Just find another position, give decent notice, and move on. If anyone asks, it's always about how much better the new opportunity is, not about how crappy the current job was.
One comment, politics will be at every company you work at, especially the larger ones. Even those who swear they don't have any, so you have to accept there will always be some but find the ones you can live with and learn to navigate what remains. Good companies do their best to control and eliminate bad politics but some will always exist. I am one who doesn't do well with politics around product or deceit, so I'd be out the door with you if I saw what you are saying.
You can learn how to screen companies, to some degree, during the interview process. It takes a little time and practice to figure out how and it is also a lot about you personally and what you can accept or not.
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.
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).
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."
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.
Even if you find a great job where you can focus on the "15%" there will always be other departments / managers / competitors, who doesn't play by your rules. You better get used to it and continue doing a good job & read the book "How to Win Friends & Influence People".
If I were you I would stay at least for one another year in my current position and quit first when I know how to handle politics.
1. sell your time: Work as an employee for a couple of years and get some real life experience. Yes, even in company politics. One could actually skip this stage, but hey, you are already doing it, so why not make the best of it? Build your network, get some trainings paid by your company, learn from your managers.
2. sell yourself: do freelancing
3. sell your product: start a company
4. help others building companies and selling their products: compete with Y Combinator
Good luck!
I am writing to give my $LENGTH_OF_NOTICE notice as required in my contract. My last day of employment with you will be $DATE
Please let me know if there is anything that you'd like me to focus on in my last $LENGTH_OF_NOTICE months employment.
Your sincerely,
$YOUR_NAME."
This is all you need. You don't need, nor want, to go into the reasons. It's probably best to not mention the reasons even if they specifically ask; just tell them that you got a better offer somewhere else.
Political Savvy is a core executive leadership skill--if you decide to quit, you'll no doubt run into any number of organizations full of strong egos, constituencies, rivalries, and assorted issues. Beyond your role as a developer-- can you navigate within the company to motivate others and get things done? Can you deal with your managers persuasively?
Office politics doesn't go away, here's an HBR article you may find of interest> https://hbr.org/2015/01/office-politics-isnt-something-you-c...
Personally, I wanted to stay technical, but I also wanted to play a meaningful rule in creating and steering the company vision from the product side of things. To do that you need more than technical chops.
That said, if you just want to be a head down coder, that's fine too. Also, none of this means that you shouldn't find a new organization to work for of this one is toxic. Just know that it may not be as bad as you currently think it is, so perhaps this is a growth opportunity.
There is lots of great advice on quitting here. For completeness I'm suggesting what staying another year might teach:
1. The listening skills necessary for figuring out what matters to other people.
2. Interpreting non-technical language and translating it a technical solution.
3. Asking good questions to find unarticulated constraints.
4. The understanding that every business is a sausage factory (even software businesses). Get close enough and there's no avoiding seeing what goes into the sausage.
I'm not suggesting staying at a job you hate. I'm not suggesting working with mediocrity. On the other hand, it's no accident that many software badasses come out of consulting - and an inhouse development team is akin to an inhouse consultant: paid to solve problems not make products or problems.
Good luck.
It takes 40 hours @ $100/hour * 2.0 overhead to fix it = $8000: And the expected net value of 40 hours of developer work is $4000. This makes fixing the bug versus insuring against it a wash.
Assessing risk and evaluating alternatives is the basis for rational business decision making. Throw in a 1% chance that the bug fix produces a $100 regression bug, and the business case is for insurance.
Again there's nothing wrong with quitting a job you hate. But it is probably a mistake to assume that the entire operation is staffed by incompetents. People have different perspectives based on their job responsibility.
Good luck.
They are very valuable, and hard to come by. I wouldn't leave without getting a letter of reference first. It does signal that you are looking for another job, but that is okay. It's not a big deal. Everyone knows it happens, and if they are at all reasonable they will go ahead and do it for you. People leave jobs nicely without burning bridges all the time.
My advice: Don't "rage quit". Make a plan and quit on good terms. You don't have to stick around much longer if you can't stand it, but at least be sure to give two weeks' notice and try your best to leave on good terms. You never know when you might run into some of these co-workers again and you want them to think highly of you.
Here's the summary section from that chapter—maybe there are some things here that could help you make sure you don't burn any bridges :)
Leave on the best possible terms, even if you feel slighted — It’s always difficult to put on a happy face when things aren’t going well, but this is a time when you can really boost your reputation.
Ask your manager and co-workers what you can help with before you go — Do this and you will make a lasting impression on your co-workers.
Document the projects you’re working on so your successor is prepared — Your successor will have a much easier time absorbing your work, and they’ll thank you for it.
Bundle up relevant documentation, emails, etc., and make sure they’re saved somewhere that others can get to them — Most companies are moving to cloud-based storage, so it may all be out there anyway. Even so, put together a master document that points to everything they’ll need.
Make sure to return all your equipment in good shape, and do it quickly — Most of the time, you are just borrowing company property. You should return it in good shape, just like you would want your own property returned if you lent it out.
Reach out to your closest co-workers to make sure they’re part of your network before you go — Your network is one your most valuable assets for finding future career opportunities.
Reach out to your colleagues to say goodbye and share your contact information — If you’ve done all these things, you’ve left a great impression. Make sure your old co-workers know how to find you if they need someone like you in the future. And be sure to reach out to your closest co-workers to personally say goodbye whenever possible.
Be vague and use positive language in your exit interview — It feels strange to advocate for being vague, but the exit interview is one of the times when it’s necessary. You won’t benefit by baring your soul on your way out, and the company isn’t going to change because of your feedback. Keep it short, sweet, and surface-level.
That's a one-page summary of the chapter, but the chapter itself goes into quite a bit more detail.
You can get the full chapter for free here: http://JoshDoody.com/leave?ref=hn5
