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Following up with New job with short project; it's been some time. My current project is getting over. I am being moved to a new project. The problem is that my profile is being changed. I am a 'Qt' GUI designer going by my resume. I was assigned to bug fixing in my previous project whereas I prefer development. I've now been asked to support a team with uses pure 'C' (it's not object oriented) for making GUI.

While I am all for learning new technology and all, C just doesn't exactly suit my fancy (no classes, and the code flow isn't something that I find easy to understand). I also don't see myself coding in this language in the future.

I heard someone else rejected a similar position and was re-assigned. What I am afraid of is if I fail to be transferred, my manager will make my life hard. Is it advised given that I don't want to switch jobs so soon (it's been 6 months since i joined)?

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  • fixing bugs is maintenance, which is 100% part of the development cycle. It's something you'll find everywhere, programming from scratch is actually a rare occurence. That being said, if C gives you allergies, I can understand your point of view.
    – gazzz0x2z
    Commented Jun 27, 2019 at 9:55
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    @gazzz0x2z while fixing bugs/maintenance is typically part of software development there's a difference between it being a part of what you do and and you being assigned a full time bugfixing role. And while it's common to assign a newcomer to bugfixing for a limited time (typically the first 1-2 weeks or a month), this is typically meant for him to get familiar with different places of the codebase/software. This doesn't seem to be the case here. Commented Jun 27, 2019 at 10:46

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  1. Express a desire to do something else. If they can, they will likely give it to you. But someone has to do it, and that someone may be you.

  2. If you do have to do it, do it to the best of your ability. In 10 years when you look back, this is one of those things that will build your resume, and will help make you into a developer with well-rounded experience. You don't think you'll be using C? So what? Look at it from the perspective of where the entire job might take you. You do this for 6 months...then what?

Don't be so impatient to get your dream job now...a career takes time to develop.

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  • I tend to keep to myself. That means I'm not aware of what other projects are going on around me. That said, the company has too many projects for me to know of anyway. If I have to do anything, I will do it to the best of my ability. What I am afraid of is how I seem to be going further and further from what I signed up for. The project is expected to last pretty long (1-2 years from what I gather). Changing half way wont be possible. GUI was never my dream job, but it's what I was given at my first job and I decided to make a career out of it.
    – Bhoot
    Commented Jun 28, 2019 at 4:17
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What I am afraid of is if I fail to be transferred, my manager will make my life hard.

What if, you choose to stick to the project, as an unhappy member, thereby having a poor performance? Do you think your manager will spare you? At that point of time if you voice your concerns (of your choice), you'll surely be asked "Why didn't you say that earlier?"

You'll have no answer.

State your choice upfront, and check if they can arrange an alternative role / position in a separate project for you.

You should also have a clear mindset of what you want, if they are unable to find a suitable position for you in choice of your domain - if you want to stick to your domain, you need to look for opportunities elsewhere.

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  • Normally, I'd completely agree with you. The problem is that i left my previous ob after 10 months and its been only 6-7 months since I joined this one. If I leave this job early, I'll be putting the job hopper tag on myself.
    – Bhoot
    Commented Jun 27, 2019 at 11:11
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If it's not something you want to do nor is it something you particularly signed up for, then why not reject it.

Speak with your manager and state your concerns with it and see what they say. They'll have the answers that you need, whether it is necessary for you to do this project or not and how it will affect you.

Your manager can't have a problem with you if they are aware of the issue before you reject it.

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  • I can't imagine anything good coming out of rejecting a project from your employer.
    – Simon B
    Commented Jun 27, 2019 at 14:34

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