Thankless Tech Jobs

I’ve mentioned working in a CRUD position at a cost center as a job you should avoid. But there are plenty of other jobs that are likely much worse than the one you’re in now. So the next time you feel tempted to tell your boss where to shove it, you may want to pause and thank your lucky stars you don’t have one of the tech jobs below.

IT Helpdesk – answering phones all day helping corporate lusers open Outlook or change their password is not my idea of a career.

Customer Support – Neck and neck with Helpdesk in terms of mindless work dealing with clueless people. Often a stepping stone to QA Analyst.

QA Analyst – Repetitively testing the same software day in and day out and pointing out problems is probably not what you had in mind when you spent four years to get your computer science degree.

System / Network Administrator – The only time you hear about them is when something is broken, and then it’s always seen as their fault.

Project Manager – Often a role where you have the responsibility to get things done but not the authority to get people to do the work. You need influencing skills, otherwise known as cajoling, begging, pleading, pestering, conniving, threatening, yelling, and bribing.

Game Developer – Working 80+ hour weeks is expected in this field, and the pay’s not even that great. If you like games, then play them; don’t throw away your youth making the game companies rich.

Junior Recruiter – Despite the negative feelings I may sometimes have for hungry junior recruiters, I fully understand it’s really a high-pressure sales position. Usually it’s sink or swim in the first 90 days. Their choices are to cold-call prospects who hang up on them or else get yelled at by the managing partner who sees them as dead weight.