[beckingz]

Corporations will never love you. No matter how much they say they do, they never will. Individuals within the company will intend to do good, but they will be required to do more than just good things.

Take care of yourself.

[jonasdegendt]

Much like romantic relationships, professional relationships are a learning experience and every new one, you'll hopefully learn to value yourself more, and approach the relationship with your employer more pragmatically. Unlike romantic relationships, at the end of the day you'll probably realize a professional relationship is almost strictly transactional.

I guess a lot of people in tech have gone through the experience of getting a job straight out of college, working yourself to death trying to prove something (whether that's to yourself or your employer) and getting burnt out to some degree, or not seeing any dividends for it. These companies do a very good job at blurring the lines between expectations and what's realistic through the "perks" of the job and whatever flavor of culture reigns.

[kelseyfrog]

So hard to finally accept this. I would tell myself "Maybe this company is different", "Maybe this department is different", or "Maybe my team is different." Every time it was a fantasy. Sometimes it can happen for a month or a year, but the hourglass always runs out. The belt tightens, and dollars are squeezed from somewhere. Eventually the squeeze finds you and it's time to jump ship or quickly learn how to set boundaries.

[prox]

Took me ages to found a diamond amongst the coal. This boss payed himself after everyone else was paid. A boss who is perfect with planning. Great projects. It’s a masterclass in running and leading a company.

For all other companies always reciprocate their loyalty. If there is none from their side, don’t invest in the company.

When you are just starting out fresh from study you still believe in the “we can do this team if only we work a bit harder.” , but that’s usually a myth.

[refurb]

Hard lesson to learn, but very true.

I had great managers who, if up to them entirely, would have my interests at heart (as demonstrated by decisions fully under their control), but hey, they don't call the shots in the end.

You're a cog in a machine and you may be the golden child while they need you, but once they don't, you're out. And all the talk of "family" is just that, talk. It's why the fake "we care" stuff gets under my skin - it's a lie - they care about "you" in the theoretical employee sense, but they don't care about you as an individual. Individual relationships do matter, but "the corp" in the end is an emotionless machine.

And it doesn't matter whether you're a desk analyst or a CEO, I've seen both go from "calling the shots" to "not aligned to where the company wants to do" really damn quick.

[fdgsdfogijq]

It took me too long to realize this. Actually managers will respect you for having this attitude. There's a certain liberation in accepting it

[quickthrower2]

Freelancer, Contractor, Permie, Consultancy? More the same than different.

[AdrianB1]

I found the opposite to be true: the key individuals within the company are the ones who break it, not the faceless corporation. In all cases where I found bad environments it was created and exacerbated by middle management taking directions from clueless higher management and implementing in the most distructive interpretations. It is generally accepted that the number 1 reason for people leaving companies to be the direct manager, but the environment in an entire department or area is a bit above, in the middle management (strict definition of mm is debatable, the idea remains).

In my job I deal a lot with low and middle management in lots of companies. Unfortunately I did not find any exception to the general observation that today's low and middle management is a bunch of incompetent impostors with their career as the only concern, occupation and reason in life. That includes technology companies that I cannot name, but known by various acronyms. And I am saying this as a lower level manager myself.