[txcwpalpha]

>Because these are all the excuses people give when they were fired and couldn't find another job. Especially after 2 years, when the unemployed person has likely given up on the search.

Yea, I'm aware of that, and I don't necessarily blame the recruiters for that, but it does suck for me.

>But seriously, if you enjoyed the job so much, why leave? Why not just take a quick vacation and keep enjoying the job?

I didn't enjoy the job. I worked my ass off doing 60-70 hour weeks in a position I disliked with co-workers I didn't respect because I knew that sticking it out would get me early promotions and bonuses, which is what gave me the financial security to take time off. In doing so I guess I also proved that I am a good employee, which is why my company tried so hard to get me to stay (and has even tried to re-hire me a few times). But I didn't enjoy it, and would only go back as a last resort (unfortunately, because of the reasons mentioned in my original comment re: recruiting, it seems I may have to go with that last resort).

The specific company I worked for is actually known internally for being a place that people commonly work hard for 3-4 years, take the payday, and then quit to go do something else. But externally, it has a reputation of being a great place to work and I've had a lot of recruiters express surprise/disbelief that I would willingly leave it.

[wool_gather]

> I knew that sticking it out would get me early promotions and bonuses, which is what gave me the financial security to take time off

Nice; good on you for playing the game and walking away with the prize you wanted.

[Ancalagon]

Honestly sounds like Amazon.

[badpun]

Amazon does not have a great reputation.

[Ancalagon]

Well it did at one point, and still does in the eyes of software development employers

[stephengillie]

"If you can survive there, you can survive anywhere."

Hopefully other employers believe they can provide better work balance.

[stephengillie]

Why did you work so hard when you hated the job and coworkers so much? Why not find a similar role at a place you enjoyed more? Have you talked to a counselor about workaholism?

[txcwpalpha]

>Why did you work so hard when you hated the job and coworkers so much?

I think you might have good intentions with this question, but it seem a bit silly. You could ask the same question to anyone about any job. Why do you think the millions of investment bankers or consultants or lawyers or medical residents work long hours? Why do people work long hours in shitty retail or food service jobs? Why do people work in sweat shops? Not everyone has the opportunity to work somewhere they "enjoy more", but they keep working anyway because at the end of the day we all need a paycheck.

>Why not find a similar role at a place you enjoyed more?

That's precisely what I'm trying to do now. If you mean "why didn't you find a similar enjoyable role to begin with?", because those enjoyable roles don't pay nearly as much, and I wanted to build up a decent-sized savings so that I could take time off, travel, and work on side projects. My "plan" was to spend a few years working hard, build up a nest egg and a resume, and then transition into something more "enjoyable" though lower paying. The first part of that plan went swimmingly, but the transition part has been a little rocky.

[stephengillie]

> Why do you think the millions of investment bankers or consultants or lawyers or medical residents work long hours?

I thought lawyers worked reasonable hours. The medical industry is it's own special situation. Those investment bankers must be bad at math - for overtime-exempt employees, each extra hour worked past 40 reduces your hourly pay rate by 2.5%.

Retail, fast food, office, IT, software development - all jobs pay 150% pay after 40 hours, and 200% pay after 80 hours. At least in WA State, it's the law for non-exempt employees.

Aren't sweat shops illegal?

You did have the opportunity to work somewhere better. Were you suffering out of a solidarity with the less fortunate?

At least you admit this was your plan from the beginning.

[Hydraulix989]

> Those investment bankers must be bad at math - for overtime-exempt employees, each extra hour worked past 40 reduces your hourly pay rate by 2.5%.

It's not about the OT pay working at an IB; it's about the bonus -- which is often a multiplier of your base salary.

[Drdrdrq]

> ...must be bad at math - for overtime-exempt employees, each extra hour worked past 40 reduces your hourly pay rate by 2.5%.

Not really. The first one does, then the effect is getting smaller with each hour.