New Job a bad fit?

1) Do you have anything to compare this too? Is it really bad, or is it just the same as everyone else's health care plan. Also do you have the same plan as your co-workers? Usually large companies offer a couple of different plans (HMO, PPO, HDHP, etc)
2) Just cause they don't expect it, doesn't mean you can't do it.
3) You need to figure out how you can be more productive. Don't wait for someone to hand you stuff to do, seek it out on your own.
4) You may not realize it now, but making some connections now at work could help in the long run. The co-workers you have today will leave and go to other places. It's all about networking.
5) You don't have to be that way. You don't have to be a Yes person, you should be straight with management, but be mindful that they may not always be happy to hear it.
6) You work for a large defense company....they won't/can't change overnight. Also keep in mind they have probably been around for a while and don't have the culture of a tech company or a startup. Are people just complaining around the office or are they taking things up with their management, as well as with corporate management?
6b) Why did you take this job if the other ones were a better fit?

I would give it some time. Take it upon yourself to change your current working situation. If you leave too early you may burn some bridges. Some fields can be small worlds, and you may be interviewing later with someone you work with now. But if you are downright miserable, and can't make it work, by all means find something else.

Quote from seastar : I was wondering if I could get some advice about what to do about a job that just doesn't fit. I was just hired over a month ago as an engineer at a major defense contractor and I don't think I really like the job. Here are the reasons (In no particular order): 1) Horrible health care plan- All my coworkers constantly complain how nothing is covered and how all their claims are randomly denied. who cares? you're young, right? all you need to worry about is not getting hit by a bus. but don't worry. if you do, that will most likely be covered. 2) The job doesn't really expect any individual free thinking. lol...that's 98% of jobs (but more like 99.999%) 3) Uninteresting work. Most of the time I fall asleep at work and get so bored I overeat. lol...see answer to #2. distract yourself with internet games/shopping/porn. that's how 98% of workers get through the day. 4) I am getting shunned from some of my coworkers for not having lunch with them or hanging out with them outside of work. I mean seriously? yea, people are very sensitive in the workplace. they take pretty much any sign of difference as a personal attack. put on your game face & pretend that you like them. that's what everybody else does. 5) My coworkers are more concerned about appearing nice to the heirarchy than getting things done. in the workforce, politics trumps everything (including productivity, no matter what your naive professors led you to believe). start behaving accordingly. 6) Corporate doesn't seem interested in addressing any concerns, even though plenty have been complaining about various things. if corporate thinks everything is ok, you do too. 6) I had offers from companies that were a better fit. maybe, but likely not. just hang out for a year. then jump ship. you'll see what I mean. Is this what I should expect, no matter where I choose to work? that is the proper expectation. even "best places to work" are really shitty. they're just slightly less shitty than the "non-best places to work." instead of dealing with idiocy 99.9% of the time, you deal with it 99.7% of the time. not all that meaningful. It honestly feels like I am working at Dunder Mifflin, Scranton. that's pretty much what everybody feels. don't you just hate your parents right about now? they kept this bullshit secret & led you to believe in puppy dogs & fairy tales. put those sadistic liars in the worst nursing home you can find. Is it a good idea to stay for 3-6 months, and am I judging them too quickly? hang out for a year. a 3-6 month stint looks weird on a resume. HR depts. don't take too kindly to weird. stupid or lazy is fine...but not weird. don't be weird.

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1) Yeah. My friends at other companies all described their policies to me and our policy is expensive and bad. We have one option. They said it would be too expensive to maintain multiple options.
4) So I should have lunch with them? I don't know if I exactly enjoy having lunch with people who pressure me to do so. When I do, it always ends up taking an hour or more of time and to me, that is a waste of time.
6) People have complained with corporate, especially about the healthcare and get the same answers. 'we're looking into it' for about 2 years (according to their corporate blog).
6b) I took the job because it is where I live and it paid the most. I suppose that was a bad decision.

Quote from financechick : ........

Not every young person is healthy. I've been avoiding the doctor because only preventative care is covered under our policy.

I used to work at places where my bosses would actually care. They were smaller companies or departments.

They block porn and our internet is monitored. I think I might get a smart phone

I might just get super antidepressants to get through it. Not just regular. Super.

I suppose I'll start looking for other jobs in a couple months. The job search usually takes that long anyway.

Quote from seastar : 1) Yeah. My friends at other companies all described their policies to me and our policy is expensive and bad. We have one option. They said it would be too expensive to maintain multiple options. you work in a bureaucracy, where cost is everything. if you want quality, head to some sexy engineering boutique. 4) So I should have lunch with them? I don't know if I exactly enjoy having lunch with people who pressure me to do so. When I do, it always ends up taking an hour or more of time and to me, that is a waste of time. forget about enjoyment, productivity or meaning (these concepts do not exist in large organizations). your goal is to blend in & not get fired before at least a yr has passed. 6) People have complained with corporate, especially about the healthcare and get the same answers. 'we're looking into it' for about 2 years (according to their corporate blog). that's how bureaucracies work. change is bad. sameness is good, irrespective of its appropriateness. . 6b) I took the job because it is where I live and it paid the most. I suppose that was a bad decision. it was a great decision. now you know what to avoid. after a yr. passes, vow to work for nothing but small companies. but force yourself to bail when they start turning into your present nightmare.

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After I graduated from college. I got a job at a consulting company that contracts with Microsoft. They labeled me as a Software Engineer, let me worked at Microsoft campus... I ended up doing Software Testing... which is no where related to software developing or my major... After 2 months ... I couldn't take it anymore and left the company for a new one that was a better fit.

I guess if the current job is relating to what you want to do in the future.. try to get the experience and it'll be easier for you to apply some where else later. Or start applying to other places now while you're working, you never know and might land a better one.

Unfortunately, all of these things sound like most jobs, especially items 4-6.

Whatever you do, remember that there are always going to be better places and MUCH worse places than where you currently are. I guarantee it. Start the job search now and don't settle for as long as you can handle where you currently are..

I had a very similar situation. I put up with it for 2 months and then got another job and quit. I explain this blemish on my resume truthfully. It was not a good fit for me.

But, this sounds like pretty much ALL government contract positions. Is this your first of this type?

Sounds like your first job its only been a month unless you have lots of other experience I suggest sticking it out longer. Most your complaints are pretty common.

Quote from seastar : I was wondering if I could get some advice about what to do about a job that just doesn't fit. I was just hired over a month ago as an engineer at a major defense contractor and I don't think I really like the job. Here are the reasons (In no particular order): 1) Horrible health care plan- All my coworkers constantly complain how nothing is covered and how all their claims are randomly denied. 2) The job doesn't really expect any individual free thinking. 3) Uninteresting work. Most of the time I fall asleep at work and get so bored I overeat. 4) I am getting shunned from some of my coworkers for not having lunch with them or hanging out with them outside of work. I mean seriously? 5) My coworkers are more concerned about appearing nice to the heirarchy than getting things done. 6) Corporate doesn't seem interested in addressing any concerns, even though plenty have been complaining about various things. 6) I had offers from companies that were a better fit. Is this what I should expect, no matter where I choose to work? It honestly feels like I am working at Dunder Mifflin, Scranton. Is it a good idea to stay for 3-6 months, and am I judging them too quickly?

1. Not uncommon for a defense contractor or a contractor in general to have crappy insurance. As time goes along these will become more prominent as universal health care starts to gain ground.
2. Not uncommon in the world of defense contracts. They need bodies to do the jobs, but they do not necessarily require a think tank in all divisons.
3. Why not try to better yourself? Why not improve your skillset to make yourself more valuable to the next potential employer, for example? Don't just let yourself be complacent. Be progressive.
4. That's a personal choice. They choose to shun you and you choose to not have lunch with them for whatever reason. Ehhh, you can either meet them halfway or stick with the status quo. Can't please everyone.
5. What? Brown nosers in a place of work? Nuh uhhhh you're joking right?
6. Ahhh good old corporate arrogance. This is common place so get used to it. Somet hings you can correct and other things will be there until the end of time or the end of the company at least.

Honestly, buffer your resume, improve your skillset, and get the most out of the situation as you can before moving so you can at least have talking points in interviews about your previous job.

Welcome to 95% of engineering jobs. At least the pay is good.

I say start looking but at the same time be a little more open minded about it and give it a chance