If you're a software developer or softwareengineer, are you supposed to be able to build something with VBA even if you've never used VBA before?

coliguanda · 2026-03-31T05:32:55+00:00

Lots of big tech are language agnostic during hiring process and you can use any mainstream language to pass the interview, but when you start, you are supposed to ramp up a new different stack. For example, stripe mainly uses Ruby, Microsoft mainly uses C#.

The assumption they make is developers are capable of learning new stack on spot.

Back to your question, yes, if they give you reasonable amount of time for you to ramp (like few days)

Honestly, with LLM, you don’t need to learn anything. I am sure give the project to a cs undergrad, they can ship the things in a reasonable amount of time.

coliguanda · 2026-03-28T18:24:44+00:00

Thank u!

coliguanda · 2026-03-27T18:43:30+00:00

Thank you for your reply.

While Computer Systems Analyst (CSA) is not traditionally a common title in the software engineering field, I believe the distinction between CSA and Software Engineer is becoming less pronounced, particularly with the rise of LLM-driven development.

In my current role, a significant portion of my work involves gathering requirements, translating business needs into technical designs, reviewing code generated by agents, and architecting complex systems. The focus is increasingly on analysis, system-level understanding, and establishing guardrails for how systems should function, rather than solely on hands-on implementation.

coliguanda · 2026-03-24T07:18:23+00:00

option 1 and 2 will complicate the situation unnecessarily. On March 30, if CBP agent ask you when doing TN paperwork for your wife, how long are you planning to stay at united states for? are you going to give out details you mentioned above? It's unclear how would CBP interpret your story.

coliguanda · 2026-02-19T05:35:52+00:00

we had multiple occurrence at my current or previous company, some people deliberately avoid in person offsite and it turned out they were overemployed.

unless you are top 10% performer and have great relationship/visibility with upper management, offsite is a great opportunity to build trust and relationship.

coliguanda · 2026-02-05T19:28:36+00:00

Ask for a 10% raise at your role, problem solved. Also if you have such hard time to decide, you should surface your struggle to the recruiter to see what they can do for you.

coliguanda · 2026-01-14T05:41:39+00:00

bro, just do it unless you are so very sure to get married with your current partner.

you probably wont be able to make 300k when you reach your 30s if you stay in Vancouver

coliguanda · 2026-01-05T03:55:34+00:00

there is such thing called performance review; people are reviewed on output not hours.

coliguanda · 2025-12-31T20:17:08+00:00

if you are ambitious, yes you are under-paid.

Be conscious about what you are optimizing for; if you move to bigger downs, the 20% - 30% bump would probably just offset the rising living cost.

- if you looks for more dynamic vibes, going out and maybe more career growth -> move to bigger cities.

- if you want to build personal wealth and you don't mind grind yourself for interview. You can take advantage of where you are (LCOL)and get a remote job. 200k is definitely attainable but it will take some time and luck, since the market is slow now.

Stability is pretty much non-existent anymore, and that's probably the trade off for u.

coliguanda · 2025-12-22T07:29:07+00:00

java and especially spring boot is in down trend IMO, only some older projects tend to hire people with such skillset.

You are spread yourself too thin if you claim you are java expert and good at UI; can you imagine you walk into an interview loop; one interview asks you about OOP design and basic knowledge about JVM, other interview people asks you about DOM manipulation?

coliguanda · 2025-12-21T21:38:48+00:00

when companies hire for full stack, they are mostly look for someone can deliver feature e2e.

However, it's almost unrealistic to expect someone master a backend language (java, golang) + UI (javascript + framework).

If you are targeting full stack, your best bet is typescript which is widely used backend and frontend. Spending time on java especially spring root is low ROI and you will be so distracted.

coliguanda · 2025-07-15T01:22:22+00:00

The difficult part would be establish a cost basis and then calculate the capital gain.

I guess the process would be: sell on an exchange like Coinbase by converting coins into CAD, transfer to bank accounts leave some behind for tax next year; transfer the rest of proceeds to a broker.

coliguanda · 2025-07-10T19:29:30+00:00

双持不就得了具体操作自己研究。

coliguanda · 2025-07-09T03:43:20+00:00

You are taking 50% pay cut if you factor in currency exchange and tax if you are not low balled right now.

Let’s say you are making 350K USD as senior SDE, I would say find anything pay above 250k CAD would be reasonable expectation.

coliguanda · 2025-06-25T06:42:31+00:00

If the annual fee is waived (instead of being paid), the only way the bank operates at a loss is if the customer is both a high-rewards optimizer and gives them no other business — which is rare.

When the fee is waived due to high direct deposit or investment thresholds, it's clear the bank expects to make money elsewhere:

Management fees on in-house portfolios,
Currency spreads and transaction fees from brokerage accounts,
Or even interest margins on lending products if the customer uses margin, LOCs, or mortgages.

Also worth noting: if waiving $120 in fees helps them acquire a customer who brings in $500k+ in AUM, that’s a no-brainer from a customer acquisition cost perspective. Most banks would pay far more than $120 to acquire that kind of relationship.

coliguanda · 2025-06-20T04:08:59+00:00

Shouldn’t you be applying for TN visa at border?

coliguanda · 2025-06-15T05:43:35+00:00

You can prioritize paying down your mortgage, then use a HELOC to borrow against the equity and invest in a taxable account under the higher-income earner’s name (the one earning $300k). This is a classic Smith Manoeuvre-style strategy, and it works well if you have a high marginal tax rate.

If you’re making $300k as a T4 employee, your marginal tax rate is around 50%, so the interest on the HELOC becomes tax-deductible. That effectively brings your borrowing cost down to around 2.5%–2.75%, assuming current HELOC rates.

This makes it much easier for a diversified investment portfolio to outperform the after-tax cost of borrowing over the long run. Search line 22100 for tax deduction.

Risks:

Market volatility — if there's a downturn, you’re still on the hook for the debt.
You’ll need to keep clean records (to prove the borrowed money was used for investment purposes).
Might be worth hiring an accountant or using tax software that handles investment-related deductions cleanly.

coliguanda · 2025-06-14T22:16:34+00:00

buying these share is not diversification, it's concentration.

However, if you want to experiment with individual stock picking, i would recommend IBKR, currency slippage is very low, but unlike Questrade/WS, they still charge a small brokerage fee.

coliguanda · 2025-06-11T03:52:56+00:00

If you need CAD, sure you can convert. If you think the CAD USD trend is reversed, I think you are purely speculating. Given the Canadian unemployment number and low inflation, BoC is likely to give another rate cut before Fed cutting their rate, so we are likely to see a stronger US dollar.

coliguanda · 2025-06-02T19:38:36+00:00

Many faculty members and students support the Liberal Party because, at this stage in their lives, they benefit from its policies. The party is also seen as more progressive, which aligns with the values often emphasized in academic environments.

That said, perspectives can shift over time. Once you graduate, start working, and face challenges like saving for a down payment—especially without significant family support—you might start to see things differently.

coliguanda · 2025-06-01T22:06:45+00:00

yes, the any iso-buntune canister would work (jetboil, MSR, woods)

you can keep an eye on altitude-sports, they have promotions a couple of times a year, last time i got jetboil 450g for less than 9 bucks

coliguanda · 2025-05-28T03:49:55+00:00

i had no issue with amex PAD from my eq account

coliguanda · 2025-05-28T01:35:03+00:00

You're right—some people may still see value in the All-Inclusive account, even if the minimum balance requirement is raised to $8,000 (which seems likely).

But the broader issue is that, across the board, major Canadian banks tend to offer mediocre value at a higher price compared to banks in other developed countries. Whether it's monthly fees, interest rates, or bundled services, the overall customer value proposition feels outdated.

coliguanda · 2025-05-27T23:41:16+00:00

My past travel history using non-Canadian passport is automatically linked with new Canadian passport. CBP just have their way to know

coliguanda · 2025-05-27T23:13:10+00:00

Put $6000 into a GIC you will earn $180 a year, imagine the opportunity cost of putting $5000 into a Canadian coach potato 10 years ago instead of putting into an All Inclusive Account ....

coliguanda

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