[ramon156]

I kind of envy people who need to clean up after others. At least you're puzzling.

My current job is genuinely just boring. It's tasks that are so simple, a junior could do it. But no, instead they needed a medior. I'm not saying I'm better than this, nor that no medior will pick it up. I just cannot push myself to care about the code this company makes. It's old, dusty and it serves no one of importance. These customers use it because they once bought the tool and do not care enough to switch, because the tool in question is not interesting.

I was promised work soon that aligned more with my experience, but I do not foresee these customers to come to a stale company like this.

It's not surprising that this company is losing customers, employees, etc. But I have a mortgage to pay. Today I had the conversation about how they might not extend my contract, basically threatening me to take more ownership, do more work, for the same pay. Sadly I have to make it last until I find a new position that is actually interesting. I don't even need a lot of money, I could give a rat's ass about "growing". I just need enough to survive.

This might be a very unrelated comment, in which I apologize. I just do not have another vent to post this to.

[AbbeFaria]

You are not alone. I was in this exact same position at MSFT and I put in my resignation. I am an L63 but the work I was doing, was something an L60-L61 could do and I frequently felt I was in one of those Bullshit jobs (courtesy of David Graeber). I was paid handsomely but once the sign on stock ran out, I saw that I was staying in the job just for security. I felt like one of those Hooli engineers who were sunbathing at the Hooli office terrace waiting for their stocks to vest. I am only 9 years into my career and I didn’t see that as the optimal thing for my career rn.

I didn’t have any major financial obligations like you though, so it was a much simpler decision for me.

Hang in there buddy and also thanks for the deeply human comment.

[vitally3643]

> I am an L63 but the work I was doing, was something an L60-L61 could do

Maybe the problem is imagining that you need sixty three levels of granularity to describe experience or to establish superiority over sixty two categories of "lesser" engineers?

[AbbeFaria]

Have no idea why people here are picking up on MSFT’s levelling system? I didn’t invent it.And it actually starts at L59.

The point I made was that as an SSE (L63), there’s a certain amount of scope and autonomy that is expected neither of which I was getting and hence I resigned. I am not trying to bully or denigrate anyone junior.

The levelling system specifies the output and the characteristics of the output expected out of an engineer, that’s it. Whether I believe in it or not is beside the point, I was in the system so I did believe it otherwise progressing through my career would have been impossible.

[stackskipton]

>Have no idea why people here are picking up on MSFT’s levelling system? I didn’t invent it.And it actually starts at L59.

Because it's standard arrogance by developers not realizing that Microsoft Level system is actually pay bands and because it was developed in 80s, leveling system COVERS all jobs because pay systems didn't support different pay bands back then. So there are lower levels then 59, for things like janitors, secretaries and others who don't make as much as SWE.

[MobiusHorizons]

It’s not like the op invented Microsoft’s leveling system. It looks like junior engineer is 59 and 63 is something like senior engineer. I know at google there is a very meaningful difference in the work and responsibilities expected between our equivalent of 63 (L5) and 61(L4).

[patates]

Believing in that system so much to say something like that might be worse. Noting against the OP, that kind of Stockholm Syndrome can be found in my past as well.

[SpicyLemonZest]

Not sure I understand. Is your contention that the distinction between senior and non-senior engineers is fake and everyone's doing basically the same thing? Or are you just objecting to the (arbitrary) names Microsoft uses for them?

[patates]

False dichotomy. Of course not everyone has the same experience/skills, but any corporate system of putting individuals to tiers has little to do with experience/skills.

[bialpio]

Entry-level software engineering at Microsoft starts at L59.

[ryandrake]

I learned in my 30s that most of the software profession works on boring projects. Uninteresting, low value code, for a barely-working product, used by customers who don't really care, in a low-stakes market that doesn't reward excellence, rigor, or quality. If you can find the rare company where this isn't the case, go for it!

[imetatroll]

What a flex.

[dkdbejwi383]

At first I thought "medior" was a strange typo for "senior", but on seeing it twice I had to check - apparently it's used in some parts of Europe to mean "mid-level"

[disgruntledphd2]

It's a Spanish/Portuguese thing, so south America also. I kind like it even though I was originally nonplussed by the term.

[lordgrenville]

I've never heard it before, but immediately understood it and found it a useful term for something I didn't have a single word for.

[mmcnl]

Very normal in The Netherlands, was kinda surprised to learn it's not a thing in English speaking countries?

[throwmeaways]

> I just cannot push myself to care about the code this company makes.

I can very much relate.

Garbage products, by garbage companies, feeding on the laziness and tastelessness of most, as it's being capitalized by marketers.

And now, to make the matter worse - it's all being 100x by the LLMinazation of the entire field. Making code unmaintainable. And worse, making us all dumber.

I really wish we never have stumbled upon it.

[Yokohiii]

> basically threatening me to take more ownership, do more work, for the same pay

I am a bit curious here. Does that simply mean to should to extra hours and do bullshit duties or is there actually more coding work opportunities? Or do they expect that you should prove more valuable out of nowhere?

I don't want to downplay your experience. In the latter cases, I wonder if you can actually do something.

[Peacefulz]

I'm not the best friend. I often don't do my part to hold up my end of social contracts. That said, I'm a fairly decent low-commitment penpal. The internet is the place where I vent as well, and it often feels like a void. It doesn't scratch that therapuetic itch and therapy proper doesn't appeal to me.

What I'm getting at is if you'd like to find a stable place to vent about some shit without worrying about some assholes scraping it, I'd gladly share an email and a PGP key with you. If there's one thing I'm quite good at, it is minding my own business. That extends to the handling of other's business.

Have a good one.

[antfarm]

Take a good look at the codebase you're working on. My guess is there's plenty opportunities to clean up after others, or even yourself.

[calflegal]

I love this kind of comment. It's so human. Good luck, friend.

[newswasboring]

For a boring codebase how is your company not trying to throw tokens at it? Not saying its the right choice but definitely the trend I am seeing.

[LtWorf]

Perhaps they don't like slot machines