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Ask HN: Devs expected to code for fun, how about middle managers?

8 points by brogrammer90 ↗ HN
Desirable devs are expected to have hobbies outside of work that revolve around code. What are the expectations for rockstar middle managers at big co? Managing non-profits? Involved in local politics?

13 comments

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codr
Golf, yacht sailing, cycling.
darkstar999
"Expected"? I don't agree with that at all.
EliRivers
Desirable devs are expected to have hobbies outside of work that revolve around code.

Only by employers that have bought into the hipster, brogrammer "your-CV-is-your-bitbucket-account" fad.

giulianob
No, I think it's more about learning what's out there instead of always relying on your job to learn what you need to know.
shepardrtc
Middle managers are cannon fodder. They implement the dirty, unpopular things that upper management doesn't want to sully their hands with, and when they're not doing that, they bust out performance metrics to try to show that they're more than just hired goons.

When you hire someone like that, do you care what their interests are as long as they seem like they can handle the job?

Upper management, on the other hand, is very much expected to be involved in other things that you mentioned. They are the ones expected to be the rock stars of their field.

logn
There are no expectations for middle managers or for sole-contributors, from what I've found. If you're under this assumption then you're living in a bubble or you're unknowingly signaling to people that your hobbies do revolve around stereotypical programmer things that they in turn prompt you about. Even so, I don't think you'd be failing anyone's expectations by not having cliche geek hobbies.
brogrammer90
You can't get a job on either coast without demonstrating "passion" to the team of neck beards that'll interview/scrutinize you.
smeyer
This is blatantly false. I work on the east coast (Cambridge) and know lots of people on both coasts with tech jobs that didn't involve demonstrating a "passion" for hobbies that "revolve around stereotypical programmer things". I also know plenty that do demonstrate such passion, but it's not a prerequisite.
brogrammer90
I guess I live in a bubble then because even the recruiters I've worked with suggested a "Side Projects" field on my resume. This despite my highly relevant employment history.
logn
That's ultimately driven by a concern in showing that: (1) you can learn quickly and (2) that you're a good enough programmer to be able to build things independently. A side projects section can show that, and so can properly framing your work experience.

Certainly it's a common perception that you must be passionate about programming and do it in your freetime, but I haven't found that to be the reality. You just need to be a good, competent worker.