'I quit': Worker quits after discovering their engineering role is actually that of a glorified janitor under a micromanaging boss

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Sep 17, 2023 12:00 PM EDT

Oftentimes, when starting a new role, it doesn't end up being quite what you'd imagined. Delusions of grand inspiration fade like a mirage in the desert in the face of the reality of menial tasks and repetitive labor. After all, as we're consistently proclaiming, an interview is a two-way street, and the company is trying to sell themselves to the most desirable candidate they can get—often for as low of a price as possible—just as much as the candidates are trying to sell themselves to the company. Part of this sales process, on the company's side, is pumping up the position they're hiring for as much as possible, detailing an interesting series of responsibilities and tasks that make even the most boring jobs seem as exciting as possible. 

But once you step through the door, you'll soon find that what was described on paper is, in actuality, thinly representative of your actual job and new ideas you might have been excited to bring to the role and aspirations for what you might accomplish are impeded by process, budgets, and the unimaginative inflexible attitudes of managers above you.

This is probably one of the reasons why people are urged never to pursue careers in industries adjacent to their hobbies. For example, nothing will ruin your interest in video games like landing a job at a major development studio only to find yourself working long hours with the huge pressure of looming headlines and unrealistic expectations of productivity for little compensation.

This worker was interviewed for an engineering and machine maintenance role only to find themselves cleaning things with a roll of paper towels and a bottle of cleaner. They decided to roll with it and make the best of things… but didn't get better from there, with the work being told by their boss that they were making the boss look bad for innovating better solutions to basic problems. Their boss's behavior continued to get more outrageous, and things continued to spiral, leading the worker to hand in their resignation. 

The worker ended their post by asking other workers to share their stories of quitting, leading to a series of solid responses.

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  • 01
    Engineering
    via ThisisEngineering RAEng
  • 02
    Font - Posted by u/TypicalRedditAO Was hired as mechanical engineer but worked glorified janitor. Tell me your quickest "I quit" story I was excited to work for this company located in my town. They produced metal fabrications, and I was hired for the engineering and maintenance of the machines. During the interview process, I had to take a bunch of assessments for electrical, plumbing, and general handyman. On my first day, I'm given a few rolls of sy paper towels with simple green and was told
    via u/TypicalRedditA
  • 03
    Font - (someone give my a scrub brush at least!) A few hours later and 3 garage bays down, my boss comes to inspect and says, "It doesn't look clean!" Ok.. next day, I loaded my truck with tools, cleaning agents, and brushes. Figured ok, I'll give you clean. The boss tells me, "Clean all air intake vents." No problem. I saw a maintenance cart in storage and made this fantastic cleaning cart with a vacuum. My boss saw this and lost it that I was using a cart and said I'm working too fast also mak
    via u/TypicalRedditA
  • 04
    Font - home. At this point, I'm amazed. I'm starting to see all the maintenance problems (walls need painting, kick plates falling off, bathrooms needed fixing), and I'm cleaning vents. I was getting annoyed and thinking what I got myself into. On the way to lunch, I see a frozen spot in the parking lot. Quickly, I went to my bosses office asking for a key to the utility closet to throw some salt on it. "No, I'll call the contractor for that," he says... For literally a 1 ft frozen puddle, they
    via u/TypicalRedditA
  • 05
    Font - point, I'm starting to second guess my decision to work here, but I couldn't finish the day. I came down with chills and a fever. Covid rapidly set it. I looked for my boss, but he was out for lunch, so I told HR who instantly sent me to Dr to get tested. I called my boss up a few hours later, telling him I'm positive. The first thing he states is how I'm on my first week of work, and I'm already calling out... he's disappointed. 5 days off, no matter how I felt. A week goes by, and I go
    via u/TypicalRedditA
  • 06
    Font - wall that got scraped by a palet lifter. I told the area operator, "I'll paint it when there are no more deliveries." I started getting supplies ready and my boss saw me. "What are you doing? I have light fixtures for you to clean." I tell him I was going to quickly touch up that wall. "We have a guy who comes in for that off books." So I start cleaning these old, brittle light fixtures. My first 3 cracked, so I brought it to my bosses attention, saying we need new clear housing. I get sc
    via u/TypicalRedditA
  • 07
    Font - these fixtures. At this point, I'm DONE. I did what he told me, and after he left, I started packing up my desk area. The next day, I come in with the simplest letter to HR (not my boss). I HEREBY AM GIVING YOU NOTICE OF MY RESIGNATION EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. My boss saw I was meeting with HR and demanded to be present, but thankfully, he was issued away. HR stated that they were very aware of my skills and were looking for positions for me, but the problem came down to
    via u/TypicalRedditA
  • 08
    Font - this. My bosses name is the same last name as the owners. "He might be a horrible boss, but they're always going to pick him over anyone else," I was told. After the HR meeting, he demanded to meet with me, asking me why. He showed me not one ounce of politeness or respect. I stated that and walked right past him, giving him a copy of my letter. I worked a total of 18 hours. Best decision ever. Now, I have my own handyman/maintenance business with 2 crew workers. I've learned lessons on h
    via u/TypicalRedditA
  • 09
    Font - RedSystem Droid. 4 hr. ago This wasn't at a job, but it was when I was doing community service for a school graduation requirement. I was doing my service at a local Salvation Army store/food pantry. All of the people that worked or volunteered there were old women. There wasn't much to really do there, so I figured sweeping and cleaning the floor with one of those manual floor sweepers would pass the time. I was doing that for a little while, then one of the higher up old women came and
    via u/TypicalRedditA
  • 10
    Font - dontknowme76. 3 hr. ago Got hired at Sears better than half a lifetime ago. Was lead to believe it was more or less a stocking role. Ended up behind a register, having to push signing up for or using the chains credit card. Was in the tool/outdoor garden type area with typically male customers. Kept getting sniped by attractive female coworkers who were obviously not only more charming to sway customers but also apparently knew that for every successful application, they received a small
    via u/TypicalRedditA
  • 11
    Font - Only later did I realize my quitting so early did in a roundabout way come back to bite me. Had a particularly attractive coworker strike up a conversation at lunch. Just basic, how old, what are you in to kind of back and forth. Being young, I didn't think anything of it. Ran into the same girl maybe 2yrs later while she was employed at a different type of establishment. She recognized me. She admitted to me then that she was making small talk with the intent of meeting up after work. Ha
    via u/TypicalRedditA
  • 12
    Font - scared me off, and that's why I quit. In reality, I never even considered she was being anything other than polite. Still cringe every time I think about that. Not the quitting. The not picking up on lowkey flirting. And judging by her post Sears employment, she was probably loads of fun to be around. At least short term, while young with no responsibilities. Might not have lived. through my 20s but I'll never know at this point. 47 Reply Share
    via u/TypicalRedditA
  • 13
    Font - or The Kommish . 5 hr. ago I worked at a factory that build manufactured homes. On my first day I learned the only schedule time set in stone was the shift start time, everyone worked until the daily quota was reached, whether it took 8 hours or 20. Day 1 was 11 hours. Day two there was some sort of snafu in the morning and things came to a halt. Supervisor said it would probably be a 16 hour day. I went to get a drink from the water fountain and realized my car was closer than my work st
    via u/TypicalRedditA
  • 14
    Font - PsychologyDryer. 6 hr. ago Was a killer dishwasher, kitchen changed management and started messing with and gaslighting me about my schedule. Bye ✩ Vote 430 Reply Share Double-Diamond-4507 1 hr. ago May Dishwashers be and stay Blessed, Beloved, and Highly Favored 4 Vote Reply Share
    via u/TypicalRedditA
  • 15
    Font - mjsmore33 2 hr. ago . I got hired as a housekeeper at a luxury hotel. I only got trained for about 20 minutes and during that time was told that if there were any tips they needed to go to the head housekeeper and that she distributes all the tips equally at the end of the day. I was then yelled at for being too slow and told I would not be getting any of the tips if I couldn't keep up. Turns out no one gave this lady their tips and she wwf just a boh. I left at lunch on my first day and
    via u/TypicalRedditA
  • 16
    Font - CoolWorldliness4664 2 hr. ago I took a job in college to clean at burger king was supposed to go 10pm to 6am I think. Guy is showing me the ropes goes to the urinal and sticks his bare hand in it to get the blue filter thing out. I said don't we get gloves for that? He said nope! I said I'm out, had worked 2.5 hours ✩ Vote Reply Share
    via u/TypicalRedditA
  • 17
    Font - ApprehensiveClub6028 3 hr. ago I got a job at a chain Mexican restaurant. This was my first restaurant job and they threw me into the kitchen with NO training. People were speaking Spanish and all types of slang to describe dishes. I was like a deer in headlights LOL. Made one terrible quesadilla and they sent me to the back where I was told to move raw chicken with my bare hands from one container to another. That was it. Less than 2 hours in I was out. Fed them some BS and dipped. Reply
    via u/TypicalRedditA
  • 18
    Font - B tleevz1 2 hr. ago Just happened a few weeks ago. They changed my schedule, didn't tell me, and acted like I did something wrong when I showed up to work on time. Nope, see ya. Vote Reply Share
    via u/TypicalRedditA

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workplace discussion employment issues antiwork workplace-stories jobs employment-discussion job work i quit new job quit workplace Horrible Bosses quitting employment in the workplace
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