[chrisbennet]

People leave developer jobs all the time; it's expected. You haven't been able to change the process working "from the inside" so resist the urge to give them any "helpful" advice on your way out - it won't be appreciated.

Find your next job. This is important: When your new employer asks you when you can start, tell them depending "on how fast your can wrap things up" 1 to 2 weeks.

If you current employer walks you out the door when you tell them you're leaving , enjoy a week or two off. If they want you to stay for 2 weeks you do that and start your new job afterwards.

[joezydeco]

I'll sound like a broken record for saying this, but unless you are under contract you can leave at any time. Two weeks is a courtesy YOU extend and nothing more. If you were to be laid off or fired you wouldn't get two weeks notice, would you? You'd be out within the hour.

If this place is as dysfunctional as it seems, staying two weeks after giving notice will be a nightmare.

So clean your house now as you search for a new job. Take the time to get your work documented and tidied up. Do it quietly. Don't give any signals you're looking. Business as usual.

Once that's all set and you give notice, if your employer gives ANY friction at all then just walk out the door. If they need you for two more weeks of help they can hire you as a contractor at a nicely inflated rate.

And like chrisbennet says, schedule some downtime between jobs to decompress, unpack, and mentally prepare for the next gig (unless you really need the income).

[brudgers]

If the bugs don't change the bottom line, then the company is not dysfunctional. There's simply a mismatch between the expectations of an employee and the employer.

That is normal for someone working below a Senior Developer, a manager, and some unknown portfolio of VP's, Executive VP's, and C-level staff. A person that far down the food chain doesn't have a medium size picture, let alone the large one...i.e. the perception that the company is dysfunctional is not based on business metrics but "how I've always done stuff before."

[sombremesa]

Sometimes you can tell when a company is heading down the wrong road, but a person that far down the food chain has no power to change things, so the world gets a free case study.

[brudgers]

Only rarely are leaves of a tall org-tree positioned to expertly judge the sausage industry in general, its current trends, and the market advantages of its varied competitors.

[sombremesa]

As long as you don't turn that "rarely" into a "never", I agree.

[chrisbennet]

"I'll sound like a broken record for saying this, but unless you are under contract you can leave at any time. Two weeks is a courtesy YOU extend and nothing more. If you were to be laid off or fired you wouldn't get two weeks notice, would you? You'd be out within the hour"

This is very true. That said, as a professional you need to act like one - even when your employers doesn't appreciate it. For example, the quality of a professionals [think doctor, fireman, teacher] work product isn't dictated by how much they are paid.

[AnimalMuppet]

True, but still give two weeks notice. Yes, it's a courtesy you extent, not a legal requirement. Do it anyway. Be courteous.

[RogerL]

The premise is "don't burn bridges". Doing this will definitely burn every bridge.