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I've had some very bad bosses in my life. One was scary -- he would get angry over nothing, and growl like a wild animal. Several others were arrogant know-it-alls with a giant egos.
Maybe it's just the field I have been in for 20+ years (Information Technology). It's full of young men who are constantly competing to see who has the biggest brain. It used to be muscles, now it's brains.
I am an older female, so even though I'm smart (in my opinion anyway), these guys have a need to look down at me.
I was fired by one of them last summer, and it was almost kind of a relief. I didn't think I would ever find another IT job at my age (64). I thought maybe I would just retire and try to get income from my savings. Or else maybe find some kind of part time work that I wouldn't hate too much.
Then a job came along that seemed like it would be perfect for me. It's part time, working from home, doing the work I like and have 20+ years of experience in (website programming). I asked for a very low pay rate, since I get SS and don't need much income. Also, I thought that would make the job more secure, and they would appreciate me more if they only pay me a little.
Well, it started out great. But a couple months ago we started a big project with an unrealistic deadline. There is an urgent need for this project to be done very soon. The IT manager is very stressed and under pressure. And he has very little software experience, and seems to be overwhelmed.
Since we started the project the manager has been giving me a hard time, and it just gets worse. We have already passed the deadline and the stress has escalated.
There is a certain software problem that keeps happening, and every time the manager blames me. It is not my fault, and I try to explain it to him. (If I make a mistake I always admit it right away -- with software development, all mistakes can be traced so it would be stupid to lie.) This problem is very minor and easy to fix, so of course I try to explain it to him.
This manager has no patience and won't listen to my explanations. The other day he told me I was being stubborn and defensive. He was basically accusing me of lying.
He recently hired some consultants to work on the project. The other day one of them told him exactly the same thing I have been telling him. He never believed me, but he seemed to believe the consultant (the consultant is a young man, of course).
I have often wondered over my IT career if maybe my work isn't good enough, or my personality is aggravating somehow. But this manager has no complaints about my software ability or my personality. He thinks I'm a great programmer (compared to him I am), and he knows I am easy to get along with. He just doesn't like my work.
So I am starting to think I have to stop having bosses, or at least get away from IT. Because they are going to drive me nuts, if they haven't already.
At your age, don't let it get to you. You're after the money. You no longer have to worry about advancement and impressing others, although that's a source of self esteem. You just have to do a good job, which it sounds like you have done.
Yes, there is no question in my mind that women are often second guessed and not believed by young males in the work force. Men will deny this, but I worked for decades and saw this repeatedly. Men have no experience being on the receiving end, and some wouldn't recognize it if it hit them in the face. But this happens a LOT.
Congrats on getting that job! Enjoy it for however long it lasts. When it ends, move on to something else. Try not to quit, though, unless you have something else lined up. It gives you some money, and you can work from home.
Thanks for the replies. I think I can probably afford to retire, because I have always been careful with money. I would just have to be a little more careful.
I was planning to work part time for at least a couple of years though, to avoid withdrawing principle. It really all depends on how low I can get my expenses. (Or if I can marry a millionaire or win the lottery.)
When the manager started being unreasonable, I started looking for alternatives. (He actually told me my job is "cushy" just because it's only 16 hours. I think maybe he's envious).
I wrote to a local college and they got back to me immediately, because they would like to have an adjunct professor with my experience. I also have a PhD, which is good for getting teaching jobs. Part time college teaching pays very little, but I only want to make $10k or $15k anyway.
If it turns out I do ok at teaching (I have no idea if I will), I could do that for a very long time without worrying about age discrimination or young bosses. It can be a good job for a retired person.
... There is a certain software problem that keeps happening,....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Good4Nothin
"Since it's a repeating problem, with an easy fix, why has no one on the team fixed it? Who's job is it to fix?"
It's just that you have to run a certain command to fix it.
That's not a fix; that's a workaround.
The cause is just how the thing works.
That's not a cause.
It could easily be fixed so you don't have to run the command anymore. The manager keep saying it was caused by my code. So he wouldn't let me do the simple fix.
.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Good4Nothin
I think I already explained that to you, without trying to get into technical details.
Actually you didn't explain anything. I asked why no one has fixed it, which is a management issue.
First of all, it is not a problem. There are just times when you have to run a certain command. It could easily be fixed so you don't have to run the command ever. The consultant suggested one possible way.
I could have fixed it in various ways. It was NOT A BIG DEAL. And IT WAS NOT related to any of my code!
The manager incorrectly assumed it was my code because I had done a lot of work on the part of the application that caused the "problem." When someone else worked on that part of the application, exactly the same thing would happen.
The manager was actually ignorant enough to say it happened because my code contained LOOPS!! (For the non-programmers here: ALL CODE CONTAINS LOOPS).
Here's some advice, which I know you will ignore. Your manager is right in that you are being defensive. I was asking about a management issue and also asked what you would do if you were the manager. You continue to respond that it isn't your code. Didn't ask about that, and no one cares if it was your code. If you wish to retire, have a wonderful and long one. But if you wish to keep working, consider being less defensive and more of a "let's fix the problem" rather than blame avoidance. You're the only one who cares about blame.
Here's some advice, which I know you will ignore. Your manager is right in that you are being defensive. I was asking about a management issue and also asked what you would do if you were the manager. You continue to respond that it isn't your code. Didn't ask about that, and no one cares if it was your code. If you wish to retire, have a wonderful and long one. But if you wish to keep working, consider being less defensive and more of a "let's fix the problem" rather than blame avoidance. You're the only one who cares about blame.
Well you're just looking for ways to be judgmental.
When he first complained about it, I said there are easy ways to fix it. But he insisted it had to be my code.
How can I fix it if he tells me not to? How can I do what he said, fix my code, if my code is fine?
I was being logical, not defensive. I had to explain it was not my code, so that he would know it was something else. "Fixing" my code would not fix the problem.
Well you're just looking for ways to be judgmental.
When he first complained about it, I said there are easy ways to fix it. But he insisted it had to be my code.
How can I fix it if he tells me not to? How can I do what he said, fix my code, if my code is fine?
I was being logical, not defensive. I had to explain it was not my code, so that he would know it was something else. "Fixing" my code would not fix the problem.
Would he even know what you did to fix it if you fixed it?
Forget about whether it's your code or not, and just take care of the issue?
Would he even know what you did to fix it if you fixed it?
Forget about whether it's your code or not, and just take care of the issue?
I took care of the "issue" by telling him what command to run. The consultant told him the same thing. If he thought it was somehow too big a chore to run the command when needed (not often), then it was easy to fix that "problem."
Yes some IT people say that blame doesn't matter, just fix the problem. But it does matter. You have to know the cause of the problem before you can fix it.
And the manager was blaming me, and getting very angry.
I've had a tough boss in me the past 35 years being self-employed but I've managed. There's always a boss of some type in our lives and he/she can at times be a turd. Spice is the variety of life. If the whole world was just like me, it wouldn't be as much fun.
I took care of the "issue" by telling him what command to run. The consultant told him the same thing. If he thought it was somehow too big a chore to run the command when needed (not often), then it was easy to fix that "problem."
Yes some IT people say that blame doesn't matter, just fix the problem. But it does matter. You have to know the cause of the problem before you can fix it.
And the manager was blaming me, and getting very angry.
I had a boss (picture Howdy Doody) who was new to the company to start a new system for hourly time management. At the time, I was the only woman in the department. He would make suggestive comments to me from time to time (I ignored, tho he was quite vocal accusing me of getting drunk and dancing on tables). I did worry a little about him damaging my reputation with these ridiculous statements.
I continued to ignore him and then the "real" fun began. He took away a lot of my computer privileges to do the work I was hired to do and hired a young woman right out of business school. As time went by, a few more women were hired. One day he insisted we all stay late to make sure something got printed correctly (tho he hovered over the printer and grabbed it when it finished printing. It was almost midnight, one of the women had two teenage girls at home and I asked him if she could go home (we had been there 17 hours already). He got very angry with me. Not long after that he put a few of us on second shift. He called me into his office one time and he was so angry I was afraid he was going to hit me. He managed to call the guardhouse I walked through at night to go home and tell them I was stealing and they needed to check my shoe bag and purse. Got to the guardhouse and the guard shouted ..... you! in the red coat!! get over here. He searched my stuff but I had nothing that wasn't mine. At some point a man I used to work for told me to make sure my pockets and purse didn't have anything in them that wasn't mine when I left each night...... he was afraid the boss would plant something on me.
A day or so later I quit. I was newly divorced, not sure how my money would hold out..... and told the head boss I wasn't coming back. He called another guy who was working a different phase of the program in another building that I would be working for him the next day. So I didn't lose any money, but it sure was a heck of a scare. I really do not miss those days.
This week suddenly everything was fine. Maybe he realized I was telling the truth, I don't know.
Meanwhile, I have applied for teaching in the fall, so I might end up with too much work. Better to be safe though. I don't think I am ready to retire right now.
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