mrmcd posted:

In the Google interview prep presentation I went to, the presenter mentioned that they see a lot of people who have spent their entire careers doing something along the lines of "take the data out of the database and put it on the UI" and can't manage to do literally anything else when asked.

Don Wrigley posted:

Interesting situation for me.

I worked as a software engineer for 8 years out of undergrad (most recently, VP/Senior level software engineer at a leading investment bank in NYC) and quit after doing a part-time MBA to do a stint as an investment banking associate, started almost a year ago.

What a horrible, horrible mistake. I know that a lot of software developers think they want to be investment bankers, but take it from me (without going into too much detail), you only think you want it...in actuality, I'm assuming 95+% of the people do not actually want it. I've given my resignation and am actively trying to get back into software. Going back to my old job...might be a possibility, but not yet sure. What I'm finding is that, with my current CV, I'm not getting much traction just sending out resumes/applying to jobs, and I'm not sure if it's because I have this year of doing i-banking as opposed to engineering? I've tried to minimize the past year on my resume by only giving it 2 bullets, is this a mistake?

I've been applying to all types of jobs for senior software engineers, with anywhere from 4-8 years of experience (as I said, I have a little bit over 8 years of experience). I have all the latest Java skills, new javascript frameworks, database, etc. I worked at a name-brand bank as a developer, and a different name-brand bank as an investment banker. Was actually surprised at how little traction I'm getting, as when I used to apply with said name brand bank, I'd almost always get responses. Any thoughts?

Progressive JPEG posted:

How could they have decided to get PTSD? Didn't they know there are kids starving in Africa?

Cicero posted:

Yeah it's great! I mean, most of those jobs are in expensive places too, and that's kind of a bummer. But overall A++++ would work for Google again.

Paolomania posted:

I came out of undergrad at a decent state school. Without having a pedigree/networking of a top tech or ivy it was 15 years of lame jobs, a MS, and opportunistic jumps with an eye towards resume building before I got in as a run-of-the-mill SWE at Big G. It most definitely sucks to see those with better fortune jumping right into such a role - or better - at the start of their careers; however you can't let that stop you.

Stinky_Pete posted:

Adding a button isn't a job

Blinkz0rz posted:

So you say, but a lot of people get paid a lot of money to do exactly that.

hendersa posted:

I believe that the last career advice I received from my parents for something like this (at least 15 years ago or so when I was laid off from a dotcom startup that was being purchased) was that I should hand-carry my resume into a large corporation and then ask to speak with a manager to personally deliver it. This is how "you get them to remember you and you get the job."

apseudonym posted:

At least for Google those pay bands are super low.

minato posted:

I would watch a Mr. Robot Season 3 where he travels the world to hunt down the world's five remaining COBOL programmers

rsjr posted:

There's a large difference between doing a little self research and asking for advice vs. a history of Livejournal, stream of conscious, you won't believe the new dumb poo poo I did at work today / had happen to me.

quote:

The lack of perspective on just how good the OP has it -- graduated from a boot camp, writing if-statements in language of choice and will probably make six figures in most large markets -- and wanting to know if it's the right career that can let you buy stuff. Do you have any idea what the average income is for most people and how cushy your job is?

Please keep treating this person with kid gloves. It'd be awful if they went to a different community to ask for permission to work on their resume and job hunts while taking money from their current employer.

Doctor w-rw-rw- posted:

Good Will Hrunting posted:

This is a generally positive/good thread in what can be a daunting field. Let's keep it that way, maybe?

shrughes/sarehu posted:

Go into more detail about relevant experience, go into less or more compressed detail about the "additional" experience, using less words to say the same things. I wouldn't have them be separately labeled sections, because if one section is "relevant" experience, the other section is irrelevant experience.

I'd keep the "convenience store clerk" thing because P(you being a pretentious flake) is smaller, but did you hold the job for like a week? I would have months on the date ranges.

You can fit the job title and employer and date range all one one line, making more room for bullet points.

You should not market yourself as somebody good at data visualization who's looking to do more of it, because who doesn't think data visualization is trivially easy?

rsjr posted:

Should I actively job hunt while working? Can I afford a house and stuff as a software developer? Is software development a good career? Is it mobile? Are you completely oblivious to basic, easily Googled facts and common sense you mildly retarded child?

raminasi posted:

NYC fintech it's not considered super weird, or at least wasn't until a few months ago. It's illegal now though.

sarehu posted:

Wrong. It's tied to the engineer's next best offer.

minato posted:

If you're talking about performance enhancing drugs as opposed to recreational, then I think you mean Adderall. I know a few people at the Big 5 who take it on the reg, especially on their designated "no meetings" workdays.

Fututor Magnus posted:

lmao "believe in IQ" thanks for admittiing that believing IQ actually measures intelligence is based more on faith and wishful thinking rather than actual scientific evidence

but you're a moron, people in your organization will promote you based on your ability as a programmer rather than how many shoulders you rub and cocks you suck.

any programmer that banks more on their "people skills" to get work and promotions rather on their actual skills is a bad loving programmer, and their heart is decidedly not in tech.


you need the same skills you need that you use for i.e. science journalism, which is breaking down technical concepts for the ignorant. it doesn't take much to develop these simple communication skills, you definitely shouldn't let your career languish in a mistaken attempt to develop these skills when they can be developed in the course of work itself, through practicing communicating programming and technical concepts to the non-technicals.

friendliness and gregariousness are not needed at all, which doesn't mean a programmer should be a dick, but that personality is irrelevant unless it is toxic and damaging to the organization or work environs.

i hope that people in this thread realize how dumb it is to expect engineers and programmers to be magnaminous people, that will exclude so many people that realize that focusing on extroversion and people skills takes away from their technical skills.

i can tell you from experience that the best programmers devote the time they have on their life's work and upgrading their skills (including both direct learning and experimentation with personal programming projects), and programming as a trade kinda requires you to do that. for these people, the only communication skills that matters in their line of work is communicating the technical aspects to those that don't understand, which i would wager is tied in with the passion said programmer has for tech. if you can talk about your passion for programming in an interview, you're kinda also signaling that you can talk about these things with probably anyone.