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This is for my friend.

Right after university she couldn't find a job for 6 months. Eventually she got a job at a company X as a developer. It started out wonderfully(even though the salary was way below market value). However in 2 months overtimes started piling up. In 4 months she had to work on weekends and sometimes until 1 in the morning on weekdays. In 7 months they put her on pager duty which won't shut up at 2 or 3 in the morning. Now there is absolutely no time to do anything. She has currently been working for 8 months and her condition is not good.

So here are multiple questions on her behalf.
1) Is it better for her to quit to find a new job or to stay and search?
Staying can severely hinder her availability for interviews, and not give her as much time to search for jobs. And her salary is already way below average, so she will not have enough negotiating power.
2) If she does get an interview, what should she say as to why she is searching for a new job after being for the company for 8 months?

Thanks to anyone for help.

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  • @Quillion ~ Does she have any vacation available to her? Perhaps taking a day off here or there for interviewing would be best. – Tyanna Aug 20 '14 at 18:27
  • @Tyanna unfortunately all vacation days were spent due to sickness which was caused by overworking, since job provides zero sick days :( – Quillion Aug 20 '14 at 18:39
  • As an alternative to quitting could you schedule a meeting with the on duty manager and explain? Make it positive but look for a solution "I really appreciate all the projects and extra responsibility I've been given, but I feel the workload is getting a little too much over time" - see here as well workplace.stackexchange.com/questions/9740/… – Brandin Aug 21 '14 at 7:31
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    Then get out of that situation, it seems too unreasonable – Brandin Aug 21 '14 at 20:23
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    It is always better to search and then quit, but since she is working till 2 or 3 am, it doesn't seem like she would have time to search. Is she getting paid overtime for all of this? – Eskey Eski May 22 '19 at 8:20
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Eight months is not so early. It happens. And if asked, she should say that they have a poor process that leads to unsustainable amounts of overtime. If asked about her present salary, she should deflect to her estimation of her market value, e.g. "My market research indicates that developers with similar skills and experience are getting 300,000 zorkmids / year."

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  • Should she quit and search, or stay and search? Would quitting and then searching be looked down upon by companies? – Quillion Aug 20 '14 at 18:25
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    You never quit and search. You always search and quit, otherwise you have no leverage. – user1220 Aug 20 '14 at 18:31
  • She should stay if possible. She can be more assertive about refusing her employer's demands for unreasonable overtime. They may decide to fire her, and that's ok. If she has any ability as a developer she'll find a better position. Now she has experience! – kevin cline Aug 21 '14 at 15:55
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Quality of life is of huge importance to all developers (all workers, indeed!) So, when a company repeatedly abuses thier workers by making a poor quality-of-life the norm, its time to vote with your feet and get a new job.

It is very difficult to recruit young, motivated developers. That's why so many companies invest in internship programs, mentorship programs, and nice perks. Salaries below-market-value? Well, unfortunately that happens. But when a company invests that much of its profit into recruiting the right new college-grad, to lose them for quality-of-life issues really makes them step-back and re-evaluate how they treat thier employees.

So, yes. Get a new job... Um, I mean your "friend" should get a new job, and be very clear why you.. um "She" left.

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  • But is it good idea to quit and search or search while working? Which option wouldn't be looked down upon? – Quillion Aug 20 '14 at 18:21
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    Never quit without having a fully executed offer in-hand. To be clear, search and find a job before quitting your current position. Its not a question whether it will be looked-down on, its a question whether you can pay your bills if you quit your job without having a new one to go to. Bosses understand that, and won't criticize after your friend explains why they left. – Mike Van Aug 20 '14 at 18:25

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