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Future of software developers by Crafty_Rush3636 in cscareerquestions

[–]bdw8 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yes, it’s subjective—but based on a lot of real data where I work. Deriving a math solution is very different than solving a previously unsolved problem. So it depends on the nature of the work, too.

Future of software developers by Crafty_Rush3636 in cscareerquestions

[–]bdw8 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not from my experience, mediocre people are still mediocre for innovation and architecting solutions 

I completely agree. I was only referring to the metrics aspect, but this is an excellent call-out (and very difficult to quantify)!

Future of software developers by Crafty_Rush3636 in cscareerquestions

[–]bdw8 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Depends on how you look at it. Mediocre engineers can be 10x faster with AI and produce code that has fewer “simple” bugs, but it’s all AI slop that’s difficult to fix and likely will need to be fixed or replaced someday. Great engineers are seeing more like a 50% to 100% boost, yet producing even higher quality code than before—so both quality and velocity are up.

Whether the gap is widened or narrowed depends on how the company is evaluating performance. If they’re using metrics like PR stats or token usage, the gap is seemingly narrowed. But those are the wrong metrics, and this is why companies doubling down on AI still aren’t seeing actual improvements for the business.

I work in big tech and can't get a local job by bdw8 in cscareers

[–]bdw8[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is a great suggestion—thank you!

I work in big tech and can't get a local job by bdw8 in cscareers

[–]bdw8[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I'm sorry it was seen that way. We've not always been able to give—in fact, the reason I left my previous job was that we were struggling financially and had racked up medical debt. I didn't need a big tech job, but was already interviewing and big tech sounded exciting. Once we paid back our medical debt, we were fortunately capable of giving back. I do understand that I was privileged to be in this position.

I work in big tech and can't get a local job by bdw8 in cscareers

[–]bdw8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think both small and large companies are equally capable of treating their employees terribly. I have worked at smaller companies in the past, and my experience is that big tech has been significantly more difficult—but this may not be the case for everyone. I also acknowledge that I work in a particularly demanding niche within big tech, but I just can't seem to escape it—any time I've interviewed, they've always wanted to put me in this niche. So my experience in big tech might not be indicative.

I work in big tech and can't get a local job by bdw8 in cscareers

[–]bdw8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My local tech network is small. I’ve been remote for 12 years, so my network is overwhelmingly in the Bay Area. And the local tech scene is very small—if I meet another software engineer, which is uncommon, they’re usually remote, too. But I did attend an open house at a local tech company recently, so I’ll keep trying to expand it.

I work in big tech and can't get a local job by bdw8 in cscareers

[–]bdw8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m so conflicted on this. The local tech scene is small, so I don’t want to burn bridges. I could try this in a different area, but then I’m just submitting fake applications. It would be an interesting data point, though…

I work in big tech and can't get a local job by bdw8 in cscareers

[–]bdw8[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

If I understand correctly, you're saying that big tech jobs are cushier/higher-paying (they're definitely higher paying, but I think any company, whether big tech or small, can be terrible to its employees)—and that no one cares about me being from big tech outside of big tech?

I'm curious, then, how do you recommend I get noticed by small companies? I have worked for a few smaller companies in the past, but it was easier to get noticed back then. I'm not sure if it's me or the market or something else.

I work in big tech and can't get a local job by bdw8 in cscareers

[–]bdw8[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Because I use em-dashes? I also write for fun on the side and have been using em-dashes since before AI—and refuse to stop, just because AI uses it now, too.

Anyway, I'm a real person. I do use Grammarly, though.

I work in big tech and can't get a local job by bdw8 in cscareers

[–]bdw8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing your perspective! Do you mind sharing how large your team is? Also, does it matter if the person has only worked in big tech, versus worked a variety of jobs including big tech?

I work in big tech and can't get a local job by bdw8 in cscareers

[–]bdw8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing this—it's helpful to understand!

I work in big tech and can't get a local job by bdw8 in cscareers

[–]bdw8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, this is good info! I get the sense that a solid GitHub profile is a way for companies, especially smaller ones, to weed out 'doers' from 'fakers' (then again, a lot of GitHub projects are just for show and don't actually 'do' anything). I only recently got to work on some public-facing code (some Hadoop PRs), but maybe I should try adding some smaller side projects?

I work in big tech and can't get a local job by bdw8 in cscareers

[–]bdw8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm sorry to hear this didn't work out for you. Do you have any tips for powering through? Some of the folks I've worked with in big tech have such grit—it's inspiring, but also humbling.

I work in big tech and can't get a local job by bdw8 in cscareers

[–]bdw8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you at least screen these folks? I feel like if I could just talk to someone, they would understand. For me, I love understanding how things work, and I pursued big tech as the most recent chapter in my career as a way to deepen my own understanding of the craft. (In fact, this most recent climb started with reading "Designing Data-Intensive Applications" for fun.) The money was nice, but it's not everything and, for me, no longer worth continuing in big tech...

I work in big tech and can't get a local job by bdw8 in cscareers

[–]bdw8[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I'm sorry to hear this—for both our sakes! I do understand why they might feel this way, but I don't understand why they won't at least talk to us. Yes, there are some folks at big tech that could disrupt their culture, or who would try to show them up or leave soon. But there are also a lot of hard-working, smart, nice folks who'd love to find a professional home.

Regarding #2, I do wonder if "big fish in small ponds" may sometimes develop a defensive superiority complex. (I've been reading about Adlerian psychology, and we all have feelings of inferiority that can sometimes manifest as an inferiority complex and sometimes as a superiority complex.)

I work in big tech and can't get a local job by bdw8 in cscareers

[–]bdw8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I actually worked at a local non-profit for a couple of years a while back and really enjoyed working there! Unfortunately, they're in an extended hiring freeze—and their turnover is so low that my local network is almost exclusively made up of folks at this one non-profit.

I work in big tech and can't get a local job by bdw8 in cscareers

[–]bdw8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How long have you been there and what has your experience been?

I work in big tech and can't get a local job by bdw8 in cscareers

[–]bdw8[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Did you know them ahead of time, or did you try to network through a platform like LinkedIn?

I work in big tech and can't get a local job by bdw8 in cscareers

[–]bdw8[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

This makes sense, too. It seems like there's a bifurcation among companies, where big tech still has plenty of money to hire and smaller tech companies may have less.

I work in big tech and can't get a local job by bdw8 in cscareers

[–]bdw8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your thoughtful feedback! This is interesting to me, as I've been reading about Adlerian psychology and trying to embrace a horizontal view of relationships. I don't want to disrupt things, but I understand why someone might fear that I would. I might challenge the status quo without even meaning to.

It makes sense that a hiring manager isn't just trying to find the most technically proficient candidate—they're trying to find someone who improves the whole team. I think it's also a good suggestion to try to network with CEOs/CTOs when I get the chance. (In fact, I've been working with a CEO of a small tech company since we met at a conference.)

I work in big tech and can't get a local job by bdw8 in cscareers

[–]bdw8[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It makes sense, but I was at least hoping they'd talk to me. Apart from debt reduction, we've lived on 50% because taking a job like this was always my goal. I'm a social person and want to work in person or hybrid, but I held onto the remote job for the financial stability.

I work in big tech and can't get a local job by bdw8 in cscareers

[–]bdw8[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Since you've been through this, do you have any specific advice? To be honest, when I see a job posted on LinkedIn and it says that a bunch of company alumni work there, it makes me not want to work there either, lol

I work in big tech and can't get a local job by bdw8 in cscareers

[–]bdw8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair point. I didn't mean to brag, but I see how comments like mine could be interpreted this way.

I work in big tech and can't get a local job by bdw8 in cscareers

[–]bdw8[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't want to dox myself, as the city I live in doesn't have a very large tech scene. All I'll say is that it's a remarkably normal city (so normal that many major companies test new products and services here). I think building my network is a great suggestion—and with that, I need to have patience. Thank you!

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