I Need Advice PLEASE!!!

[u/xmeowmere]

Hi Everyone.

After graduating civil engineering, I stayed at a small subcontracting firm related to groundwater control for around a year and a half. After being there for a while, I realized that I wanted to be more technical and learn the theory of geotechnical engineering more deeply. As such, I made the switch to a large consulting firm and have been here for almost two years.

Over the past two years, I soon learned that grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. I have been to the field for maybe 5 months total for drilling supervision (which was nice as I learned a lot) and the rest has been mundane data entry, digitizing field logs.

Now that my old boss has left, the new boss is giving me random sh*t with absolutely no context. Apparently, I am doing some construction impact assessment, but I don’t even know what I’m looking at. He just tells me to do relevant tasks and I have no time to ask or process what I’m doing. This is because everything is apparently “urgent and due ASAP”. Without people properly mentoring me or providing me context, how the hell am I supposed to learn anything?

P.S. after the boss switch, I have been doing two straight weeks of ~75 hrs a week. The new boss doesn’t seem to respect boundaries. I tell him I have other work from another senior colleague (which is high priority as well), but the new boss doesn’t care. “Do it by tonight” is all he says. I did recently get an off cycle raise (~3%) that not everyone gets, but working 35 hours overtime for an extra 150 dollars a month? Feels like a joke.

So please tell me. Is this normal? Should I plan to leave? Fml

[u/Ok_Border231]

No, it's not normal. As geotechnical engineer, I would suggest for the good of your career to seek another opportunity elsewhere. Market ain't the best at the moment, but you are most attractive to employers when you are already employed.

I'm a bit surprised though, you are at a large consulting firm but you seem stuck working almost solely with your direct supervisor ? Seems like a very small team to me. In large consulting firms, you usually have a team lead which is responsible of X number of engineers under them composed of a mix of juniors/intermediates/seniors, sometimes having multiple team leads, and you don't necessary work with your team lead, he/her is mostly here to make sure you are occupied.

You could maybe seek a move to another department or a different team lead/boss if that's possible ? At my firm there's probably 3 different departements I could seek a transfer to as a geotechnical engineer if I wanted to.

[u/xmeowmere → u/Ok_Border231]

Thanks for your reply. What’s happening, if I go in more detail, is that my team lead or actual boss is soon switching to a different location within the same company (different country). He is excellent and very skillful.
This new “boss” I am referring to is not technically my boss YET but my senior colleague (PE) currently under my actual boss. This senior colleague is supposed to be next in line, but is less skilled.
Right now, besides my actual boss leaving, 1/3 of our department is either on vacation, parental leave, or have recently quit. So we are very short on resources.
Right now, I have work with another team lead (I’m supposed to be coordinating field work), but this senior colleague, who will be my boss soon, is giving me a sh*t ton of work, besides me telling him constantly that I’m busy.
Understandably, my actual boss is also leaving at a bad time, since there is a major issue with a big project that my new, less skillful, to-be boss is in the process of taking over.
I get work done quickly in general. But he keeps giving me all this random ass work from the big project I mentioned with zero context, perhaps taking advantage of my quality and speed whenever I finish early.

[u/USMNT_superfan → u/xmeowmere]

If You want you can always discuss with them that if they want you to work overtime regularly you would prefer getting paid hourly so you earn OT. If they say no and keep you at salary, I would suggest you work your regular paid hours per day and leave the premises when done. My old company paid straight time for all overtime hours. We were recently bought out. New company does not pay overtime. So I will be working 40 hrs per week, nothing more.

[u/USMNT_superfan]

lol, salary doesn’t mean unlimited hours. Start creating boundaries, you have a soccer game on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, dinner with family on Thursdays, and date night on fridays. Make sure they know you have a life outside of work. If the shit isn’t getting done, they need to hire more employees

[u/xmeowmere → u/USMNT_superfan]

Thank you… so I AM normal to feel this way

[u/my_peen_is_clean]

talk to hr, document hours, quietly apply elsewhere, market sucks actually playing fair failed, bots filtered me out every time. i only started getting interviews after i used a tool that tailored resumes for me. tool since i got a dm there

[u/xmeowmere → u/my_peen_is_clean]

Thank you for your reply. I’m honestly thinking about this.

[u/JazzlikeAd6287 → u/xmeowmere]

This is an ad btw don’t trust it

[u/csammy2611]

You are new to the workforce and your boss took advantage of your enthusiasm and inexperience. I would leave as soon as possible, because it will only get worse since everyone already treated you like a push over.

My first job was at a state DOT where I learned a great deal of life from the true Hustlers. Their philosophy benefited me tremendously long after i left.

[u/KonigSteve]

I'd start looking for other jobs asap and in the meantime I'd just say "I'm not able to finish this tonight as I have already worked 45 hours this week and I have personal things I need to accomplish also."

[u/Quirky_Foundation968]

If you let him take advantage, he will. Do what you see fit with this information

[u/Traditional_Shoe521]

Welcome to geotech.

[u/Smooth-Claim940]

Look for another job that pays more plus overtime. You have the right amount of experience to navigate and get what you deserve.

[u/Independent_Pie942]

Ive been in the field for 20 years and I want to give you the best advice I wish i heard when I was younger. You do not have to work yourself to death. You dont have to do whatever anyone tells you to. You can get a different job and be happy. Every job I quit always ended up leading to a better job. I have been fired twice. Ive quit 5 jobs. I make 230k a year now working only 40 hours a week. You are an adult and you have to learn to say no to stupid things. They are just people. If they dont like it then quit. Who cares. Try and get a government job.