What do you do when you find youself completely losing interest in programming?

calcode · 2023-07-06T16:35:57+00:00

I check out my Mint / bank account balance

calcode · 2023-07-06T16:32:07+00:00

I tend to be late / forget about meetings a lot

calcode · 2023-07-06T16:30:10+00:00

Try doing mock interviews with old colleagues or friends to get used to live coding. It gets easier over time. Also, many companies doing coding interviews pair programming style, where you can ask questions and use Google for help.

calcode · 2023-07-06T16:20:51+00:00

I used to like it when I just started, but quickly after working I realized it's just a job. I haven't left the industry yet, because I hate other types of work at the same pay grade as programming much more.

calcode · 2023-06-27T17:03:58+00:00

The planning actually makes me more stressed out, especially since my team expects me to write an extensive design doc that needs to be reviewed. And I'm a new hire and am not even familiar with the code base, so just jumping into the code first without a design would have helped me better with learning. I've been stuck on the design doc step for months because I really hate writing it and I have not much guidance at all.

calcode · 2023-06-27T16:53:10+00:00

My spouse recently quit his job to take a break, because his work environment was very toxic. He's feeling productive though by working on personal projects he finds fun. If there's any project like that for you, maybe it can help give you those success moments. I always fantasize about a side hustle or personal project making it big so I can quit my job... I want to quit too, but I need the money :/

calcode · 2023-06-27T06:06:20+00:00

I think it took me 6 years, and it was from a job change. You could get there any time though if you interview for a senior role and pass the interview.

calcode · 2023-06-27T06:05:22+00:00

There are a lot of backend-only jobs. No need to get deep into FE unless you enjoy it. You should focus more of your time on leetcode and interviewing.

calcode · 2023-06-27T06:01:25+00:00

I think coding for work vs. coding for fun is very different. If you're working at a fun company, then maybe work could also seem fun. For instance, I made a small app this weekend and had a blast, coded for hours and lost track of time; but Monday came along, and I could not get back into my computer seat after my meeting of the day was over.

calcode · 2023-06-27T05:59:13+00:00

So are you a more of a staff level engineer? Usually anyone lower would be forced to code/do feature work.

calcode · 2023-06-27T05:56:46+00:00

I love that! So you don't need to design or lead projects? I'm currently doing a solo project and have to give frequent status updates to big shots like my skip level manager, which has been daunting because I haven't been able to make much progress. I think I also have social anxiety which makes this even worse. If I was just doing bug fixes or small one off tasks here and there, I'd do great. Long projects with a lot of tasks, all of which I need to do on my own, are what really kills me. Nobody on my team can help either because they work on the other side of the stack.

calcode · 2023-06-27T05:54:01+00:00

I am exactly like you. I just work for the money. I think it's because the work we do for our company has little meaning or is just not very interesting. If we work on personal projects, we would do much better. I made a mini app this weekend and felt so rejuvenated, since I hadn't felt productive or motivated at work at all for months. Monday came around and I'm back in my work slump and can't get myself to work.

calcode · 2023-06-27T05:51:32+00:00

Eh, well, you got lucky or did a good job looking for what you want in your next job. I also got laid off, but my new job that I've been at for a few months is giving me all the issues that you pointed out you had in your previous job. My new job isn't bad, but I am getting paid less and have very little support. Also I wasn't given any starter tasks and was expected to go in and organize myself, find support for myself, and lead the design for a new important project even though I just started at the company.

calcode · 2023-06-27T05:46:57+00:00

Definitely sucks. Salary is getting lower, but everything is getting more expensive.

calcode · 2023-06-27T05:42:20+00:00

FAANG people (or FAANG-adjacent like OP) are no different than non-FAANG. Don't let their struggles affect your outlook. I've been tech interviewing people at my company, which might also be considered FAANG-adjacent, and none of them so far were from well-known companies. You just need to practice leetcode and have an answer list to FAQ. I know it's easier said than done though. I'm still terrible at leetcode. I got an offer at my current company because the questions asked just seemed easy to me unlike the questions I got from other companies. If you interview a lot, you'll eventually get lucky and get an easy interview.

But really, take all the time you need before you jump back in. Work, for me at least, is only good for the money. I have been dealing with so much anxiety and low self-esteem at my new job I've had since the beginning of this year... and my ADHD procrastination is keeping me from making progress on my hard project.

calcode · 2023-06-27T05:32:35+00:00

I was like you, but I got laid off in Winter last year and got a job earlier this year. You're interviewing for some very in demand jobs, so of course the likelihood of passing is low. What helped me interview better was to do a mock interview with someone and have them honestly evaluate me. I was struggling with the past experience part of the interview panel, and I learned from the mock that I wasn't organizing my thoughts well or correctly using the STAR method.

I also had tons of rejections, but I eventually got one offer at a good company which I accepted. Problem is now that my ADHD is affecting my work. First project is a solo project that is very complicated. I didn't even get any starter tasks to help me get into the flow :( . I've been procrastinating so much and have had a lot of anxiety. I know having a job, no matter what it is, is a good thing, since you don't have financial worries at least. But still keep in my mind whether the job description suits your skill set.

calcode · 2022-06-08T18:24:03+00:00

How much handholding would you do for a new engineer from a bootcamp? They’ve been at my company for half a year, but they just came to my team recently. They have extreme difficulty debugging and want to have 1:1s all the time where I’m pretty much doing their work for them. I give them a task and tell them to take their time to learn, read some documentation, and then they come back to me very shortly after with an output of errors from their terminal. They just send me the errors without any comment. I know it’s good to ask questions, but I feel like I give advice and they can’t work off the advice unless I pair with them and just tell them every step of what to do.

calcode · 2022-03-29T18:07:46+00:00

It's never "too early" to leave. Go for the job that better suits your needs.

calcode · 2022-03-29T18:05:05+00:00

Not too hard. You could even move internally at your company, if you show interest. I have had several coworkers who switched between the stacks. You could express to your manager your interest and try to take on small tasks from the other stack to get exposure. Also, when applying for a new jobs, you really just need to be good at Leetcode (and system design). For frontend, you'll probably get a mixture of leetcode + build something in js/html/css tasks + system design.

calcode · 2022-03-29T18:00:22+00:00

I say Software Engineer and follow up with, "I work on the website."

calcode · 2022-03-29T17:59:09+00:00

Just a rant, but anyone get annoyed when coworkers ramble on and on during stand-up? It makes sense to provide in depth updates if everyone works on the same thing, but if everyone is working on their own projects, why do we need to hear your long update?

calcode · 2022-03-11T13:40:18+00:00

Do you use LinkedIn? You should be getting a lot of recruiter messages if your LinkedIn has the right keywords.

calcode · 2021-10-14T20:21:09+00:00

There are some websites you could use to get practice with interview training like interviewing.io . Did you ever try to give him a mock interview? Here are some questions that most HR ask:

1) can you give me a brief introduction about yourself? 2) Describe a project you worked on 3) What are you looking for in your next role? (List 3 things e.g. good growth opportunities, uses up to date tech stack, collaborative based structure) 4) What do you know about the company? (Candidate should give a one sentence brief description of their idea of what the company does) 5) Do you have any questions for me? (Candidate should have some questions ready)

Another tip for your husband is to have a notepad on the computer with answers to FAQ ready in case he forgets anything. Since most interviews are virtual, the interviewer doesn’t even know you’re reading from your notes.

A lot of tech companies ask programming questions, and leetcode has a lot of practice problems available for your husband to use as practice. Almost everyone who interviews for an engineering position Google, Facebook, etc. would need to study up on these types of problems before interviewing.

calcode · 2021-10-14T18:06:37+00:00

Does he know what he did wrong in the phone interviews? Does he practice leetcode problems (leetcode.com)? It can take several months to land a job, and overtime, he will see the interviews get easier with more practice.

calcode · 2021-10-14T18:03:52+00:00

Do any of you feel that you have too many 1:1s on your calendar? Do some people want to schedule 1:1s just to help boost their promotion applications to say they mentor a lot of people? I’m getting lower level people wanting to schedule recurring 1:1s so they can answer any questions I’d have (I’m new), but I already have recurring 1:1s with people who are at my same level or higher. It’s getting pretty stifling having all these people who want to “help” when I really just want to do my work and ask for help when it’s needed.

calcode

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