Episode 420: New grad getting boring work and busy manager

Aug 5, 2024

A new graduate shares their struggles with feeling unfulfilled in a technical role, prompting discussions on realistic career expectations. The hosts emphasize that early jobs can still provide valuable experience. They also explore the complexities of managing large teams and the emotional investment in career growth. Insights on mentorship and building relationships for feedback highlight the importance of support in software engineering. Humor and practical advice abound, making the journey through tech careers relatable and engaging.

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

Community Engagement and Humorous Patron Acknowledgments

01:42 • 2min

Navigating Early Career Challenges in Tech

03:30 • 13min

Navigating Managerial Complexities

16:43 • 3min

Navigating Career Growth in Software Engineering

20:10 • 2min

Harnessing Team Dynamics for Growth

22:31 • 5min

In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions:

Little Z says,

Hello! I am a relatively new graduate (‘23 bachelor’s in information systems) who is currently working at a large tech company in a technical role adjacent to SWE.

This is a great opportunity, but as time has progressed, I’ve felt growing dissatisfaction with the role. I don’t enjoy many of the projects I am put on. I feel that I am not fully making use of my technical skills/potential and that the work I do often doesn’t align my career aspirations (transitioning/diving into software engineering). This de-motivates and frustrates me, and I often feel I’m wasting my time.

However, upon reflection, I feel that my sentiments are rooted in youthful ignorance and I am too impatient and idealistic in my expectations. What realistic expectations should I set for myself for my day-to-day work and long-term career trajectory? Should I expect to “bite the bullet” and work on things that don’t directly interest/benefit me, especially as I am still young and relatively unproven in my career? How, if at all, do economic market forces come into the picture here?
Greetings!

Long time fan, first time caller.

This isn’t a question per se, but rather an observation that I’d love to hear your take on.

Throughout my career, I’ve never had a boss that had less than 30 direct report. Yes, thirty. Three. Oh.

I think this is primarly a cultural thing (I live in northern Europe), but also the fact that I’ve mostly worked in large organisations where tech was a means to an end.

With that in mind, I find it your podcast fascinating because a lot of your answers and suggestions would be met either horror, disbelief or amusement - often a mix, I suspect.

Weekly one-on-ones? A carreer plan? Going to skip-level managers? When your only interaction with you boss is a yearly apraisal that usually starts with the phrase “So, uuuuuh, who are you and what have you done the last year?”, your nuggets of wisdom feel less like nuggets and more like peals, as in “pearls before swine”!

Any suggestions on how to thrive in an evironment such as this?