My boss tells me to work at home

[letsplayGod]

Hello.
I am a very fresh junior web developer. I got out of school earlier this year. I've been studying web development.

I am currently at my first job. I have been here for 4 months now.
The company I work for is a very small company. We used to be 4 developers, now we are only 3.

The problem I have here is that my superiors are dissatisfied with me.
Because they expected alot more of me, they said that within 6 months, they expect me to just get a project and do it pretty much all alone. Now I need alot of help. And to get a project and simply just do it, probably wont happend within the next 2 months.

I believe that they expect the skills of an experienced developer, from a newly graduated one.
I cant do more than what I am physcally capable of doing.
I understand that this is a small company, every penny is worth alot. And when 1 of 3 developers doesnt provide as much money, it starts to fall down. I totally understand that. But why hire a unexperienced junior developer if that is the case? My guess would be to save money with low saleries.

But on top of that, they say things like I really have to start coding in my free time. Sure I have some projects that I want to do, and I will do it once I get more experience.
They ask me to get the project from work and pretty much work in my free time.
They want me to push to unhealty work hours, I feel like they dont really care for my mental health as long as I start providing money to the company.

I qoute one thing my boss said to me which really gave me anxiety
"What do you really do? You are single, you have no family. What else do you have to do? You need to spend ALL of your free time on this, in order to get good. Maybe you have thoughts of leaving this place after 2 years and think you have learned all that you need. But I tell you know, it will not happend, it will NOT happend... if you keep doing what youre doing" (Not working on my free time)
And I dont believe that a developer need to spend all of their time on programming to get good.
I mean.. I spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. How does the little free time I have left, help me become good? I dont understand that logic.

To say those things in a bad manner to their employee, is if you ask me, just bad leadership. Not very motivational at all either.

I dont believe that the amount of hours you spend every day is the key, I think the key is to be frequent about it. I mean, their are studies saying that if you study too much, you will just forget about most of it because your brain simply cant process all of it.
But to do it shorter periods of time, but more frequently, helps alot more with learning.
Maybe I am a slow learner, maybe a late bloomer?
But I am here to ask you, is this how it should be?
Is this right?
I think it is like this because.. well, its a small company, they need money, it is more important than their employees mental health.

Please, give me some advice. What should I do?

 

[CodeMonkeyJ]

Yeah, get outta there quick.

If you want a project to "just get done," done well, and by one person, you're looking for a senior dev. And even that code should be designed and reviewed by at least one other. They're just too cheap to pay for one. They're looking for the one-in-a-hundred that has been coding in their free time since they were a kid that is worth more than entry level but they can still (unfairly) pay entry level salary.

Family and other obligations or not, telling people to work in their free time is wrong and dumb and, as you said, often counterproductive. And, frankly, they can't make you. "Bad leadership" is putting it mildly. But, it doesn't sound like your time at the company is gonna last too long either way.

I will say, though, that coding in your free time is likely to actually help, but only do it if you actually enjoy it as a hobby. The risk of burning out and not wanting to code even at work is pretty high. But, it can build a lot of the muscle memory and you can get experience in fields other than the ones used at the office.

You're likely not a slow learner or late bloomer. You're just out of school. It wouldn't surprise me if you had less than a couple hundred hours of coding under your belt by then. Keep at it and ask good questions and you'll never stop learning and you'll never stop getting better.

 

[ChesterMcGee]

I also work at home, at first it was cool and fun for me, but now after a year of working from home, this makes me very depressing * ((((

 

[letsplayGod]

I understand, but thats not what I meant, the title was a little missleading.

What I ment was that I work 8 hours a day at the office, my boss also told me to work the rest of my day after work, at home.

 

[Jacqualine]

You need to quit the company as soon as possible. You are working in a toxic environment where everybody is in a normal habit to put others in an uneasy situation. It does not matter that whether you are single or married peace of mind is for everyone and by working day n night you are putting yourself in danger. I have been in this situation in my first company where they use to make us work till 12 at night, I got so many diseases in that one year that I could not survive and I quit the job because of my health. I also lost my father during that duration and I still have that regret that I was not with him when he want me. These things should be taken care of by the employer may at that time they could have offered me WFH but that was against their policy, but now with the Covid Situation, everything is possible.
It is better to get out of such a situation and work with a company that values you because then you achieve what you want and see a real you.

 

[c1lonewolf]

1. Did you apply for the job or was it offered to you?

2. Were you hired as a developer or a junior developer?
So junior what have you developed or even contributed in the last 4 months to help the company out as a whole?

3. As far as web development, what exatly have you been studying? web design, graphics, languages?

4. Are your bosses coders or just financiers?

Now this is going to hurt, but you'll get over it!

"why hire a unexperienced junior developer?"

They hired a junior developer. Nothing more nothing less.
They gave someone fresh outta school an OPPORTUNITY to bring their new ideas to life and get paid for it. You know how many students would love to have an opportunity like that and all you can do is complain.

My advice would be to turn in your 2 week notice and thank them for the opportunity! Because let's face it, you're not what they're looking for and they're what you're looking for! Just part company on good terms.

They're looking for coders that are self-driven, self-motivated and challenge themselves on a continuous basis and you're more of an excuse maker as to why you can't or won't do something.

You're right, they don't care anything about your mental health, it's your mental "attitude" thats the problem. Coders who are self-driven make commitments to do their very best at any level, not make excuses as to why they can't! The one thing you need to learn about coding or any other job, is that there is a big difference between someone who does it and someone who loves it! Someone who loves it will always excel at it while someone who does it will simply get by.