Oldie Programming: Career Advice, Questions, Change of Directions

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Serious Hardware/Software Crap > The Cavern of COBOL > Oldie Programming: Career Advice, Questions, Change of Directions

«‹›2 »

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

Some companies are getting cheaper and wanting full stack developers, with a grand sprinkling of hipster JavaScript and CSS tools on top.

# ¿ Jan 30, 2015 02:16

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 3, 2024 15:52

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

The Agile Waterfall development model wins again.

# ¿ Mar 30, 2015 00:38

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

I'm in a team that barely appears once a week in the NY office. The manager lives on another floor. But then I have colleagues in Toronto, Boston, somewhere in Missouri, under the same manager too.

# ¿ Oct 26, 2015 00:40

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

I received this in the mail via StackExchange,

quote:

I hope this note finds you well. I am extremely impressed by your extensive C++.

I'm thinking where the hell do I show extensive C++ knowledge, certainly not on my profile or GitHub account? Oh, it's a recruiter :saddowns:

# ¿ Jan 23, 2016 01:08

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

Vulture Culture posted:

I interviewed at Jane Street back in the day and engineers' badges couldn't open the door to the server room during market hours

Change management rules should mean engineers are not allowed in at all, the important servers should be in NJ2 anyways.

# ¿ Feb 23, 2016 22:41

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

Skandranon posted:

C# is no longer bound to Windows. Microsoft open sourced the entire .Net framework, and recently bought Xamarin, so C# will soon be a very viable language on Windows, Linux, Android and iOS.

.NET has pretty weak open source support so many of the libraries to do anything interesting are commercial. Microsoft is opening things up to try and encourage others to help out to compete.

It's a bit weird if your company has a fetish for Microsoft but doesn't want to pay other companies for .NET libraries.

# ¿ Feb 28, 2016 15:28

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

Nope, I'm out of the office 4 days a week and the day that I'm in is pretty much one meeting and a team lunch.

# ¿ Jun 9, 2016 13:21

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

I just got laid off (again) today and HR basically said the restrictions are only valid as long as I am being paid, severance is being paid out as normal payroll instead of a lump sum. Even have to sign another "code of ethics" statement after my last day.

# ¿ Jun 21, 2016 02:54

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

Ithaqua posted:

Anyone interview with SpaceX recently? A recruiter just reached out to me, and hey, space. Sounds neat.

The satellite industry is pretty neat too, check out Spire.

Very interesting list of jobs on AngelList, startups in NYC and some other cities. Actually found a nice recruiter too: Single Sprout although all their jobs appear to be on AngelList.

:lol:

Elysium Health is an actual company hiring.

# ¿ Aug 11, 2016 19:48

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

Try and find a compromise like 60 hours a week, $$ but something else like international travel. Quite a few hedge funds have international offices so you could potentially hop around.

# ¿ Aug 16, 2016 03:12

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

hendersa posted:

5. They were shipping stripped debug builds because release builds "didn't work for some reason". They included the debug C++ libraries in the installer because most customers didn't have them. That would certainly explain the crashes due to asserts.

This is impressive, I presume no advantage was taken of everyone using the debug build either.

# ¿ Aug 22, 2016 14:18

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

Good Will Hrunting posted:

I'm trying not to sound salty but when I ask basic questions about qualifying the problem I don't expect silence.

I had that for one interview session at Google, he also took 2+ weeks to file feedback and that caused other issues and had the recruiter apologizing profusely. If working in a vacuum makes someone "Googley" I don't think I want to work there, maybe it explains a lot of their terrible products and services though.

Can you work for Facebook if you never use Facebook and don't want a Facebook account? :lol:

# ¿ Sep 7, 2016 04:57

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

If you don't have a public portfolio I can understand the logic behind a web project as there are a lot of moving parts and every company is lazy and wants a "full stack" developer. The question is do you still get a 4-5 hour onsite trivia quiz interview afterwards?

I don't think I've seen this at all in Java "core developer" or C++ developer land.

# ¿ Nov 7, 2016 21:12

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

Doctor w-rw-rw- posted:

Also, people who think build files should be written in code or a scripting language need to be hurt, badly.

Gulp, in JavaScript, is impressively terrible, especially when generating RPMs with something called Brass, however SCons in Python is pretty sweet. I think the differentiation is that webdev land stuff have terrible docs and a certain level of brain damage.

It's concise, but just too terse, the options for each parameter are completely opaque to me.

JavaScript code:

gulp.task('service', [ 'setup' ], function () {
    return gulp.src(brass.util.assets('service/systemd'))
    .pipe(brass.util.template(options.service))
    .pipe(brass.util.rename(options.service.name +'.service'))
    .pipe(gulp.dest(path.join(rpm.buildRoot, '/lib/systemd/system')))
    .pipe(rpm.files());
});

MrMoo fucked around with this message at 02:06 on Apr 23, 2017

# ¿ Apr 23, 2017 01:58

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

Pollyanna posted:

Is software development a relatively mobile career? It seems pretty amenable to moving around the US, since there's software needs everywhere, but specific tech stacks differ from place to place.

Mobile and web have demand everywhere, it's desktop apps, app servers and legacy maintenance that will vary on many levels. Certain shops with a preference for the man month are more likely to dictate a particular technology, in the solutions world it is more important to get things done so you have more control over the technology to use.

quote:

Don't dev jobs tend to last 3~5 years on average?

Some development work has short lifecycle tied to the technology, but there is a lot of legacy or Enterprise infrastructure that work on 15 year cycles. It's a noose around your resume the further entrenched into proprietary stacks and languages.

Freelancing or consulting provides great flexibility but like my current contract expires September and I have no idea what is happening after that.

# ¿ Jun 16, 2017 18:07

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

Pollyanna posted:

In general, sure. Some companies poo poo a massive brick if you don't use their exact tech stack, though.

A lot of the > $150k market can be complete dicks about missing out things on their job profile, you might get the interview but be prepared for a lot of time wasting and "not quite what we want" type response. I'm like 40/40 on failed interviews due to this, managed to pickup one position on hire-to-contract basis after they couldn't even get anyone else in even for interview. Finished all their work in 3 months though and left :lol:

# ¿ Sep 30, 2017 22:00

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

Pre-sales, you work with clients to demonstrate that your company's software can be adapted to perform the functions required by the client.

Post-sales being taking the client's full spec and turning into a production quality thing.

# ¿ Dec 1, 2017 18:09

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

Love Stole the Day posted:

Here is how trying to change careers to the tech industry went in 2017 for me...

# Job applications filled out: 70

# Interviews: 4

# Offers: 2

Getting offers is a good start, I had over 40+ onsite interviews in NYC and PA and all I could raise was a contract-to-hire and a contract of unspecified duration. 2018 I might be working in Bitcoin land :2bong:

After a year of working contract still no offers :derp:

# ¿ Jan 2, 2018 01:39

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

Literally rushing due to bad management and not any real time lines, less than worthless. They could employ teams across the globe and have follow-the-sun development if they really wanted to push things.

# ¿ Jan 4, 2018 19:37

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

Mniot posted:

I interviewed with a financial company that got all their workers as contractors.

A lot of banks work like this, it works out better tax-wise for higher paid incomes.

# ¿ Jan 21, 2018 06:08

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

Pixelboy posted:

So, what's the new hotness? Frankfurt? Munich? Sure as hell no place in France.

Dublin I think?

# ¿ Mar 1, 2018 05:31

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

Naar posted:

In my (Manchester-based) experience, yes. The highest permie salary I've seen here was ~�90k and typically technical lead-type roles will be ~�70 - 80k, while as a contractor I can get more than that without too much trouble.

I like this lead into a position, then cheap out at �70k in London

quote:

Major client with a �18 billion turnover has an urgent opportunity for a Cutting edge / New Technology Specialist / Emerging Technology Architect with solid expertise in both Software & Infrastructure to work closely with the global teams to propose, create and implement cutting edge, innovative high-quality solutions.

Although it does read on second pass to be a glorified project manager?

https://www.reed.co.uk/jobs/cutting-edge-new-technology-specialist/34351111

# ¿ Mar 1, 2018 06:13

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS posted:

1. Senior software engineer at another tech company.

2. "Solutions architect" at a consulting firm.

Both of these workplaces seem fine environment-wise, but I have a few misgivings about option #2 and I'm wondering if someone with more experience could speak to them.

So I'm a Solutions Architect, or a developer-architect because I run with both roles, and found some interesting quirks when job hunting. The architect is frequently a GUI based developer but bizarrely enough can pay significantly more but that's because you are gaining completely non-transferable skills in a proprietary design tool. The whole thesis is that you are solving real world problems with a particular set of tools.

A software engineer will be chastised over not having total recall of CS algorithms and data structures, an architect will be happy you can build anything from start to finish that actually works.

So one might find the architect position interesting because you can get to talk to clients and get to finish projects, but the technology might be utterly banal compared to high tech wonders of software engineering.

# ¿ Mar 10, 2018 01:50

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

Good Will Hrunting posted:

Then a bunch of even smaller Kool-Aid sipping start-ups. Also rejected from Spotify and Venmo without an interview.

You must have tried Peloton and Blue Apron? I've hit everyone on your list too.

# ¿ Jun 27, 2018 18:56

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

Good Will Hrunting posted:

Not yet, they are on my list somewhere though. Should I avoid? Tossing some other names out: Last time I hit Betterment, Mark43, Spring, and Rent the Runway. This time I've got... Oscar, Stash, Capsule, Curalate, and a bunch of other smaller ones remaining still.

Curalate is quite nice, headquartered in Philly but an office in Manhattan. Scala shop, they paid for my trip down there but were thoroughly unimpressed by my lack of DP image analysis skills.

How about Yext? That's a bit of a freak shop, funny seeing them listing on the NYSE floor recently. Colossal rear end hat asking questions about CSS 3 values for certain fields. :wtf:

# ¿ Jun 27, 2018 19:59

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

apseudonym posted:

That's not the policy at Google, at least not for the last 4 years I've been interviewing, you can get hired with an interviewer giving a strong negative -- but it's pretty uncommon to get a strong negative while everyone else is glowing.

I got one meh and everyone else was chuffed, took like 4 weeks to get the meh answer and the "job had gone" by the time the response was filed. That's with Google NYC.

# ¿ Jun 28, 2018 21:38

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

Sab669 posted:

My main concern would simply be being able to find short term contracts when I need them. Then assuming I can, what sort of work are those contracts typically like? I can't figure out what sort of job might be like "Yea we need another body, but only for a month or two"

I look for say a 6-month contract every year, goal is to tour around in a VW campervan and chillax. Even better to have maintenance contracts for regular bill payment.

Finding underpaid stuff is easy.

# ¿ Aug 1, 2019 01:44

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

I read a 4 year Masters, skipping the Bachelors. A minor gamble, if you fail the Masters you don�t walk away with a Bachelors. Benefits on immigration definitely worth it, even if not planned.

# ¿ May 27, 2020 17:55

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

For basic CRUD work looks an ok salary if was outside of DC?

https://www.statista.com/statistics/244983/projected-inflation-rate-in-the-united-states/

# ¿ Nov 17, 2020 21:14

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

'Huge shortage' in digital skills says Apprentice winner https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-57101527

Which can only mean Mark Wright is simply being �hugely� cheap.

# ¿ May 16, 2021 14:07

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

JawnV6 posted:

Are folks here really openly admitting to sub-100% coding??? Wow, incredible

https://twitter.com/__eel__/status/1584616892446441472

Sounds best description of a code monkey. No developer process, just pure code writing. Imagine the company asking for that.

# ¿ Oct 30, 2022 17:32

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

Does he repeat this at SpaceX, Tesla, and Boring? Twitter staff are certainly being more vocal.

# ¿ Nov 19, 2022 21:06

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

Bruegels Fuckbooks posted:

the dev jobs that pay the most are also easier and less stressful day-to-day - if a workplace is willing to pay you a lot of money, it's less likely to dick you around or waste your time,

I do not get that impression from quant jobs, you get paid because they do dick you around.

# ¿ Nov 21, 2022 14:31

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

Crazyweasel posted:

I wonder if it will make mid-tier compensation come up a bit. Those companies that have been drained over the last 5 years are still desperate for engineers, but their traditional pay structure is no stock, less perks, and like 1/3 TC.

It may be an end of a bubble. Are these engineers actually any good at anything? Are their skills only for super-size cloud projects and completely non transferable to any other workplace? How many will move to "Web3"? That's another bubble waiting to burst.

# ¿ Nov 21, 2022 19:21

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

That�s just another day for butt coins, it�s all the infrastructure people are trying to conjure above Ethereum, for presumably some level of stability.

It�s not a far jump working for Zuckerberg then working for crypto. Both are not exactly shining beacons of ethics.

awesomeolion posted:

Only engineers using my stack are ACTUALLY good

It�s all about being flexible to retrain and be humble on knowledge. Not usually a known trait of senior engineers.

MrMoo fucked around with this message at 16:11 on Nov 23, 2022

# ¿ Nov 23, 2022 16:06

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

ultrafilter posted:

https://twitter.com/jjvincent/status/1599743434360639489

Maybe we're not all that endangered just yet.

It's Stackoverflow, how would they know? I mean, the entire "Stack exchange" would only notice by volume and improved quality if anything? :lol:

# ¿ Dec 5, 2022 22:49

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

I think it's more that there are people 10x worse, which is not that surprising if you take untrained staff or those with minimal experience. In fact in going down, rather than up, it's pretty hard to hit a limit of how bad people can be.

# ¿ Jan 21, 2023 22:50

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

Jose Valasquez posted:

http://highscalability.com is another good resource, it has a section of real life designs, so you can do something like pretend the question is "design instagram" and see how close you get to their example. Ironically the site can be very slow at times.

Whoa, it came back. Not updated, but been dead for a while.

# ¿ Mar 14, 2023 21:46

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

That's probably based on 10k/s per VM, so minimum 3 VMs for a quorum. Thus less than 3 VMs worth of traffic could be called inefficient, and thus lambdas would offer a better ROI, allegedly?

Seems a bit random on numbers, server performance is all over the place due to varieties in stacks.

# ¿ Feb 18, 2024 20:26

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 3, 2024 15:52

MrMoo: Sep 14, 2000

It's the corporate users that force their staff to publish "articles" on linkedin that gets me, like idk who is reading all of that.

# ¿ Apr 5, 2024 20:07

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Serious Hardware/Software Crap > The Cavern of COBOL > Oldie Programming: Career Advice, Questions, Change of Directions

«‹›2 »