Try to keep in mind that you're probably a lot more valuable to your employer than they are to you. If you want to work 40 hour weeks, it's as simple as ramping back down to your old 9-6, 5-day schedule.
It's entirely possible that somebody will call you into an office and tell you that you're not a team player. It's possible that they'll explain how it's crunch time and everybody's pulling together and it's unfair to the other people on the team if you don't pull too and how you're letting everybody down.
That's fine.
It's also possible that after telling you these things enough times and writing them down, they'll fire you.
That's fine too.
There are worse things in this world than being a talented developer on the job market in the Bay Area. If your company is silly enough to fire you for working the hours you agreed to work when they hired you, that's a shame. But you'll probably find yourself with a better job a week later.
More likely, though, you'll find that they deal with it. Better still, you might be able to convince a few of your co-workers to also make life a priority. Who knows, six months from now you might have an entire office full of people working sane hours. It's definitely worth a shot.
Thank you for the comment, I was more curious about how to meet people in San Francisco and avoiding online dating, especially if you work in the start-up scene where you usually work with a smaller team of people secluded away from others (i.e. small professional circle). Just to be clear, I don't work 9-9 every single day, sorry I wasn't more clear. Just most weekdays and we do have a launch looming. I am guilty of being a workaholic. The startup is actually quite flex where I work, so we can go have longer lunches, run errands during the day, work from home, etc. My team goes out to party and let our hair down on weekends as well. I didn't join the startup blindly, I'm still young and have the passion to put a lot of energy in something I really believe in. Actually, truth be told, I wake up really excited about what I'm doing and I didn't have this feeling compared to my 9-6 job. But I agree I have to stay disciplined and that's the hard part. But like you said, it's definitely worth a shot. It's not a sustainable lifestyle as it is for the long run. It's easy to just put all of your energy into one thing. It seems like a lot of people I've met so far in San Francisco also have the same problem. Even those who would work for Facebook or Google.
What do you do if they have your cell phone number or other ways of getting a hold of you outside of work? How do you say "no" tactfully when there is big, important, release looming?
Then explain that unless it's there is a fire in the server room, you are not to be contacted after work hours.
It isn't hard honestly. You are paid X for Y time. That is it. You are not paid to be a modern slave. I think I only had one call outside work hours in the last few years, and it was really the CEO asking me for a personal favour (if I could give a lecture the next day on behalf of the company at a local university as he was sick and couldn't make it).
I think if I was in SF and if half the 'work to death' stories here on HN are true, I would change my resume to include at the top in big bold letters: "I DON'T WORK UNPAID OVERTIME"
> It's possible that they'll explain how ... you're letting everybody down
And if somebody says this to you, your inclination is to believe it -- if you're a nice person. But you have to tell yourself: They are letting themselves down. They made their choice; you don't have to make the same choice, just because they do. Their choices don't remove your ability to choose. They are not allowed to choose for you. Ergo you are not letting them down at all. Instead, maybe you'll inspire them to make better choices.
Well said. It's worth keeping this in mind for salary negotiations as well. Sometimes you'll hear an argument that a company can't offer you a certain salary (even though you clearly are worth it) because its far above the average wage for their other employees at your level.
Other people's inability or unwillingness to negotiate what's best for them has no bearing on your right to negotiate what's best for you.
Comments
Try to keep in mind that you're probably a lot more valuable to your employer than they are to you. If you want to work 40 hour weeks, it's as simple as ramping back down to your old 9-6, 5-day schedule.
It's entirely possible that somebody will call you into an office and tell you that you're not a team player. It's possible that they'll explain how it's crunch time and everybody's pulling together and it's unfair to the other people on the team if you don't pull too and how you're letting everybody down.
That's fine.
It's also possible that after telling you these things enough times and writing them down, they'll fire you.
That's fine too.
There are worse things in this world than being a talented developer on the job market in the Bay Area. If your company is silly enough to fire you for working the hours you agreed to work when they hired you, that's a shame. But you'll probably find yourself with a better job a week later.
More likely, though, you'll find that they deal with it. Better still, you might be able to convince a few of your co-workers to also make life a priority. Who knows, six months from now you might have an entire office full of people working sane hours. It's definitely worth a shot.
Thank you for the comment, I was more curious about how to meet people in San Francisco and avoiding online dating, especially if you work in the start-up scene where you usually work with a smaller team of people secluded away from others (i.e. small professional circle). Just to be clear, I don't work 9-9 every single day, sorry I wasn't more clear. Just most weekdays and we do have a launch looming. I am guilty of being a workaholic. The startup is actually quite flex where I work, so we can go have longer lunches, run errands during the day, work from home, etc. My team goes out to party and let our hair down on weekends as well. I didn't join the startup blindly, I'm still young and have the passion to put a lot of energy in something I really believe in. Actually, truth be told, I wake up really excited about what I'm doing and I didn't have this feeling compared to my 9-6 job. But I agree I have to stay disciplined and that's the hard part. But like you said, it's definitely worth a shot. It's not a sustainable lifestyle as it is for the long run. It's easy to just put all of your energy into one thing. It seems like a lot of people I've met so far in San Francisco also have the same problem. Even those who would work for Facebook or Google.
I've never agreed more with a comment on HN.
What do you do if they have your cell phone number or other ways of getting a hold of you outside of work? How do you say "no" tactfully when there is big, important, release looming?
Don't answer it.
Then put it on mute.
Then explain that unless it's there is a fire in the server room, you are not to be contacted after work hours.
It isn't hard honestly. You are paid X for Y time. That is it. You are not paid to be a modern slave. I think I only had one call outside work hours in the last few years, and it was really the CEO asking me for a personal favour (if I could give a lecture the next day on behalf of the company at a local university as he was sick and couldn't make it).
I think if I was in SF and if half the 'work to death' stories here on HN are true, I would change my resume to include at the top in big bold letters: "I DON'T WORK UNPAID OVERTIME"
Build a Ci server
> It's possible that they'll explain how ... you're letting everybody down
And if somebody says this to you, your inclination is to believe it -- if you're a nice person. But you have to tell yourself: They are letting themselves down. They made their choice; you don't have to make the same choice, just because they do. Their choices don't remove your ability to choose. They are not allowed to choose for you. Ergo you are not letting them down at all. Instead, maybe you'll inspire them to make better choices.
Well said. It's worth keeping this in mind for salary negotiations as well. Sometimes you'll hear an argument that a company can't offer you a certain salary (even though you clearly are worth it) because its far above the average wage for their other employees at your level.
Other people's inability or unwillingness to negotiate what's best for them has no bearing on your right to negotiate what's best for you.