Ask HN: Do you have to have worked at a big tech company to be taken seriously?

5 points by allsystemsgo 10y ago ↗ HN

I've been considering moving to the bay area but, I'm not sure that it's for me. I'm concerned though that it's seen as a badge of honor in the software development community to have worked in the valley.

3 comments

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larrys 10y ago ↗

Do you mean "badge of honor" or do you really mean "creates some kind of halo and make you seem to be 'a player'"?.

I think (and I don't live in the valley although I did work there for a short time) there is truth to what you are thinking. In the end of course the work that you do and who you are matters. But I do buy into the idea that it shows how serious you are in the same way that people in finance flock to NYC or people in entertainment go to Hollywood to seek fame or fortune. Of course you need to be somewhere that you will be happy and can live as well. So not a good idea to push yourself to somewhere that isn't right for you.

pinewurst 10y ago ↗

I wouldn't say "big" tech company so much as "name" tech company. Lots of big tech companies exist (e.g. HP, EMC, IBM, GE) that generally don't carry any kind of magic imprimatur.

I think the previous response is correct in that there is definitely a halo effect that makes one seem more credible. Example was an article I was just reading entitled something like "Ex-Googler Gives Life Lessons" and it turned out the person was 25.

allsystemsgo 10y ago ↗

25 and giving life lessons eh? That's hilarious.