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geeves posted:So my coworker has pretty much grown his own family tree of old subordinates over the last few months (quick note: 2 have been here for 2.5 years). He's only brought in 4 people over the last three months to interview and pretty much made it clear he was only interested in hiring people he's managed before. He's brought in zero female candidates saying they weren't qualified enough, this is even after I audited their code and resume. Jesus christ what a nightmare. My condolences mate.
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May 18, 2018 03:18
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So why does he have that sort of hiring power? Is he related to the owners or something or is your company that incompetent
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May 18, 2018 03:30
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geeves posted:So my coworker has pretty much grown his own family tree of old subordinates over the last few months (quick note: 2 have been here for 2.5 years). He's only brought in 4 people over the last three months to interview and pretty much made it clear he was only interested in hiring people he's managed before. He's brought in zero female candidates saying they weren't qualified enough, this is even after I audited their code and resume.
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May 18, 2018 03:43
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blugbee posted:So why does he have that sort of hiring power? Is he related to the owners or something or is your company that incompetent He's a manager. I am not. I may be my company's principal engineer, but I do not manage my own team. I focus more on architecture and am a cross-team lead. I wield some influence, but management decisions are made only with my input. We have always had a notoriously hard time hiring. We have to compete with Google, Uber, Amazon, PNC, etc. in Pittsburgh. genki posted:You haven't mentioned this, but I really hope you're looking for a new job. You can't improve a situation where management is willfully doing the wrong thing. It doesn't sound like transferring will be an option, so you'll need to just find a new job. It's not a huge rush, but frankly I can't see how any new job won't be an improvement over this kind of management shitshow. I appreciate the call out to look for a new job. However, the truth is I care about this company. We've had missteps, but I do not think that a single bad hire is cause to jump ship. I don't think it's a management shitshow either. I'm mostly bitching about this decision and to ask how to better avoid poo poo hires in the future.
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May 18, 2018 04:50
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If a manager is bound and determined to hire somebody regardless of your input, there's really not much you can do about that.
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May 18, 2018 04:52
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geeves posted:He's a manager. I am not. I may be my company's principal engineer, but I do not manage my own team. I focus more on architecture and am a cross-team lead. I wield some influence, but management decisions are made only with my input. This is still "manager makes a decision running counter to literally everybody's advice after having admitted that the guy had to be fired previously." Anyone who does that is not worth working for. He's demonstrating either nepotism or stupidity, and both are bad for you, your coworkers, and the company.
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May 18, 2018 05:03
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geeves posted:However, the truth is I care about this company. I made that mistake once, too, and came out with a year or two of my life wasted and a few metaphorical knife wounds in the back because of it. Sever and move on, the only business that deserves love like that is one you founded and built. BurntCornMuffin fucked around with this message at 05:08 on May 18, 2018 |
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May 18, 2018 05:05
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geeves posted:I appreciate the call out to look for a new job. However, the truth is I care about this company. We've had missteps, but I do not think that a single bad hire is cause to jump ship. I don't think it's a management shitshow either. I'm mostly bitching about this decision and to ask how to better avoid poo poo hires in the future.
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May 18, 2018 05:41
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100 degrees Calcium posted:Writing is on the wall where I work. This job isn't what it used to be and it's going to get worse before it gets better. I need to get a new job. It sounds like you're a bsckend dev, so a portfolio isn't really necessary. Your main tool for getting phone interviews is going to be a resume. You done more than you think, even at a non-cutting edge shop, and you will definitely have a lot of points to put down. But since you haven't done this in eight years it might be worth talking to a resume pro. A lot of people here have had great luck with local technology groups, especially in the Pacific Northwest, so check them out if you can. While you're working on the resume, buy, borrow, or steal "Cracking the Code Interview". The knowledge in there will be more important for interviewing than specific languages.
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May 18, 2018 06:37
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Mongo can do some neat stuff with location data, it has built in geospatial queries that can return locations inside a boundary or on an intersect. Saved me a lot of time on a toy project. I'm no db expert though, is there a better query engine I could be using for locations?
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May 18, 2018 07:36
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Thanks for the feedback about Mongo. It sounds like I've been roughly on the money that not having some form of consistent backing store is not a good idea. To spread some light on our current setup, we're using MSSQL as our main store and Redis for caching and its Set features.Cirofren posted:Mongo can do some neat stuff with location data, it has built in geospatial queries that can return locations inside a boundary or on an intersect. Postgres has genuine first in class spatial support (PostGIS). MSSQL and Oracle are both good (good being relative for Oracle).
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May 18, 2018 08:15
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Cirofren posted:Mongo can do some neat stuff with location data, it has built in geospatial queries that can return locations inside a boundary or on an intersect. When I read your question I thought "I bet there's something for postgres that'll do that" and found this: https://postgis.net/ No idea if it's any good though, I'm afraid. That's a pretty great thing to be able to do though, it's never occurred to me before because I haven't needed to in my particular work.
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May 18, 2018 08:15
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Cirofren posted:... is there a better query engine I could be using for locations? I've used elasticsearch for this and been very happy with its speed and flexibility. Its ability to do advanced ranking in addition to filtering was very useful for the project I was on (like, detecting how close to a geo boundary an entity is for example). I'm not saying it's better than Mongo necessarily, because I haven't used that in like five years. Just throwing it out as a solution I liked.
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May 18, 2018 14:04
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strange posted:Thanks for the feedback about Mongo. It sounds like I've been roughly on the money that not having some form of consistent backing store is not a good idea. There are times when consistency can be less of a concern. You need to consider case by case how your customer uses the data, the benefits of having a distributed NoSQL datastore vs the risks of losing ACID compliance, and which guarantee of the CAP theorem would suck the least to drop.
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May 18, 2018 14:39
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:This is still "manager makes a decision running counter to literally everybody's advice after having admitted that the guy had to be fired previously." Anyone who does that is not worth working for. He's demonstrating either nepotism or stupidity, and both are bad for you, your coworkers, and the company. It's really nepotism. I mean after the first two hires that he brought over from his prior company he was hit with a Cease and Desist. The thing that bugs me most is that my team has been hiring as well and we have 1 spot to fill and had two really, really good candidates this week. One of them junior but full stack as hell - just the type of person we claim to want. When we discussed the candidates I said that we should hire this junior guy for the front end position. He can learn what he lacks in CSS and be a valuable cross-discipline resource. That's when I learned that Skeletor's offer was already in the works. blugbee posted:So why does he have that sort of hiring power? Is he related to the owners or something or is your company that incompetent He was hiring to be the manager of the front-end team and build it. His previous hires have been great. I will not deny that. The people he brought from his former company deliver, learn and excel. We're also in Pittsburgh. It's the talent's market here and there are a lot of startups as well as some big medicine, insurance and banks. (who all underpay). We pay above market and have the best benefits to go along with it. We've been trying to fill 6 positions since January. We've only hired 2. Mostly its people from out of state or people who need sponsorships. Neither of which we have the money to do.
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May 19, 2018 02:07
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lifg posted:It sounds like you're a bsckend dev, so a portfolio isn't really necessary. Yo, thanks for the advice. That will really help me focus my efforts. I'll definitely check out that book, I'm terrified about interviewing haha
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May 19, 2018 02:32
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geeves posted:I appreciate the call out to look for a new job. However, the truth is I care about this company. We've had missteps, but I do not think that a single bad hire is cause to jump ship. I don't think it's a management shitshow either. I'm mostly bitching about this decision and to ask how to better avoid poo poo hires in the future. There's a big difference between "we hired someone who seemed fine, but they turned out to be an rear end in a top hat" and "we hired someone who described himself in the interview as 'a gaping rear end in a top hat'".
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May 19, 2018 15:17
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Mniot posted:There's a big difference between "we hired someone who seemed fine, but they turned out to be an rear end in a top hat" and "we hired someone who described himself in the interview as 'a gaping rear end in a top hat'". Job I had a while back: A candidate comes in for an interview. Afterward, all 8 people who participated in conducting the interview unanimously say that the candidate was an rear end in a top hat and vote "no hire." Boss still thinks they talked a good technical game, so he calls references anyway. Reference says "yeah, they were a major rear end in a top hat in the beginning, but over time they had really shaped up." Boss makes an offer on this basis. New employee shows up. By week 2 it's plain as day they're not just a mere rear end in a top hat but a truly distinguished sort of rear end in a top hat, and also pretty questionable in their technical skills. After five months of them screwing up at work and being a dick to everyone, they're finally fired. In the meantime two good people on the team quit, because management has demonstrated they give absolutely no fucks about the wellbeing of the team. The best outcome of this situation is that the person reveals themselves to be an rear end in a top hat and gets fired before too much damage is done, and even then, you can't trust the boss not to make a bad hire again. Get yourself a new team where management cares.
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May 20, 2018 01:36
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Hey fam, I've been working in tech (and tech adjacent fields) for the past 10 years, and I'm not sure if I'm bummed out, burnt out, or falling headlong into a bunch of unearned cynicism. Are there software jobs that (1) don't try to convince you that you're part of a family, (2) aren't making the world actively worse, and (3) will let me afford a house? I feel like I get to pick one option max, but I also think I may just be salty about startups (I've worked with so many lovely men). How do I figure out what I'm worth? How do you all think about your careers and the technologies you use? Is it ok to never be mission-driven, and always be motivated by money + solving micro problems on the software level? (e.g is excitement at solving a gnarly concurrency problem the most I can look forward to?) Here's some resume and life context: 2007 - 2012 worked for the NIH developing 3D cell simulations with a computational biology team (c++, open-gl, sundials, some other math libraries). The work was great and fun, but I wasn't making any money; rather than try for a Physics PhD, I dropped out of a masters program and moved to Mountain View to join a lovely YCombinator company. The highlight of this period was getting a [shared] first authorship on a Nature paper (the head of the group was fair, kind, and very interested in making sure we all got a share of the credit). 2012 - 2018 dropped out of grad school, moved to the SF Bay area, and turned into a mobile developer (objc, java, react native). It's fine I guess.
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May 22, 2018 01:30
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There are some good jobs in comp bio, and that tends not to have the culture issues of tech companies in the bay area. I know Boston has a pretty decent scene, and I think Philly might finally be getting there.
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May 22, 2018 01:47
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I work for a company in SF that could potentially meet those requirements and we are hiring across the stack. I've been here almost 5 years and still happy. PM me if you're potentially interested.
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May 22, 2018 01:59
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Work for a large company that has an established HR department. On that note, my company is also hiring across the stack of you're interested.
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May 22, 2018 08:57
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fashionly snort posted:Hey fam, I've been working in tech (and tech adjacent fields) for the past 10 years, and I'm not sure if I'm bummed out, burnt out, or falling headlong into a bunch of unearned cynicism. Could also be depression. Always depression. fashionly snort posted:Are there software jobs that (1) don't try to convince you that you're part of a family Avoid startups and "family owned" businesses. fashionly snort posted:(2) aren't making the world actively worse Public sector is usually a good shout. California has started up a digital department recently. fashionly snort posted:(3) will let me afford a house? Not directly, but perhaps if you're going via an agency, contracting, or running projects for clients yourself. fashionly snort posted:How do I figure out what I'm worth? Keep asking for more until you're told no. Bear in mind that value is a meeting point between what the supplier is willing to accept and what the consumer is willing to pay, so it will necessarily change per employer / client / etc. fashionly snort posted:How do you all think about your careers and the technologies you use? I vacillate between wanting to deep dive into an organisation and wanting to quit it all and become a sculptor. fashionly snort posted:Is it ok to never be mission-driven, and always be motivated by money + solving micro problems on the software level? (e.g is excitement at solving a gnarly concurrency problem the most I can look forward to?) Yes, if you're OK with capping your advancement. I have a reputation of being an extremely productive individual contributor and capable of taking on large chunks of difficult work, but I have and will be passed over for more strategic roles because I don't have the right mindset.
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May 22, 2018 09:48
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Jaded Burnout posted:Could also be depression. Always depression. Jaded Burnout posted:Avoid startups and "family owned" businesses. In general I have found that life sucks and then you die. In the meantime, find something that does not kill you or makes you want to kill yourself that also allows yourself to live comfortably. Software development for the right company is very good for this, provided you have clear to yourself what it is you are looking for and reject offers if it is not meeting you criteria, such as company culture or size. To comment a bit more on Jaded Burnout, I was a manager and unsuitable for it so I diverted my life to coding. Now with my age and mannerism, a team might look at me for a senior or steering role but they can keep the money and responsibilities, I just want to code and be creative.
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May 22, 2018 10:13
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fashionly snort posted:Hey fam, I've been working in tech (and tech adjacent fields) for the past 10 years, and I'm not sure if I'm bummed out, burnt out, or falling headlong into a bunch of unearned cynicism. Are there software jobs that (1) don't try to convince you that you're part of a family, (2) aren't making the world actively worse, and (3) will let me afford a house? I feel like I get to pick one option max, but I also think I may just be salty about startups (I've worked with so many lovely men). How do I figure out what I'm worth? How do you all think about your careers and the technologies you use? Is it ok to never be mission-driven, and always be motivated by money + solving micro problems on the software level? (e.g is excitement at solving a gnarly concurrency problem the most I can look forward to?) If I had your background, I'd be looking at the local medical device places. I'd also be in a housing market that's not an absurd bubble caused by pants-on-head-stupid laws and NIMBY boomers because a freestanding house is a goal.
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May 22, 2018 13:46
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fashionly snort posted:(3) will let me afford a house? The housing market is ruined by rich assholes looking to buy up land and flip it for profit, not even personal use, as well as foreign moneyed interests like third-world governments and Russian billionaires trying to launder money by buying luxury apartments and keeping them empty. The problem with housing is not your fault, it is the fault of capitalism and the bourgeoisie. It is, however, compounded by software engineers rarely being paid in proportion to the revenue and savings we generate for our companies. When we make fixes and changes that land our companies $200k/mo deals and we get shafted on our salaries and bonuses, then we’re effectively being conspired against to keep our wages low. In a just world, we would be paid in proportion to what we generate. In a more perfect world, housing and financial subsistence would not be a problem because housing costs would be regulated and progressive taxes would make corporations and billionaires pay their fair share.
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May 22, 2018 15:22
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Pollyanna posted:The housing market is ruined by rich assholes looking to buy up land and flip it for profit, not even personal use, as well as foreign moneyed interests like third-world governments and Russian billionaires trying to launder money by buying luxury apartments and keeping them empty. Well, that's a hell of a derail. I can't wait to see inevitable pages of political debate and name-calling.
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May 22, 2018 16:26
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It’s what I do.
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May 22, 2018 16:38
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asur posted:Work for a large company that has an established HR department. On that note, my company is also hiring across the stack of you're interested. This is an extremely important point. Early in my career I held a job where the single HR person was also the CTO, CFO, and at least six other C titles, and also the CEO's wife. I learned some very hard lessons from that job, mostly "what to consider red flags in an interview," and "it's okay to say no".
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May 22, 2018 16:43
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"Avoiding startups" in New York City means I take my pick of ad-tech, mar-tech, or fin-tech. There are only a select few ed-tech companies and most of the health-tech companies are C# shops, while I'm a Java guy. Fintech seems like the least of three evils, I know some posters here have expressed that they work in fintech and enjoy it, but I will absolutely never consider advertising or marketing again. It's a level of "full of poo poo" that just bleeds down from the top to the engineering management, I've found. Also Hrupdate on my end: rejected flat-out from Venmo and Spotify. Lots of interest from ad-tech companies and "big data" companies on AngelList though! Good Will Hrunting fucked around with this message at 16:54 on May 22, 2018 |
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May 22, 2018 16:50
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Good Will Hrunting posted:"Avoiding startups" in New York City means I take my pick of ad-tech, mar-tech, or fin-tech. There are only a select few ed-tech companies and most of the health-tech companies are C# shops, while I'm a Java guy. Fintech seems like the least of three evils, I know some posters here have expressed that they work in fintech and enjoy it, but I will absolutely never consider advertising or marketing again. It's a level of "full of poo poo" that just bleeds down from the top to the engineering management, I've found. NYC tends to be a .NET hotspot if StackOverflow's statistics are anything to go by. Are those Big Data companies looking for a Data Scientist in you, or a Data Plumber? Those are the roles you are probably going to land in.
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May 22, 2018 17:54
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BurntCornMuffin posted:NYC tends to be a .NET hotspot if StackOverflow's statistics are anything to go by. Data Plumber, which is basically what I do now. My last features I worked on were scheduled jobs for maintaining data, replaying data, etc, etc. It isn't that boring, and I don't dislike it, just happens to be the places that are pinging me are garbage industries and I'm hesitant to stay.
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May 22, 2018 17:59
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Good Will Hrunting posted:C# shops, while I'm a Java guy so what
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May 22, 2018 20:14
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JawnV6 posted:so what this is a pretty good point. unless they want deep .NET expertise, your ability to sling Java means you'll probably be just fine slinging C#. whether or not you want to work in a windows shop is a different question for sure.
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May 22, 2018 20:21
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I don't care about the language, I meant more about the ecosystem of working in Windows versus *NIX.
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May 22, 2018 20:32
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Good Will Hrunting posted:I don't care about the language, I meant more about the ecosystem of working in Windows versus *NIX. SLASHES GO WRONG VAY! *smashes keyboard*
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May 22, 2018 21:06
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Munkeymon posted:SLASHES GO WRONG VAY! *smashes keyboard* Either NO platform-specific button on my keyboard or it better be NEXT TO THE SPACEBAR!
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May 22, 2018 21:18
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I mean, joke all you want but I'm actually serious? I'm extremely comfortable with lots of *NIX tools that make my job infinitely easier on a daily basis. I can't imagine not having them.
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May 22, 2018 21:47
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Good Will Hrunting posted:I mean, joke all you want but I'm actually serious? I'm extremely comfortable with lots of *NIX tools that make my job infinitely easier on a daily basis. I can't imagine not having them. Want to get specific? Like, I hope you're not relying on grep when C# IDE's have a better native tool for any use case. But honestly when you're staring at zero opportunities in non-evil industries and aren't willing to budge on learning cygwin or windows, I dunno what to tell you. I've worked in 14 languages and developed on 3 OS's. My first professional language is literally dead with no active users. Nor am I pining to be working on SuSE anymore.
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May 22, 2018 22:26
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I think you took my post in the most negative manner possible when in actuality I'm just really timid. I didn't say "mother gently caress Windows I hate it and I'm never working with it". I'm merely stating that everything I've learned up to this part of my brief professional career has been Linux and JVM related save for some Node. Honestly I don't care about languages or tech stacks. I want to do back end or maybe data pipeline work if it's modern enough. As long as i don't have to touch front end or a UI regularly and can work on large scale systems I'm cool.
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May 22, 2018 22:34
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