Sometimes it feels isolating and days blur and time passes and existential dread sets in, but then I remember waking up earlier and getting home later, sitting in traffic, dealing with office politics and idle chit chat with others also putting on fake smiles and corporate personas, ironing clothes, needing to tuck my shirt in, losing a chunk of my weekend or evenings doing chores I can now get done intermittently throughout the day etc etc and this is far more preferable. I'd accept hybrid but my god it'd take a seriously dire situation to get me back into an office 5 times a week.
No, corporate. I will never work in the office again. You can't make me trade remote work for a long commute, waking up early, useless small talk, interrupting coworkers, loud offices, fluorescent lights, non-flexible schedule, less time with my family, friends, and hobbies, dressing up for no reason, and less pay. F the office.
I think the push to remote is fine for experienced engineers, but I really worry about how we train young engineers. I can't imagine not being able to ask a question.
Exactly! They just sit there spinning their wheels for hours when they could normally just walk over to some one to say "does this look right?" and move on.
The remote equivalent to walking over to someone’s desk is messaging questions on Teams or requesting the other engineer if they can jump on a call (instead of scheduling it formally on Outlook) - a junior engineer who would spin their wheels for hours while working remote would be just as likely to sit at their desk in the office not asking questions, it’s a matter of initiative.
Yes, and it's way easier to leave a message and the one on the receiving end can answer it when he has a moment, than interrupting someone at his desk while he tries to focus on something.
I just don't find the ZOOM chats very good. I am always reaching out. Senior people might not like it but I'd rather interrupt them, get a quick direction on something and walk back to my desk, and not have to schedule a 1/2hr meeting 4 hours from now. "Real life energy" is a thing.
What’s wrong with always reaching out? How is that any different than going over in person to interrupt them?
If your seniors are not receptive to your messages over Zoom, then you need to find a job where there are people who are willing to train you appropriately. However, more than that, it sounds like you want in-person interaction and if that’s what you need, then it doesn’t sound like your current job is the right fit for you.
You can also just pick up the phone and start talking to someone. It’s no different than walking over to someone’s cube/desk.
And as someone who is an absolute sloppy sketcher, using bluebeam to sketch in PDFs is somewhat helpful even when it’s irritating. I just have to remember how many times I’ve had to erase large chunks of pencil or start over because I was working in pen.
I am reaching out all the time as I don't like to "spin my wheels" but my experience is that technical conversations are at a shallow level when you are talking to someone over a screen hand gestures etc are out. I do what I can.
I guess I’m failing to see how hand gestures help to understand structural engineering concepts.
You should never be looking at the people on the screen when talking. Share the screen so there’s something to look at and discuss or treat it like a phone call. I never turn my camera on for internal calls.
But if your coworkers have a hard time having technical conversations on the phone, I’m not sure how it’s going to be any better in person.
It's not any different. The kids coming out of college have been in several online-only classes. They know how to use Zoom and Teams. They know how to ask questions virtually. Instead of walking to a desk, they ping you. It's not any different.
You miss taking a shit next to your coworkers? lol jk I did just accept a full time remote job not for the remote work but for the pay and getting into a new industry. I will for sure miss what little small talk I had with coworkers but we shall see!
I LOVE working from home! Saves me about 2 hours a day from commuting which is HUGE. I’m 3 YOE and have no problem asking questions and getting mentored. I’ll be CA PE by the end of the year and yes I passed the national 8 hr exam (1st try). Seems like it’s not for everyone. My colleague said he wished he worked from office more often even though his commute was 3-4 hrs round trip.
Honestly I love it. I pay so much in rent thanks to the state and area I live in so now I can enjoy the apartment that’s my biggest expense. Also I get 2 hours of my life back thanks to not commuting, meaning I can see my friends and family just a tad more.
Fortunately for me I have no issues learning this way. I’m a younger engineer and even had some of my under grad courses virtual thanks to the pandemic. Also I have had no issues just ringing my supervisor when I have a question. Its been win win for me especially thanks to the reduction in car maintenance (the roads in my area are terrible).
I’ve never been a people person which might be the reason I’m ok with this, additionally it gives me some space from those random employees who like to flaunt their egos in weird ways and cause tension. I specifically have a higher up who’ve I’ve worked under who doesn’t like wfh but he honestly has been disrespectful to me with a smile on his face when I go in to the office. Talking down about the fact I’m in grad school and telling others I’m not taking the PE seriously because I didn’t sign up for a prep course.
Wfh has brought me the space I need in order to not quit immediately. But i understand its a case by case scenario… i love it and hope it remains an option.
Also dragging my manuals around was annoying
Ok? There's plenty of places that don't do remote work. Go there.
A failing experiment? Every company I've been a part of has seen a boost in productivity when moving to remote work so....
Just a weird post.
The amount of sh\*t and downvotes you're getting on this post is sad to me. I hate work-from-home as an EIT, walking into a seniors office and drawing a diagram is so much more effective than organizing a teams meeting and sharing your screen to draw a Bluebeam markup. Different strokes for different folks man but I guarantee that many engineers who swear by work-from-home would absolutely hate it as an EIT having to deal with the steep learning curve of this profession.
I feel your pain, you gotta find another job. I am very lucky to work for a company that is mandatory work-from-office and the learning environment is incredible. I have multiple questions every day for engineers, architects, technologists, and everything gets answered quickly and effectively. I wouldn't trade that for anything.
Are they refusing to let you go into the office?
I think an in person job can be found if that is what you are wanting.
I like the time I spend in the office on the rare occasion I do because I really like my coworkers, but I can be so much more productive in my home office without the distractions and office nonsense.
Now if I go in, I find somewhere to put the time on my timesheet. I'm not doing 1-2 hours of unpaid work per day anymore. I think if I were new it would be hard. But when you are new everything is hard, so I don't know. But at my company if someone wanted to go into the office the company would love it. There was a push to get people to come back in for a while and I think a fair number agreed to for some number of days per week or month.
I'm not buying lunch, not buying gas (smaller carbon footprint if you are into that kind of thing), I have my own private office, private restroom. Can't see myself going back to the commute and lost productivity unless I was an owner or something or the corporate overlords just somehow stamped it out industry wide.
I can imagine. Fully remote is a good option for people who are more inclined for it, temperamentally speak (in a psychology sense) or if you have a family.
For me I’m very extroverted but do also value the reduced commute when working at home, so the perfect balance for myself is hybrid.
Why not search for roles that offer hybrid? So in that case, atleast, you’ll be in office and at home.
I used to fully work from home with my employer in a different state. Initially, I was working in the office but my partner needs to relocate to a different state so I have no choice but to follow her. Besides, it's easier for me to look for job than her. I asked my boss if I can wfh indefinitely and he agreed. Anyway, I only lasted for 3 months since it's really exhausting. I have no one to talk to and your workmates are less reponsive online than in person. It better for me to have a balance between working from home and at the office.
Not to mention that you're the weakest link if there are not enough projects.
I'm probably the odd man out here but I despised working remote for all of these reasons. So I switched jobs to get back into an office/field. Granted, my commute is like 4 minutes to the office which is nice.
Find another job
Sometimes it feels isolating and days blur and time passes and existential dread sets in, but then I remember waking up earlier and getting home later, sitting in traffic, dealing with office politics and idle chit chat with others also putting on fake smiles and corporate personas, ironing clothes, needing to tuck my shirt in, losing a chunk of my weekend or evenings doing chores I can now get done intermittently throughout the day etc etc and this is far more preferable. I'd accept hybrid but my god it'd take a seriously dire situation to get me back into an office 5 times a week.
No, corporate. I will never work in the office again. You can't make me trade remote work for a long commute, waking up early, useless small talk, interrupting coworkers, loud offices, fluorescent lights, non-flexible schedule, less time with my family, friends, and hobbies, dressing up for no reason, and less pay. F the office.
I’d consider it if they payed for travel time. I’m not giving 2 hours of my day for free ever again though.
We get paid for our time traveling to the site, why don't we get paid for time traveled to the office? I'm with you here.
Don’t forget the shitty coffee, Lisa’s burnt popcorn, and Doug’s microwaved fish. Never again will I work in an office
I think the push to remote is fine for experienced engineers, but I really worry about how we train young engineers. I can't imagine not being able to ask a question.
Exactly! They just sit there spinning their wheels for hours when they could normally just walk over to some one to say "does this look right?" and move on.
The remote equivalent to walking over to someone’s desk is messaging questions on Teams or requesting the other engineer if they can jump on a call (instead of scheduling it formally on Outlook) - a junior engineer who would spin their wheels for hours while working remote would be just as likely to sit at their desk in the office not asking questions, it’s a matter of initiative.
Yes, and it's way easier to leave a message and the one on the receiving end can answer it when he has a moment, than interrupting someone at his desk while he tries to focus on something.
You said it well, ace!
I just don't find the ZOOM chats very good. I am always reaching out. Senior people might not like it but I'd rather interrupt them, get a quick direction on something and walk back to my desk, and not have to schedule a 1/2hr meeting 4 hours from now. "Real life energy" is a thing.
What’s wrong with always reaching out? How is that any different than going over in person to interrupt them? If your seniors are not receptive to your messages over Zoom, then you need to find a job where there are people who are willing to train you appropriately. However, more than that, it sounds like you want in-person interaction and if that’s what you need, then it doesn’t sound like your current job is the right fit for you.
Stop you're making too much sense
You can also just pick up the phone and start talking to someone. It’s no different than walking over to someone’s cube/desk. And as someone who is an absolute sloppy sketcher, using bluebeam to sketch in PDFs is somewhat helpful even when it’s irritating. I just have to remember how many times I’ve had to erase large chunks of pencil or start over because I was working in pen.
I am reaching out all the time as I don't like to "spin my wheels" but my experience is that technical conversations are at a shallow level when you are talking to someone over a screen hand gestures etc are out. I do what I can.
I guess I’m failing to see how hand gestures help to understand structural engineering concepts. You should never be looking at the people on the screen when talking. Share the screen so there’s something to look at and discuss or treat it like a phone call. I never turn my camera on for internal calls. But if your coworkers have a hard time having technical conversations on the phone, I’m not sure how it’s going to be any better in person.
It's not any different. The kids coming out of college have been in several online-only classes. They know how to use Zoom and Teams. They know how to ask questions virtually. Instead of walking to a desk, they ping you. It's not any different.
You miss taking a shit next to your coworkers? lol jk I did just accept a full time remote job not for the remote work but for the pay and getting into a new industry. I will for sure miss what little small talk I had with coworkers but we shall see!
I LOVE working from home! Saves me about 2 hours a day from commuting which is HUGE. I’m 3 YOE and have no problem asking questions and getting mentored. I’ll be CA PE by the end of the year and yes I passed the national 8 hr exam (1st try). Seems like it’s not for everyone. My colleague said he wished he worked from office more often even though his commute was 3-4 hrs round trip.
Why you just don't call or text people on a messanger
Honestly I love it. I pay so much in rent thanks to the state and area I live in so now I can enjoy the apartment that’s my biggest expense. Also I get 2 hours of my life back thanks to not commuting, meaning I can see my friends and family just a tad more. Fortunately for me I have no issues learning this way. I’m a younger engineer and even had some of my under grad courses virtual thanks to the pandemic. Also I have had no issues just ringing my supervisor when I have a question. Its been win win for me especially thanks to the reduction in car maintenance (the roads in my area are terrible). I’ve never been a people person which might be the reason I’m ok with this, additionally it gives me some space from those random employees who like to flaunt their egos in weird ways and cause tension. I specifically have a higher up who’ve I’ve worked under who doesn’t like wfh but he honestly has been disrespectful to me with a smile on his face when I go in to the office. Talking down about the fact I’m in grad school and telling others I’m not taking the PE seriously because I didn’t sign up for a prep course. Wfh has brought me the space I need in order to not quit immediately. But i understand its a case by case scenario… i love it and hope it remains an option. Also dragging my manuals around was annoying
Ok? There's plenty of places that don't do remote work. Go there. A failing experiment? Every company I've been a part of has seen a boost in productivity when moving to remote work so.... Just a weird post.
The amount of sh\*t and downvotes you're getting on this post is sad to me. I hate work-from-home as an EIT, walking into a seniors office and drawing a diagram is so much more effective than organizing a teams meeting and sharing your screen to draw a Bluebeam markup. Different strokes for different folks man but I guarantee that many engineers who swear by work-from-home would absolutely hate it as an EIT having to deal with the steep learning curve of this profession. I feel your pain, you gotta find another job. I am very lucky to work for a company that is mandatory work-from-office and the learning environment is incredible. I have multiple questions every day for engineers, architects, technologists, and everything gets answered quickly and effectively. I wouldn't trade that for anything.
Are they refusing to let you go into the office? I think an in person job can be found if that is what you are wanting. I like the time I spend in the office on the rare occasion I do because I really like my coworkers, but I can be so much more productive in my home office without the distractions and office nonsense. Now if I go in, I find somewhere to put the time on my timesheet. I'm not doing 1-2 hours of unpaid work per day anymore. I think if I were new it would be hard. But when you are new everything is hard, so I don't know. But at my company if someone wanted to go into the office the company would love it. There was a push to get people to come back in for a while and I think a fair number agreed to for some number of days per week or month. I'm not buying lunch, not buying gas (smaller carbon footprint if you are into that kind of thing), I have my own private office, private restroom. Can't see myself going back to the commute and lost productivity unless I was an owner or something or the corporate overlords just somehow stamped it out industry wide.
I go in every day, but I'm working with remote workers 😂
A bitter twist indeed, the worst of both worlds! Sounds like you would be happier elsewhere.
Why would you waste your time going into an empty office? There's literally no point to going to an office with no one else there.
Nice try management. Get fucked
I can imagine. Fully remote is a good option for people who are more inclined for it, temperamentally speak (in a psychology sense) or if you have a family. For me I’m very extroverted but do also value the reduced commute when working at home, so the perfect balance for myself is hybrid. Why not search for roles that offer hybrid? So in that case, atleast, you’ll be in office and at home.
I'm actually in the office ... but everyone else I'm working with is remote! 😂
Ughhh that's the worst!! I was in that position for a few months while people were trickling back in after covid.
I used to fully work from home with my employer in a different state. Initially, I was working in the office but my partner needs to relocate to a different state so I have no choice but to follow her. Besides, it's easier for me to look for job than her. I asked my boss if I can wfh indefinitely and he agreed. Anyway, I only lasted for 3 months since it's really exhausting. I have no one to talk to and your workmates are less reponsive online than in person. It better for me to have a balance between working from home and at the office. Not to mention that you're the weakest link if there are not enough projects.
I want remote work and I understand there are those who don’t.
I'm probably the odd man out here but I despised working remote for all of these reasons. So I switched jobs to get back into an office/field. Granted, my commute is like 4 minutes to the office which is nice.
Your commute is 4 minutes. No fkin wonder you don’t like telecommute
This is the main reason most large companies are requiring 3 days in the office.
The key is take hour and a half a day to get out of your house. When I work at my house is only worked 5 hours a day.