Poll of the Day > Because of the last topic, lets talk about /r/cscareerquestions.

(+) Yeah! (+)

I read this board a few years ago, and nothing ever posted there reflected any of my experiences in CS.
I know we have a few newer CS people on here (chewy, IBC). Have any of you actually had a relatable experience with anything off of this board?

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I remember that subreddit giving me a fuckton of anxiety when I was reading it the year I was graduating. Very doom and gloom, like it's super hard to get your foot in the door. Tons of people failing. Thought I needed a ton of personal projects and multiple internships at FAANG (I didn't). My reality is faaaaar the opposite. Lots of offers and constant recruiter messages. Self selection I guess, people struggling will be seeking help. I haven't looked at the sub since my first job.

Idk what it's like nowadays.

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I had the same experience. I had the whole "imposter syndrome" thing. At the time I had GameFAQs Avatars, which I guess helped get my first job (I had a single side project), but I had "no issue" getting a job out of school, only taking me 3 months to get one after interviewing at 3 different places. I had more trouble getting my third job because it was in that murky 3-5 year range.

Also zero internships. My friend who had several had a tougher time getting a job, but that was like 5 years after I graduated so idk if the job market changed much.

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I kinda feel bad, when the majority of threads are like this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/mywgxj/is_parttime_embedded_systems_freelancing_in_north/

This guy has zero idea of how the industry works.

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Judgmenl posted...

I had more trouble getting my third job because it was in that murky 3-5 year range.

what is this murkiness? I got my second job after 4 years at my first. I was really stupid with interviewing at too many places (like I did when I graduated -- I would only pick a handful now), 13 onsite interviews in 3 weeks, got offers at all but one that I was getting some sexist vibes from anyway (Twitch). Not to brag just like...what is this murkiness you speak of lol.

Judgmenl posted...

Also zero internships. My friend who had several had a tougher time getting a job, but that was like 5 years after I graduated so idk if the job market changed much.

I had an internship in college at a startup. I know some people who had trouble because they graduated around 2008...so. They are still a little underpaid even though they are definitely highly qualified. They also were doing military contractor work before with very proprietary stuff so had trouble with their resume not having a relevant tech stack, hasn't looked since but I bet he could do a lot better now if he switched jobs.

Judgmenl posted...

I kinda feel bad, when the majority of threads are like this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/mywgxj/is_parttime_embedded_systems_freelancing_in_north/

This guy has zero idea of how the industry works.

idk one of my colleagues has worked freelance or contract jobs that are short. But hiring 3 days part time non-contract/freelance? I only know of companies allowing that with the pandemic (and like having to juggle kids at home).

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Oh do you mean like staying at a company too long looks bad, and that starts around 3-5 years? Cause yeah I've heard that's a thing, can make you look like you're getting stagnant.

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grimhilde00 posted...

Oh do you mean like staying at a company too long looks bad, and that starts around 3-5 years? Cause yeah I've heard that's a thing, can make you look like you're getting stagnant.

Is that really a thing? I hate the constantly change culture. Is that a primarily US thing? I haven't changed jobs because I really like where I am, but everything seems to say you should constantly be jumping.

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DrPrimemaster posted...

Is that really a thing? I hate the constantly change culture. Is that a primarily US thing? I haven't changed jobs because I really like where I am, but everything seems to say you should constantly be jumping.

I worked at a place for almost 12 years, and still had no real issue getting a job after they laid me off (most of the issues were just remembering how to "prepare" for interviews, and finding jobs that fit my expected salary/experience range). So I really don't think it is that much of an issue. Maybe if you are applying to start-up who expect turnaround of about 2-3 years, but not for medium-large companies.

If you are happy where you are, no reason to jump. The only reason you should be maybe looking at other places is to see if you can get better pay/benefits elsewhere.

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DrPrimemaster posted...

Is that really a thing? I hate the constantly change culture. Is that a primarily US thing? I haven't changed jobs because I really like where I am, but everything seems to say you should constantly be jumping.

The concern is you might stop learning or staying up to date with the latest tech, might be too comfortable with a familiar codebase so won't adapt to a new environment well. Especially if like you're laid off / not looking voluntarily. But I know many who left around 5-6 years, or laid off, who had no issue. Even if there's that concern, there's also a ton of jobs available. I don't know how much this actually hinders things in reality. I like to move around, including cities.

I'm more concerned about ageism. Known some older colleagues who had a ton of trouble finding jobs, and I think the concern about staying at a place too long just compounded with the ageism concern of also not staying up to date with things. I'm saving a lot for early retirement out of this fear.

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grimhilde00 posted...

what is this murkiness? I got my second job after 4 years at my first. I was really stupid with interviewing at too many places (like I did when I graduated -- I would only pick a handful now), 13 onsite interviews in 3 weeks, got offers at all but one that I was getting some sexist vibes from anyway (Twitch). Not to brag just like...what is this murkiness you speak of lol.

No I mean, have enough experience to not be a noob, but not enough experience to be a senior. Getting a job in that time frame is... rough.


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Uh I don't know I don't think I've ever read that subreddit and if I did it was at least two years ago

Job searching has always been a miserable, crushing experience for me though, hope that helps

Like what other people have mentioned, one of the things that is unique to technology careers is that learning doesn't stop when you leave school. Sure, that applies to all jobs, but it applies twice as much to technology jobs.

I have only been out of college for 15 years and already the stuff I learned in college is completely outdated (well, except for core concepts). I wen't from a PHP developer, to Java, to Scala, and to Python in that time. I originally learned to program on Sun workstations, now most people use Macs or Windows. Applications went from large "big iron" systems to smaller distributed systems. Databases from SQL to NoSQL. Even the tools I used to do my job are completely different. But the big thing is you have to adapt to the changes.

Once you learn that, you really won't have as much trouble as you think.

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Staying up to date definitely makes sense.

Question for your guys, how much do you guys think about tech outside of work? It seems like a lot of my coworkers read articles and obsess about the industry when they go home. Personally Im more interested in so many other things.

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Judgmenl posted...

No I mean, have enough experience to not be a noob, but not enough experience to be a senior. Getting a job in that time frame is... rough.

ah, I had the senior title by then so that helps

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DrPrimemaster posted...

Staying up to date definitely makes sense.

Question for your guys, how much do you guys think about tech outside of work? It seems like a lot of my coworkers read articles and obsess about the industry when they go home. Personally Im more interested in so many other things.

I don't really at all. I do some game dev for fun but that's not at all applicable really for work since I don't want to go into that industry. My job is challenging enough and with modern enough tech stack, I'm still learning on the job and don't feel the need to do more than that.

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grimhilde00 posted...

ah, I had the senior title by then so that helps

I mean now I do so it doesn't really matter anymore, and it was only 6 months between those two positions (and I really should have attempted some legal recourse against my previous employer for ageism), but that's neither here nor there.

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https://youtu.be/7_aDz-AcCmY

I do program a little bit in my spare time though, but mostly just stuff that I can genuinely use to help out with daily tasks. And even then some of it is stuff that I could just use spreadsheets or some existing app. I guess sometimes I think it's "fun", but rarely, especially the more I get along in my career and find that the experience at work is way more valuable

Yea that sounds about right.
We generally don't hire like that, but I am looking for something that shows that I can hold a conversation with an interviewee.

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Judgmenl posted...

and I really should have attempted some legal recourse against my previous employer for ageism

how old are you?

this is what I'm most worried about...want to be FIRE ready by mid 40s-50, even if I don't immediately retire early, just worried about it being forced.

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grimhilde00 posted...

this is what I'm most worried about...want to be FIRE ready by mid 40s-50, even if I don't immediately retire early, just worried about it being forced.

31 now, I was 27 then.
Yes, ageism cases are not regularly heard for people under 40 but my previous job was really fucked up. I still don't quite understand why they got rid of me, and someone else who was a couple of years older than me shortly after (40 when I left, 300 now, I had several thousand RSUs purchased at $37 which I got $0 from). I think they intentionally waited until the product was created before canning us. There was something really fucked up going on at that company, they fired me immediately before their stock skyrocketed, due to a product I was the main developer on.

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Judgmenl posted...

31 now, I was 27 then.
Yes, ageism cases are not regularly heard for people under 40 but my previous job was really fucked up. I still don't quite understand why they got rid of me, and someone else who was a couple of years older than me shortly after (40 when I left, 300 now, I had several thousand RSUs purchased at $37 which I got $0 from). I think they intentionally waited until the product was created before canning us. There was something really fucked up going on at that company, they fired me immediately before their stock skyrocketed, due to a product I was the main developer on.

odd...also RSUs aren't purchased, they're given and vested, right? Do you mean stock options? Sounds less like ageism, more like getting rid of the old guard for stock reasons. I'm not familiar with stock options and how they expire, have only gotten RSUs. But shouldn't there be some protection against that?

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grimhilde00 posted...

I remember that subreddit giving me a fuckton of anxiety when I was reading it the year I was graduating. Very doom and gloom, like it's super hard to get your foot in the door. Tons of people failing. Thought I needed a ton of personal projects and multiple internships at FAANG (I didn't). My reality is faaaaar the opposite. Lots of offers and constant recruiter messages. Self selection I guess, people struggling will be seeking help. I haven't looked at the sub since my first job.

Idk what it's like nowadays.

I'm not in CS, but in a Networking program. There are a lot of idiots that blame others instead of themselves. They're probably the ones moaning on reddit.

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grimhilde00 posted...

odd...also RSUs aren't purchased, they're given and vested, right? Do you mean stock options? Sounds less like ageism, more like getting rid of the old guard for stock reasons. I'm not familiar with stock options and how they expire, have only gotten RSUs. But shouldn't there be some protection against that?

When I started I got 500 Stock Options.
A year in I got 1000 RSUs.
I got fired 10 months later, no reason given, meaning none of my RSUs vested.
The company was toxic af.

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Judgmenl posted...

When I started I got 500 Stock Options.
A year in I got 1000 RSUs.
I got fired 10 months later, no reason given, meaning none of my RSUs vested.
The company was toxic af.

oh purchased as in that's what they were valued at, I thought you meant you purchased them.

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Judgmenl posted...

No I mean, have enough experience to not be a noob, but not enough experience to be a senior. Getting a job in that time frame is... rough.

I am sort of in that window after about 3 professional years. I'm starting my search now and looking at postings definitely feels rough. Somehow don't feel like my experience is worth a whole lot or I'm getting boxed in from NOT working full stack JS all this time. I know postings are usually a ideal scenario or wish list, and I will apply anyway but still can't help but feel a little shit about it.

acesxhigh posted...

I'm getting boxed in from NOT working full stack JS all this time.

Best decision you'll make in your entire career. Who in their right mind would ever want to touch webdev?

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