Found this great blog entry from slashdot. It's mirrored here.
The author is young but adaquately captures some concerning elements. There are many points that are unrealistic, its nice to be reminded from time to time of that “ideal” we all had once upon a time.
In particular,
- While it would be great to have a door, a clean well equipped cube (one per person) in a quiet open bay setting is almost as good. If the noise can't be turned down, that's what headphones are for (and management).
- I have yet to find a manager that wasn't schedule driven. Setting unrealistic dates is common, expecting the world on those dates is problematic. If the business needs it, it needs it to survive. The key is compromise, separating need from want, and having mutual respect for the business and technical needs.
However, a manager who repeatly ignores your technical advice, skillset, and doesn't allow you to grow (or value your time) is the surest indicator of a needed resume upgrade. But beware, the grass isn't always greener...