Ask HN: How Do You Find the Right Fit for Career Growth?

10 points · mcrogz · 1 days ago

I'm 3 years into my career as a software engineer. I became enthralled with programming while in graduate school (studying a completely different discipline) and decided to drop out to pursue a 2nd BS in computer science.

I work at a large F500 corporation that is attempting to brand itself as a tech company. But the reality is, there really isn't an engineering culture. I'm at an impasse with regard to my career and emphasizing my professional growth. I've identified what I would like to have moving forward, but I have no frame of reference to know whether it is realistic to find a balance to these key things:

1. *Passion for Craftsmanship* - Mentorship is a big ask of more experienced individuals. I'm eager to learn and to do so in an environment where people get excited building things. I recognize my development is largely my responsibility, but I'm desperate for feedback on how I can improve and grow.

2. *Available Opportunities* - I didn't make the career change for the money, but its nice to have. But not so nice, I'd want to be completely miserable for it. I've seen it be suggested that being in a major tech hub would be beneficial both in terms of salary as well as opportunity. At present I'm willing to relocate to wherever the opportunities exist. I moved across the US for my current role, but the surrounding region isn't bustling with SWE jobs should I find myself unemployed.

I don't dislike where I am at currently but I do dislike that I feel a sense of stagnation seeping in. My attempts at articulating my desire for a challenge at work get pushed aside and while my performance reviews keep coming in glowing, I feel stuck and don't feel like I am doing my best work.

How do you vet companies / jobs that have what your looking for in terms of growing your career?

8 comments

ativzzz · 23 hours ago

> How do you vet companies / jobs that have what your looking for in terms of growing your career?

I have a pretty low bar - I will never join a company where tech is a cost center. That is - is the code you are writing generating direct revenue for the company?

If yes, then it's in the company's best interest for the tech to at least be "better"

If not, then they just want to spend as little as possible without making it "good". Ironically, investing into talent and best practices actually makes it cheaper

Show replies

bloomingkales · 1 days ago

If you want my honest to god real world advice:

1) Keep your stable job and don’t hop right now.

2) Why? AI is eating jobs and traditional enterprise companies are a good place to last AWHILE into the end of programming as we know it.

3) I am truly scared of job postings where the company has not pivoted entirely to AI. They sell products that can be reimagined or replaced by AI at the moment, so those jobs are the real ghost jobs. Seriously, all I can think is “how exactly will this company be here in a year, AI can generate a lot of this”.

4) So, stay safe. Stay invested, ride the AI investment thesis up, glide through the end of programming, and exit into the world of basic income/social security into retirement. It’s not a fantasy world out there where you just get to seek out the exact company fit anymore. The economy is being rewritten.

Show replies

_ah · 22 hours ago

I also encourage you to think carefully about your physical location. Think about proximity to tech jobs, family, quality of life, etc. After 10 years, chances are you may have acquired a spouse, in-laws, mortgage, kids, and friends. It becomes much much harder to move to a new location for career opportunities. So choose while you still have freedom of motion!

harryquach · 1 days ago

I have always tired to find teams/companies with engineers smarter/more experienced than I am. As long as I work with people I can learn from I have avoided stagnation. This can be true in "tech" or non tech companies. The real challenge is identifying engineers who are worth learning from. As soon as I am not learning and growing, I take it as a sign its time to move on.

bigfatkitten · 1 days ago

Even in established tech companies, most software 'engineering' is tedious grunt work. It's hard to grow copying and pasting YAML files all day.

If you want to build cool stuff, an early startup is really the only place you have a reliable chance of finding that sort of work.

You might have to go to work for the paycheck and find that fulfilment in side projects.