and more speed. And I can sustain those kind of fast-paced expectations.

We've had clients threaten to fire us. Some of this is from me making poor judgment calls or rushing work product out to met a client's unrealistic expectation. My boss is fed up with me and I think he is considering firing me. Should I quit or let myself be fired?

Definitely start looking for another job right now (if you haven't already). If you've been there long enough to collect unemployment, then I would recommend waiting to be fired. Just keep showing up on time and actually working. In my state, you can't be denied unemployment unless you were fired for misconduct (sexual harassment and such things), but you're almost guaranteed to be denied if you quit unless you can prove 'hostile work environment'.

Been there.

f**k 'em. Unless they're HUGE, get your references elsewhere and cash out. Ask if you're paid to be talked at.

_________________
"Standing on a well-chilled cinder, we see the fading of the suns, and try to recall the vanished brilliance of the origin of the worlds."
-Georges Lemaitre
"I fly through hyperspace, in my green computer interface"
-Gem Tos

I've been consulting in technology since before I got my GED and I can't for the life of me imagine why anybody thinks firms like them are worth the time of day. Get your paychecks from those who distribute them graciously.

You deserve the last word.

_________________
"Standing on a well-chilled cinder, we see the fading of the suns, and try to recall the vanished brilliance of the origin of the worlds."
-Georges Lemaitre
"I fly through hyperspace, in my green computer interface"
-Gem Tos

No matter what you decide to do, please reconsider your framing of the issue. Your boss is the one who is underperforming, and he's been at that for a while. Your skills and abilities are a rare resource that is being very poorly mismanaged toward a harmful end for both you and the company. Best of luck to you.

Find another job immediately. Do not quit. They won't fire you, they'll let your contract run out, giving you time to find another job.

While that's on the back burner, be honest with your boss about your strong points and less strong points and have a reasonable, EASY plan for making that work.

When I was working, I had programmers work for me who would be sneaky and hide their weak points. This made me dislike or even hate them and look for ways to get rid of them. The ones who would privately tell me their strong and weak points and give me a solution were the people I kept and even got other people to hire when I ran out of budget money for them. When other managers picked on them for being foreign or aspie I backed them and wrote recommendation letters for them.

So I would say, I can do THIS quickly, no problem, but if I can get BOB to check over my work on THAT part before it goes out I think it would speed things up.

I agree with the other posters; get some references and apply for a new job asap. Working in such a stressful environment that actually encourages stress is not good. You're an engineer, dedicated to deliver high quality results. Not a fast food worker dedicated to serve as many as possible. Creating good software takes time! I also believe an engineer should be able to focus on one task as much as possible. Answering customer emails really shouldn't be part of your job unless it involves technical details.

Do not quit until you have secured other employment. Your skills are extremely valuable and sought out on the job market right now. All you have to do is brush up on your interviewing skills and you should be fine. If they fire you in the meantime at least you can collect unemployment.

This may not be an unsalvageable situation.

Perhaps if you meet with your boss and point out the excellent work you've done in the past, acknowledge that you've been dropping the ball as of late. Then outline a plan of action, perhaps a week or two off to rest and recuperate before getting back to being 100% focused on turning out great work.

Worth a try?