Ask HN: Why aren't you switching jobs?
Discussion in https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23563997 seemed to center around staying vs. switching jobs as a Software Engineer. So, let's hear it. It's common knowledge that you can make more money by switching jobs vs. accepting small percentage raises at your current job. So why are you staying?
33 comments
Because it's not only a matter of salary, you have to put "all in the balance" when considering a potential move. Personally, I was giving a lot of value to the mobility within the company.
I started as a computer scientist in a bank and became a trader a couple of years later.
Outside of my company, it would not have been possible because I didn't study finance.
I started as a computer scientist in a bank and became a trader a couple of years later.
Outside of my company, it would not have been possible because I didn't study finance.
I was looking to do that a couple years ago, but decided to stay with tech. I would have been a trader analyst and then have the option to be a trader if a position opened. I'd love to be a day trader working for myself, but I don't have the capital and don't feel comfortable with margin.
Not trying to be snarky, but did the bank actually employ you as a computer scientist? It seems now likely that you were doing software development. If it was the former I'd be interested to hear what types of things they had you working on.
Was it hard to convince them to give you that chance?
Some companies seem to prefer to hire from the outside rather than to give the chance to someone internally.
Some companies seem to prefer to hire from the outside rather than to give the chance to someone internally.
I did not have to, I had the chance to be the "natural choice" when a trader left the desk.
I joined the desk as a computer scientist. They quickly gave me the opportunity to develop the strategies with them and thus to understand/know the business.
At the bank for which I was working, this kind of move is not uncommon.
I joined the desk as a computer scientist. They quickly gave me the opportunity to develop the strategies with them and thus to understand/know the business.
At the bank for which I was working, this kind of move is not uncommon.
In order of importance:
1. Sizeable retention package at 1 year of employment.
2. My job is very undemanding at the moment and I get to learn a bunch of things in my spare time.
3. The optics of leaving after a short period of time.
4. Difficulties around finding a new job due to covid-19 and/or having to work fully remotely for a new company.
So I'm hanging around until the 1-year mark and doing my best to level up my skills as much as possible in the meantime.
1. Sizeable retention package at 1 year of employment.
2. My job is very undemanding at the moment and I get to learn a bunch of things in my spare time.
3. The optics of leaving after a short period of time.
4. Difficulties around finding a new job due to covid-19 and/or having to work fully remotely for a new company.
So I'm hanging around until the 1-year mark and doing my best to level up my skills as much as possible in the meantime.
Short answer: Because I need to grind more leetcode.
Longer answer: I like my team and manager, although not my company and org (non-tech company), and the work has become very unchallenging.
But if I make a change, I want it to be to a company that will give me a significant benefit in terms of some combo of compensation, work, culture, and prestige. If I'm only going to get a 10%-20% raise but end up with a bad team or manager, I don't feel it's worth it.
...hence, I need to grind more leetcode, because all of the companies I feel worth jumping to are heavily gatekeeped by leetcode interviews.
Longer answer: I like my team and manager, although not my company and org (non-tech company), and the work has become very unchallenging.
But if I make a change, I want it to be to a company that will give me a significant benefit in terms of some combo of compensation, work, culture, and prestige. If I'm only going to get a 10%-20% raise but end up with a bad team or manager, I don't feel it's worth it.
...hence, I need to grind more leetcode, because all of the companies I feel worth jumping to are heavily gatekeeped by leetcode interviews.
* Already made a lot of jumps in the past 5 years -- don't want to get pigeonholed as a jumper or mercenary or "hard to work with"; I've already gotten the 20% raises by jumping a few times, time to chill
* Apropos of the above, current salary and bennies are decent, bonus potential is great; no reason to rock the boat now
* Work teams are a mess at times but are tolerable enough. Being 100% remote at this point is cool. Better the devil you know, etc.
* Looking to buy a house and have a kid/kids soon, would rather focus on home life for now before creating additional wrinkles
* Been using a lot of different technologies over the past 5-7 years, "jack-of-all" but no mastery. I'd like to specialize a little more and go deep into a stack/language/skill-set. Easier to be at one place and focus on getting fluency and skill then throwing more complications into things.
* Apropos of the above, current salary and bennies are decent, bonus potential is great; no reason to rock the boat now
* Work teams are a mess at times but are tolerable enough. Being 100% remote at this point is cool. Better the devil you know, etc.
* Looking to buy a house and have a kid/kids soon, would rather focus on home life for now before creating additional wrinkles
* Been using a lot of different technologies over the past 5-7 years, "jack-of-all" but no mastery. I'd like to specialize a little more and go deep into a stack/language/skill-set. Easier to be at one place and focus on getting fluency and skill then throwing more complications into things.
I don't think this is true forever. I've doubled my salary in my first five years in my career through job changes, but I don't think I can do it again. I guess I have one more 20k jump (if I'm lucky) and then I will have maxed out the salary for my position and market.
45 days PTO (in the US)
Australian here, so sorry if this is a stupid question. I read PTO as paid time off. Does this include public holidays (e.g Christmas, New Years, etc) or is PTO excluding those?
In Australia, we get roughly 10 public holidays per year (depending on the state) plus 28 days of "annual leave" which is usually called PTO here (and an additional 10 days of sick leave, which usually isn't counted since it's not paid out if you leave the company).
In Australia, we get roughly 10 public holidays per year (depending on the state) plus 28 days of "annual leave" which is usually called PTO here (and an additional 10 days of sick leave, which usually isn't counted since it's not paid out if you leave the company).
My company's time policy is:
* 45 days PTO when you would otherwise be working - it kicks in after 6 months, no hard policy besides "please don't use it all at once".
* Unmetered sick-leave.
* All federal and public holidays in your state, in addition to any public holidays in California (as that's when the rest of the company won't be working anyway).
* The catch is that you have to post your vacation photos to the company Slack when you get back.
* 45 days PTO when you would otherwise be working - it kicks in after 6 months, no hard policy besides "please don't use it all at once".
* Unmetered sick-leave.
* All federal and public holidays in your state, in addition to any public holidays in California (as that's when the rest of the company won't be working anyway).
* The catch is that you have to post your vacation photos to the company Slack when you get back.
Where do I send my resume?
Sounds like a pretty good deal :)
Covid, childcare issues
Actually Covid may make working remotely more acceptable, so may lead to more options, if the economy does not prevent it.
Actually Covid may make working remotely more acceptable, so may lead to more options, if the economy does not prevent it.
Based on your argument — taking it to an absurd extreme — you’d never stay in a job and be perpetually changing.
I like my boss, team and company culture. I also care about their end product (am a consumer myself) and have a lot of say in the technical direction of the company at large.
I am likely making 1/2 of what I could be making if I moved to a FAANG and I am pretty OK with it. Is still plenty to live and save well.
I am likely making 1/2 of what I could be making if I moved to a FAANG and I am pretty OK with it. Is still plenty to live and save well.
Because I can't.
There aren't a ton of open positions in my area right now.
I've been in obscure/obsolete tech for too long (neoxam and filenet).
I have a family to support, so I need the pay and benefits.
Otherwise, I would probably leave tech for something like construction. I'm tired of the unrealistic expectations.
There aren't a ton of open positions in my area right now.
I've been in obscure/obsolete tech for too long (neoxam and filenet).
I have a family to support, so I need the pay and benefits.
Otherwise, I would probably leave tech for something like construction. I'm tired of the unrealistic expectations.
I was in similar position like you. Niche technology stack and while I was gainfully employed, the prospect didn't look good in that I could get a similar job in similar industry, but I would not enjoy it at all. I spent about 2 years and rebuild my entire stack. Prior to that, I was all proprietary technology. I focused on Python and AWS. So about 18 months ago, I managed to get a job with a highly respected company, same pay, better career track. Don't give up, you'll get there.
And I just moved to a team that uses AWS and some Python a couple months ago. It's terrible. I get all the shitty stories, we don't really build anything (mostly data replication work with very little coding), and I have no motivation/morale after about 2 weeks WFH. They don't teach you anything or even provide any growth opportunities. I'm tired of restarting my career every few years because the company decides to outsource or whatever. I just hope I don't get fired. If I can just work 5 more years I could probably refinance the house and get a job at Lowes or Walmart.
I have AWS certs and basic Python knowledge. I think I'd be better off just getting an hourly job in a different industry. All companies do is screw over salaried workers.
For example, to get promoted I would need to work a 9 hour day instead of 8 hours. I put in extra time when needed, like for elevations and stuff, but I'm talking about consistently working a minimum of 9 hours. That's a 12% increase in my minimum daily work time for only a 7% raise. How stupid do they think people are?
For example, to get promoted I would need to work a 9 hour day instead of 8 hours. I put in extra time when needed, like for elevations and stuff, but I'm talking about consistently working a minimum of 9 hours. That's a 12% increase in my minimum daily work time for only a 7% raise. How stupid do they think people are?
Because I've been in my career for 20 years and am in a good place. I have moved jobs, a lot.
What I wish I knew back then was that being "staff" could (and likely should) be carried over to the next company.
What I wish I knew back then was that being "staff" could (and likely should) be carried over to the next company.
What do you mean by "staff"?
Staff as opposed to freelance. Staff as in "We want to keep you around."
I really like my boss, if the trade is a known great manager v rolling the dice plus more money, I’ll pick the manager. I haven’t always felt this way, but I value it now.
With all the uncertainty of COVID, it seems worth sticking around at BigCo for a while longer.
My salary has doubled in the last 4 years at my Big tech job through raises/promotions.