Difficult situation at work

Community
1

I have been working as a junior developer at a company for a year and a few months now, working on a project with a senior developer who doesnt seem interested in mentoring me or working closely with me at all.

Anyway he decided to visit the client of our project in america for 3 weeks so he could gather requirements for the next phase. Instructing me to finish my section of the module we where currently working on whilst he was way.

When he arrived, he stated that he wanted to demo the system in a week, and asked me to finish my parts of the module in this time period. I thought that this was an unreasonable demand, but worked long hours to try to achieve it.

The development environment he has set up is very messy and disorganised, involving mutliple include files on the same page, meaning that variables where clashing with each other.

Following the demo the senior developer emailed me with a strong message saying that “he didnt want to be blunt but he has seen errors and he is being made to look like a fool demoing the system with errors.”

I emailed him to state that I was unhappy with the way I was being handled concerning these errors, and that he wasnt being understanding concerning the difficulties I was facing and the effort I was putting in to rectify them.

Following this I came back to work the next week to discover that he had gone on holiday from america to brazil for two weeks and hadnt told me he was going, I found out from someone else! He hadnt set me any work to do in the time he was off!

Over the next few days I communicated my unhappiness working on the project to my line manager and asked if I could be moved over to another project. I didnt mention any specifics because I hate office politics etc. My line manager seemed understanding and said he would move me from the project and would offer a promotion.

The senior developer came back from brazil and we had a meeting - me, him, my line manager and project manager. In the meeting I felt like they where ganging up on me, and no one was understanding where I was coming from at all.

My line manager was saying that following feedback from the senior, it seems like I cant work on the project without support from the senior so it seems like im not ready to move to a mid-level developer. He was saying that it seems like im difficult to work with because there are rifts between me and the senior. And he was also saying that it doesnt seem like i have advanced much since I started there - all of which was absolute nonsence.

When i mentioned that the senior had gone on holiday and not told me, he said “i told you, everyone in the office knew”…which again was absolute nonsence. When i mentioned that my project manager had approached me following the seniors ‘blunt’ emails, and said “sorry for that email that the senior had sent, I felt it was unfair and hope you ok”, she wouldnt admit that shed
ever said it.

Following all this I feel like its time for me to move on, no one was listening to my concerns about the project at all! Any views?

Thanks

Cheers

2

It sound like the usual office horse poop that I have encountered time and again. You have 2 options really,

1 - Play the game their way. Keep quiet, keep working, learn what you can and take what you can. If nothing is forthcoming - go get some. Ask to go on courses, get trained and learn, learn, learn.

Your senior disappears for 2 weeks without setting you work - that could have been your time to get a boot in and go to the line manager and ASK for work or anything that made you look good and him like a shmuck.

After a while you too will become part of the game and assume your role in the corporate/office shenanigans.

  1. Call it a day and look elsewhere for work.
    Decide where you stand in the whole experience/capability/skills ladder and what you want as a job and go for it.
3

namtax after reading your post I can tell you’re a clear headed individual with a strong head on your shoulders. I think you know what the right thing to do is. Take you time and methodically find a better place to work. Make sure you leave on good terms and find a few people who will be sure to give you a good reference.

4

Yeah I think its time to move on, I want to work with people who are supportive and recognise the positive things I can bring to a company.

5

I really appreciate your response, really nice - thanks for the support.

6

Namtax you are very welcome!

7

Although you are spending difficult time here but I will suggest you to not leave your current job until you get a new one but related to your field. Get sticky with this job and try to spend good time here. As the rolling stone is easy to move no matter how heavy it is but the stone which is at rest took much time to move. Getting reference from your old work station shows how good Your PR is.

8

Yeah, will only leave when i find somewhere new. Thanks for the encouragement.