I feel like I’m running on empty, caught in this constant cycle of pressure and stress. I just can’t keep pushing through like this. It's all becoming way too much, and I’m honestly just exhausted from the mental and emotional weight. If the job market was any better, I'd be gone already.
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Cisco becomes overwhelming and draining when you have a manager that is micromanaging everything you do. They claim to read management books, yet have no understanding of what they read to be good at management. Then they wonder why they aren't a Director. At least some things are still keeping id--ts out of Leadership
I love when former employees come on here to gloat about how pathetic Cisco employees are and how much greener their grass is. Yet you’re lingering on anon message boards for your former employer. Go touch some of that green grass of yours.
Set boundaries, the work will always be there. "I should've worked longer/harder/more" said no one ever on their death bed. Life is too short to be miserable.
Dam. There are so many WEAK people at Cisco… The DEI culture has created a sense of entitlement. It’s kind of pathetic. It’s not the job market, it’s you. You need to develop the skills and work ethic that companies are looking for and then it’s easy to find a new job.
They'll use scare tactics to tell you the grass isn't greener on the other side. They'll use examples of employees that were at Cisco for 20+ years leaving and coming right back. The truth is they come back because Cisco is all they know, and they can't adapt to the world outside. The grass can be greener. My life has been tremendously better now that I've been gone from that place.
Your distress is an illusion.
Immediately shift your focus on building financial independence and helping others.
- Find a colleague to help with their business. Help in your community in a cause that you are passionate about (use time2give hours for this)
- Reduce your expenses and consumption drastically . Take a sword to it. Be relentless (like you life depended on it)
Do you drive a new car? Do you have a predilection for expensive handbags or gadgets? Do you DoorDash instead of cooking your own meals?
Do you buy a Starbucks everyday because you “deserve” it?
Shift your focus to extreme frugality
Start big . List your highest expenses to your lowest. Probably housing, insurance and transportation top it. Find ways to cut, starting at the top. Be creative and relentless.
- Invest the excess into a broad based index fund. (Start by maxing your 401k contributions) I suggest choosing one of the Target Date Funds (pick the year you will turn 55 as your target date) ex, if you are 30 now, choose the 2050 fund. It provides dollar cost averaging into a solid mix of stocks and bonds even at the relatively high current stock valuations.
- Focus on your education. You are your most valuable asset. Invest in yourself. This is not an expense but an investment. Use intelligent ROI strategies to determine the best education bang for your buck but do not neglect this.
Oh, and have fun. Life is an exciting adventure!
you're weak. go work somewhere else.
Organize and form an exit strategy. Look for other opportunities and try to be positive in the meantime, knowing you’ll eventually leave and you’re being paid during your job search. Good luck!
if you can't handle the "stress" of Cisco, you should exit tech, because literally anywhere else in tech will be (much) higher stress
You'll die soon enough. Find something else that doesn't bring that on even faster.
Start looking, something is out there for you. Your health is most important. hugs.