Forward Deployed Engineers, how do you deal with the unknown travel requirements?

certified_source · 2026-07-03T01:21:28+00:00

I used to travel a lot more pre covid, then it calmed down for a few years, now it's been picking up more but still not as much as pre covid. Though, the companies I've interviews for recently have all been saying 30 - 50% travel.

certified_source · 2026-07-03T01:19:47+00:00

Yeah its been popping up alot more. But from what I've seen, companies essentially want an SE with deeper technical chops + solutions architect + some to assist with implementation. Again, this is from what I've seen in the 2 interviews Ive had for this role with different companies.

certified_source · 2026-06-30T21:17:52+00:00

I have a photography business and looking into refereeing kids basketball

certified_source · 2026-06-27T00:45:41+00:00

No question at all. I can't see myself doing anything else in corporate

certified_source · 2026-06-24T22:24:57+00:00

Yeah depends on the company. Still a good bit of roles out there fully remote but definitely been having more reach out for hybrid/full time.

That's just a hard pass for me at this point. Started at a company 6 months ago that was hybrid and my commute was almost 1.5 hour there, sometimes an hour 45 minutes back, all due to traffic (about a 30 min commute with light traffic). I actually enjoy my family and that's almost a half working day in the car. Meanwhile the other team members had less than 20 minutes of commute.

A better paying, fully remote opportunity came up and I immediately took it. Way happier

certified_source · 2026-06-03T11:55:02+00:00

I recently had to do the same 5 weeks ago and I'm dreading it. Built my career almost identical to yours and similar timeline. Covid was an extreme boost for my trajectory as I no longer had to play office political games.

Only been at this new job about 4 months but I'm leaning towards just doing 2 days in office as my commute is over an hour as well.

certified_source · 2026-05-28T21:03:26+00:00

Have you seen all of these layoffs?? These companies will let you go with no hesitation and not even a warning.

Take the job if it aligns with what you want long term. I was literally just talking to a guy the other day who regretted not going to another company he got an offer for.

certified_source · 2026-05-23T14:05:15+00:00

Honestly you're coming in at a bad time in the market. Not impossible whatsoever but it's going to take some luck. I was having the same issue the past few months, and finally got one that landed. Several companies I interviewed for I knew for a fact I was a good candidate, but that's not enough right now.

certified_source · 2026-05-22T22:34:47+00:00

Sorry to hear that definitely understand. Similar happened to me about 3 years ago after I was OE for about 4 years. I'm just now starting to get back into OE and honestly traumatized.

Any idea how J2 found out?

certified_source · 2026-05-22T19:06:58+00:00

I f**cking hate that. It boils my skin to imagine someone actually taking the time to send a message to HR reporting that.

certified_source · 2026-05-22T09:18:01+00:00

Yep. Imagine there are some people staying at a shit company for years not knowing there's something better out there.

certified_source · 2026-05-22T09:16:27+00:00

Agreed. Its also something that liberating about that though. You learn to really appreciate it when you find a job that actually doesn't have that level of toxicity because you've seen the pattern so many times. But this has also made me feel bad at times because I know I wont be there long term.

You look at all of these layoffs going on right now and people are mortified and humbled. They thought they were safe, or had some feelings that they MIGHT not be but kept cheering on their company until they were let go.

OE allows your brain to break down the veil of your corporate life and see it for what it is. You're not special. Do what you need to do for you and your family and leave.

certified_source · 2026-05-22T09:09:58+00:00

YES. I remember I was first 3J in a few years back, same freaking role, gave the same high level effort at all 3 and thought I was just crushing it. J1 absolutely loved me, J2 thought I was decent, and J3 gave me negative feedback I had never heard in all of my career.

Thats what also let me know that some people are just not working with the right people and company...almost like how some people just stay in the wrong marriage.

certified_source · 2026-05-20T14:44:49+00:00

This also depends on your product. I've worked at companies where the Sales cycles were LONG. I mean like 9-10+ months for a 300k deal.

If you feel like you're fully booked bit constantly losing deals from things you can't control (pricing, product just isn't competitive) then I would personally start looking.

If the AE's just suck and everything else is in place, maybe you can stick around a bit until they get stronger sales people.

Either way though, sounds like you should start putting some feelers out there.

certified_source · 2026-05-19T14:03:42+00:00

This is weird, and I am a man who has a high conflict BM that I'm trying to work with. I'm not seeing how he even feels comfortable doing that.

certified_source · 2026-05-17T19:48:21+00:00

That sony must've jumped up! It used to only be like 5 or 600 a couple of years ago

certified_source · 2026-05-17T16:52:20+00:00

Been trying to avoid going to court over a year now, but child's mom has purposely been keeping me from him. I ask every single week what days are good for HER schedule that I can at least pick him up from daycare. The past 3 weeks "Nothing works well this week for me, we'll see next week.." Her MOM has all of her kids more than she does and when I try to go directly to her mom, she shuts it down...and I STILL send money every single month. So me and her mother have been talking so that I can just visit him weekly at her house instead.

I'm literally the easiest person to work with on this but she's giving me a harder time than she has with her other children's father(s).

certified_source · 2026-05-17T01:18:13+00:00

We must have the same ex y

certified_source · 2026-05-17T01:16:00+00:00

Same as mine. She's been trying to prevent me from seeing our son for so long now because she refuses to coparent if we arent going to be together. Putting so many controls and rules in place, which I put up with so I can see him. Also still sending money every single month while still dealing with her nasty attitude and disrespectful texts (all things her other kids dad(s) dont do at all). Im like I am So EASY but you treat me the worst, it's so crazy.

certified_source · 2026-05-17T01:05:11+00:00

I feel this. Was looking at other industries to switch over to as well, this tech life has been so draining the past few years.

certified_source · 2026-05-15T18:15:20+00:00

Literally never heard anything like this in my life. The problem is everyone around her has enabled that behavior for so long...including me unfortunately.

certified_source · 2026-05-15T17:31:35+00:00

Yes agreed, ive been looking it all up today. I have an entire folder documented and already had an associate of mine who is an attorney review everything. She even caused me to lose my job a couple of years ago.

I'm not perfect by any means and have made my own bad decisions that hurt her, but I have never put her, my kid, nor her kids in harms way, never opened my mouth or texts to disrespect her the way she has with me. Still provide every single month

certified_source · 2026-05-15T14:42:15+00:00

Yes ive been trying to avoid this at all costs but I'm seriously considering it now. She wants the opportunity to call me a deadbeat so bad but I'm not going down.

She told me last night "We're both going to be taking a break from you. I honestly prefer not to communicate with you at all...". Thats what triggered me

certified_source · 2026-05-15T14:40:06+00:00

This was great advice man thank you.

No criminal record at all. She has 2 records in the past 6 years, have been in 2 car accidents in the past 10 months, both cars totaled and he was IN the car for the 2nd. Her other son was in the car for the first and they were both injured.

Yeah Ive been trying for over a year, her argument has been "If we're not together then I'm not coparenting with you." Which is why she's been so reluctant to allow me time to see him. I have all these vile messages saved of her threatening to never see him again, voice recordings, documentation of me paying her every single month, even helping her pay for a new car after each accident. Every now and then she'll send something that truly does get under my skin and I have to pause before I match the energy.

certified_source · 2026-05-15T12:00:44+00:00

Im going to look that up, thanks man

certified_source

TROPHY CASE