When to Leave That First Tech Job 689
An anonymous reader writes "Chris Wilson has an interesting piece about a scenario all CompSci/Engineering students dread, getting a job out of college and having it quickly turn sour. He writes: 'The first layoff is tough. After bending over backward, after being a loyal employee, this is the reward? To summarize how I felt: Disillusioned.' He discusses warning signs you should look for in your own work environment that point toward "Getting out". An interesting read, especially for aspiring engineers or engineers out on their first job."
Interesting side thought... (Score:5, Interesting)
I work for a Doctor who owns his own practice. I recognize that he went through years of medical school to get where he is, and I respect that.
However, med school does not teach you Programming/Networking/System Diagnosis and Repair. It appears to have barely taught management.
When your boss thinks he knows how something should be done because he is a professional in another field, it is time to type up the resume and start passing it around. When you can't convince him of something because he "Knows" how it "Should" be done, your sunk.
Re:Slashdotting In Action (Score:3, Interesting)
Cubicles (Score:3, Interesting)
I don't know if that's true. I know very smart people making decent money who work in them. The problem with this advice:
1. it disregards smaller companies who can't afford to give its engineers offices. That job you turn down for making you work on folding tables could be the next microsoft (or google or whatever). Find a job you enjoy and that lets you live comfortably in your lifestyle.
2. engineers who aren't that valuable to a company will find it hard to get a job in an office. I know what you are thninking: that's exactly the point of not working in a cubicle. The unfortunate truth is many people, straight out of college, are simply not competent enough to get their dream job.
3. your first job is often not your last. Think of it as experience for when you are looking for a better job (or promotion). Yeah, cubicles suck, but if you work hard you won't be there for long.
Re:article text (Score:5, Interesting)
This a big fallacy. When I started my job I shared an office with a coworker, but due to various moves to different buildings through the years I'm now in a cubicle. In fact, almost everyone in my building (all 5 floors) has a cubicle. The only people with offices are either high-level managers or executives. I would hardly say my company isn't successful, and the cubicle isn't so bad considering that I can work from home any time I want.
And I think you've heard of this company, it's called IBM.
The voice of authority? (Score:3, Interesting)
And it shows. Take advice number one: "don't work in a cubicle". You'll be looking a long time for a job that comes with its own office. Most corporations, especially, make sure that offices only go to managers above a certain rank. That's just how it is.
On the matter at hand, though, my advice to anyone wondering if they should quit is this: quit if going to work makes you feel sick to your stomach every day, and even then, only if you have a choice. If you have a mortgage or dependents, find another job *first*.
Oh, yeah, and one last piece of advice: it's called "work", not "happy fun playtime". Most jobs suck. Come to terms with that, and you'll be a man, my son.
Happened to me (Score:2, Interesting)
My boss was a micromanager and a bully as well. I would try to defend my decisions unlike other employees and I got into bad favor with management. The whole office was so badly run and management had no clue what employees were up to. I got blamed for something that I was partly responsible but didn't deserve to get fired for. But I did.
I was extremely disillusioned. The lack of jobs made it worse, but I bounced back with a brand new career in freelance writing. Sure I don't make as much money, but it's getting better and I love the work and the hours (9 am start).
At this point, I'm kind of glad it happened. Although, I don't know how I'll explain the huge gap in employment if the whole freelancing doesn't work out. At this point things are looking good. Getting fired isn't the worst thing. Not doing what you love is.
Over-loyalty (Score:3, Interesting)
This is something I noticed about graduates in particular - they often try too hard to please. (I did the same thing at my first job, and a few years later could recognise it the new hires.) It's your first job, so you are eager to impress, think that your performance and not 'office politics' is what will primarily determine your advancement etc., so you bend over backwards - lots of extra hours, neglect your personal life, etc. This phenomenon makes graduates particularly ripe for abuse - employers know that graduates are eager to impress, and will use you. If all goes well though then you'll soon realise your employer has no loyalty towards you, that he is the one who will be getting rich from all your hard work and extra hours, and that you should start focusing more on yourself. Unfortunately for me this realisation occurred in a rather negative way (basically I accidentally overheard my employer one day saying some, well, less than pleasant and rather dismissive things about me behind my back to another manager), but whatever the scenario, after the 'acceptance' phase you'll hopefully start putting your priorities right (which, roughly speaking, should be: (a) yourself first, (b) your loved ones second, and (c) your company third).
Of course, it doesn't always happen. I've seen people who have spent their whole lives programming, and still in their forties retain that child-like submissiveness and loyalty. At the other extreme, I've seen other who seem to instinctively understand the system even before they graduate, and right off the bat are looking after their own futures primarily (these people are usually the most successful in life, except for the arrogant ones with oversized egos). I sometimes think these various behavious are probably "hardwired" into us - the old 'alpha male' story, that may of us tend to instinctively be submissive/loyal to the 'leader' in the group, or alternatively some want to 'challenge' that leader and/or be the leader (in modern terms, start your own company).
Re:article text (Score:5, Interesting)
besides it's no fun how can you have nerf wars in offices? and what happens when your neighor's gear catches fire while he's at lunch (happened to me) you'll notice in cubes (sniff sniff .... something's burning ...) maybe not in offices ....
Re:article text (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:Pro tip: (Score:2, Interesting)
1. When the company-issued pagers or cell phones stop working, it usually means your company can't pay its bills.
2. When HR asks everyone how many vacation days they think they have, it means they're: 1) too screwed up to keep track of important info, 2) getting ready for pink slips (unused vacation days are a financial liability -- they have to pay you for them if they lay you off).
3. When the CFO leaves without a good explanation, the company is in serious financial trouble. Leaving for: a) personal reasons, or b) "to be closer to my family" usually means "the CEO is blowing it all on liquor, coke and hookers."
4. When paychecks are delayed, frequently, the company either has an idiot running the payroll or is short on cash. Either way, run.
5. When you cannot figure out how the company makes money, but the CEO says revenue is great, run.
6. When you see a guy with measuring tape going around the office, and the lease isn't nearly up, it's because your company is behind on the rent.
7. When there's an unexpected "all hands meeting" and especially if it's off-site, and even more so when only half the company is invited
A Huge Stretch (Score:3, Interesting)
If you won't work anywhere that doesn't give an office, it'll be a rough ride with plenty of missed opportunity. I've never worked for a company that gives everyone their own office. The closest I've come to having my own office was a shared office with 3 of us, but that company only had 4 employees and 2 rooms, one office was the boss's, the other was ours. Everywhere else I've worked, it's always cubicles. In most companies I've worked at, no one below the 2nd tier of managers got their own office. Getting an office is a comfort and convenience issue, we make do with what we have. My girlfriend works for one of the most prominent local software companies, there's 2 offices, one for the boss, one for the manager. The other 20 employees have cubicles.
The article is okay, but everyone and their dog has advice on bad job warning signs. 20 years from now, your insight is going to be a lot more focused, and these reasons to think the company is doomed won't be as astute an observation as you think. The same things you list as warning signs to get out are also the same things I've seen in numerous successful companies, and they weren't signs of impending doom, they were signs of business-as-usual.
Re:article text (Score:5, Interesting)
How about Wonderware, another prevalent suite of process control and data tools. They are moving to
How about all of the
And yes, I know for a fact that the nuclear power plant about 20-30 miles from me has
How about Mole? I have no clue what is running to actually collect the data (I did at one time, but it's been a while). It uses a SQL database as it's historian, so I would be incredibly surprised if someone wasn't developing or running some
As far as fear of nuclear plants goes, I don't have much. My fear is paper plants. Especially old paper plants that run the entire process from wood chips to paper. I'll never forget almost being forgot in one of the control rooms the day before christmas when they were evacuating half the plant due to a chemical leak...I don't remember what it was now, except that it was insanely deadly, in extremely small doses (.5 ppm?) it would kill your nasal receptors in a few seconds, so while it wasn't odorless it wasn't exactly something you could smell either...not to mention that that same small dose was capable of killing, not just you, but the person that tried to save you (clothing, skin contact), etc. There wasa case at a paper plant in SC or georgia where 5 people were taken out. Two ambulances took two of them each, bythe time they gotto the hospital the medical personal were already showing symptoms. The 5th guy was taken by his boss who had followed some safety procedures (get rid of the clothes, wrap in another cloth, then go to the hospital) and they still had to replace the backseat of his car...
Lastly, it would take a lot more than a computer crash to take down a reactor in such a waythat it would go critical, somehow ignore the multitude of safeguards, etc. I'm not sure you could purposely cause tht to happen, as so many safeguards are engineered in (there is no "Make it go boom" button). On top of that, there is a significant difference between sending a set of commands to a specific device in it's manufacturers specific protocol for that device and sending a burst of gibberish. What you do lose is some of your monitoring. I don't know as much about the monitoring at nuclear plants as I didn't work on that part at all, but at standard turbine plants they have two systems, the computers in the control room (Windows, Solaris, VMS, whatever) and either whatever equipment is left form the 50's (analog (pneumatic?) equipment, yes it's still out there) or LCDs. Either way it runs completely seperate from the data control software and systems.
Sorry for the extra ramble
warning signs (Score:3, Interesting)
He discusses warning signs you should look for in your own work environment that point toward "Getting out".
Yes, it sounds like it's out of a fiction story, and in fact the first thing happens in the movie Office Space. But all three happened in one of the companies I worked for, before laying off a bunch of people.
Re:article text (Score:5, Interesting)
What you SHOULD look for (Score:4, Interesting)
Cubicles? (Score:3, Interesting)
Well, he makes the point that you should have your own office, and while that would be ideal, does anyone know of a company that has the resources to give each of its programmers their own office? I've worked for two organizations, both had a history of success, and at both I've been put in a cube-like structure. It might be good to look out for places that will give you a lot of personal space, but really, how common is that?
obligitory question (Score:3, Interesting)
Then how do you get B players?
Environment as a warning (Score:3, Interesting)
> cubicles is the sure sign that you're not working for a successful company"
> is... well, a sure sign that the article's author hasn't worked at many
> companies.
Agreed. Cubicles can be an indicator, though. There are so many different styles. I would look at the working environment provided in the cubicle, and determine if it's mindless penny-pinching or part of a reasonable plan.
- Is the desktop space adequate for the work you need to do?
- Do you have adequate storage space, both shelves and file drawers?
- Is the cubicle height reasonable? Higher walls minimize distractions.
- Is the environment particularly noisy?
- Is the size of most people's cubicles significantly reduced because they are used for storing supplies, equipment, and files that have nothing to do with their work? *
- Are adequate conference facilities available for brainstorming sessions and other -productive- meetings?
- Are developers actively discouraged from forwarding calls to voice mail or performing other tactics used to minimize interruptions temporarily?
- Is hard disk space, either local or network, in unusually short supply?
Comments? Other warning factors?
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* I worked in one office where everyone's cubicle space was reduced by the size of between four and ten of those long boxes for file folders. Some people could barely get to their desks, and all because the company was too cheap to either get storage space or get rid of old (non-financial) files and obsolete hardware.
Re:article text (Score:4, Interesting)
In short, office != quiet.
My advice is to get an iPod and a pair of noise cancellation headphones. Make sure you turn your desk, or put up a mirror or something if you're easily startled...Every place I've ever worked, someone has thought it would be funny to try and "scare" me while I was doing this, and while this has never happened more than once, the reputation that goes with being a tightly-wound stress hound whose "fight" reflex beats the crap out of his "flight" reflex is no fun to live with, and hard to live down.
One naive, ignorant kid (Score:5, Interesting)
You're absolutely right. I don't know of a single large company that *doesn't* use cubes. It makes me question the writer's knowledge of...anything. He admits he didn't do anything to look for a job, didn't even bother to listen to alumni dispensing career advice because it was "all very, very dry." He grabbed the first one that made an offer, and got disillusioned when they canned him. Well, duh. Put a little effort into that job search, you'll have less chance of that happening.
There are other signs that make me think I'd like to hear management's side of the story. For one, he sounds like a prima donna. His sole qualification is a Bachelors in CS from a middle tier school, and he acts like he should be given the golden boy treatment in his first job. An office for a kid who knows .NET? Company car?!?!? Sorry, Charlie, the 90's are gone and that crap's over.
Also, he sounds a bit arrogant - implying that anyone over 40 doesn't know what they're doing, mentions that management didn't take his advice, etc. That could be true, or it could be that he's an arrogant little man who can't constructively work as part of a team.
I also wonder how good he was at his job - he says that management told him he wasn't picking up the work fast enough, and that he was just "barely middle of the pack." He says that was them "setting the employees up for failure." Yeah, that's one option. That or they don't think he's getting the job done.
Finally, this wasn't a mass firing. The impression I got was that he was selected to be let go among the team. He claims they blamed it on finances, but legally they would anyway, in all likelihood.
We only have one side of this story - it could well be another case of a kid coming out of college with a ton of arrogance, no respect for people who have a ton more experience than he, skills that didn't translate to his job, and a problem working with others. Perhaps there's a reason he was canned?
Okay, but too many nits to pick (Score:3, Interesting)
The Access example given is a good strawman arguement, but in other cases the boss is there to say we don't need a fully fault tolerant tool to count to 10, where a for loop works just as well.
Learning is a two way street here. Sometimes things need to be done in a way which answers other questions to which you are not even aware of their existance. If your boss asks you to do it in a particual way, pehaps you should ask Why? and see if there is a need or reason from some other requirement that answers that.
Boss: I need application foo to do x, y, z(prime, delta, gamma...)
Me: Okay, sure. 6 Weeks.
Boss: 3 Days.
Me: !!?!?!
And while I did get the hell out of that job, I did learn that I was pushed to build tools quickly and design application that where able. Plus I learned another lession- build tool kits. In my current job (4 years and counting), I've built a huge took kit, everything from logging tools, to database handlers, to user sub-systems, and even a complete help system which will taken an entire directory and translate the word files into a help file.
Since 90% of the stuff we're developing is simplely made of problems that we've been solving since our first programming classes, having these toolkits makes life so much easier and less stressful, especially when you do have those insane deadline bosses.
If the company is willing to pay for your classes, great, if not, save and pay for your own.
Overtime is part of the deal when being a full time salary employee- sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
I agree with the final thoughts- I will add that figure out what makes you happy, and look for companies that offer things that are close to your goals and then try to get into those companies- and if that means you're going to have to wait a few years for an opening, so be it.
Re:FIST SPORT! (Score:2, Interesting)
We were like "Dude, you know you don't work here anymore right? Why don't you just leave?"
He ended up working late and then "helping out" by emptying his trash can. I suspect he smuggled something out in it. Hell I wouldn't have cared if he'd just grabbed the crap off his desk and walked out...not like we had any managers left at our office. They all got the old chopperoo too!
Yeah, that office got fun REAL quick. All our managers were 1,500 miles away!
Re:FIST SPORT! (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:article text (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:article text (Score:3, Interesting)
The company I work for is moving to a new office. I was quite directly involved in the space planning for the new office. I fought long and hard for private offices for our development staff, but the budget simply didn't allow it. Its not that offices are particularly more expensives than cubes, but the fact that a private wall arrangement takes up a LOT of space.. and space is expensive.
Instead, we really worked to put together a cubicle arrangement that optimizes the work space. We have social/meeting areas that are walled off to move the noise away from the cubicle areas. The cubicle arrangment is quite unique.. it maximizes privacy and minimizes direct sight lines into the cubes themselvse. We went with brand new high quality cubicles.. the place FEELS like a quality work space. Most importantly, we went with large cubes.. giving the developers the elbow room they need to be comfortable.
Probably most importantly, we've provided office features designed to get people OUT of the cubicles once in awhile. We've dedicated space to a lounge area with nice comfortable couches, foosball table, TV (with cable), XBox, and several cool bistro tables and board games are intended to give the staff more to do than sit in their cube and surf slashdot all day:) In short.. we want a office space that treats professionals like professionals.
I think its entirely possible to have a great environment without offices. I do beleive that offices are optimal, but not always realistic. Particularly for a young company like ours.
Re:article text (Score:2, Interesting)
I second the nerf wars comment as well. Though storming someones office can and is an exiting challenge.
"Last Period" problem (Score:3, Interesting)
Sounds like a classic "last period" problem where there is a greater chance of "opportunistic behavior" when a "relationship" is ending.
It also sounds like the company is either poorly managed or near it's end. Remaining employees are likely to learn of your treatment. The one time I had the opportunity to witness a company in trouble it at least had management that was smart enough to take care of the people in early layoffs very well. This was reassuring to those who remained and gives the impression that the problems are temporary and survivable.
FWIW, when I quit my last job I did so on my return from vacation.
Sour Grapes (Score:5, Interesting)
Cubicles are of the devil
Repeat after me: No, they're not. With proper soundproofing tiles on the ceiling and carpetted floors, you should be able to hear only your closest neighbors, and drowning them out is what comfortable headphones are for. If you can't get into the zone and do quality work, that's a personal issue, not your employer's. If you are having a hard enough go of it, you should talk to your manager about the problem.
Management is stupid
Generally, you can't get away from this. However, the cases that he cites as management incompetence really weren't necessarily icompetence at all. The author was upset because people like working the way they're most efficient. He seems to think that every new piece of technology makes people more efficient, which is a belief that is only held by recent college graduates. The problem with new technology is that it requires time to retrain your brain. And if the technology really is more efficient (and I would argue that few new languages truly have resulted in massive productivity increases), the question becomes: is the new technology so efficient that the retraining costs will be overcome by the productivity increase we'll get when everyone is running full speed? Usually, the answer is no, or at best "maybe." That's not something you want to stake the future of the company on, which is what you're doing at a small company.
Further, he was upset that after he studied for a few hours, management wasn't convinced that he was the right person to do a full reformat/install of their primary development server. WHAT A SHOCKER! If he were a real go-getter, he would've come in anyways, so he could've learned what the actual problems were going to be during the procedure. Then next time he was somewhere where this came up, he could've at least had cursory experience with the issue.
Personal Growth
I can't really disagree when he says companies should provide mechanisms for personal and professional growth. But what I can say is that when management is telling you that you are in the middle of the pack, look inward. If they're telling you that you're middle of the pack, you're probably actually closer to the bottom. If you feel you're working your hardest and management is telling you that you're not doing a great job, it might be that it's time for a career change.
Compensation isn't everything
That's true, but on the other hand, no one wants to be paid less than they're worth. The key here is that if you're at a job that makes you happy, you'll be more productive and a better employee. Consequently, you'll be recognized by your employer, and generally compensated more.
Final thoughts
It seems to me that what happened in this situation is the author was inexperienced and didn't realize what he'd gotten himself into. His job was a high-risk, high-reward situation. The company promised him ground-floor entry into what they thought was going to be a big hit. Turns out they weren't right, and he hadn't done his due diligence first. The theory with startups is that you churn and burn, and when you're done you can retire at 25. Of course, the reality is that 99% of startups fail and employees are left with nothing but the experience.
When interviewing for a position, the most important thing is to realize that you're interviewing them as much as they're interviewing you. During the interview, when asked if you have any questions, ask if you can meet some of the other team members you'll be working with alone. Tell them you'd like to get a feel for the l
Re:One naive, ignorant kid (Score:1, Interesting)
Have you ever heard of Microsoft? Here's a little tidbit there: Every developer gets an office.
Not having heard of them, this make me question your knowledge of...everything.
didn't even bother to listen to alumni dispensing career advice because it was "all very, very dry."
Attendance to the seminars were mandatory. 90% of the time, it was related to our major (Robotics club, Engineering Student Council, IEEE.) The time an alumni did speak, it was so boring the professors left early.
His sole qualification is a Bachelors in CS from a middle tier school, and he acts like he should be given the golden boy treatment in his first job.
Sorry, B.S. in Computer Engineering, and I interned every summer, and before that I completed a minor in CS at a small private college.
As to my thoughts on my management, it comes to down to this: There are managers out there that are competant with no technical experienance. Because they focus on managing their team, not telling them how to program. Its a different skillset then coding.
Just like developing software is a different skillset to testing software.
As to the reason for my lay off -- you very well might be right. I'm not so arrogant that I would flat out deny that this is my side of the story.
Re:article text (Score:3, Interesting)
Now, "repetetive slew" might be a bit much, but if you do programming in the same area for a few years (billing, in my case), you're likely to get to a point where you know more about even the non-technical details of a problem than any of the users. These days, I'm annoyed when meetings about new billing features *don't* include me, because that means I'm probably going to get a spec with serious flaws.
Re:Cubicles? Try open plan - that really sucks! (Score:3, Interesting)
This also helps employee moral to a small extent - people are not all in the same ubiquitous cubicle, they are in a work space that they designed. It is also important to allow employees to move their desks around within their space, otherwise there is very little customisation that can happen.
By the way, I hope you charged your iPod to expenses.
Re:article text (Score:5, Interesting)
Here were the signs that led me to leave:
Re:article text (Score:3, Interesting)
The only negative thing i have to say about HP is yet another moment of briliance by Carly, the 2 year congtracting tenure. Policy states that after 2 years as a contracter, you either go permenant, or go walk. As i'm working shift (it's 4:10am here and im at work) it suits me for convenience (and them 'coz im cheaper to hire) for me to be a contractor. I'm a bit nervous about what's going to happen when my tenures up. I think i'm going to start looking, very shortly.
But congrats on the new job, jope you enjoy, it is a good company to work for, usually!
Ok, same old stuff.... (Score:2, Interesting)
I realize that many of the external factors contribute to how you feel about your job, but everyone has a different definition of happiness. Some people want more money, some want a quite workplace, some want free pens, some just want a place to go and earn a living that can pay their bills and allow them to not be bothered.
Get a grip on what YOU want. If some of the things in your company is not jiving with your personal needs, but the majority of it is, it may not be the right time to jump ship. Some people really enjoy working 14-16 hours a day because their job is the only time they get human interaction. If this makes you happy, then great! No one can tell you to leave your job (except your boss and perhaps security).
I'm also a big advocate of keeping your resume up to date and posted on job websites. Even though you are happy where you are, you need to keep your options open and your interview skills up to snuff.
The point is, look to what you want to do with your life and career, instead of looking for a list of reasons to leave a job.
you must manage your career as if (Score:3, Interesting)
company loyalty died in the 80's. No company will keep you if they thought they could save a few thousand dollars with a replacement.
this is why unions can be a good thing for both the person and for the company, in the long term.
I ahve seen companies lay off people with 30 years of knowledge just to end up spend over a million dollars dealing with the sudden hole in the knowledge workforce. true story.
I ahve been in meeting where some managment persn wants to eleiminte people withuot considering what the do. In this case I was able to get them to relize that firing the only people who knew how there system ran was a bad thing. I also lost MY job over it. My manager wasn't to happy I went over his head.
Re:article text (Score:3, Interesting)
If somebody in my team needs something from me, they say in a loud voice "Hey, Kiryat." I walk the 10 feet to their cube. We talk about it. If someone else in team has something to interject, they do so. If it's something that needs to be private (salary discussions, performance reviews, customer discussions, etc.) there are plenty of conference rooms to be had, and there's always the lab if no one is in it.
I *like* my cubicle farm, most of the time. The rest of the time, there's always head phones, or working from home.
The Carpet Test (Score:2, Interesting)
Cubicles (Score:3, Interesting)
Facilities expenditures are dwarfed by salary. You don't have to remove many salaries to cover the difference in costs for offices vs. cubicles for software developers. By offering a good work environment, existing empolyees will produce better work and the company will be able to attract higher quality candidates. This results in a net increase in productivity despite reducing head counts.
In other words, cubicles are a false economy. Rather than saving money, business are forced use the savings from cubicles to hire more mediocre employees.
Re:When Your pay resembles minimum wage. (Score:3, Interesting)
What a bunch of clueless managers, not to have seen the depth, passion, and wisdom they had in that guy.
Not.
If working your first year out college with immediate exposure and incorporation into a group of top-notch, seasoned veteran developers in a cool technology to do development in the nuclear power industry is your idea of stress, you have lived a sheltered life. Hell, that's my idea of FUN.
Welcome to the real world, kid.
1. Everybody works in a cube. Even the technologists making six figures have cubes. Granted, my team's cubes are up against the window with a beautiful view of the forest, but they are still cubes. And we get some serious work done. Want it quiet? Get some headphones (or earplugs, or both.)
2. Growth - you were only there a year, and it was your first year out of college. How many promotions were you expecting?
In fact, you allude to taking that job instead of getting those last two classes in the summer, meaning a) you didn't graduate, and b) were a college dropout. If you are going to be a college dropout, drop out early - don't wait until the last semester. There are plenty of other dropouts out there that made it big, so if you are going to be one, be one. Dropping out with only 6 weeks between you and your degree is going to haunt you for the rest of your life (ie, like not getting the promotions you were expecting the first year, or not 'meeting expectations'.
If you stuck it out that summer session, good for you. Put yourself down for one 'meets expectations.'
3. Career advancement. Well, you are right on that one. I just cashed my reimbursement check for last semester's tuition (company is paying for me to get my Masters degree, and sending me to other industry training, and buying me development tools so I can play with them on my own time.)
4. Compensation and OT. The good news is
Your write-up did make me evaluate my employer, though, and I'm happy to say that I am pretty happy with them. Got lucky, I guess.