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From: cazabon@hercules (Charles Cazabon (186-003-526))
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Re: Are there Good Companies to work for?
Message-ID: <480@regina.uregina.ca>
Date: 29 May 91 06:38:23 GMT
References: <42703@cup.portal.com>
Sender: news@regina.uregina.ca
Reply-To: cazabon@hercules.uregina.ca (Charles Cazabon (186-003-526))
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan
Lines: 60

In article <42703@cup.portal.com> Lee_Robert_Willis@cup.portal.com writes:
>
>I have become extremely dissatisfied with my job of late, and I'm starting
>to look for a new one.  The problem isn't money or benefits or parking
>spaces, it's simply that I am not proud of the software that we produce.  
>It's crap, and I'm tired of putting in 60 hour weeks to produce crap.  
>(It's not due to lack of effort or talent by the software staff, but from 
>the complete lack of technical management.)  

I work at a company where we produce IBM compatible hardware, not software,
but I think I know how you feel in some instances

>I've seen enough to conclude that the current situation is not isolated
>to my project or to my department, nor can I expect it to improve within
>the next 5 years.  So I'm getting out before I give myself an ulcer.
>I'd like to find a new company where I could produce software on which 
>I'd be happy to have my name.  My problem is that every company SAYS they're 
>committed to quality.  You don't find out what it's really like until 
>after you're hired.   
>
I think that perhaps you could look at the software you own/use, and decide
which companies have a good average, companies who you feel produce less than,
say, 10% crap.  Find out which ones could use people.  And apply at the others,
cause what the hey, they might hire you even if they AREN't looking.

>So I'd like to find out how others on the net feel about their workplace. 
>
>Specifically:  
>
>	Does your (job, management, environment) provide you with
>	the opportunity to do work that you are proud of?  Can you
>	describe it?
>
Sometimes.  I build a good machine.  However, when money gets tight and the
boss gets itchy, sometimes we are forced to deliver a machine that I myself
would not be happy with, or would at least be potentially unhappy with.
My personal feelings are, if it isn't good enough for me, it isn't good enough
for a customer.  I think every business sometimes pushes something out before
it is 'ready' or polished.  That's why so many programs and machines have
tons of tiny bugs in them on first release.

>All my experience has been with large (>1000 employees) defense contractors.
>Is life better/worse in the commercial world?  How about at smaller
>companies?

Our company only has about 50 full time employees.  One nice thing about it
is that it is a lot easier to air grievances and get situations that you find
undesirable resolved.  I can go to my deepartment head and tell hiim what I 
really think, without worrying about whether I look like I am rocking the
boat.  If nothing gets done, I can go straight to the big boss and sit down
with him, and settle it there.  If nothing happened there, I suppose I would
have to quit.  But I'm still there...

>Thanks for your input

You're welcome.

                                        -Chuck
					cazabon@hercules.uregina.ca