Ask HN: How do I find my next job?
I am a fairly recently-minted senior engineer at a MAANG company (3+ YOE). I think it is time for me to move on as morale is low, my compensation has dropped significantly recently, and I no longer really feel motivated to work there. I am trying to figure out where to go next.
I went to this company because I believed it would be a good career builder, providing me with good experience and pay as my first job. I think it did both for a while, but I don’t really want to grind here anymore. The WLB and months-long timeline to do anything of significant value is too much.
I’m not sure if another MMANG company is for me right now. I think a small to mid-sized company where I believe in the mission and that can really utilize my distributed systems experience and directional skills would be much better for me right now.
However, I don’t really know how to find companies that would fit well. Can anyone offer ideas or resources for doing so?
27 comments
[ 2.8 ms ] story [ 55.3 ms ] threadBut yes I agree I need to chat with someone at prospective companies once I find one I like!
There are a ton of jobs out there you just have to find the right one!
I’ve been pretty much working and operating solo for the past two years, which isn’t great. I also live in Seattle which I have found not very conducive to networking, but perhaps that’s wrong. I’ll start looking around for things that way.
I'm 11 years in and think I'd only just qualify.
Where I work, time in the job doesn't necessarily correlate with career progression. It is dependent on continuously demonstrating impact, contributions to grow people, and direction. Someone in industry for 10+ years may not be qualified because of how senior is defined here, and similarly people with less time in the job very well might be qualified.
I was lucky early in my career to get enough mentorship to be able to get to that point. Maybe I would not be considered senior elsewhere because I haven't been in the job long enough, but at this workplace I am an L5.
The software industry in particular has gotten really lax with titles, to the point that they mean next to nothing.
I get a laugh imagining a kid just a few years out of school explaining to people that they’re a “senior software engineer”. Anyone on the outside would assume they’re either full of shit or some kind of Doogie Howser.
Titles aren't exactly medals or certifications, they just denote who to blame.
Junior devs on the other hand tend to be developers with little to no experience with some of the core technologies used within the role. Typically they'll require some help from more senior devs to get up to speed.
I've been a developer for over 10 years at this point and I'm not really sure I feel like a senior dev. Every week I'm reminded how much I don't know. There's definitely a huge variance in the abilities of senior devs. Some of worked with are been terrible while others have been indispensable to the team. It's always bothered me that variance wasn't reflected in pay or title.
Being competent enough to work independently is an extremely low bar for the distinction of being a senior in your field.
In most other industries that just means you’re not a trainee any longer.
For example my wife just entered the medical field doing administrative work. She’ll be a trainee for a full year. It will be a decade or more before she’ll be qualified to be in any sort of senior role.
I mean at the end of the day I don’t feel that strongly about it, but the problem is that when titles become meaningless it’s very hard to for example, communicate what role you’re hiring for, or who the right person to lead a new project is.
What I do when employed, I do my best on recruitment, to onboard people, make them feel welcomed, etc because I know how it feels otherwise as most are time wasters, have no respect and some people feel entitled...
My suggestion to you is to start looking on your own without any expectations
-Look for companies that are doing work that you're passionate about. If you're interested in a particular topic or technology, follow companies and leaders in that space on social media, read their blog posts, and see if they're hiring.
-Check out job boards that focus on your specific skillset or industry. For example, if you're a software engineer, you can search for job postings on sites like Stack Overflow Jobs or Hired.
-Look for companies that are located in an area that you want to live in. This can help you narrow down your search to companies that are a good fit for you geographically.
- Ask your friends, family, and professional contacts if they know of any companies that are hiring. Personal recommendations can be a great way to find a job that's a good fit for you.