Job and General Employment Thread

[nocera]

I also don't work in IT and yet we're being forced to use agile. I don't really know how that'll work with my job. "Yesterday, I spent 4 hours digitally removing dandruff from our company president's shoulders so he wouldn't look disgusting in the video. Today, I plan to do more of the same. No challenges or setbacks."

That's a true story, by the way. Looked like he stood outside in the snow.

[Morkle]

Scaled Agile/SAFE is quickly becoming my biggest pet peeve about software development. There is so much bloat, unnecessary overhead, and wasted time.

AGILE is never agile, and no company ever wants to implement true agile, so people just do waterfall and less work in two weeks and call it sprinting.

It is a frustrating thing when companies want to implement this a quarter of the way.

100% accurate.
Then one week into your 10 week PI, management comes along and changes the priority.

Then you go into a day long inspect and adapt 10 weeks later and dodint about it and complain about the sideways demand problem from earlier in the PI, and skirt around the true solution "Management sucks"

Then you rinse and repeat.

I feel you. I'm on the business side, so I'm continually trying to break the agile system because DEV doesn't move fast enough to truly implement anything because people like me are forced to intervene because my boss wants to know how we can move a project faster, because intake is purposely slow because they know everything lower levels is backed up.

In ways it's soul-crushing because everyone knows this game sucks but were forced to play it. I absolutely despise the whole process.

[dodint]

Then move the goalposts and innovate your team to an optimal outcome; stop being part of the problem and be part of the solution.

[Morkle]

Then move the goalposts and innovate your team to an optimal outcome; stop being part of the problem and be part of the solution.

lmao, ain't nobody got time to innovate. The "innovation" was someone higher up saying "HEY LATS GO AGILE."

My recommendation is to just admit what we are and go back to the waterfall where everything worked a bit better.

[dodint]

[mac5155]

Scaled Agile/SAFE is quickly becoming my biggest pet peeve about software development. There is so much bloat, unnecessary overhead, and wasted time.

AGILE is never agile, and no company ever wants to implement true agile, so people just do waterfall and less work in two weeks and call it sprinting.

It is a frustrating thing when companies want to implement this a quarter of the way.

100% accurate.
Then one week into your 10 week PI, management comes along and changes the priority.

Then you go into a day long inspect and adapt 10 weeks later and dodint about it and complain about the sideways demand problem from earlier in the PI, and skirt around the true solution "Management sucks"

Then you rinse and repeat.

I feel you. I'm on the business side, so I'm continually trying to break the agile system because DEV doesn't move fast enough to truly implement anything because people like me are forced to intervene because my boss wants to know how we can move a project faster, because intake is purposely slow because they know everything lower levels is backed up.

In ways it's soul-crushing because everyone knows this game sucks but were forced to play it. I absolutely despise the whole process.

I'm business as well (PrM). My two dev teams move ridiculously fast. Like, so fast that management cant believe we're doing it correctly and makes us slow down.

There's supposed to be a pragmatic approach to it as well, which is totally lost by those coaching our train, following the Agile Handbook.

[Factorial]

I worked in agile for a year or so and I've never done less work.

[mac5155]

The whole concept makes a helluva lot of sense. But it's implementations are weak if you don't go full bore. And most places are too afraid to go full bore.

[mamaemeritus]

And the HR video beat rolls on.

Today, an Affirmative Action video where they use bizarre fish metaphors:

"...1947, owners of major league baseball teams had unwritten agreement to 'fish from one lake only.' The Brooklyn Dodgers decided to 'fish from a different lake' because they knew that by concentrating on only one lake, they may be settling for mediocre and bad fish."

[mikey]

Damn, this seems like a lot of videos...

[meow]

Is “fishing from a lake” a metaphor for a whore house?

[Dickie Dunn]

I'm hoping two plates of Moe's catering is enough to knock me out of commission for a two hour long afternoon meeting.

[mikey]

I think this self performance evaluation that I'm doing reads poor enough that I may be disciplined or worse for it...but I also don't have the energy to lie for this job right now...should be interesting...

[mac5155]

two day PI Planning event starts tomorrow..woo..can't wait..at least there's a free lunch

[Willie Kool]

[DigitalGypsy66]

Every damn day. Especially right after a vacation.

[RonnieFranchise]

Did my severance meetings this week. Monday was a top 10 worst day of my life for sure.

Only good thing about it is now I can tell idiots who ask stupid questions “Sorry, my team has been reduced from 5 people to 2 and this is not something we are currently staffed to support.”

[willeyeam]

damn

[mac5155]

I don't envy you. If it makes you feel better, I am sure your employees don't hold it against you personally.

[RonnieFranchise]

One was very not good with it.

The other said he had been planning for it for a couple years and has had a job lined up driving truck if needed and can live off it and his wife's job. He will be able to put a years severance + bonus + PTO payout in the bank to the tune of well over $100k in the bank. So he's good.

But no, even the one who was real upset does not hold it against me personally.

[DigitalGypsy66]

One person in my department was turned down for tenure, which was the right call, but it was really awkward...because I was on the committee that voted against her tenure (although I recused myself from the vote, obviously). So I’ve known since early October, and had to keep it quiet until December. Lots of crying (not by me) etc.

What’s more awkward is that this person can finish the academic year, and then will be granted a “terminal contract” for one more year. It would be very strange working somewhere knowing that your colleagues don’t value you and your job has an expiration date. Of course, there is an appeals process and most people on these terminal contracts leave for other positions well before the end of the contract.

[meow]

Interesting. So if you are denied tenure, they want you gone? TIL

[RonnieFranchise]

So I’ve known since early October, and had to keep it quiet until December.

Yeah, finding out I had to let these folks go the week before Christmas and having to keep it quiet until last week was really hard.

[NTP66]

So I’ve known since early October, and had to keep it quiet until December.

Yeah, finding out I had to let these folks go the week before Christmas and having to keep it quiet until last week was really hard.

That really blows, but at the very least, they were able to enjoy their holidays without this hanging over their heads.

[mac5155]

Where do yall look for job postings?

I use indeed and linked in. And either there aren't many jobs out there right now or the good companies don't use them