Quote Originally Posted by Joy
Quote Originally Posted by Kim
How is your boss's type the problem? When the work needs to get done,
someone has to do it...
It's not that simple though. I got hired to do inspections, and somehow I ended up developing inspection software. And he wanted me to learn how to code so I could design a second website and run both of them. And he has me writing a lot of content for report forms, too. And selling software. And sometimes running errands. Lots of stuff that isn't Home Inspection. He tried to convince me to answer the phones sometimes, too, but I drew the line there.
Yeah, that's really shitty. You are NOT alone, Joy. This seems to be a trend all over nowadays. It's like computer programming and ad hoc software development being dumped on rookies or whomever will take the load is the new cruelty. And if you hate it now, you're NOT going to warm up to it. So be careful that you don't compromise too much with this job. When your time is up with this employer - when you're free to move on - you may already want to be prepared to do that, to have something lined up. Otherwise, who knows what else they'll dump on you in the future. There is some truth to the fact that most people get grunt work, especially early in their careers. But some people also get dumped on *the rest of their working careers*. So it's important to establish how much you'll personally accept and accomodate versus when you'll take the initiative to try and move into a better position in another company, rather than compromising and trying to make do TOO much with where you're at. There's nothing wrong with looking for greener grass in your profession (when you're able).

Maybe you need more perceptual variety and sense of frequent, concrete accomplishments (among other things) in order to enjoy your work more. Not sure if this idea will help at all or not, but maybe you could mentally break up your programming work into more bite-size pieces, for a more concrete and immediate sense of accomplishment. Also, maybe even structure your code in ways that you find visually appealing. You could even have some limited fun with how you name your variables, etc. It MIGHT help your creative side get a pinch of gratification - ie, stir your imagination a bit? Also, is there some favorite music you could play at home that will help you "get into the zone" so you can begin hyperfocusing more quickly? Through repeated play, maybe your brain will take that as a cue that it's "coding time" and help you settle into it. You might even try fast-paced music (like techno).

Programming work has become "the new clerical junk" most people don't want to do, but it's still "needed" everywhere. People in all kinds of professions are expected to do it at some point or another. Just don't let yourself get stuck too long, and bear it out. You'll do fine.

And don't feel bad about "needing to enjoy your work to be able to do it." This is true for everyone. Some people are just more aware of this fact about themselves than others. So don't let anyone put you down for this.

Hang in there, Joy. You won't be doing this forever!