fullposts.csv

title,id,topic,author,comms_num,created,body
my first pregnancy was awful and completely derailed my career at my previous job. how should i handle a second pregnancy at my new company?,ed67ci,blank,zenocrate,98,1576851572.0,"i used to work at amazon, and i was up for promotion when i got pregnant. i had a truly horrendous pregnancy — vomiting and nausea for months on end, exhaustion beyond anything i have felt in my life, the whole nine yards. i took a month unpaid to lie in bed and vomit in the first trimester, and was working at *maybe* 50% capacity for the remainder of my pregnancy.  it completely derailed my career track. not only was i not promoted, but i was hit with a performance improvement plan when i got back from maternity leave. it was clear that my org’s management simply didn’t believe me when i told them how incredibly sick and miserable i’d been. i blew the pip out of the water (because... you know... i wasn’t pregnant any more), but at that point i felt so frustrated that i quit and started a new job in april.  i *love* my new company, and i’ve done really well and have taken on a number of new responsibilities. however, my husband and i are trying to conceive a second, and i really don’t want the pregnancy to ruin this great thing i have going.  now that i know how awful pregnancy is for me, i’m thinking of requesting to be half time for the duration of the pregnancy (whenever it happens). we don’t have any part time employees, so i don’t know if they’ll accommodate the request. but i know from experience i won’t be able to deliver more than 50% of my usual output. i’d rather be up front about that from the get go, rather than be consistently underperforming for 9 months.  i know this is a little unorthodox, but is it a bad idea? are there any other ways to handle the situation?  edit: to be clear, this is not a conversation i plan to have now. i just want to figure out what i *should* say if and when i do get pregnant, whenever that is."
pregnancy first or changing career first?,eoym2c,blank,Fabiololo,16,1579098257.0,"in need of advice: i am a 35y/o female currently working full time and my bf and i are thinking of  having a baby. i am 35, almost 36, so can't wait for ever for that unfortunately.   at the same time, i finally found what i want to do (i have been thinking about a career reconversion for a long time now) and found the software system developer (ssd) program at bcit that starts september2020. i am doing the pre-req to get in the program at the moment.   i don't know if i should :  1-do the ssd program first and hopefully get a first job right away after (but first job is always hard to get as a junior dev) and if i am lucky enough, i could work remote after pregnancy.  2-just do the schooling and not worry about looking for the job if i get pregnant, but i don't feel it is good to leave a gap in between imo but maybe i am wrong about that (obviously i would keep practicing the coding and look for remote positions). i hear the market is pretty competitive when you first start into this field and i want to do things right.  3- or just don't bother with school yet and have a baby first and then later on change careers in a couple of years when the kid is in a daycare.  i am driving myself nuts with that and overthinking it.  thanks all for your kind advices!"
where do you find freelance projects?,e7y1wp,blank,nerdy3000,4,1575861744.0,"i have a full-time job as a senior software engineer, but i really like taking on small freelance jobs on the side, usually simple things like custom wordpress sites.  i used to have a great deal with a designer where he would design websites for his clients and i would build them, it was perfect. i took a long break just as his business was picking up due to pregnancy being exhausting and then having a baby and not having the time and he hired a full-time developer in that time.  im starting to have time again and want to pick up some freelance again, i used to find little gigs on kijiji but there doesn't seem to be any there.  where should i be looking? any tips? i'm in toronto area of canada if that helps any.  thanks in advance :)"
anyone have experience looking for a job before graduating while pregnant?,arglk4,blank,sunshinewillbeinlife,28,1550402957.0,"dear all  i really need your advice and help. really complicated situation.  ​  i am a current graduate student and **i am going to graduate on december,2019.**  ​  i just got a great summer internship offer two weeks ago. and the summer internship has large potential to become a return offer. but i just found out i am pregnant yesterday. and the baby should be delivered around **10/28**.  it really takes lots of my effort to get the internship offer and i think i still should go. is there awkward to have a pregnant intern? i know in this case i may not get the return offer anymore, i will still try my best.  i just can't give up the opportunity and i still think i should go to intern (even in another state).  ​  ​  **now my concern is is it still possible that i can find a job before graduating? will any employer accept me in this situation.** since the baby will be delivered before the graduation, and i have my husband's mom to help to take care the baby, i am available to work once i graduate.  ​  **should i delay my graduation to keep my student status in case i can't find a job?**  ​  ​  i really need a job after graduation because i am in financial stress. and i don't have a choice. i have to keep the baby because i have experienced a miscarriage last year.  my parents have blamed me a lot for the pregnancy, i am so stressful. my husband can't help a lot because he earned little and hard to support the family.  ​  ​  ​  ​  ​  thaknkkkkkkkkkkkkyou so much!!!!!!!!!"
looking for work while pregnant,agoapd,blank,RevolutionaryField3,11,1547693242.0,"hi,  i'm looking for some advice on how to go about looking for a se jobs while pregnant (very early pregnancy at this point). i'm currently employed as a developer but i don't like the company culture so i'm looking to switch.   so i'm wondering if it's possible or should i just wait until the baby is born before looking for something better?"
interning while pregnant,622ddy,blank,GirlLunarExplorer,35,1490765525.0,"hoo, here goes: i will be interning at a company in seattle over the summer.  i am also 12w4d pregnant, and will be 22 weeks when starting the internship and 34 at the end.  i'm already in the process of setting up obgyn appointments near where i will be working, trying to book early so that i get either early morning or lunch time appointments.  assuming all goes well, i will only ever need 4 doctors appointments before heading back down to my home obgyn where i will finish the rest of my pregnancy.  i also don't anticipate any special accommodations other than a chair (as opposed to a standing desk).  i haven't determined housing yet but if i get a roommate i was planning on informing them of my pregnancy but my question is whether i have a moral obligation to also tell my recruiter.  my fear, of course, is that if i tell them, they might rescind the offer or i will be automatically judged as being less productive even though i haven't started the internship yet.  i'm really tempted to just show up as is on the first day but don't know if this is ""appropriate.""  help?  (x-posted to r\babybumps)"
interviewing while pregnant (in countries with maternity leave) / starting date in the far future?,5q1wuj,blank,LWdkw,14,1485357769.0,"i am currently in the process of interviewing with google europe. i am dutch and currently live in the netherlands. if they want me, there are about 6 cities in 6 different countries i could go (non of them in the netherlands).   between the first and second phone screen, i found out i am pregnant. this means that if i do end up getting the job, that would mean i'd work for a month or two (while being immobile, grumpy and forgetful), before going on paid (by the government) maternity leave for anywhere between 14 and 52 weeks, depending on which country i end up in. then i'd either be in a foreign country where i hardly know anyone yet or go back home for the duration of the leave and have to live with my parents with our brand new family.  my thinking is it's probably better for everyone if i'd just start after my (in that case dutch, 16 weeks) maternity leave is over. but that would mean a starting date in january 2018.   do you guys think that would be an option? i know us grads often have their offers months before they start, but how common are starting dates that are far away for non-grads, and outside the us?   normally i would recommend to just ask the recruiter, but it's still so early i don't really want to tell anyone yet, and tbh i don't want them to know before they either tell me they are going to make an offer or reject me. i do plan on telling them before actually signing.   tl:dr;   background: am pregnant, prefer to start after baby is born.   actual question: are big n/google generally okay with a start date quite far into the future?"
several month coding break?,715zo8,blank,GirlLunarExplorer,5,1505882721.0,"i tried looking for past questions about taking breaks but they all involved taking a break from their current job to work on interviews for their next one.  i'm looking for people's experiences when they took a break from coding itself, and how they got back into it.  i haven't coded since i got back from my internship 3 weeks ago, and i don't think i will be doing coding until i start my job.  here's the situation:  * i received a full time offer from a big n company to start work in february.   * i have one last semester (fall) to finish up my grad degree.  * neither of the two courses i'm taking involve any coding at all.    * i am also 37 weeks pregnant and i don't think i'd have the time to handle 2 classes + working on projects, taking online coding classes, etc., once the baby comes.  * i primarily use python, but know java and a bit of r, but i haven't used java in months, and r in over a year.  i was thinking of squeezing in a refresher course in r at least starting january (once school is done).  i am afraid that taking so long of a break from coding will make me forget everything i know, especially with a baby-addled momma brain.  has anyone, for any reason (travel, burn out), taken a break from coding for several months?  how did you ease yourself back into it?"
how to pass on a promotion?,6pqvda,blank,chyeahboiii,13,1501129699.0,"hi everyone!   a few weeks ago, closer to a month now, i was offered a promotion. my manager announced she was pregnant. they mentioned that they would need some additional help while she is out of the office. i met with my manager and the coo of the company. they literally just said that they would like to promote me to a new position they created. this would help to alleviate some of the duties my manager was in charge of going forward. so it wouldnt just be temporary. they let me know that they would get back to me and that was it. i have yet to receive an official offer.   since the initial meeting we've started some training. it is very sporadic and often cancelled. i also was recently filled in that i would be taking on most of my managers responsibilities on top of the already assigned work. after each training session, i have been told that the tasks we had gone over were now my responsibility. the training consists of her talking extremely fast through the task and then asking me if i have any questions. it isn't always bad but i'm often aksed if i have any questions and of things i can't possibly have questions about yet as i have not done that task before.  i was also asked to be on call for one saturday just to answer any questions an associate may have. i inquired about compensation for that and she let me know there would be none. i agreed to it since i figured it was one weekend. i later received an email thanking me for volunteering for one day and two afternoon's. okay, i can let that slide this time. my boss was going on vacation. it is still a small ish company and i like to be a team player. however, i get the feeling that i am being taken advantage of. something else to note is my manager is very temperamental. she will curse and yell if something goes wrong. she will also reprimand us in front of others in person or in group chats. she will often tell us to do things in way and then turn around and reprimand us for doing it that way. she will often ask if the training was not clear. i bite my tongue, apologize and correct my ""mistakes""   i was very excited about this promotion initially but i think i have made up my mind to pass on it seeing what the job really looks like. the final straw was when i came into work this morning. she was completely seething when i greeted her. she went in to explain that she could not find notes to an order and that we basically couldn't do anything right. i offered to help. she told me she didn't need any help. she calls me into her office later to reprimand me for something that wasn't my mistake. that's fine. i corrected it.   at this point i don't even care anymore as i have made up my mind to pass up on the promotion and maybe even start searching for another job. she expects us to complete our work load on time everyday and on time. this used to be a three person workload but they cut us down to two people. i don't complain to managers about this ever. but i will mention if it is busy in passing. i work very hard, stay late, come in early, cover days and help where i can. i would love to get overtime but it is strictly forbidden. we can only keep up with so much! there is no sympathy to be had anyways so why bothering complaining. my guess is that they would have offered me salary anyways and expected me to stay and get the work done.   since i've take on my new tasks, i have been making more mistakes. i'm being stretched too thin and this is only the beginning! i'm grateful that they thought of me but no amount of pay that they will offer is worth this trouble. i feel so guilty for not having come to this conclusion sooner. with her due date nearing, i know i have to act fast.   i really loved my job up until recently. i love the people i work with and i love my hours. i've learned to deal with my manager for the most part. if anything the pregnancy has helped her stop treating me so awfully. i used to dream about these kind of opportunities and now i'm breaking out into hives from the stress. my plan is to tell them on friday so that way she will have some time to cool off and hopefully not bite my head off. i suspect they will try to talk me into going through with it.   i'm worried that after i let them know, they will cut my hours and change my schedule. my question to you is, what is the best way to pass on this promotion? how can i minimize fall out? i don't want to leave the company and think that they might read into this like i am. i am going to cover my ass and start looking regardless. i hope it doesn't come to that though.  tldr: i was offered a promotion with the official offer still pending. my boss has a temper and i would like to pass on the promotion. how do i go about that wiithout losing my job?"
"women who've been pregnant, when did you tell your boss/pm, and why?",3ogr1p,blank,VividLotus,14,1444694492.0,"title pretty much says it all. i'm interested in hearing from women who work in technical roles, especially at software or hardware companies, and who live in the u.s. i'd also of course be interested in hearing from men who've taken or plan to take a substantial amount of paternity leave due to being the primary caretaker for a child, or some other reason.   this is a question that comes up a ton in women's and pregnancy-specific subreddits/forums, but i feel like women in actual technical roles at tech companies are in kind of a unique position. most of us probably work primarily or even exclusively with men, so it's not like we've got people around us taking leave left and right (even if your company offers paternity leave too, a boss is likely going to have a different attitude or concern about a man asking for a week or two off than a woman asking for an actual maternity leave). but at the same time, a large percentage of us can probably work right up until the time of delivery, and so we're not in the situation of women in male-dominated blue collar industries or even other stem jobs that involve things like dangerous chemicals or physical labor."
would you participate in a class action over disabilities induced by open-plan offices in tech companies?,5nhhtp,blank,tertian_rain,8,1484226622.0,"it's well known that technology companies love open-plan offices because they're cheaper than other alternatives, and because they give management visibility of their workers at all times. but the constant noise, the cramped quarters, and the anxiety caused by needless interruption and visibility from behind have made a lot of people sick. i've been in tech for a long time and i'd guess that at least 20 percent of tech attrition is due to open-plan offices (and the project management bullshit, but one issue at a time).   bay area therapists see a lot of ""open-plan syndrome"" but the truth is that *open-plan syndrome* doesn't exist as a separate diagnosis. that is, if you develop panic attacks in an open-plan environment, you now have panic disorder and you might have it for the rest of your life. i'm sure there are plenty for whom this is the case.   an argument can be made that open-plan offices are uniquely stressful for programmers, who formerly only had to dedicate mental energy to being productive, but must now split attention between being and appearing productive. this mental strain seems to cause a lot of people to break.   it'd be ideal to find people who've developed their disabilities in open-plan offices, since it makes the strongest case. (i don't qualify. although open-plan offices made my condition far worse, my first episodes were in my teens.) as a matter of statistical certainty, i'm sure that such people out there. ideally, we'd have people who can testify that they developed disabilities *because of* open-plan offices and who have the documentation to back it up.   additionally, an argument could be made that open-plan offices are discriminatory. they force people with health problems (including anxiety disorders and pregnancy) to have them *in public*, causing what might otherwise be mild medical issues to be professional catastrophes. i'm sure the ageism is a major part of this industry's open-plan fetishism and because people have a tendency to say stupid things in emails, i'm sure that it could be proven in discovery.   the potential value to society is huge. a victory would change the tone of the valley completely. it may not fix the place up, but it's a step in the right direction. we could start a dialogue around programmers' work conditions and create environments founded on basic human decency, in which we're trusted as professionals rather than watched, poked and prodded until people crack. this would have the potential, unlike the million dopey web startups out there, to actually change the world.   is there anyone here who would participate? and are there attorneys who would be interested in taking the case to the courts?"
how often are interns interviewed in person in sv?,4y0xr2,blank,throwaway02445678908,6,1471399881.0,"i live in the bay area and am currently earning an ms in a cs-related field (more like a niche subfield).  as part of my ms degree, i'm required to either have an internship or a thesis and i'd much rather have an internship because i already did a thesis from a previous master's degree.  the problem is that i am pregnant with a due date in march.  i am planning on taking leave from my regular job for the entirety of the spring to focus on finishing up courses, searching for an internship and preparing for the baby.  my husband will be taking paternity leave over the summer to help.  i'd like to know how often interns get in person interviews vs. just interviewing over the phone?  i've only had one interview experience which was over the phone but i had met with the director in person beforehand.  i know pregnancy discrimination is illegal but that doesn't mean a person's opinion wouldn't change if i showed up to an interview with a bulging belly."
manager going on maternity leave. have some questions.,4a6gdq,blank,noitse,6,1457861257.0,"i am an engineer in a team of five people. my manager is leaving on a six month maternity leave and asked me to take over her responsibilities. we don't have the resources to add a new hire to help offload the work. it may also take too long to train them.   we already work really long hours and i'm worried this will mean i will end up having double the work and even crazier hours. for the past three months (before i found out about the pregnancy) i have been looking at other jobs because of the long hours.   if i leave now, i'll burn a bridge and put the team in a really tight spot. if i stay, i may end up hating the long hours. i don't know what to do.   any suggestions?"
homeless to 75k to being asked if i'm cognitively impaired [wot],e8zxbp,blank,trashlid001,51,1576055518.0,"hi cscq,  ​  i wanted to write this out to clear my head before i start applying and moving forward.  ​  i received my bachelor's of cs in december of 2018 with a sub 3 gpa from a low-/mid-tier state school. prior to this i had estranged myself from my family entirely. i was jobless and listless. funny enough couch surfing, though it wreaked havoc on other aspects of my life, turned out a positive for my mood and in the last few semesters of my undergraduate i became very motivated to succeed.  ​  it took \~6 months and \~250 applications to get offered a position. i had plenty of interviews and got decently good at talking. i focused on c++, python, computer graphics, linear algebra, i did some leetcode (my interviews generally weren't super heavy on these...), etc. etc. it was an iterative process. i'd fail an interview, think on what went wrong, try to decide whether that was specific to the company or something more general, then bolster myself in that area. at times it felt like i was thrashing in what topics to study. you have to make sure to check whether something is worth it or not, and whether it's actually pertinent enough for you to remember and carry forward. i had to also remind myself that generally i was indeed moving up. this went on for 6 months but i was running out of time. i got a position at an amazon warehouse on the night shift and it paid well. then, as if miraculously, i got a callback with an offer for 75k.  ​  the interview that ""stuck"" was fairly straightforward. some basic graphics concepts, some c++, a take home program with a solution that amounted to a few lines of linear algebra in c++ (my work had paid off! thank you strang and 3blue1brown!). there was also a second interview of 5 rounds of 30 minutes each with different company employees. this was for a junior position for rendering engineer. things moved very quickly and i was expected to join within 2 weeks. before flying 2000 miles across the united states, i reconnected with my family and had a sit-down. it went smoothly all things considered.  ​  a few things...  there was no on-boarding.  within 2 months i'm asked to add to the product. not to go into details but this is a physically based rendering engine and i was asked to implement a phase function for it. the context i was given this task was incredibly vague and amounted to ""this research paper mentions this... whatever it is, so... add it."" i'm in over my head but i did it.  i recently spent 6 weeks debugging a software render engine, implementing an a-buffer with software fragment generation, sending it through existing pipelines to cuda kernels to be operated on alongside other data. i was so excited when the image finally came out right but i was told that i took too long to complete this task.  my lead is, and this is not hyperbole, literally one of the worst communicators i have ever known in my life. if god himself were to command me, under penalty of perdition, to truthfully write my life's top 10 bad communicators, this lead would be on that list.  so i'm in my 6th month and i've never once felt secure in my position here. that's normal, imposter syndrome, i'm familiar with the term. little devils on your back. you feel you're cheating the company. you shouldn't get paid this much to do this little. all this time you secretly should've been aborted. your incompetence reeks and everyone can smell it. you stepped in incompetence and everyone can smell it. etc. etc. it's great to know that so many other people go through it and that, generally, these feelings are unfounded. it really sucks when these feelings are validated by your superior.  1) he has insinuated multiple times that i cheated on my interview (i did not)  2) he brought me into a conference room and talked down to me for 30 minutes (""\*sigh\*okay(with his head in his hand)... let's go over this one more time..."") ending with ""you should work 45 hours until your productivity increases.""  3) today i asked a question and he walked me to a conference room like an angry dad and asked me if i was cognitively impaired, then he told me to describe insert sort (completely unrelated). he then asked if i was depressed.  4) there are smaller passive-aggressive-type things that i pick up on but aren't worth detailing.  ​  so here i am. ready to start the grind all over again.  ​  advice? concerns? comments? please feel free to share, i'll be up all night."
dos and don'ts of working in an office/collaborating with other developers and coworkers in general?,duj0cx,blank,ShylotheCurious,14,1573455720.0,"as a somewhat greenhorn software dev, i've been wondering what is standard, appropriate behavior for developers in the office environment. based on your experiences, what is generally assumed to be good practice when it comes to communicating with other developers, communicating with other non-developer coworkers, and organizing and presenting your work? thanks in advance."
what are ur internship tips and advices?,ejx5ao,blank,SeaSideSon,1,1578176371.0,"hi there everyone,  i'm an expat who's living and working in germany since 8 years now ,  after the company i used to work in closed doors permantaly due to automatization and online shops aka being overtaken by programmers and developers    i decided to join the club, and i managed to get a scholarship in a local tech college backed by the german employment agency -   the study is specifically a 2 years term , including a 1 year internship in a company of my choice,  my question(s) :  - what's expected from me as a trainee , i'm i expected to take tasks - and show my (yet to exist) qualities !?  - would it be possible for me as a trainee to continue learning by doing during the internship, or i'm expected to perform as junior developer ?   the extremely tight schedule in the college makes it really almost impossible for a completely beginner like me to offer any valuable qualities to any company as a trainee,  and i'm quite scared that my internship will be aborted and canceled . as i'm actually counting the internship time as a learning time , and a chance to review all the materials i couldn't digest throughout the theoretical study time    thanks in advance for ur answers guys  cheers"
what should i do,c90dv5,blank,theLordfrenzy,5,1562259871.0,"hey everyone, i just graduated from high school and am going to start university this fall. earlier this year i decided to start working and learn angular, and am part way through a project im making. im going to the university of waterloo here in the greater toronto area in canada, and i have 6 mandatory coop terms. i was looking at requirements for some internships in the area (front end and full stack) and they all require some react experience, with very little using angular. i was wondering if i should abort angular and start diving into react this valuable summer so i can maximize my chances at a solid internship (non qa stuff) next summer, or should i continue finishing a project in angular (expecting to be finished by end if july) and then go for react. if i abort angular and work with react, i will be able to get to full stack with sql, react native, and mern stack sooner, but will leave learning a framework and making app i have invested a long time in unfinished, and wont have that solud angular experience (i really like the framework, even tho its complicated) i was considering doing mean stack or a .net backend for angular, but there isnt too much of a market for people with those kinds of skills where i live. what should i do in my situation, stick to angular and do react afterwards (or angular full stack), abort angular and start react asap, or try to do a full stack react udemy course and try to learn react with full stack in order to save time. i really have to use this summer wisely,  because idk if ill be able to learn this stuff on the side as ive never experienced university and how intense it may be, so i dont want to risk it. thanks!"
incomplete 2nd cs bachelor degree vs bootcamp vs 1 year online master degree,ackc0w,blank,mouseysl10,9,1546651442.0,"here is a brief summary of my background which i mentioned before in a different post for a different question around two weeks ago. thank you again for everyone who commented on that post.  i graduated with an econ degree from ucsd a few years ago and right now i am enrolled in the cs undergraduate program at uoft in canada. so far i've only completed the first year cs courses. i've also accumulated pretty minimal working experience since completing my econ degree (because of social anxiety issues which i'm ashamed of).  ​  i am wondering which of the following 3 options will provide me the best chance of finding a job in a practical amount of time. here are each of the options, their pros and cons, and uncertainties that come with them.  1. complete all the cs courses for the cs major here at uoft which will take another 1.5 years but skip the additional 2 years of general education classes required for graduation. on my resume i will have my previous econ degree and my ""incomplete/half"" cs degree with a list all the cs major required courses that i've completed. 2. complete a bootcamp and obtain a diploma and abort the cs program at uoft here in canada. on my resume i will have a bootcamp diploma and my previous econ degree. 3. complete a 1 year online master cs degree. there are some uncertainties for me with this option. since i've only completed 1 year of undergraduate cs related courses so far, i have a pretty weak cs foundation. i don't know whether the 1 year time frame applies to people like me or if it only applies to people that already have strong knowledge in cs. if i go with this route, on my resume i will have an online master cs degree as well as my econ degree.  ​  thank you in advance for any of your inputs."
how do you guys deal with office workers with strong opinions about politics?,5d9r6x,blank,lc929,40,1479338896.0,
need advice on an issue with a take home coding challenge.,9jhs0p,blank,wingren013,0,1538119103.0,"so i recently did a phone interview with a company and they gave me a take home coding test. it was fairly easy and i submitted it. today i got an email from them saying that they had to change something to compile it on their systems and that they were getting an error and they would like me to change my code to resubmit it. they sent me the error message and the exaact thing they changed. so i changed the code (it was a minor two line change having to do with os specific system calls) and ran it. to my surprise it worked completely fine.  so i checked the error message they sent me, and thanks to writing good error messages immediatly pinpointed the part of the code that was failing. it was my first call to malloc() , allocating 100 bytes of memory. under that i had a check to see if the pointer returned by malloc() was null and abort the prgram if it was. it seems that on their end malloc was failing to allocate 100 bytes.  the only reasonable explainations for this i can think of is that they are running on an oddly set up virtual machine or that this is part of the test and they want to see if i know why this might fail. i'm honestly perplexed at what to do. i could change my code so that i don't use any dynamic memory allocation. but since its a c program and the particular problem was testing my knowledge of data structures that seems like it would be an automatic failure.  any advice?  p.s. because this is this internet and somebody will say this say something along these lines of the company just being incompetent: the company is large enough that it is very likely not a matter of incompetence on their end."
am i being taken advantage of or am i doing a bad job?,6uawv6,blank,Elaphoil,2,1503014272.0,"hi. i'm in a bad spot in my career and i need some advice and i need some perspective from people who have been in this industry for a while.  a couple years ago i got my first job right out of college. the company provided training for me in the language i was going to be working in(cobol) and i relocated once the training was complete.  the start of the job was a bit of a shit show. my boss had a heart attack almost immediately after i came down to the nh office. for weeks i had minimal direction, and i was begging for work. eventually i got started on some kind of minor projects, working with business consumers and analysts. i did alright, by then i took on the project that has come to define my time at this job. i was tasked with rewriting one of our core programs that prepared files for downstream consumption. this program was very important to the company, as the interest calculations it provided were responsible for about 10% of total revenue.   up until this time i was receiving satisfactory performance reports. i even received a small amount of stock, that is about to mature in a month or two at the time of this writing. then i started this project and i basically had about of year of bad performances, missed milestones, and spiraling depression and anxiety. this culminated in me missing a week of work. since then the project has completed and i've received a mid year review, giving me an inconsistant, which i felt was appropriate, considering how much i struggled with this project.  i hated this project so much. it is the second most complex program in the company, and i was chosen for a rewrite, in part to educate me in this fucking 60 year old nightmare. the last time this project was attempted it was aborted. the last couple project si was working on we're nowhere near this complicated or vast. i had no idea how to handle it and i had no idea how to tell my colleagues, because i inherited a schedule from the person who completed the first phase of the project.  on top of this, i am technically an hourly employee. i have been tapped for on call support for the past year or so and i don't know if they should have been paying me for this. i would work 8am - 10pm monday thru sunday in a weekly rotation.  i dunno. i'm not sure if this me being a bad employee or if i'm not being treated correctly. please give me some understanding if this is considered appropriate or not. thank you in advance for your feedback."
going to cs program this coming spring. this will be my 2nd degree - any tips?,3qpwbb,blank,sethosayher,5,1446163734.0,"i graduated in 2011 as a political science major at boston college. despite graduating with honors, work was hard to come by. after years of temping and abortive attempts to go to grad school (thought about a poli sci phd but the state of academia today is dispiriting) i found a decent job in property tax law a year and a half ago. i learned a great deal about corporate life but i realized i wasn't very interested in the problems posed to me by my field of work (which really weren't very intellectually stimulating, at least at my level). i've always enjoyed working with computers and slowly introduced myself to python. i returned to unix/linux and came to love the command line. i considered autodidactism as a path to learning programming, but to be honest i love the structure and demands of a curriculum, so i've opted to apply to local cs programs here in ny. i found a cheap program in manhattan with cuny, and i hope to graduate with my second bachelor's in two to three years.  i wanted to get some advice from you guys as to how i should approach my cs studies. the chief advantage of where i'll be studying is my being in manhattan, which obviously has a massive tech scene. i know that the biggest differentiator between myself and others cs grads will be any projects i work on, as well as interning and co-op experience. i'm also apprehensive of the circuitous path i've taken to cs, especially as this will be my second degree. any tips, advice or insight?"
common falsehoods about big tech,eqkbp1,blank,Hungry_Radio,554,1579401549.0,"like a lot of you i spend a good amount of time on tech career related sites like this one or hacker news. i’ve noticed that whenever the topic of big prestigious tech companies comes up, there are often a lot of people making strong negative statements that goes against my own experience and that of my friends and coworkers. while there are many good reasons not to work for one of these companies, i do think they present a rare opportunity to advance ones career and financials in today’s market (and who knows how long that will last) so i’d hate to see people self select out based on something that isn’t true.   to be clear, i’m not saying that these things never happen, just that they aren’t the norm from what i have seen. my personal experience is about 4 years of big tech work, across 3 teams, 2 companies (and a couple of years at a mid sized company and a start-up before then).   **big tech companies have terrible work life balance**  from an organizational standpoint all of the big tech companies promote a healthy work life balance. obviously that doesn’t mean that it actually gets implemented, but in my experience the majority of people work something like 30-45 hours per week.  the people who work longer hours than that tends to be due to the following reasons: * people who are trying to get on a fast track for promotion. these companies are full of ambitious people so this is relatively common * teams that have a bad (often inexperienced) manager. i haven’t seen this personally, but i’ve heard stories * people who are struggling and believe working longer hours will get them out of the hole. this does not tend to be a good tactic to stop being a low performer  ambitious people are somewhat common but overall, people really don’t put in crazy hours, and since people tend to come in and leave at very different hours no-one really knows how long you spend in the office anyway. i’ve never heard of a manager questioning how long someone spends in the office  **unlimited pto means no pto**  unlimited pto comes with a few benefits to the employer: * they don’t have to pay out accrued vacation when someone leaves * they don’t have to track time off as diligently * many employees self select into not taking a lot of vacation  for employees it has a couple of benefits: * you don’t have to be as “tactical” with your pto, you want time off, you take it. there’s also no incentive to save it so you may as well take it * if you’re a senior person and/or a high performer it’s an easy “unofficial” perk you can take advantage of. i see people who are doing well taking 8+ weeks of time off and no-one batting an eye  for regular employees you should just consider it about the same amount of vacation as you would get at another company (3-4 weeks). no-one is going to care if you take that much unless your team is deeply dysfunctional. to reiterate my initial caveat, i’m not claiming unlimited pto is better, i’m just saying for most people it’s about the same as the vacation you'd get elsewhere.   **the interview process is beyond broken**  there are many issues with the standard tech interview process but lately the counter movement has been particularly rabid. in a normal interview loop you will not be asked to implement a red-black tree. you might be asked how you would find the k largest elements in a list. you will not be expected to silently have written out the optimal solution without any syntax issues within 5 minutes. you will be expected to be able to quickly sketch out a naive solution and start discussing how it can be improved.   but the most important point: these interviews are not the only type of interview in a normal loop, and they’re really only the *most* important when you have no other experience. i’ve had several loops personally where this style of coding question were fewer than half of the interviews, and as you get more senior it only goes down further.   **in the bay area you're living paycheck to paycheck unless you're making millions**  this one is especially prevalent and seems to come from people who’ve spent 5 minutes on redfin and called it a day. to exemplify using people most readers here have interacted with (or still do for the students reading): there are currently thousands of grad students in the bay area. a large portion of these students are living off a $30k stipend as their only source of income. their lives are definitely not kush, but they make do, lead enjoyable lives, have hobbies, travel, eat out etc etc. i’ve done this personally. now, if they all can make do on $30k, anyone on a “measly” tech salary of $100k here really shouldn’t have a problem. yes, if you have a family the equation change, and you can always come with a set of requirements that price you out (and that’s totally fine, knowing what you want from life is powerful) but this general accepted wisdom that a single person making $100k would be “struggling” here is pretty out of touch.   **in summary**  these jobs are not perfect, and your day to day won’t be heaven on earth. but they are pretty good, better than most other corporate jobs in my experience, and the pay and benefits are truly outstanding so make sure the reason you don't pursue them matches reality."
i'm [f31] not interested in women's networking groups--will this hurt my career?,e8d1lu,blank,missmagdalene,31,1575941494.0,"i graduated from college 5 years ago with a cs degree and had interned with this company 2 years before graduation and had a full-time position offer on completion of my school. i love this job, i love the work that i have as well as my immediate coworkers and other peers.  this is a large company with multiple sites. i am employed with them in the midwest and we are a smaller site with 350-400 employees maybe 1% at our location are women. i know most of them by name but in my particular dev/engineer position, i do not work with more than one (she is project management) on a daily basis. there are other female devs at our site, but they are working on a different product than i am or are in other areas of management.  first, i want to say that i am praised in my work and in my 5 years here i have been promoted twice for my work and merit including my first patent. my local team are all male and we all work very well together. i have never felt discriminated against or left out by my peers or my management.  however, i am frustrated today because a topic keeps coming up in my one-on-ones with my manager which is progressively bothering me. **my manager appears to be judging me for not attending a local chapter of our more company-wide women's networking events**. i have told him that they do not interest me at this time, but every one-on-one that we have that happens to be soon after an event (that i had declined) i feel almost like i get a lecture on how it would be useful for my career to network with other women, or to consider attending the events to just do more networking in general. i don't disagree with his last point, but if the topics don't interest me in the first place or i feel have no relevance to me, why does this have to keep getting brought up in our discussions?  i attended one once when they were trying to get things rolling 3 years ago or so, but i did not find the conversations useful or interesting and none of the topics they chose for future meetings really sparked my interest or seemed of any relevance to me in my current position or the career path that i want to continue on. therefore i have usually declined the invites to these events. i do read what they will be doing and discussing, but they have again yet to feel relevant to me.  i guess my question is this, **am i really hurting my career by not attending these networking events?** there are women in management that attend these and they have had female executives as guest speakers come maybe once a year since they've begun. however, the maximum attendace i've seen (at least according to the calendar invites) are maybe 12-15 women. i do not want to switch my career to management, or at least not this early in my professional career. **how do i handle this? should i suck it up and go to a few events to get him to stop bringing it up? i have stated to him before the reasons that i haven't gone to them but they do not seem enough as it keeps getting brought up. i'm concerned that it is effecting my managers perception of my ambition in this career.**  i'm also worried that i am coming across as sexist towards my own gender. if there were additional networking event opportunities with topics that interested me, i would certainly make an effort to go--regardless of which networking group puts it on. this womens group has also very openly encouraged the men in our company to attend these as well. they are appropriately inclusive and open the invitiation to everyone in the company, but that being said i have not heard that a lot of men that have gone to these events."
is the industry this bad for black women?,cqowtu,blank,Heimeimiao,439,1565899527.0,"so i just finished an internship and frankly, it was the worse experience of my life. i would have rather worked in fast food and the only saving grace was the pay.  i'll start by prefacing that i'm a black woman and a senior in cs at a top school (and probably top 5 cs school, i'm not sure of the rankings). although i'm admittedly average at leetcode, i have a good portfolio and past (relevant) work experience.  here's a highlight of everything that happened:  - from the beginning, i was offered very little guidance on our codebase, technology, etc. so getting everything set up was a disaster since i was on my own with understanding how everything worked. and oftentimes when i'd message someone, i'd get ignored or i'd get a non-answer. in-person help only happened when i started constantly annoying multiple people with questions. it always seemed like no one really wanted to help me, though.  - the company is decently-sized and based in sv, and they have ""diversity initiatives"", but they're laughably bad and i'm almost certain now that i was the only black female developer in the entire company and one of maybe 10 underrepresented minority women (but it's not like there were too many other people outside of white men actually).  - it was immediately clear during meetings that they really didn't have a place for me on the team because they had to find stuff for me to do, but the other intern on my team never had this problem. most of my tasks were not programming heavy or required much thought, but they were large tasks that were very monotonous.  - the engineers on my team and other teams would talk poorly of one of their interns when i was there. they openly trashed his abilities and throughout the entire program, gave him simple tasks and justified it by saying that he couldn't program. he was an underrepresented minority and regardless of his skills, it was inappropriate to gossip about other interns when i was present.  - we had a majority black (male) department actually, and they're pretty vital to the devs, and the devs love to talk down to and openly insult them. perhaps it's a superiority complex thing, but it really rubbed me the wrong way, so i went out of my way to be extra nice to them (and they were super friendly).  - even after i told other devs what team i was on, i'd still get asked my major. my team is the backbone of the company and requires the most cs knowledge, yet no other intern was asked their major (we had a luncheon so that's how i know). it felt like the devs had to confirm that i was actually a cs major even though everyone on my team was.  - the women devs were the nicest ones there and actually treated me like a human; most of the men were either super standoffish or ignored me when i spoke to them. there were a few men that were super nice and welcoming.  - if a person asked me a question, some devs would butt in and answer it when the question wasn't for them. this happened a lot.  - i had small 3-4 person meetings about something i'd been working on and even if someone was speaking, they never looked at me or addressed me directly.  - questionable content in company group chats   - some devs made backhanded comments about me not knowing different tools (like git, command line, etc.)  - i was talked down to and infantilized by team members.  - they had a super high turnover rate, and it's from people quitting.  i did eventually break and have a few crying sessions in the bathroom because i hated working there and if it wasn't for the pay, i would have quit a month before my last day. i know now i need to be more assertive and vocal but these were known problems that have been discussed in internal company forums. and it really makes me disillusioned with the entire industry because if i'm going to be treated like crap regardless, why bother?  edit: i just want to add that i'm coming to this conclusion because the other intern *isn't* treated this way. besides the other black intern on a different team, the one on my team is treated exceptionally well and if i were treated like him, this would be a good internship experience. obviously there's company culture issues but not everyone is treated this badly, which is why this bothered me. if everyone was treated like shit, then it's whatever, but when you have people getting treated better than others, for no apparently obvious reason, that's a cause for concern. i did mention a number of times where the other interns weren't treated like i was.  edit 2: i know git and the command line. i also use tmux and vim. i also addressed this point in a few comments in this thread."
a recruiter told me they were specifically targeting women. is this legal?,e9dg3d,blank,HarbaughHeros,19,1576128246.0,i was working with a recruiter and he submitted me for a position but the hiring manager said they were only targeting women for this role.  is that legal?
find a job as women in tech,efmeal,blank,Feeling_Drive,11,1577339681.0,i had a tech interview a week ago. and the guy spoke down to me the whole time. i am very smart have gone to a good school. i am looking for a first job in the tech field but he said things to me he would never say to a man. the job was testing smart watches the app and the product. he asked what kind of cell phone i have. he didn't think a note 8 was ever made. after i got the phone out showed him the back of the phone and pointed out it says samung he still didn't believe me. he also asked me if i knew real languages outside of css and html (i'm full stack). is this normal in the tech field?
"i (21f, poc) have a really hard time fitting in bc everyone assumes i'm an underqualified diversity hire",edqtrq,blank,silverswanl0v3,380,1576969194.0,"its difficult to prove that i belong because confirmation bias is a thing (miss a deadline by a day or dont understand a concept? clearly you're dumb as rocks and dont deserve to be here).  anyone have any advice on how to ease the situation? besides the obvious make no mistakes ever again. this is really making me rethink my career choice and i hate it because i really do enjoy developing software and coding, but the people can be brutal and bad at hiding it."
"how to deal with a male coworker who is trying to be ""woke""?",e8h6dq,blank,derobderobderob,482,1575959331.0,"i graduated last year and have been working at my job for about a year and a half now. i have been the only woman on my team the whole time. at first i was the only woman in a team of 5. (i'm also the youngest at 25 but that's pretty much irrelevant).   untill recently it all felt great, i felt like i was just being seen as a fellow developer and not ""the girl"". i was treated with respect and such. a few months ago as part of a reorg my team merged with another team, so now i'm the only woman in a group if 16. and then things felt different.  i still feel like i'm respected, but now i am acutely aware that i am ""the girl"" on the team. this was almost exclusively caused by one of my coworkers.  one of the first times i was in a meeting with him, he started going over the top when trying to seem inclusive. like drawing long hair on a stick figure, correcting everyone who used ""he"" generically for a user with ""or she!"", etc.   one day he came to ask my coworker who sits back to back with me a question. then he says ""(my name), you may be a minority on this team, but you are still a valued member and your thoughts are important.""  just the other day we were working on a project together and he came over to my desk to talk about it. we were on the topic of dismantling an old system in favor of the new one, and he said ""we also need to dismantle the patriarchy!"" and internally i was like why is this necessary to be said right now?  and the final thing that bugs me is he treats the rest of our team members the same, direct and emotionless. but with me he talks all soft and gentle and skirts around issues. i feel like he is treating me like some sort of fragile flower and it bugs me so much.  all of this has also opened another can of worms for me where now i feel very sensitive to perceived slights because i often see them through the lens of ""they see me as just the girl"". like my desk being moved farthest from the rest of the team and facing away from everyone else. or another coworker constantly fielding questions about code i wrote and know 100% about, just because he has a version he slightly modified that is used more. then i end up often wondering if i was just the ""equal opportunity hire"" if you will, even though i completely know i have the skills and experience. it's all inconsequential and not purposefully done but now i second guess stuff. constantly being reminded of my status as ""the girl"" on the team is very demoralizing.  i'm sure he has good intentions and is just trying to make sure i am comfortable and don't feel like an outsider, but i feel more like an outsider now because of his constant virtue signaling.   i'd like to tell him to tone it down because it makes me uncomfortable, and that i know he has good intentions, but i don't know a professional way to do so. like do i email? slack? set up a meeting? does anyone have any advice for how to talk to him about this?  edit: clarification  edit 12/11: thanks everyone for the advice! i am waiting for another ""incident"" to talk to him about it so it is more relevant and he might remember it. i'll keep everyone posted"
frustrated as a woman,dysvud,blank,jsjs2626,660,1574234918.0,"i am currently at my first job as a software engineer, right out of college. it is one of those two-year rotational programs. i was given the opportunity to apply to this fortune 500 company through a recruiter, who then invited me to a woman's superday they were having. i passed and was given an offer.   a few months later, the company asked me and everyone else in my program to fill out a skills and interests survey so that they can match us up with teams. i was put on a team whose technology i had never used nor indicated an interest in. that is fine, and i am learning a lot. however, in a conversation i had with my manager's manager a few months into the job, he told me that i was picked for my team because i was a woman and they had not had one on their team before.  finally, yesterday i was at a town hall and there was a question and answer session at the end. at the end, the speaker asked if no women had any questions, because i guess he wanted a question from a woman!  i am getting kind of frustrated at the feeling of only being wanted for my gender. i don't feel ""imposter syndrome"" - i am getting along great with my team and putting out good work for my experience. i think i am just annoyed with the amount of attention being placed on something i can't change. i wish i was invited to apply based on my developing ability, placed on my team because of my skillset and interests, asked for input because they wanted my input, not a woman's.  does anyone relate to what i am saying or am i just complaining to complain? i don't really know how to deal with this. thanks for reading.  edit: i am super shocked at the amount of replies and conversations this post has sparked. i have read thorough most of them and a lot were super helpful. i’m feeling a lot better about being a woman in technology. also thanks for the gold :)"
"just finished a career coaching audiobook for women, but found many of the advises applicable to men, especially engineers",cyxcr1,blank,green_amethyst,20,1567498477.0,"the book was on unconscious mistakes women make that sabotages their careers, but a lot of it were things men around me do as well, and to some extent explains why engineers often make bad politicians. to name a few of the mistakes -   * avoid office politics and in turn let those eager to play become more influential than us   * thinking that working more and getting better alone get you rewarded (those are necessary but far from sufficient), when often times working more will just result in more work   * wishing/hoping good work will be recognized on its own merit and thinking that you 'shouldn't have to ask'  * frame statements as questions to soften what you want to say (it weakens your position if it's about getting something -raise/promotion/resources, and it lets people take credit if it's about proposing an idea)    * pad what you want to say with unnecessary preambles to soften the message ('i understand that <insert reason someone didn't/won't do what you want' - get to the point without negotiating against yourself)   * try to change the larger environment (hr is there to protect the employer, if your boss is a jerk, overwhelming likelihood is you can't change that, be prepared to leave)  * downplay the importance of money. don't be guilt-tripped about wanting better pay. the management you're negotiating with doesn't feel bad about their much bigger comp. at the very least money is financial freedom for you to leave a bad environment should that become necessary.   * limit yourself to only work that you're 100% prepared for (apply to jobs/projects that you don't have 100% of the skills listed, you can't learn anything if you already know everything listed. there's nothing like learning on the job. the worst you can get is a no, give yourself a chance to learn)    mostly common sense that when confronted on an individual basis, everyone knows the answer; but a lot of people don't consciously think of them all the time. i think much of it is worthwhile things to keep in mind/give some thought."
women in computer science,da46zp,blank,VeganOrange,23,1569636502.0,i am just wondering why there are not many female developers / students in computer science in comparison to males. is there social pressure for women to undergo a technical degree and get a job in tech?  i would think that the compiler or interpreter has no preference whether code was written by a male or female.
is anyone else here content with not working for an elite tech company?,dr6qrq,blank,9000Kittens,284,1572844009.0,"i've been in this industry for four years now in a low cost of living area. i absolutely love my job. i work about 35 hours a week, make in the low- 100s, and own a home that is a 15 minute commute from my office. i am recognized for my contributions at work, like my coworkers (for the most part) and i spend about 10-20 hours a week outside of my job working on side projects or open source software. i feel like in a lot of ways i have ""made it"" in life.  however, i started browsing this sub and the site called ""blind"" and i see a lot of straight up hate for my place of employment. a former employee hated my company so much that he/she created a meme site hating on my employer. don't get me wrong, i don't care too much what people think of my lifestyle choices. but, it seems like there is this culture of either you're an ""elite"" by grinding out leetcode to work for a ""big n"" / faang / whatever it's called now or you're just a waste of space coder who can't even create a linked list. i am absolutely passionate about coding and willingly spend my free time working on all sorts of side projects. that said, i have no desire to work at a place that attracts these ""bro, do you even leetcode"" type programmers. i'm curious if there is anyone else here who is the same as me?"
should i be wary of this job offer?,enntu5,blank,HermeticAlchemist,18,1578866788.0,"hey guys i recently got contacted by a company that i interviewed at months ago wanting to give me an offer but i feel like it sounds fishy. i've provided the whole story but it's pretty long so if you want, skip to 'recent contact' or tl:dr   **background:**  i had applied to this job opportunity back in august 2019. i had done a phone interview and had done well enough to get an onsite interview. when i went in i had an initial talk with one of their senior engineers about my experience, and my goals. that had went well also. then onto the actual technical interview with 2 different engineers. before the technical white board interview we we're waiting for the other guy i was to have an interview with so i had a casual conversation with the other women who was going to interview me. she seemed very nice and had liked me. however when it came time for the technical white board, i could tell that i bombed it because as it went on they became increasingly disinterested and i was falling short.   i had left thinking that i was for sure going to get a letter with a generic ""thank you for taking the time to interview with us but we have decided to go with another candidate"". however to my surprise i got a call from hr saying they would like me to come in for a final interview with the branch manager and lead engineer of the branch. she gave me feedback that there were things that i needed to improve on but they could get me up to speed. she had also asked me for my salary requirements, then told me they could offer more than what i asked for.   when i went in, i had saw one of the people i had the technical interview with and thanked them for the opportunity and told them that i had learned a lot about my weakness and what i need to improve on. her response was ""why are you here?"" with a smile. that completely shook me. anyways i went in to have the interview with the branch manager and she told me that the interview was a formality and i would get the offer letter  so we had a casual conversation about the company, who i was, and what my goals were for joining the company. after the talk with the branch manager, i went on to talk with the lead engineer and we also had a casual conversation around tech and best practices.   when i left i still didn't feel 100% that i was going to get the job but was hopeful that i would find out how everything turned out by the following monday. so i waited........ then waited another day ..... then waited for a week ........ then waited another week ...... then a month ...... i hadn't heard from them. i figured that i had got ghosted and forgotten all about them. that is until last thursday.  **recent contact:**  mind you the whole interview process occurred from august 2019 to the beginning of october 2019. two months later i get a call from a new hr lady saying that they have recently acquired a new client project and they would like to offer me a position. she also said that the previous hr lady that i had been talking with recently quit for a position closer to home. they would like me to start in two weeks. before they give me the offer, they would like me to have another conversation with a project lead to talk about the project.  what do you guys think? to me i feel like something is a bit off about this whole thing. i'm scared that if they actually give me the offer and i accept i will be going into a situation that i'm going to regret. what questions should i ask to make sure this isn't a scramble situation because i'm about 95% sure that it is. however, i'm really eager to leave my current company.  **tl:dr interviewed at a company, ghosted me for months, came back saying they got a new client and wants to give me a job offer. they want me to start in 2 weeks.**"
potential career options for a software engineer who has been pushed into technical support?,ebqwht,blank,stilln0tbitten,29,1576585916.0,"i'm a 24f with a 2.5 year career as a full time software engineer. i graduated in 2017 with a bs in cs and managed to snag a pretty cool gig as a software engineer at a big tech company. i got really exhausted by the lack of work life balance and depressed by how boring the busy work i was given was. i ended up changing jobs after a year and have been with my current company for just over a year. while i maintain the title of software engineer, i am nothing but glorified technical support of a software package. i get emails from customers who will take up several hours of my day to ask me questions that could be answered by reading the documentation we provide. my team is falling apart after lay offs/departures and no one is picking up the slack so i'm doing several roles (project management, product management, tech support, business analysis etc.). i don't program at all anymore. i found out after being hired that we hire 3rd parties to code most of our work. if anything, i maybe have to fix a bug every few weeks, but even those are few and far between. at the beginning i lived for this and loved being able to leave work at work and not program useless app features on the daily, but now i feel like i may as well have a degree in communications and business. so i guess i am stuck. i hated programming useless stuff all day every day and suffering through soul crushing deadlines, but now i hate not programming and dealing with non technical folk and the lack of structure. i find no meaning in anything i am doing and it's harder and harder for me to go into work anymore.   what kind of positions can offer me a chance to do meaningful work as a computer scientist and minimize the burnout? not necessarily software engineering and definitely no more tech support. i've always had an interest in cs education (teaching). my software engineering background is mostly android development by the way. i thought about going back to school into a graduate or phd program, but i have ~$25,000 of school debt that i would like to pay off first (and i also never want to go into debt again). any advice for how to proceed-- maybe suggestions for what i could try looking into?"
advice from women devs on the everyday slights,a6708a,blank,SoleSurvivorVault111,388,1544838181.0,"i am a fairly new, woman developer, but i keep running into the same problem with some male developers. i am pretty shy and very non-confrontational so it always catches me off guard when i am confronted by it. to elucidate my point, i have listed a few of the interactions.  1)it was the last day of the sprint, and my story required a trivial code change in a file that a  senior developer had written. he was out that day so i sent him an email saying i was making the change due to the deadline. the change was small, it passed unit tests, functional testing, and code review. there were no issues with the code.   i was able to finish my story, and we had 100% sprint completion. the next day i was met with a long email with my boss cc'd about how i should not have touched his code in the develop branch.  2)i reserve a room sometimes for instance if i need to talk to tech support so as not to disturb my cube mates. a peer stops by when i return to my desk to ask if i am having secret meetings and getting information separate from the team. i am very deliberate about sharing information and helping my team.  3)i work with an older dev who is unfamiliar with some of the tools with which we work. frequently, he calls me to his desk for help, which i am glad to do. however, in meetings in front of everyone when someone states a relevant point, he will turn to me and very loudly ask, 'you got that, right? you are following this right?' in a condescending tone. however, privately he is always going to me for help with his code.    these are just some of the more annoying interactions, but i have plenty more. does anyone have any suggestions or tips about dealing with the onslaught of little daily papercuts? i am finding this to be hardest part with my job."
should i give up?,ei3mge,blank,burnthisnameafteruse,50,1577831903.0,"i have an assault charge from 2010, a paraphanelia charge, and also a dwi in 2015 with other minor charges as well.  nothing since 2015.  no there is nothing i can do in the court system.  let me repeat, there is nothing i can do whatsoever, trust me.  it is embarrassing for the person when you ask whether they have thought about expungement.  of course i have...  i have 2 years of front end experience a year of react and i use go or php on the backend.  i have a formal cs education (math major, cs minor), but i have not graduated yet.  i rarely get interviews and once i get past the initial phases, i never get a call back.  i can never work for google, fb, or any government org.  ultimately if the company has an hr department and women working there, then i probably wouldn't be hired.    i know the title is somewhat belittling of myself for i have good knowledge of full stack development, but i was thinking of just getting a job in construction or something.  where i can have a better chance of being hired.  i have tried to get interviews and even put together a python script to apply to jobs for me, but the results are few and backgrounds checks never go well.  i was thinking about going out west but i am one more class from finishing my degree; however, i am nearing homelessness.  i try to get freelance projects, but i am such a roll over that i charged 3k for a full stack + db job and i just don't have any confidence to negotiate project based income.  salary, sure, but i don't know how to value my skill.  anyways, this post was basically just saying, see ya, you beat me down and you win."
anyone else feel like the people who plan offices for software developers have all vastly overestimated how much we like foozeball?,d43iqw,blank,MrAcurite,231,1568485780.0,"every goddamn ""hip to the groovy jive"" office has a foozeball table. why?"
"graduated in may with a cs bachelor degree, need some career advice",efspw1,blank,talonmidorfeed,13,1577375592.0,"recently i am under huge insecurity due to i am not sure what to do with my degree and not have a future career plan.  i graduated in may of 2019 with a cs bachelor with a 3.0 gpa, back then i was immature and not considerate for my future, i did not work on side-projects and grind leet code, just try to have fun with the free times i have and leave all the problems to the future me. thinking to cross the bridge when comes to it, just go to class do my test get a degree and everything is fine.   been working as a salesforce developer intern for a small company since then. i found the salesforce developer job to be boring and limited, from the experience of using the salesforce exclusive programming language and the tedious blue waiting screen you see when you make modifications during the development process.   and just like an ostrich pull out its head from the sand, after i decided to quit my current intern job, i realized how doomed my situation is, i only have experience as salesforce developer, i graduated with no side projects and not enough knowledge to become a professional software developer or anything cs related professional jobs, i have a general idea on those fields, but i do not know what exact skills the current industry need, and how good is considered ""ready"" to be a full time.  can someone give me some advice on what should i do if i want to get into the swe or web-developer field? self-taught until i am ready? just apply anyway? grind leetcode? apply for another internship? sorry for too much question marks guys i been thinking a lot every night before i sleep, and making a lot of pointless effort in the morning, watch tutorial videos a couple a day and hop onto leet code sometimes. i am a little introverted and my close friends/classmates are either unemploy or different majors therefore i couldn't seek advice from people around me.  anyway, thank you to anyone who took a look and replied to this post, happy new year to y'all."
for those currently working how many hours each day do you spend at work?,eftgru,blank,battle-turtle,20,1577381228.0,"do you work roughly 9-5,8-4 etc and what type of company is it (large,medium,small, startup etc)."
"i messed up really bad at a big tech company and it was my fault, am i blacklisted?",et553y,blank,throwaway_cscq_help,13,1579868211.0,"i had an onsite recently with a faang company for a new grad role for a swe position. the first interviewer was wearing a hijab and i thought it was a turban, so i tried to break the ice by saying something along the lines of ""i love hindus and the message of peace they bring, contrary to their counterparts in the middle east."" then the interviewer clarified that she was actually muslim. i tried to fix the situation by saying that i was glad to see more women in tech and i blew her a kiss and wiggled my tongue a little bit as a joke then laughed a little, but i didn't get a response. so i went up to her and tried patting her shoulder to apologize but she literally shifted her entire chair and moved away from me. she didnt say a single word the rest of the interview besides telling me my questions and she left 20 minutes early.   i knew i fucked up so i tried to make up for it in the second round, but the interviewer asked me a question that, after 10 minutes of thinking, i had no idea how to approach it despite his hints. there wasn't much time left so i got desperate and told him if i didn't get this offer i would be homeless and asked him to change the question. he told me he asks the same questions for every candidate. i decided go big or go home, so i told him i graduated from a top 5 school (i named it) and told him i knew people in this company that had a lot of pull compared to people from his school, implying that i could get him “laid off” (i was bluffing). he stood firm, so i tried to convince him i was joking because at this point i knew i really fucked up but he didn't buy it. he left early.  my third interviewer came in as i was cursing and kicking the wall. 10 minutes into the interview, security came in and i got escorted out. i got a template rejection later that day. i don't know what got into me and i'm seriously so ashamed of what i did but i don't know what i can do at this point"
women in tech and compensation,cdn706,blank,PIX3L,15,1563252290.0,"hello all,  it is known that women often low ball themselves when it comes to putting down desired salary/compensation.  i have already done this more than once and also on the phone with recruiters. it is also an awkward question in my opinion. so, women of reddit in tech how do you answer these questions ? is it wrong to say you don't feel comfortable answering it ?"
what are your real thoughts on conferences for women in tech?,cvg614,blank,carcarcar832,6,1566805437.0,"there's a week-long women in tech conference that my company has tickets to. we get to take the week off work without it being counted as pto, to attend the conference and listen to the talks. the conference is not really about anything technical -- it's more about the tech environment and about networking with other women in tech.   i want to apply to attend, but am not sure how to bring it up with my team. i would have to miss a week of work and we're in a busy period for the next 6 months. to be honest, i'm not sure what they actually think about d&i initiatives in this industry.  what are your real thoughts on conferences for women in tech? do you think they're generally a waste of time if they're not actually focused on technical content that's teaching some concrete technology?"
attn: women who code- career change help,d2zg5h,blank,Jesuiskellyb,2,1568275196.0,"hello, i am 33 and live in seattle right now. i am interested in doing a career change (worked in pharmacy for a decade) and switching to tech. i am interested in doing a coding bootcamp, are there any ladies out there with a similar situation as myself and did the bootcamp route? if so where and did it work out for you? i would love to hear all experiences good and bad."
autism discrimination,ehbk84,blank,buffcuff,24,1577682547.0,"despite the webdev/programming archetype being the introvert nerd, i have personally found that as someone with high functioning autism and who firmly fits that introvert image, that there is a huge amount discrimination against people with autism.  perhaps i have been unlucky with the organisations i have been employed at, the last 2 being multi-billion dollar corporations. my experience has been that the team would quickly recognise my differences (introversion, lack of eye contact etc) and start gossiping behind my back which would then lead to bullying. at my last 2 organisations colleagues would subtly be unhelpful and make life difficult for me....basically wanting me to fail. the stress and hurt from the bullying forced me to resign.  i should point out that i consider myself a competent developer and relatively strong with problem solving. i’m the type who actually enjoys algorithm challenges and actively participate in open source and learning new technologies. i code relatively well....at my last organisations i and other devs would say i was the strongest in my teams.  and yet none of this mattered...perhaps it even was a negative as it made other developers, including more supposedly senior developers look lacking.  at this point i just feel incredibly demotivated....the whole corporate beuracracy bullshit is enough to make any introvert lose hope. case in point is my last manager, unusually a female tech lead, but who was incompetent at the tech aspect but very competent at the social aspect and knowing who to befriend to move up the greasy ladder and how to avoid accountability. infuriatingly and ironically she was keen to be seen as an anti-discrimination advocate in tech....but her cause was women in tech.  honestly i feel the social element in programming work is overstated and most jobs can be done fully remotely....if i was a small business owner overseeing work i wouldn’t tolerate the bullshit people easily get away with at large organisations. my last company was full of so many bullshit business/agile people who i feel have much less value than the developer, yet got equivalent remuneration and played a key part in my resignations.  my question: what is the best path for me."
sf tech scene still better than ny for career growth?,efqlsm,blank,Nubenebbiosa,9,1577362334.0,"after a year of working at my first role as a software engineer in nyc i’m debating whether going to back to sf, which i know very well having lived there.   i’m all about constantly learning and i’m currently suffering from fomo as all the conventions, meetups and great tech minds are in silicon valley.   i’d hate to miss out on anything. thoughts? happy holidays folks."
i fucking love supportive devs,cojblu,blank,ChuckChatenay,225,1565479220.0,"inspired by the recent 'i fucking love my career' posts, but i have to say as a fellow lady dev, i fucking love supportive lady devs. on the days when the imposter syndrome is crazy high or when the occasional slight happens, other lady devs have come to my rescue to lift my spirit. so shout out to all the lady devs who lift each other up, compliment each other's code and give each other the 'you're doing great, hun' boost of confidence. i appreciate you.   and similarly, shout out to all devs who encourage, uplift, and give great constructive criticism. you are awesome."
competing new grad offers,dwd71v,blank,throwawayforfun1235,33,1573783158.0,"hello,  i'm fortunate to have 2 new grad offers that i'm deciding between. one is the typical sde new grad offer for amazon in seattle/bellevue, the other is for a boston unicorn (restaurant software), where i had a previous internship (and got a return offer for).  i'm from the boston area, and my friends/family live around boston, so i'm taking that into consideration but am also into trying out the west coast and a new environment. the tc for amazon is decently higher than the other offer (salary difference of 15k, tc difference of about 40k after first year), but both are high amounts and don't think it'll make a huge difference in my happiness after school. i'm also planning on trying to negotiate the unicorn offer by using the amazon offer as leverage.  i'd like to prioritize learning and growth opportunities and setting myself up best for the future. i feel like having amazon on my resume is really good in terms of getting jobs later on, but i also think the other offer probably would as well? i'm not too sure - can someone shed some light on how companies would look at my resume in either scenario? i'm very motivated to become a better engineer during my first few years.  how is living in seattle/bellevue as a new grad? i'm a pretty social and outgoing person and would look forward to meeting other people my age, trying a ton of restaurants/bars, exploring the area and the outdoors, etc... i'm also hoping that i won't have to work more than 40-45 hours per week...but i'm not sure how likely that is.  if you have any thoughts at all, please let me know to help me make an informed decision! thanks so much in advance.  as an aside, how bad is the weather in seattle? i definitely like sun..."
"with so many people trying out coding, why is there still a big shortage of software engineers and software developers?",c7byk1,blank,SaxxyBeast298,656,1561922115.0,"i have seen thousands of posts of people wanting to become a software engineer and starting to learn coding. then in my daily life, i have also met hundreds of people saying that themselves, or their children are studying computer science or learning to code.    yet, from my own experience, i have met only a small amount of people actually having jobs in this field. with so many people learning to code, why does only a small amount of these people able to land a job in this field?    at what point in learning to code, do most people give up or quit?"
i feel like a diversity quota hire for my internship,dav5ca,blank,klarrynet,95,1569792717.0,"i'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but i haven't been able to get it off of my mind ever since i got my intern offer. if there are any minorities who've gone through these feelings, i'd love to hear how you dealt with them.  a few weeks ago, a faang recruiter reached out to me for my resume, and then got me signed up for an on-campus interview. i figured that they got my contact information from my applications from the past two years, and assumed that the reason they reached out first was because i was a woman. my suspicion was confirmed when i saw that 90% of the people at the day 1 interview were women.  the whiteboard questions were fairly straightforward, and i'm honestly really proud of how i did on the second day interview (you had to pass day 1 to get to day 2). i illustrated my thought process out very well, and my interviewer had to ask almost no leading questions for me to get to the optimal solution. that being said, i feel like the questions were almost.....a bit easy for a faang interview, not to mention that there were only two interviews total (i got asked about four questions).  obviously, i'm delighted that i got the offer, and i do think i'm a very capable programmer who'll do fine there. still, i don't feel that i've deserved it at all, knowing that this interview was literally set up as a diversity initiative, and that the interviews i had might have been slightly easier (and shorter) than what normal people might have had to go through.  what's worse is my attitude about it with the people who found out. everybody has been really happy for me (both the men and women) saying i deserve it, but i keep shoving it off as ""i did do well on the interview but honestly i wouldn't have any sort of offer if i weren't a girl"".....which is really doing a disservice to all of the women engineers out there. this isn't the first time i've pushed off something as ""it's because i'm a woman lol"" (namely my internship from last summer), but this time, i really can't be proud because i know that i got an interview soley because i'm a woman.  i guess i might be acting spoiled about the whole situation, and should just accept my lucky situation instead of complaining about ""but did i deserve it???"" since at the end of the day, it doesn't change the situation much. still, if there's any advice anybody has as to how to process these feelings, i'm all ears.     edit: thanks for all of the supportive comments! i think a few contributing factors were probably that a week before, i had a couple of technical challenges that were much more difficult than what i was expecting, and i just barely passed one of them (got rejected right away by the other). because of that, i assumed ""ah, all big tech companies must give interview questions that are this hard"", not realizing that sometimes, you end up a bit lucky without an intentional ""we're giving this job to you because you're a minority"".      in addition (and this is probably the biggest factor that i didn't realize at all), a lot of the cs kids at my college do this very annoying thing where they judge your worth as a person with wherever you're interning. a lot of them assume every person who gets hired at a big-n is either a genius or had connections, and that nothing could possibly be wrong with your life if you have a good sf internship. i hate having expectations on me, and i don't want people to have an inflated impression of me because of a lucky opportunity i happened to get (this is a reaction a friend of mine already had). i've begun to realize that i should just ignore all of that bullshit, and enjoy myself without worrying about what these people think."
how to navigate office politics w/ regards to being an “ally”?,djo84c,blank,throwawaygirl27374,80,1571437455.0,"throwaway here for obvious reasons — most of my coworkers use reddit.  i’m 27 and a female engineer in a male dominated org. i’ve been working 4 years out of undergrad, so not really a whole lot of years in the industry.   my director is a woman but i don’t know how much perceived legitimacy she actually has. everyone likes her because she’s friendly and nice but everyone also knows she has zero say in the technical decisions, and is more the “people side of things” than anything technical. she leads the “women in engineering” group for our org.   the problem i’m running into is that she expects me to be a more active proponent of her diversity efforts. i’m one of the more senior women in the org (the rest are mostly entry level) and she wants me to be more visible and active about being a woman and helping other women and posting in the org diversity groups and overall be more of an advocate for women.   however, if i’m being completely honest, the main reason i don’t want to do this is because: 1) this takes time and focus away from me doing actual technical work that would get me promoted, 2) i get the overwhelming sense that people who mention diversity get taken a lot less seriously in the workplace afterwards (at the very least, technically).   and so i’m not sure what to do from this position. i don’t believe i am obligated to do what she wants me to do just because i’m a woman too, but on the other hand she sits in on my promotion reviews and i think it really does bother her that i am not as active as she thinks i should be.   this might be the wrong subreddit to post it in, but wanted to get an opinion for what the best thing politically to do here is. thanks."
bootcamps for women,bxjpgh,blank,SierraLeeEnfield,11,1559872245.0,"what do you think are currently the best boot camps for women, both in terms of financing, career prospects, and not being annoyed af by a negative learning environment?"
which subfields have the most women or are the most fun?,9vybfx,blank,throwawaycookkie,103,1541916120.0,"hi! i’m a junior in college right now majoring in computer science. i’m trying to figure out what kind of tech i like to do and what kind of stuff i want to work on after i graduate.  i noticed that the friendliness/culture/fun-ness or a team is super important to me. i think i work sooo much better when i’m around people who are my friends and are nice and that i have things in common with and can form bonds with. i like all kinds of tech equally but i noticed from my internships that i care a lot more about the team culture than the tech stack and my happiness level is more affected by that. because i’m a woman, i feel like when i’ve been on a team that has a lot of women, my interest in my job and my happiness level is sooo much higher.   are there any subfields in particular to look at or avoid if this is what i know makes me more happy and more interested in my job?"
manager blaming me for doing what i was taught. the person who taught me denies it's her fault.how to deal,ea9dr5,blank,reddit1panda,9,1576297741.0,"so i am a student and i have been working as an intern in this company for about 10mo now making peanuts but i'm new and desperate for experience and most importantly i haven't found anything else.   there was barely any onboard training and mostly i'm just given a task and manager will say ""ask soandso for help if needed"". and don't get me started on what kind of help i get when i do ask for help. everyday is a struggle.    so i have this task , dev a taught me how to do it, i did it for a while and then manager wants me to hand it over to dev b. i did. everything is cool until today manager found out b did it wrong. because i taught him wrong, which is because dev a taught me wrong.    so without verifying it with me manager sent me an email ccing everybody in the team saying redditpanda this is unacceptable i hope you realize how serious this is. if you aren't clear you should've asked i need an explanation from you etc.    i told her in dm that i was trained to do that by dev a. then manager asked dev a and of course dev a denied that she taught wrong. dev a has been with the company for over 8years so i'm sure i'm the one who's getting the blame for this.    i'm just dreading going in next monday to see manager's face again. i also start to wonder if she hates me because we are both women. there are some things that make me think that but i don't want to dwell on those too much.    i dont know what to think. this is toxic isn't it?  how do i handle this situation? is it common? i didn't reply to that blaming email because i'm not sure i want to throw dev a under the bus in public. i only messaged manager in private but i feel bad when manager said to dev a ""redditpanda is telling me u told her so"". but what else am i supposed to say? ugh"
networking night ideas,epoio8,blank,VictoriousBeach,0,1579233091.0,"hello! i'm part of a women in tech club on my college campus and we are planning a networking night for students to meet company recruiters and reps. this event is planned for the week of my school's career fair so there will potentially be a lot of companies coming. i'm hoping that we can have discussions about careers rather than just people trying to get interviews, but i doubt that would happen. we've rented out a nice venue and are getting catering but i would like to make it more than just people wandering in a large room. i want to know how to make this event impactful for all involved.  **students**: what would you like to gain from a networking event? what ways can we make recruiters/company reps more approachable? what are some things we can do to not make the environment so competitive?   **recruiters/company reps**: would it be preferred that you get student's resumes prior rather than being handed out before the event? is there a good way to get to know students through an activity? what would you like to walk away with after this event?  **anyone else**: what are some of the best networking nights you've been to and why?   all advice is appreciated :)"
code-curious 21 y/o lady,doqf5j,blank,raynazyn,23,1572387316.0,"hey everyone!  i don't know much about coding other than super basic html and css stuff. i'm just starting to learn the basics from learn code academy.   i'm really interested in this field, but i'm not sure if it's truly for me. i've always been interested in coding and wanting to learn software development, but how do you *know* it's for you?  just after the ""website"" building part in this video  ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqojmihelvm&list=ploycgnoiygab\_8\_iq1cl8mveun7cb6enc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqojmihelvm&list=ploycgnoiygab_8_iq1cl8mveun7cb6enc)) i got really excited about just the basics alone. i'm well aware of the salary and honestly, that's not the exciting part for me.  i love to figure things out and build stuff. i'm creative, i like design and marketing/business. i'm actually aiming towards a specific project i've had in mind for a few years, but considering app development is typically expensive, i let it become a pipe-dream till recently.  &#x200b;  tldr, essentially,  what kind of person does it take to do this job? how did you know it was for you? what can i expect while diving into this? is it best to attend a school, bootcamp, or be an autodidact? everything i've ever learned, i've taught myself through external resources (duh).   i have motivation and drive, but is that diploma really necessary? i don't mind if so! just can't really afford school.  &#x200b;  thank you so much for reading!"
an office with very minimal diversity,do2d0i,blank,AnakinsLightsaber,38,1572255880.0,"a few days ago i posted a comment on the daily chat thread about my experience during an on-site interview.  i told of how everyone in the office seemed to be from the same place of origin.  i asked how this was possible in 2019 and i got down-voted quite a bit.  when i asked why i got down-voted someone said it was because i sounded *ridiculous*.  i really didn't understand how i came off this way.  i personally have never had any problems working with anyone regardless of their country of origin or ethnic background.  however, my first thought when i was in this office was: *""why aren't there any other people here outside of this specific group?""*  i saw one person that may have worked there who did not fit the description but they were in the lobby.    i have two questions:  * why did reddit have an issue with my initial comment? * what might be the reasons why this office is set up the way it is?   **edit:** wow!  this place is toxic.  thank you to those who provided a civil response."
hardest/worst part about a career in computer science?,cm77sw,blank,Rachelphilipose,101,1565014083.0,"i am considering going into a career in computer science and i know that the field is full of opportunities for growth, but i wanted to get a better picture of the not-so-great parts about being in cs. i’ve read some other posts about people having a lot of trouble initially with staring at computer for hours on end, is that a common problem??   anyway, i’m just looking for some perspective on the industry, any insight would be much appreciated :)   (if i’ve posted this to the wrong discussion, or if there is anywhere else i should be looking for these types of questions please lmk, i’m pretty new to reddit!)"
do you think companies actively try to hire more women in tech?,7y81at,blank,engsmml,331,1518917831.0,"i’m studying software engineering and i just finished my first job search this summer for my first internship. when i was applying, i didn’t even think i would get any interviews. i ended up getting quite a few, and some guy in my class pretty much told me the reason i was getting these interviews was because companies eat up the diversity and my name stood out to them. my credentials aren’t amazing by any means (no relevant experience, somewhat above average gpa) and i’m starting to think he was right. does this typically happen? do companies really try and hire more women?"
companies that have hiring events for women,btpngv,blank,UnluckyBrilliant-_-,4,1559011413.0,i am a rising freshman at a t25 university. i have been researching and i found fairly comprehensive lists of women exclusive programs by investment banks. i couldn't find a similiar list for tech companies.   does similiar programs exist? i know twitter has a diversity event. can someone share some other companies
"as a senior developer, what are the key things you are looking at when choosing a company to work for?",dsx02f,blank,mvpworkshop,10,1573158263.0,"as you know, there is a huge shortage of senior developers in the world. so, what are the things that you find attractive in a company (besides the salary, of course)?"
undergraduate cs summits/conferences?,ekpjod,blank,confused_junior_,0,1578317722.0,are there any upcoming summits/conferences in nyc? i currently know of mongodb women in computer science summit ([https://mongodbswicssummit.splashthat.com/](https://mongodbswicssummit.splashthat.com/)) and google women techmakers ([https://www.womentechmakers.com/iwd19](https://www.womentechmakers.com/iwd19)). unfortunately missed out on impact fellowship ([https://www.impactlabs.io/fellowship/](https://www.impactlabs.io/fellowship/)).  doesn't have to be specifically geared towards women either though would be nice to know of other wics events :)
how many women in cs do you personally know?,7otlmq,blank,MargaritasAndChill,298,1515390268.0,"i start my first day of university tomorrow. i did my basics at a community college because im an older student (23). its come to my attention that there are barely any women in this field. im fine with being the only woman in the room for the rest of my life but i find it curious. this seems to be a rather lucrative field. where the women at?   whether at your own workplace or from college, how many women do you know in cs?"
"women is cs, what have your experiences in the field been like?",839y69,blank,MeowerPowerTower,178,1520656898.0,"i have a year left until i get my cs degree, and am a 25 y.o. woman. i entered this field because i’ve always loved computers, and like many grew up tinkering with my dads old discarded machines.  my school’s cs department is pretty small, tight-knit, and supportive, so i haven’t had many negative experiences here, aside from watching the few other girls in my classes drop out of the program like flies left and right. there still seems to be some negative attitude towards women i’ve noticed in circles outside of school, and at times it is quite taxing.   i think some of the experiences of being a girl playing games online when i was younger really had an effect on me. you can’t just avoid getting on mic/not mention your gender to avoid being treated differently and getting flamed when it comes to real life. of course people behave much worse from the safety of their keyboard, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that attitude is not a part of people’s attitudes.  i really hope this is just in my head.  in professional experience, has your gender affected your day-to-day work experience? or, men, have you noticed gender play a role?"
do tech companies have an official quota to meet recruiting wise?,e2q9dl,blank,acrosstheuniverse20,5,1574932426.0,"do tech companies have to take in x amount of women, latinos, black, etc or is it just encouraged to diversify (but they won’t really “get in trouble” if they don’t)?   would companies turn away a very qualified asian/white and/or male candidate for a relatively qualified minority and/or woman?  i went to a women in tech conference recently and it just got me thinking and kind of want to find out what’s going on behind the scenes a little!"
"historic data of women in tech and why ""women stopped coding""?",9t0zgo,blank,datavirtue,26,1541036204.0,"my earliest exposure to technology and business saw me being surrounded and influenced by women. women who would scoff and laugh at the silly men who would drop hints at their own gender-derived superiority. i am still surrounded by these women. my boss and my boss' boss are both women in tech as are a lot of the engineers that i work with. these women are math majors, mechanical engineers, software developers, and highly technical project managers.  i have been participating in the global online debate around women in tech, mostly to call out what i thought were misguided efforts to make women feel included.  i derided those efforts because i knew that a lot of men didn't feel included either and the conversation about women feeling boxed out was because they were in fact being treated equally.  in my world there was certainly no shortage of women in tech--i am literally surrounded by them.   then i saw the graph in this article which made my jaw drop. ever since i have been trying to dig deeper to understand what is going on.  [https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2014/10/21/357629765/when-women-stopped-coding](https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2014/10/21/357629765/when-women-stopped-coding)  it clearly shows the number of women enrolling in the sciences and law over the years. there is a clear dip in 1986-87 from which there was a recovery, except for comp sci, and another dip in 2003-04 where comp sci took another dive. both of those dips occurred across all of the science enrollments. at each dip, enrollment in computer science takes another nose dive while the other sciences recovered.   what happened at those times causing the number of women enrolling in law, medicine, comp sci, and physical sciences to dip and why has computer science not recovered while the others have? i would think law is a ""boys club.""  how come it maintains the steady increase of female majors? why was the overall increase stronger in the years when we were closer to the genesis of female inclusion when it should have presented even tougher challenges for them?  does this reflect a widespread policy change at higher learning institutions? wth?  \[social justice platitudes and character attacks won't help anyone learn anything. if you take that route i have to assume you benefit from the debate remaining divisive and unproductive and you don't really care if women exist in tech or not.\]"
i feel like an asshole negotiating this offer. should i?,djerpa,blank,dunmoo,7,1571384234.0,"i got an offer with a public company as a software engineer. the offer is high. i believe it is higher than the average salary for new grads. it also comes with a decent amount of stocks and a signing bonus.    however, i know that others have negotiated this offer and gotten more base salary. i feel like i should negotiate, because why would i not? however, i feel like a complete asshole asking for more money when they are already offering me so much. i'm already being offered more money than people i know are making after 10-year careers in other fields. and this is a great offer even for cs in the city i'm in.    i've also read that women are less likely to negotiate than men, and i don't want to contribute to that.   i'd appreciate any insight."
equality in our field discussion,cos9ky,blank,oops_1,82,1565525446.0,"is it wrong that colleges and companies are giving exclusive opportunities only to women in computer science?   there are many majors that have similar gender gaps with the majority being female yet there are no exclusive opportunities to encourage men into those fields. i've experienced many exclusive events, presentations and internships being provided solely for women and it just doesn't feel right to me. i haven't seen anyone (male or female) being hazed or discouraged by their peers. from what i've experienced,  everyone is very helpful in my college. we want everyone to succeed no matter gender, race, etc. i have asked this question to my peers and enjoyed listening to their perspectives which is why i posted it here.   my point of view to start: i personally feel that having exclusive opportunities to women belittles them as if saying they need the extra help to succeed in this field. it is creating a divide instead of bringing us together on the one thing we all (male and female) share, our passion for computer science and desire to see each other graduate and become successful. the solution to decreasing the gender gap in computer science shouldn't be done by excluding males simply because there are too many.  i'd like to know what's everyone's perspective and thank you for taking the time to share.    also, i'm happy to see so many people love what they do in the computer science field that it really makes me excited to be graduating soon. i also want to thank those who have shared their problems in the field. i have learned so much from the comments on how to tackle various issues and hope that everything turns out well for those who have had it rough.  edit to add table from department of education on the enrollment of men and women in each field of study. [table](https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d18/tables/dt18_318.30.asp) the statistics are here to support the point that other majors have a large gender divide with men as the minority and no exclusive opportunities that i've heard of.   biological biomedical sciences ,education, communications technology, english language and literature, family and consumer sciences, health professions"
"what are some things to look for in companies when looking for a job after graduation? (positives, red flags, etc)",d53e4s,blank,link270,7,1568681443.0,i’ll be graduating in the spring and am going to start looking a little harder for a job for when i’m done. any advice on what i should be looking for or staying away from?
"recently learned about the grace hopper conference. this year they have more than 18,000 women attending both days. how is this okay?",9j37kd,blank,TheGoodPlaceJanet,47,1538002543.0,"for those who don't know, grace hopper is an annual conference with a brilliant career's fair. although officially they never state this, but the consensus is that the conference is for ""women in tech"". you can see this by the pure number of attendees (estimated 18,000 women this year), keynote speakers, and subsidized tickets for ""gender minorities"" which virtually means women.  the career's fair they have is one of the earlier ones in the industry - and they are there to hire women for positions.  how is this okay? i don't understand the need if there are 18,000 entry level, female students attending. doesn't this mean that tech is already promoted and popularized among women? then why are they getting special treatment, in the form of a selective career's fair?  i am all for women in leadership roles - there are not enough c-level women or vcs in tech, and that is a big problem. but for entry level positions, i really do not understand the need anymore. 18,000 women attendees is a lot. at some point, we need to reflect to see if all of this is actually working, or is it just an added bias to qualify people based on their gender (something that cannot be changed) and not skills."
what should be the ratio of women to men in tech?,9y434u,blank,70066,18,1542553587.0,"in the recent years the tech industry has been heavily pushing for hiring more women. i've heard our managers and people from other companies/online talk about ""how can we hire more women"" many times because ""the ratio of women in tech is too low"". i'm wondering though, what should be the right ratio? some people said it should be 50:50. what do you think? what are your reasons?"
"my manager is only assigning women to the best projects and a small amount of men to help them out, keeping everyone else far away. how can i express to him this is wrong?",7wt6nb,blank,festyx,145,1518389747.0,"he bolsters team spirit and sharing values and knowledge in public. when it came down to it though, he put only women as main developers/designers for the best projects.  some of us thought things were going to fail as these people didn’t have the skills. that’s when we found out that he also assigned 1 senior dev and 2 interns to help them out.  the other developers and designers in the company (including me) have to take care of all the lesser projects, in spite of being capable of operating without hand-holding or any kind of support.  i don’t know what he’s thinking or what his plan is, but i have some self respect left and i’d like to talk to him about my future. one of these “privileged programmers” was hired to take the load off us senior devs, and now we have to keep doing our shitty taks while they rejoice on the newest projects?  on the designers front, they are telling me the person he chose spends 2 hours everyday on facebook, pinterest, youtube and twitter. she works only for the remaining 6 hours, and they do this even when the project is running late. nobody reported this behavior yet, but come friggin on...  what would be the best way to bring this up?"
"as a junior developer, how do you behave in a work place?",dhflpy,blank,bagurl,6,1571025348.0,"i am new at a startup and it has been 2 months here. i am a software engineer working on rails backend fresh from college. i have had some internship experience(rails girls summer of code) with rails, but nothing majorly professional yet. the startup i work at has been around for over 10 years, it's a company with offcies in uk, new zealand, usa, canada, australia so its more or less like a small company.  my question is this. i am thinking of ways that i can learn more from the developers there who are all far more experienced than me. the next nearest person has about 3 years of experience and he was by far the youngest before i came along. i don't have much to contribute to their discussions and i feel they give me work that's way too easy, that doesn't involve much logic.  when they hired me, they said they are compensating me to the tune of a developer with a year of experience. i want to do better here but i don't know how. is there a way i can make them take me seriously?  basically, as a junior developer, how can i behave in the work place such that i learn more and such that they trust me with more work.  ps: i am a female in india, a country where women's intentions get mistaken most of the time. most of the developers in my team are men. i want some advice such that i don't give them any clue that i am interested in anything other than strictly professional work. so, i can't socialize with them over drinks or socialize with them after work."
what non-programming thing do you hate most about your job?,ag8quk,blank,xampl9,432,1547589494.0,"in my case, it’s not being able to get a bathroom stall. there’s so many men on the floor (it’s the it department) and so few women, that the men’s room is overcommitted."
jp morgan chase tech connect 2020,cfc9qj,blank,BrooklynQuants,56,1563594680.0,"after completing the 12 pymetrics games i was given my email to do my hirevue technical coding interview.  my major is not cs , and i've only taken one course in java.  i am currently doing practice questions on hackerrank and leetcode, and really wanted some guidance for the difficulty/types of coding questions that i would have to do in the technical round.  my background is not computer science but i learn very quickly, and am very passionate about pursuing a career in software engineering!  i would love some insights on what to expect!  &#x200b;  thank you!"
"new manager, what do i even do here?",coyun3,blank,newmanager4554454,36,1565569850.0,"been working at a small to medium size company for 4 years as various flavors of software engineer. recently got promoted to a team manager.   one of my first tasks was hiring my replacement. we had two final candidates. we'll call them john and sue. they're both good choices but ultimately i wanted to hire john as he has more experience in the stack we use, and interviewed better. the tldr conversation with my boss went something like this:  ""i decided john is who i want on my team because xyz. what do you think?""  ""we're hiring sue""  ""oh ok, i thought the final decision was up to me""  ""it was but you chose wrong. we need more women working here or it looks bad.""  ""respectfully, i don't think it's legal to hire a less qualified candidate based on their gender""  ""blame the liberals""  i really don't know what to do now. this was an in person conversation of course so there isn't a record of anything. do i talk to hr? suck it up and deal with it? if sue was the stronger candidate that's who i would have wanted, but she wasn't."
has being a female in the software development field affected you in any way?,afy2ae,blank,Mgerbz,335,1547515639.0,"i’m in my last semester of college studying computer science. i am one of only a handful of girls in that major. since i will be spending a lot of time looking for jobs this semester, i’m wondering if any females in the tech industry has had their gender affect their success in this industry? has it made finding a job easier (companies trying to diversify the workplace) or has it made it more difficult (being a male dominated industry)? do you work with mostly men? does this affect you in any way?  i’d love to hear a female developers side because i personally don’t know any & would like their perspective."
special programs for women in cs,asuxng,blank,clarinetkaren,2,1550731323.0,i’ve noticed that some of the internships and jobs i’ve applied to have been targeted specifically at women and minorities. does anyone have a list or know of a way to learn about more of similarly targeted programs?
tech culture sigma holding me back,ct9xl6,blank,throwaway92020494883,24,1566380677.0,"i’m super concerned and confused about tech culture to be honest. i honestly have never seen someone look like me or act like me in any of the mass portrayals of persons in the tech industry. i don’t know a single woman personally in tech and the men i know personally fairly well in tech aren’t exactly my cup of tea.   i’m quite outgoing and prefer to think of myself as more interested in creative endeavors. they were more on the quiet side and as far as i could tell, not too interested in anything but making money, quite geeky, i could tell they were intelligent. and basically, they fit the stereotype very well. but every single one of those guys i knew who were in college for computer science all thought and treated me as if i was extremely dumb. they were shocked to hear that i got into medical school and shocked to hear that i received presidential academic awards.   this was my sample size of three men though but i suppose even though small and unfair to label an entire industry based off of them, it’s left a very large first impression of the kind of people in tech. and with more and more women coming out of the tech industry due to misogyny, i think its prevalent enough to be labeled as a trend and a pattern of the outlook and treatment of women. i went to a straight md program so i never communicated with anyone in tech too much after meeting them and all the while i was in school. i constantly see women dominating in healthcare. i’ve run into and seen every single personality type, size, shape, color, gender in med school. so i had so many role models and i felt like i belonged, never felt out of place, and never questioned if i was deserving or capable of being there.   im sure a lot of it is due to the just the disproportional number of women in tech and the level of representation but i still can’t help but feel hesitant and worried. ive come to terms with medicine not being for me and i want to be in tech but i’m extremely concerned about what the culture might be like. i can’t help but feel like i’m trying to enter a boys club and will be unwelcome.  edit: just by the attitude of votes i’m getting on this post and the comments i can feel the toxicity. maybe it’s just reddit. but i don’t understand why talking about or even thinking that this is an issue is so offending to a lot of people. yes i understand the attitude of being the change you want to see in the world but i also understand that there are struggles that undeniably make it harder and their stories should be told and heard. already the attitude that this isn’t something to be concerned about is concerning, were not helping anybody/cause if were disregarding their experiences. i’m super glad to hear that it’s generally going in the right direction. thank you for everyone who’s shared so far.  it’s because we talk about/speak up about it that issues resolve and i’m so happy to hear about the positive experiences."
looking for advice from women developers,6tg2p4,blank,twoxdeveloper,70,1502670764.0,"edit: hi everyone. wow, this received way more attention than i was expecting and i'm a bit overwhelmed so i'm just going to take it down. i am reading all the responses and will take them into consideration. thanks :)"
company won't budge on start date because of upcoming deadline in ~6 weeks. red flag?,dde5vf,blank,yeah666,4,1570254785.0,"a little backstory:  the company is a large agency.  in general i try to avoid even applying to agencies, but this one seems/seemed like they actually care about quality and they have a pretty impressive portfolio.  i've talked to them multiple times over the past year and this time they finally made made an offer.  this might not be super relevant, but the offer was about what i make now, but with worse benefits.  i countered with a number that i'd be happy with and they haven't outright said no yet.  yesterday when they made the first offer, they asked if i could start on 10/21.  my parents, who i haven't seen since last thanksgiving, are visiting the last week of october, so i asked if i could start on 11/4 so i could spend time with them without having to deal with everything that comes with the first 2 weeks of a new job.    today they called me back and said they needed me to start on the 21st because the deadline for the project is coming up in the beginning of december.   i told them that i might consider starting on the 21st if they can match the salary i'm asking for, and if i could have 2-3 days off that week.  the hr person said that if that's not doable, i could still be brought on later when a spot on another project opens up.    after the phone call i started thinking and realized that if they think bringing on a new developer ~6 weeks before a deadline is going to make a difference, that reflects poorly on their management and culture.  it makes them seem like the type of company that thinks 9 women can have a baby in a month.  is it ridiculous to not consider the job at all, even if they can give me the salary i asked for and allow me to start later?"
does an iranian have the slightest chance of being hired as a remote data scientist or an ai expert via linkedin?,d2f8u7,blank,PartlyShaderly,13,1568181254.0,"i'm a student at jdm, mashhad. i have been on linkedin for a few days. i've only appeared in search results four times. i have filled my skills to the brim with hard skills and soft skills that i definitely have. i have listed two projects and i've linked to two ml and ai blogs that i own. i'm not looking for immigration, i'm looking for contract work. but it seems like that linkedin is working against me. today it recommended a job in the iraqi kurdistan. come on linkedin that's a total party hardy zone. plus their women are down for anything, but since they practice fgm, it's as if you're fucking a watermelon. fucking assholes. what should i do to appear less terrorist-y?"
1 year long job hunting with a happy ending =),bsyt0t,blank,rivereto,30,1558842963.0,"hey!  i  see many of you desperate because you are hunting for a job for a few  months and thinks that you'll never get anything good! well, i\`m here to  tell my story that has a tragic beginning but a happy ending!  &#x200b;  a  little bit on my background: i am a latin american woman (so definitely  a minority) and english is not my native language, and i only started  to learn english when i was 15 and still today i don't feel 100%  comfortable with it. i got my cs degree from an average school last year  march and i have research experience (1 year) within a laboratory in my  university and an internship at a well known company that i got through  outreachy program (program designed for including minorities in tech,  see details here: [https://www.outreachy.org/](https://www.outreachy.org/)).  &#x200b;  i  thought that because of my experience, i would get a job ""just like  that"" after school. i started to apply to everywhere, but i get none  response, i don't know how many applications i've sent out that  time  but for sure it was 3 digits or close to that - which shows that it  isn't true that you as a minority can get any interview/job just because  tech companies want to increase diversity.  &#x200b;  last  year\`s may, i saw a post on some forum for women in tech, a redhat  recruiter saying that she was willing to help some people to fix their  cv's for free (as a way to give back to community what she got), i  messaged her and i scheduled a skype call with her, she gave me a lot of  usefull feedback. i put some feedback into practice and i got two  interviews with no name companies, but none of them were succesful.  &#x200b;  a  few weeks later i saw that grace hopper celebration of women in tech  had a scholarship application open for women of color to go there for  free! i applied and i got selected! i was so excited to go to the career  fair! i got even more excited when i got an invitation to go to a  google private event. maybe one mistake that i did at the fair was to  focus too much on google, but work for a bign company was my dream, and  google even more! i got the opportunity to talk with many googlers (who i  still have contact) and they gave me a lot of feedback on interviewing,  i learned a lot from those conversations!  i got an interview with  google and moved on to on-site round, but unfortunatly i was rejected  (they said that they will interview me again in 18 months, we'll see).  &#x200b;  after google's rejection (in november), i paused applications because i got  really sick! the problem was serious (it was an hormonal problem, not  related to job search or unemployment) but fortunately the medicins  needed were not expensive. in february i was feeling already again, and  started to send out cv\`s to many places (not as many as before, because i  also learned to better filter my options), i got 5 interviews this time  and 2 offers! one from an startup, and the second one from amazon, i  accepted amazon\`s offer! i'm really happy because i'm going to amazon!  unfortunatly, i also only discovered about this sub on february, but i  get really happy when i read happy stories here! so i hope mine's will  inspire someone!  &#x200b;  and  i must say that every step in this process was important, i somehow  grow as a human during this time! i\`m so grateful for every person who  crossed my way during this time! my main lesson is try to learn from  others, even more if you are a minority in tech! and you can see how  those platforms for minority in tech works in practice. to remain  competitive during this unemployed time, i contributed a lot on open  source (my github follower\`s busted) and took edx classes on  probability.  &#x200b;  ps: i won't give more details on myself, such as where i'm going to work (which campus) or where i'm from, since i think i exposed myself a lot already! so please don't ask for that kind of information."
conferences,drm13p,blank,goahnary,0,1572921848.0,"i know there have been posts about conferences in the past... but i want to poll everyone's experience on the usefulness of conferences.      what conferences have you gone to in the past that have helped your career immensely? which ones seemed like a waste of time? why did they have this effect?      how would you suggest evaluating the benefits of a conference? should you only go to a conference that is specifically about the tech stack you are using? maybe conferences that are for your demographic have been empowering (wonder women tech, afrotech, etc.)? or maybe any tech conference is beneficial in your opinion.     let me know your experience and suggestions for finding a conference that could help someone find community, network, and learn the most about their career."
are women in tech supposed to wear makeup to work/interviews?,76hu3n,blank,sorrythrowawaytaken,57,1508084338.0,"ladies who are engineers, do you wear makeup to work? and do you wear makeup to interviews? even if you don't normally wear any? is it expected for women in engineering to wear makeup?   everyone else, do you notice or have an opinion about female engineers wearing makeup?   also, does it matter if a female engineer wears makeup? will others think that a woman without makeup is less professional or less competent as an engineer?   i'm asking this because, despite tech being known to have an overall more relaxed dress code than other industries, i noticed that most of the women in technical roles (and other roles) working in my office have some amount of makeup on. additionally, some female cs friends from school would put on a full face of makeup for interviews, even if they usually didn't wear any or usually only wore minimal makeup.   i also noticed that a lot of women wear slightly more ""professional"" looking clothes than the guys. and when the guys go in the office with some free t shirt they got in college, no explanation is necessary. but if one of the girls comes in with less makeup than usual or with a relaxed outfit, she apologizes for not looking put together, and explains how she was in a hurry in the morning, etc. it's all self-commentary, and i haven't seen or heard any instances of other people ever commenting on anyone else's appearance. but even so, it's kind of...concerning? confusing? i'm not really sure.  but it's just that there seems to be some kind of unspoken difference in how women are expected to look compared to all the other engineers. i know that gender-based appearance expectations are a pretty well-known issue at large, but i thought that with how casual tech supposedly is in regard to appearances, it wouldn't matter as much. but it seems like it does."
empowering underrepresented new grads and professionals in tech,ctgq8i,blank,doserved,5,1566422264.0,"thinking of starting a community for underrepresented students, new grads and professionals in tech (underrepresented being african american, latinx, and women primarily).   i like to think of the community as a counterbalance to the old boys' network.   the community would empower through a variety of activities including:   helping each other's advancement through support, guidance, and connections  presenting quality job and freelance opportunities where underrepresented professionals are strongly desired  providing a marketplace where members can hire other members for services  providing mentoring for members  having a volunteer mindset where all members help the community through activities such as mentoring, answering member questions, being site moderators, and referring new members to increase our impact and reach   thoughts?   if you're in the underrepresented category, would you want to join?"
what's your internship story and are you in any way still applying what you've learned from it?,d831w5,blank,cumbersomebreadcrumb,5,1569251442.0,"we know there are horror stories. computer science interns-turned secretary or errand person. but is there anyone out there who can say they had a superb experience during their internship? what were your tasks and how did it help you in your career now?  i'll start. i got an internship in a male-dominated web development department from a talent search call center company. most of the time, i get really bored and frustrated. they only give me html stuff to fix because they don't think women have what it takes to be a dev. i started stealing the other devs' tasks and that's when they started to trust me with what i can offer.  looking back, i'm no longer into web technologies, but i still appreciate how they used git, and of course, how i was able to assert myself and know my worth (skill-wise) in the workplace."
comprehensive list of freshman/sophomore internships and programs,cjc3sv,blank,dobbysreward,4,1564439974.0,"i couldn't find a comprehensive list while i was applying, so i made one and updated it last year.  **internships**  * facebook university * google engineering practicum * microsoft explore * uber star * palantir path (low income/first gen/disadvantaged. limited/no industry experience) * twitter academy * ea pathfinder * code2040 fellows program (black or latinx only, must start app before october 17th) (matches you with high-growth tech companies, like google or 23andme. also offers non-technical roles at tech companies) * amazon future engineer program * two sigma freshman software engineering internship * dropbox launch (freshmen) (must have no previous software engineering internship experience) (must have python experience) * bank of america global technology freshman summer analyst program * ford 2019 information technology - intern freshman students only * pinterest engage (i'm 95% sure this was discontinued, but i've seen references to it online so maybe it's still out there)  also, govt agencies ([nsa/gov intelligence](https://apply.intelligencecareers.gov/student-tiles), nasa (nasa also runs a [program for international students](https://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/descriptions/international-internships-for-students.html)), doe cci or suli, etc.), banks, and non-profits tend to be freshman-friendly (meaning they'll test you, but at least they'll consider you).   **programs**  * **new** appian first year forward program 2020 (1 day, get paired with a mentor from appian for entire college experience. phone interviews starting spring semester, candidates finalized march) * microsoft new technologists summer academy (7 weeks, $5,600, no housing) * uconn has [this list](https://diversity.business.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/985/2015/11/summer-leadership-programs.pdf) of ""leadership programs"", mostly at finance companies. these programs recruit for *all* corporate roles, everything from software engineering to investment banking to hr (depending on what the company provides), so sign up for email notifications for whichever ones apply to you.  * square code camp (5 day, all expenses paid, women only, due in october) * google summer of code * google ml intensive (10 weeks, unpaid, free housing/food, no flights) (spring application deadline is november 18. summer application deadline is february 17.)"
advice from women,9kt7o5,blank,Sabio_La,6,1538533649.0,a post about women in this field made me want to ask this question as a way for women to help focus on the positives of their careers as there can be a lot overcome. women in a cs carrier what were the two major things that really made a difference for you in your career path?
looking for reviews on working at avanade,dhercp,blank,Motivation_Hacker,1,1571021658.0,"anyone working at avanade, canada? i have an offer and i am debating whether to join this company or not?  my core concerns are: 1. how is the work life balance? 2. how is the opportunity for growth in career and learning? 3. are there benefits for women? 4. any tips while working in the company?  any help is appreciated."
some coworkers resent me for being invited to a conference they wanted to attend because i’m a woman who came from a coding bootcamp?,bfeyfq,blank,throwawaygirl388,35,1555811328.0,edit: taking this down because i’m scared someone on my 16 person team will see.   thanks for the advice. i learned:  - i should not be ashamed for coming from a coding bootcamp and let them make me feel inferior because i don’t have a “traditional cs degree” or for being 27 and not having the 5+ years of experience the other guy my age on the team has   - i am going to work harder at learning backend engineering. all my experience is in front end but i should “speak the lingo” of backend so next them they have nothing to complain about  - i am going to post my notes of the conference talks. i also went to some front end talks too and so if my coworkers see there were front end talks there as well that justifies my presence there more that it wasn’t all backend  - i can’t leave and go to a different company because i don’t have enough experience to and my only knowledge is in front end and ux design. i also truthfully make a lot of mistakes sometimes and so if i go to another company they will expect me to already be at the level instead of learning as i go. i am going to stick it out here and focus on getting better at front end and prove people wrong
am i too incompetent to be a software engineer?,cxpkk4,blank,luminous_vixen,7,1567241629.0,"i am currently a software engineer at my first job out of college, and i’m located on the east coast. for personal reasons, i’m looking to relocate to the bay area. i have gone through 6 phone screens and have bombed 5 of them. i have only gotten a working solution for 1, but for that screen i received feedback that i was too slow, needed too much guidance, and didn’t reach an optimal solution. so i’ve never made it to an on-site.  i majored in computer science in college. i have also been powering through leetcode for 4 months, and have done mock interviews because i’ve heard that the hiring process for the bay resorts to these type of questions to pass the interview. so i do have a decent amount of experience with coding and solving ds/algo questions, both by myself and in a “real” interview situation, but i’m still having trouble with medium questions. is it normal to feel like this even after 4 months of studying?  i’ve never done this kind of studying for jobs before. i was very lucky in college and didn’t have to do this kind of interview prep at all. for my current job, i was asked to do a simple online coding test, and for the phone screen i was only asked a very simple array manipulation question. it was nothing near the level of questions that companies are asking me now. i feel pretty defeated, and i feel like these last 4 months of consistent studying has been a waste.  it’s not only my failure rate for coding that i’m concerned about though. in my experience from working at my current company, i’ve found that i am much slower than the rest of my coworkers- i am constantly overwhelmed by meetings where other engineers design and plan out solutions on the spot, and find that i have a very hard time keeping up with them. i feel like i am lacking in general knowledge that i should have, too- when other engineers are asked about design/code clarifications, they are oftentimes able to answer smoothly and with confidence. but i struggle to answer back coherently when asked, and too often i feel like i have to embarrassingly reply to people that i don’t know the answer to their question. and i am not just comparing myself to senior/mid level engineers; i feel like i am lagging behind the new grads who were hired at the same time as me as well.  another note also... i’m a female. and i have many tech friends who work in the bay who constantly tell me that it’ll be easy for me to get a job there since companies there actively try to hire more women. i don’t know how true this is, but if it’s true, these rejections just make me think that if i can’t pass these interviews even as a woman, then i really must be incompetent...  am i cut out for this field? if not, what are some alternative job titles i can look into that utilize my computer science degree? i’d appreciate honesty, i’m not looking for words of encouragement (unless they are sincere/constructive)."
women: have you changed your name to be more androgynous? did it help you get more interviews?,7yyjbm,blank,pienite,22,1519182741.0,"i have been searching for a job for quite some time now, and i have noticed that my friends who are male will get way more interviews and job opportunities. i know for a fact that i am equally as experienced/competent as many of them. i know there’s a lot of competition, but often i can’t even get in the door for an interview to compete in the first place.  there have been studies showing that the same  (fictional) resume with a man’s name will be rated higher than with a woman’s name (also, the fictional man will be offered more money). http://gender.stanford.edu/news/2014/why-does-john-get-stem-job-rather-jennifer  so my question is, have any women done this? chosen an androgynous name such as sam or alex as your professional name? did it help? how do you do this when you already have a professional identity to an extent?  i’m aware that people will know i’m a woman as soon as i get on the phone or see them, but perhaps at that point they’ll realize that they initially thought i was competent enough for an interview."
do women get paid less?,8u3ddo,blank,Sea_Part,10,1530073469.0,"hi everyone,  a bit of a dicey topic, but i'm interested to see what your thoughts are on women's pay in programming jobs.  i personally work as a swe, and more on the managerial side at that. as a man, i've always been compensated well for the work i do, especially given my freshness to the field.  my fiancée is an upcoming cs senior at a large california tech school, and i'm curious to know if she'll have as easy of a time getting a well-paying job."
lots of people leave software engineering?,aplybp,blank,zenplus,68,1549953079.0,"this weekend i met the 2nd person in my social circle who is leaving cs. both the people i know are ""bootcamp"" takers.   it's weird because they were both paid pretty well and were in their 30s. they didn't leave for their dream job, they just didn't like the work. i will say both left in sort of a hurry because they didn't have anything lined up (one help her parents with re business, other just wanted to take time off)  is this common? i mean i think the profession is sort of unique in that there are hundreds of thousands of people on freecodecamp, teamtreehouse, spending their free time learning this stuff so they can career change. is the industry just sucking them in and spitting them out?"
"women in tech, bay area, job insecurity",9mw97a,blank,career2018,2,1539173423.0,edit: removing pi thanks for the response.
do i tell my replacement to stick to her guns and ask for more money... off the record?,avktvw,blank,reinaesther,78,1551343818.0,"so i’m leaving my current startup and helping find my replacement. i know what we’re willing to pay for the position and just interviewed a good candidate.   when asking what her expected salary range is, she said a number then said she’d be willing to go down for the right company. this broke my heart. and is the second time i’ve heard it. from women.   i’m also a woman and have been trying to mentor others to stand up for themselves around the workplace and not undermine their potential.   i’m so torn about this. part of me wants to call her off the record and just advice her to stick to her guns and don’t undermine herself, whether she works for us or not. the other of course to stay shut and not say a thing.   this is for a highly technical role that i think she is very capable of doing... and it wouldn’t affect the company at all if she stuck to her guns.   advice?   i’m already feeling maybe i should just shut up... but want to get your take.   edit: any legal hot water i would be looking to get myself into if told her? ...   ...and edit some wording. on cell   update: thanks everyone for your input! i’m still a bit torn about how to go about it while feeling good about honoring my company and wanting to help her.   i’m leaning towards the more subtle approach some of you have mentioned about telling her we’re looking at a base salary range of x (citing the bigger amt) as i meet with her as we continue the convo... as that might be more beneficial for her if she ends up taking the job.   if she doesn’t take the job/get hired/ could i make myself avail’ in case she has any questions or wants feedback and i can tell her then to not sell herself short?   any other thoughts are still welcome. i’ll update once i make a final decision."
can't communicate effectively at career fairs?,dbys1u,blank,tobealone911,0,1569988417.0,"hey everyone!  i'm not sure if this is okay to ask sense i know how specific the days are according to what users can ask/discuss but i wanted to discuss something for advice.  situation:  today i attended a career fair, even though i was sick , i just really wanted to go. plus, i was able to sit and talk with my career adviser about recreating parts of my resume because i basically curated  ""perfectly wrapped trash""... something my adviser highlighted and i must say, i'm not offended about it. however, overall, what got me was my soft skills: to communicate. i didn't speak up as confident for two reasons: my voice could croak out due to throat soreness and i just don't want to speak too loudly so that i can think...weird, i know. speaking slower and lower helps me process what i'm about to say and the questions i want to ask. which brings me to the positive critique: the fact that i  was told my questions were ""intelligent"". another problem is that i recently got an internship in  it for ywca, where i create passwords, emails and usernames on a company based server etc but it's an information technology job, not software development. the employee stated that they don't meet many sophomores, juniors or even seniors with my experience in it.  &#x200b;  i recently met someone who is also a sophomore because we both switched to cs but were other majored students, i was in biology. this person has worked with teams that were from nasa, she (we're both women) has certs and other internship experiences that are really good, plus a tutor-er in math, so she has the communication skills. from our school website, i can see whose attending and knowing that she had interest in attending the same fair for this company... i didn't feel confident with sharing anything. i've done projects and due to my medicated anxiety, adhd, i struggle...sometimes it's like battling two people inside one body. i want to communicate. i wish to be the person i am when i'm around family and with close friends. though i just can't... plus with my experience holding me back... should i even attend the official career event tomorrow?  i know i didn't get the offer from this last company because they stated how they hire on the spot and ...i didn't receive an offer. plus, i feel like i make people rigid with my awkward demeanor but i just can't help it. the process itself is rigid and odd to me."
should i leave a bad review of my current (non tech) company if the owner's of it work at a tech company i'd like to get an internship at?,cvdm6l,blank,PortugueseTime,3,1566793040.0,"hi,  this summer i've been working at a non-programming place of work to save up money for the upcoming college terms.  this is the third year this business has been running, but the place is still horribly managed.  schedules are made at the last moment, a male employee has been harassing the women working here, one member of the management yelled at another employee, and they've underpaid several employees here and there (although they fixed it after running through the numbers with them).  there are a plethora of other problems with the place that i wish i knew before i signed a contract to work here, so i could stay away.    so here's where it gets involved with cs.  i want to leave a review of the work on glassdoor about all the problems with the company.  but both the owners work at tech companies in the area.  i know which company one of them works at, and it's one where i'd like to get an internship later on if at all possible.  but i'm worried that if i leave a bad review on the employee's company/business that they'd put a bad word in for me at the company.  they do know that i'm attending college for computer science."
how often do you see women/black developers?,4fievg,blank,ClickingGeek,114,1461112085.0,"i am a black female nearing the end of my high school education and i am taking interest in becoming a software engineer or a computer hardware engineer. i'm wondering how often i will meet people of my same gender or race in the cs workplace. if you are a black or female developer, can you please share your experience?  are women and minorities treated differently?  how often do you see these kinds of people?  are startups or big companies more likely to have women and minorities?  i've been hearing a lot of terrible stories of how black people can be treated poorly and it is very difficult to keep myself from switching what career i want to be."
internships with a lower barrier-to-entry?,cslqli,blank,191398,3,1566270532.0,"i'm currently a rising junior studying cs at a public university. i've done fairly well in my classes so far (\~3.9 overall), but up until recently i didn't think i had it in me to actually pursue cs as a career. this summer, i decided to push back on my imposter syndrome, join some online communities for women & lgbt people in tech, and start focusing on software engineering in a serious capacity. i spent the summer learning swift and am building an app for a museum on campus. i've also been practicing on leetcode, but it's been slow going; i can generally solve easy questions--sometimes even solve them intelligently--but i'm certainly not going to be blowing anyone's mind on a whiteboard.   in short, i feel like i'm a junior with the resume/experience of a sophomore. i have one or two jobs listed on my resume (in addition to the side projects, technical skills, etc.) that are in line with my previous, unrelated career trajectory just to show that i haven't been twiddling my thumbs for the past two years, but i've gotten a handful of rejections based on a resume screen and that makes me nervous. so i guess i'm wondering: what are some internship programs that put more emphasis on behavorial qualities/learning ability than technical skills? in other words, what are some programs designed to get one's foot in the door? i know smaller companies often have programs of the sort, but i haven't seen many that are recruiting at this stage. companies that have diversity in tech programs are especially of interest. thanks so much in advance!"
graduated with a cs degree 6 years ago and never applied for a software developer position...until now. i am freaking out :'( words of encouragement / advice is all i need,9qklyu,blank,633831,103,1540289883.0,"\*\*eta\*\* : oh my goodness, you guys! i really was not expecting so many supportive comments. i wrote this last night and wanted to respond to the few remaining comments this afternoon :o i'll try to respond to everyone throughout the day.  &#x200b;  maybe i should print this entire thread, and on my next interview present it to the interviewer as proof that all these wonderful people believe in me :')   &#x200b;  thanks again <3  # ------  # background :  i majored in cs back in 2007 and graduated in 2012. my performance in university was not the best. struggling with major depression and anxiety not only destroyed my grades but destroyed my confidence. never obtained an internship because i believed my low gpa (2.7) was a deterrent. i graduated and pretty much gave up ...  &#x200b;  # so what the hell have i been up to? :  ... i'm not dead, so that's good right?  &#x200b;  i have worked as a freelance software tester for a bunch of small startups for about 4 years now. primarily manual testing. i have been avoiding coding in my professional life for 6 years, guys.  &#x200b;  but get this...i code in my personal time.  &#x200b;  i've made a chrome extension. i've made an android application. i've play around in java and javascript, messed around with mysql databases. helped other college students with their homework. the client i am working for now...i am trying to teach myself selenium to automate my manual testing (please, don't tell!). **i am still coding!** i must be crazy right?  i've been terrified to do this in a professional setting because i feel like an imposter :( i look at all the new technologies the new kids are using (java 8 lambdas, git, continuous integration tools etc) and i feel behind. it all seems overwhelming.  &#x200b;  # so now what?  as much as i love my routine manual testing work...i am bored. i'm not finding the work challenging enough. in addition, the role is not supporting me financially these days.  &#x200b;  i think it is time for me to apply for a proper software dev job. i don't actually dislike programming...i am simply terrified i am going to fuck up and break shit once i get hired =s i understand my code very well, but i see other people's code and i get scared haha  &#x200b;  &#x200b;  this may sound ridiculous, but i just need words of encouragement at this point. maybe some advice for those who have already held the title of jr software developer - for a few days, a few weeks, months, etc? suggestions? what to expect during the first few days / weeks on the job? text-based courage?"
"as a hiring manager, how do we reach out to more female candidates?",byt84l,blank,lskforo,14,1560168108.0,"we're aggressively trying to hire more qualified female software developers but almost all our offers have been turned down by those individuals for big n opportunities. we're a smaller sized company (<200 employees) on the east coast but we offer very competitive compensation.   any strategies of how to attract good female applicants? we've been sponsoring a local all women/non binary hackathon and have found that to be a good way to get to strong applicants. due to the nature of our company, promoting diversity internally is seen as quite attractive to our clients."
"[discussion] engineers with industry experience, what made you lose/gain respect for a coworker enough to ignore any similarities/differences you might share?",cnr5l5,blank,LaikaBauss31,5,1565323420.0,"i'm several years into my swe job and the more visibility i gain, the more i get hit with some form of gender related questioning, most of which is mixed. older women claim that i will 'face discrimination' if i go into leadership, while some of us younger gals are sick and tired of the whole 'men vs women' debate.   i'm not trying to stir the pot here, but it's been in the back of my mind every time the topic of career planning comes up. so, i think that peer respect is an important factor for tech career success. in your opinion and/or experience, how could one gain your respect enough to ignore any differences you and your coworker might share?"
"ny times - cs undergrads have more than doubled in the last 4 years, leading to huge demand for cs phds",ajl6lo,blank,dobbysreward,86,1548417978.0,"[ny times: the hard part of computer science? getting into class](https://outline.com/e3hnlb)  quick summary:   on campuses across the country, from major state universities to small private colleges, the surge in student demand for computer science courses is far outstripping the supply of professors   the number of undergraduates majoring in the subject more than doubled from 2013 to 2017, to over 106,000, while tenure-track faculty ranks rose about 17 percent, according to the computing research association, a nonprofit that gathers data from about 200 universities.   the number of graduate students enrolled in computer science ph.d. programs has only inched up in recent years, to nearly 12,700 in 2017 compared with about 11,000 in 2013... in addition, tech giants and other companies have been poaching professors and hiring new ph.d.s.   “i had a faculty member who came in with an offer from a bank, and they were told that, with their expertise, the starting salary would be $1 million to $4 million,” said greg morrisett, dean of computing and information science at cornell university. “there’s no way a university, no matter how well off, could compete with that.”   some university leaders said they were concerned that certain measures taken to address surging student demand may disadvantage people who are already unrepresented in computer science — including women, african-americans, latinos and low-income, first-generation college students.  what, in your opinion, is the best way solving the bottleneck?"
searching for jobs with 50% women,71ars5,blank,joantab,32,1505939849.0,"i'm going to get my masters soon, so it's time to search for jobs. i don't love not having a lot women around, though i think my field (security) might be worse than others. i'm wondering: if i interview at enough places, is it likely i'll stumble into one that approaches 50% women by chance? if not, how do i go about finding a balanced workplace? i'm located in western europe, if it matters."
is being a woman really that much of an advantage in finding work in cs?,br5i5j,blank,victiria,13,1558438703.0,"i am a female undergrad student, looking for software developer/engineer grad jobs at the moment. i'm fairly worried about finding a job because my country seems to have a pretty good supply of graduates in my area, and all the interviews i've had so far have been pretty rigorous (no luck). but whenever i mention this to anyone, i get brushed off with ""you're a woman so you'll get the diversity hire"", ""they'll employ you just to meet the quotas, you don't have to be good"" etc. is this really true?  edit: for those who made the (very good) point that this question is useless without my location: i'm australian."
is it uncouth to join women-focused dev/cs groups as man?,7j3rtr,blank,z1USgpBLDzrsRlt4,7,1513042929.0,"i really believe in improving the cs culture for women though i don't know or if i could help. i'm also queer and i feel that improving the cs culture for women would also improve it for queer men (and other marginal groups.) in addition, the gender-nonspecific dev groups in my area are really sparse while the women-focused one is more consistently attended."
what are some bay area companies with diverse exec/founding teams?,bot18b,blank,marineroperdido,17,1557921586.0,"i am consistently approached by companies looking for software engineers. however, if i was to guesstimate, about 95% of the companies' founding teams are all men.  in my experience, the most diverse/collaborative companies i have worked for (and company cultures i have worked in) had representation from many groups in the exec / founding team levels.  **what are some companies that have diverse founding team members / execs, with the hope of identifying some companies that do not fit the average mold in the sf bay area?**     also, fwiw, i found this study to be interesting:  [https://fundersclub.com/blog/2017/06/14/2017-us-startup-team-gender-diversity-study/](https://fundersclub.com/blog/2017/06/14/2017-us-startup-team-gender-diversity-study/)"
is the company i work for toxic?,c49g5w,blank,ennuiDB,15,1561344416.0,"i recently started working in the engineering department of a small publishing company after a leaving a really horrible startup. at first i thought it was great because the people seemed really nice and they'd offered me a promotion and more money than i'd asked for. but it's been four months now and the cracks have started to show.  the first obvious crack showed up during the first project i worked on. when i'd interviewed they told me that they wanted me to work on a greenfield project but a lot of the work had already been started (albeit without a clear plan) by another engineer before i got there which was fine. what did bother me was how defensive that engineer would get whenever i asked him about the choices he'd made when writing the application. his code was bad and he clearly didn't care. even though we have about the same yoe, he's about twice my age and i got the impression he resented me for being promoted when he hadn't. he eventually asked to be moved to a different project (weeks after i'd suggested that he be removed to my manager) and i got to work with this other really talented guy who'd joined two months after i had instead which seemed to solve that problem for the short term. however it's a pretty small department and the older engineer has had to be warned for acting in a confrontational manner towards me since then.  the second major crack was with a dev ops engineer who i had to work with briefly on an infrastructure project. similar age to the other guy and he seemed a little grumpy at first but i could at least work with him. i got the impression that he liked me too as he would praise me in front of my colleagues and didn't seem to mind when i pointed out mistakes in his prs. one evening during work drinks, i'd asked him to explain a position he'd taken in what had been a friendly debate and just out of nowhere he starts cursing and yelling and name calling like he was possessed. and he did this in front of more junior members of staff and in front of my **manager**. i tried to keep my cool but didn't back down in my line of questioning. my manager, being a typical liberal, appealed to this weird bothsidesism bs in order to ""diffuse"" the situation. i reported the dev ops guy to hr the next day who actually took his behaviour seriously enough to make him quit three weeks later. when i confronted my manager (who's about the same age as me, so mid-20s) about why he'd done next to nothing, he insisted that though the dev ops guy had been completely in the wrong, he had called my manager worse names in the past so it hadn't occurred to him to do anything about it. my manager had said something a little similar about the bad engineer from the first project i'd worked on (i.e., because older members of staff regularly disrespected him and had done at previous jobs, he had learned to just tolerate them). the dev ops guy apparently had a history of yelling at women during meetings but because the women who complained weren't engineers, nothing really happened. it later came out that the dev ops guy had hit another member of staff whilst i was in the bathroom that night and presumably my manager had said nothing about that either.  i've spoken to a few people in senior management about this and i get the impression that there's a desire to improve the culture and the engineering department as a whole. however i feel like in middle management and at the ic level - as much as i like the guys i'm working with right now - there just isn't the will to question the status quo at all. i've seen it particularly in the way in which the infrastructure was maintained - that dev ops guy essentially was the platform team before he left and he constructed a set of aws environments with brittle puppet code that just made no sense and bore no resemblance to the infrastructure i'd seen at previous companies (though to be fair, this is the first time i've had to work all that closely with infrastructure code). he also left hardly any documentation and could be quite cryptic when i asked him technical questions. prior to the incident at the bar, whenever i asked my manager if it made sense to give staff aws training, he would insist that the dev ops guy could teach us everything we needed to know. now that he's gone, guess who's expected to help pick up the pieces! =d  i guess i'm just curious as i still don't think i know what a good work environment really looks like in tech. is this normal? does my worrying about this so much make me a pussy? does this seem like the sort of place where management will learn from their hiring mistakes or should i expect the worse? what does the fact that they tolerated those toxic engineers for two years say about their hiring me (if anything)? would love to hear what you think."
what's the worst thing you ever got away with at work?,9t20vg,blank,Katholikos,105,1541042984.0,"just curious. whether it was obnoxiously bad code you wrote for one reason or another, some rule you broke, or some convention you ignored. it's halloween, let's talk about how evil we've been.  edit: turns out i'm the only person not getting laid at work"
women in computer science,3nf53v,blank,Itiffanysphone,113,1443961348.0,"ok!  i'm a girl and am pursuing my degree in computer science. i am not a feminist and don't put much attention on women's rights, etc. of course women should have rights, but being an activist for them is not my thing. however, i have read many articles about women in computer science because i am trying to find out what to expect. i've found many articles about the 'gender gap', the 'wage gap' and about companies trying to diversify.   i want to know - what really happens in the tech world? are companies going to offer me less money because of my gender? is that really a thing? are companies going to offer me more money because i will help bring diversity to the company? does it really not matter at all?  i know that my skills and work ethic will be the most important thing, but beyond that i want to find out if being a woman will effect my career.  thanks, tiff"
jp morgan winning women or goldman sachs engineering superday?,77frkv,blank,statcat13,11,1508461278.0,"i'm majoring in cs, and have been invited to a jp morgan winning women event for risk management, and goldman sachs engineering superday.  problem is they fall on the same day.  i go to a non-target. any advice on which to attend?"
"[advice] if somebody wants to be an expat, can't find job - think about the czech republic - prague",9fsset,blank,NightKnight_CZ,204,1536966519.0,"[edited]  non-offical web  https://www.radio.cz/en/section/marketplace/czech-companies-face-jobs-skills-mismatch-as-shortages-becomes-acute  official eu statistics  https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/unemployment_statistics  statistics  https://www.czechcollege.cz/shortage-of-it-graduates-in-europe-report/  https://www.jobspin.cz/2017/10/czech-economy-in-high-risk-of-technological-unemployment/  [edit 2.0]  every country has its positives and negatives. here in cz - cars, electronics are kinda premium, but it shouldn´t be that kind of problem with it salary which is 1,5x + higher than normal salary. other aspects are positive - food, restaurants, museums, theatres, healthcare (czech doctors are one of the best in europe, a lot of famous are in usa, germany) - if you pay health insurance, almost everything is free or cheap.   https://news.expats.cz/health-medical/czech-health-care-ranked-among-the-best-in-europe/   at least it can be a nice experience for a few years with a really safe and nice standard of living :)  + everything is close to cz , especially prague, right in the heart of europe, sweden / uk / russia / greece? no problem.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- hello everyone,   i am a student in the czech republic (economics and management).   here in cz / prague, we have the lowest unemployment throughout europe. new tech companies are coming to prague because we are right in the middle of europe - on the one side uk, france and germany / another side russia. the czech republic is connecting everything.  but we don't have enough tech students. companies are likely to pay you a big amount above average   you can find job for $2500+ monthly in 1-3 days, rent 400-550$, public transportation monthly 25-45$, food 4$ lunch, beer 0,70$ - 1,5$ , grocery 50-100$ a week info:  - 3x less average wage/salary than in germany  tech guys are 1,5x-2,5x czech average salary / but everything is quite cheap and if you would have tech job, you would live like a king https://www.jobs.cz/en/?locality%5bcode%5d=r200000&locality%5blabel%5d=prague&locality%5bcoords%5d=50.08455%2c14.41778&locality%5bradius%5d=20&salary=40000 - 99% white country , but we are starting to like foreigners, but every country has jerks - beautiful women but men too - not many people know english + learning czech is challenging / not really for prague"
we’re reddit engineers here to answer your questions on cs careers and coding bootcamps!,8na87e,blank,gooeyblob,386,1527728416.0,"we are three reddit engineers that all have first-hand experience – either as a graduate or a mentor – with a bay area bootcamp called hackbright academy. for those of you who are unfamiliar, hackbright is an engineering school for women in the bay area with the mission to change the ratio of women in tech.   reddit and hackbright have a close relationship, with six current hackbright alumnae and seven mentors on staff. in fact, u/spez is one of the most frequent mentors for the program. we also recently launched the code reddit fund to provide scholarship and greater access for women to attend hackbright's bootcamp programs and become software engineers.  we’re here to share our experience, and answer all your questions on cs careers, bootcamps, mentorship, and more. but first, a little more about us:   u/singshredcode: before studying at hackbright, i worked as a musician and educator at a jewish non-profit in jackson, ms. middle east studies degree in hand, i wanted to look at interesting problems from lots of perspectives and develop creative solutions with people smarter than myself. after graduating from hackbright’s prep and full time fellowships, i landed the role of software engineer at reddit. i will begin mentoring this summer.  u/gooeyblob: i started mentoring at hackbright after we hosted a whiteboarding event at reddit. i really enjoyed being able to help people learn and prepare for careers in tech. as far as my background goes, i started working in tech by working in customer support for web hosts after dropping out of college. i eventually worked my way up to join reddit as an engineer in 2015, and today i'm director for infrastructure and security where i help lead the teams that build our foundational systems (with two hackbright grads on the team!).  u/toasties: i've been a hackbright mentor over a year, mentoring four women (two of whom have been hired at reddit!). i went to dev bootcamp in 2013; before that i was a waitress. i mentor because there were so many kind people who helped me along my journey to become an engineer (my first employer even let me live in their office for two weeks with my dog because i couldn't afford a deposit on an apartment). i want to pay it forward.   proof: https://i.redd.it/o06ce8xnx0111.png"
work attire at tech companies for women?,4m174c,blank,techgirl4231,45,1464816074.0,"so i know tech attire is supposedly casual (t-shirt/jeans), though i don't dress like this at all and really don't want to. the company i'll be working at *seems* to have the stereotypical ""low-key, chill, tech"" vibe to it. i've interned at tech companies in the bay area before and mostly wore dresses/blouses+pants. i guess some paranoia is getting to me, partially from having friends in finance who will be having stricter dress codes, but would i be jeopardizing how people view/respect me by wearing say, sundresses to work? women who work at tech companies, how do you dress? how conservative is your attire?"
salary question from a new grad who just got their first raise,cls364,blank,a18916,3,1564920303.0,i've been working at my current job (also my first job) for 6 months and just received a raise. this is great and exciting but i found out that 2 of my colleagues (also working their first jobs as software engineers) had a starting salary that is higher than my salary even with the new raise included. i have a degree in cs and they do not. however they do have previous work experience in other unrelated fields (they both did bootcamps). it feels weird that their starting salaries are more than my salary after a positive performance review and 6 months of working at the company. is this normal since i am a new grad? or is this something i should talk to a manager about? any advice would be appreciated!! (oh and the 2 colleagues and i are all women so the gender pay gap is not at play here)
mild annoyances of being a female developer,7kwwim,blank,SugarlessClass,612,1513752062.0,"started a big project recently with lots of people and need to vent a bit. feel free to share/vent if you have any annoyances.   1. people just assuming you're a business analyst 2. someone introduces the members of the development team and you have to awkwardly shout from the side that you're a member of it as well to get introduced 3. people automatically assume you're from the front-end team and ""better with colours"" 4. automatically getting more front end tasks than your male equivalents and having to call this out.  5. being involved in small email chains and providing correct information/solving the issue but someone just declares ""we need someone from the development team"" 6. having to awkwardly call out people for sending you emails calling you the other female developer many times in the email to you 7. people referring to my manager's team or talking about my manager like i don't know them/him. but that's my team!! 8. having to listen to your manager correct the big boss which one of the female developers is which.   my team itself is fine but everyone else in the company either doesn't think i exist or that i'm mary/julia/sophie/that girl the business analyst/merged together estrogen java unit with the other female developer??? it just doesn't seem to be getting better despite me being in the company for a while now. i have a simple name but everyone gets it wrong all the time. what's going on lol?"
what am i supposed to do when rejected over the phone?,9ufxgr,blank,throwaway342222,55,1541470164.0,"first of all: i absolutely hate being called to schedule a phone call just to find out they're rejecting me. it has happened twice so far. i have cried on the phone. they start out by wanting to discuss ""the next steps."" in the actual call, they say i didn't make it. next they ask if i have any questions or want to talk about it. i just say ""ok, bye"" while trying not to cry. i have another phone call like this scheduled for today. what exactly are they expecting me to talk about?"
"who gets paid more typically, a female or male engineer?",bugmhp,blank,GeeZafod,15,1559175270.0,"despite tech being very male dominated, are women worse off and paid less like other industries e.g.  finance?"
women in cs: have you ever experienced discrimination/prejudice or harassment in the workplace?,3n5pou,blank,akanekurashiki1,62,1443767021.0,"hello! i'm a girl really interested in getting a job in cs, specifically software engineering. i've always wondered if the gender thing is really true, that women in cs experience discrimination/harassment etc from other people. i've talked to one other female software engineer, who said that she never experienced it, but i would like to hear from some other people as well!   thanks! -akane  edit: thanks so much for all your replies! one of my first reddit posts aha! i'm trying to respond to all comments but if i don't respond to yours i'm sorry! learning a lot! :)"
only woman in a team,dsam13,blank,boredat-wor,21,1573040267.0,"hey everyone ! i started working in tech after graduation this summer. i am the youngest in a team of 4 and the only woman. i am also the only one not from south asia. two of us graduated at the same time and have the same number of experience: none   however, since the really beginning, i feel really left out. i am not being told about meetings, the morning calls with offshore end up being all in hindi. i am literally doing all the work of one of the team member (he is a contractor and his contract end in december)  my energy is being drained. i have been trying my best to try to be respected as an equal but nothing will do.  and when i’m not doing all his work, i’m not being given anything to do. so it goes from 2 weeks being extremely busy to 2 dead weeks.  do you guys have any suggestion?"
what to do next? woman software developer,cyskej,blank,pyladie,24,1567476242.0,"hello guys, i would love to hear your opinion...  i am a woman, and i got a python developer job 9 months ago. my friend (now the boss and one of the owners of the company), asked me if i would like to join. i had half a year of professional programming experience in python and bachelor degree in informatics. i looked into the online application for the job. i asked for the lower salary range listed (since i was 'inexperienced.') i was asked to go even lower for now. i agreed and hoped it would change soon. well, it didn't even though i worked 9-12 hours per day to learn as much as possible.  my boss is sitting next to me all the time (a few other programmers are sitting 'against' us), he is also going with me to lunch every day (and also correcting me all the time even because of bullshit i started to talk about just to fill up the silence sometimes). i was so unmotivated that after 4 months i told him i am not able to be productive & programming 8 hours straight per day so at least i can go home after 7 hours now. but they considered it as a salary raise. just noting that i also finished my engineer diploma in the meantime.  for a few next months, i felt motivated again, but now it's back to the usual. i'm annoyed by sitting next to my boss who is staring into my screen very often, getting a low salary, going to the office every day (home office is possible, but i would have to ask each time...).  i get paid 13k usd per year after taxes (living in eastern europe). although this is slightly more than a school teacher in my country, all my friends (male-developers) are getting much more. i would be comfortable with the double and work my way into the triple of it. i wouldn't mind working 12 per day if it's appropriately paid and i would have some privacy.  i decided to leave this job in several months (when my 1-year contract is expiring). i would love to be more independent, i was thinking to get a remote job in a coworking space and sometimes work at home. i started to look for that kind of job, but honestly, i don’t know 14 different technologies usually listed there and i don’t have 5 years experience as a senior developer as they are asking… nobody cares that i can learn anything but i have to actually use it regularly to be confident with it… dear guys, was someone in a similar position? what would you recommend next?"
"sort of ""philosophical"" question about hackerrank, leetcode, etc. -- how does it help you get better at all problem solving?",ejm6zq,blank,eframson,63,1578116229.0,"i'm having a discussion with some friends, one of whom asserts that spending time on hr, lc, etc. helps you get better at all problem solving (at least in the context of a cs job). i'm failing to see how solving the problems on those sites helps you get better at solving anything other than the problems on those sites. i'm not saying they \*don't\*, i'm just saying i'm not seeing the connection, and unfortunately my friend is unable to articulate it in any more detail than that, as he seems to view it as being more or less axiomatic.  i understand that there's value in being able to pass interviews, but i'm taking about value outside of simply getting through interviews. i graduated from my university a bit over 10 years ago, and have been working professionally in software engineering for the last 9 years. i cannot think of any of the types of ""problems"" i've had to solve in that time that would have been aided by the kind of knowledge hackerrank seems to teach.  for example, the kind of ""problems"" (in a very broad sense) i've had to solve so far in my career include, but are not limited to - ""how can we ensure a consistent experience across all browsers?"", ""the client wants x, y, and z data exported"", ""this existing product needs to be migrated to aws"", ""the client wants to know why these numbers aren't as big as they believe they ought to be."" and unfortunately i fail to see how knowing how to find, say, the median of two sorted arrays would have helped me in any of these circumstances.  i should probably add that probably contributing to my skepticism is that many of the core concepts of cs careers were entirely omitted from my cs degree program (e.g. - data structures, algorithms, big o, any math whatsoever, c/c++, testing, qa, frameworks, libraries, source control, contributing to an existing codebase, etc.) granted, in the intervening years, i have learned about a lot of these concepts while on-the-job.  however, when i have explained to co-workers all the things my degree program didn't cover that theirs did, they've pretty much all said that i need to learn about algorithms, data structures, big o in order to do my job properly. in response i've asked them ""oh, how much do you use those things in your job?"" and almost to a man (or woman), they've paused, thought about it, and said ""i guess i don't, really"".  &#x200b;  tl;dr - how generally transferable and applicable are the skills you learn on hackerrank and leetcode, \*outside\* of those specific environments and applying for jobs? or is it dependent on the job?  &#x200b;  edit: i should add, i'm not \*opposed\* to hackerrank, or learning algorithms, or whatever. i'm just asking for someone to provide an argument other than ""you're just supposed to do/learn all that stuff"""
young disabled female new to coding seeking direction,e7b66n,blank,BleyendBandit,21,1575730441.0,"hello all, i am a young blind woman currently enrolled in community college for computer science with an interest in programming, though i'm not even sure this is the best path for me to be taking. school has always been a struggle for me due to my disability, especially all the high level math that is required of me if i want to transfer and i'm not even sure what type of job i want to get so i'm here in search of advice on:  1) what type of education do i need to be a success programmer?   \* do i actually need a ba?   \* will an aa suffice?   \* should i forgo school entirely in favor of one of the many online or in person coding boot camps? i see all kinds of ads for places like coding dojo, hackbright, code academy, uopeople, growth academy and so many other such programs and i have no idea what which way to go   2) what kind of job should i try to get? (there are just so many options that i'm really unsure what i'd enjoy doing and be capable of with my disability)"
should i confront my tech lead for his condescending way of speaking?,edtef2,blank,treesandbirds999,12,1576981726.0,"i don’t know what his deal is. but he sometimes has such a condescending and impatient way of speaking to you when you ask him a question that it makes you feel totally dumb and makes you never want to be in that position.  of course though, he’s brilliant (he is the vp’s favorite because he’s saved the company so much money) and unfireable and it is up to me to deal. i’ve worked with him for 2 months (i recently switched to the team internally) and cannot do this any longer.  i have to ask him questions since i am new to cloud engineering and don’t have context. when i ask him questions it’s a toss up between getting spoken to like i’m 8 and being talked to nicely. he talks like this to the other people on the team too (though less frequently).  i honestly don’t know if i’m just being sensitive (i’m a 29 year old woman working with primarily older men and they don’t seem to have a problem) or if i should confront him and try to communicate how interacting with him feels like, or if i should just switch to another team again.  sucks a lot since the team he leads is very technically interesting, but this guy is so demoralizing to work with.  is it worth trying to get him to be more considerate in how he talks to me?"
questions about rejection email,etcuuf,blank,gradmasters69420,4,1579912921.0,"so i went through phone screen, and on site interview with an academic institution (which i thought went well until i bombed with the final interviewer due to sleeplessness, nerves and one ill considered joke).  they ended up running my background check over the holidays while i was overseas so i thought that meant i made the cut (it's affiliated with the state though so they may mean they didn't have to pay for it and ran it just because). after i got back and emailed them to ask what was going on the hr woman replied:  ""at this time the hiring unit has decided to discontinue and cancel the search. we encourage you to continue to apply for jobs that meet your skills and qualifications.""  now i see they have posted another job ad for a similar position but asking for someone with more experience (swe 2 vs swe 1). should i email hr and ask if they just decided they wanted someone more senior and if i would be considered for the new job posting, or should i apply directly to the new posting and maybe mention the other interview i had there and urge them to reconsider?  part of me is suspicious that they just didn't like any of the candidates and don't want to bring someone in unless they know they are the perfect fit."
(vent) tech recruiters are a herpes sore on the scrotum of software development,djd221,blank,Stunted_Coconut,68,1571376558.0,"look, guys, i get the whole ""finding your first job in tech is hard"" thing, but the past two days have been exceptionally stupid and unprofessional.   first: i made it to a ""final round interview"" for an android dev job that turned out to be some bullshit ""incubator"" that adds 3 years to your resume and then contracts you out to other companies as a mid to senior level dev. totally unethical. none of this was mentioned in the preliminary call/emails. all i was told was i was interviewing for an entry level android position on the east coast. these fucks had the gall to give me a ""technical interview"" that i worked my ass off studying for, only to find out all of this bullshit during the final interview (yeah no, i'll pass thanks).   that was ok though, because i had another interview today at 4:30 for a very well-known company i was way more excited for. or so i thought, until the recruiter called me on my drive home at 1:30 because she had mis-scheduled on her end. ok, whatever, your boy can perform under pressure. so i raced home and ran up to my apartment to call this woman back, only to have her tell me i don't have enough experience for the position within 2 minutes of the conversation starting. my resume and application were perfectly clear about what my experience was - she just didn't read it apparently.   i don't have time for this bullshit. this was midterms week for me, and i put several hours aside preparing for each of these things in addition to studying for a programming languages, linear algebra, and operating systems midterm. i'm 28 years old. i just want a goddamn job that pays me a reasonable salary after i graduate, and i just wasted days on these clowns. i've been passed over on tons of applications before (as has everyone else on this subreddit), but this is ridiculous. i'm trying so fucking hard to pay my dues job search-wise while finishing school and working a full time job until 2am every night, but even that doesn't seem to really make a difference.    i'm sorry if this isn't the right place for this, but it's taking all my energy not to be a defeatist little bitch about the whole thing. life's hard for everyone, but this week especially i feel like my future is being dictated by goddamn children.  tldr - read the title"
fibro fog plus social anxiety is killing my career chances,eobnnl,blank,FibroCoder,5,1578983723.0,"i was recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia. one of my symptoms is foggy thinking that comes and goes. i also have extreme social anxiety. i currently work from home and it's a genuine struggle for me to even walk down the street to the mailbox sometimes.  i recently graduated from a coding bootcamp and have also completed an as degree and some upper level work in applied mathematics. i'm 100% confident in my ability to be a kick ass swe but i'm choking in all my code interviews.  stuff i know i know just feels out of reach when i'm put on the spot. i feel like everything is stacked against me right now: anxiety, trouble thinking on the spot, woman over 30, etc. i walk into an office and see a bunch of 20-something, young, attractive, outgoing people and my anxiety and insecurity takes over.  i don't know how to get past this or if i even can."
career change,esyayt,blank,PetraDublin,1,1579837738.0,"hi all i bet this question must have been asked here a few times already but i would like to get into tech, woman, 35 yo, working as ops lead for one of the google vendors - so basically people management but looking to change career, was always good at math and sort of technical:-) but simply do not not know which way to start, have done bit of research, data science looks pretty interesting and is hot right now, anybody with similar experience?"
"can i start applying to full time positions (internships, jr roles, etc..) while being a masters in cs student?",e954vd,blank,brookeinahook,10,1576086902.0,"hey everyone :) i am a woman studying computer science and am currently in an online masters of computer science program. i have my own personal website built professionally, github projects, and a nice resume. i do have alot of free time and was wondering if i could start applying to positions since i am in an online program and thought it would be a great idea to get my foot in the. door early instead of waiting another year till graduation. thank you for input, appreciate the lovely help! :)"
"happy 2020, choose your college wisely!",ej8n4i,blank,throwmeaway102314,2,1578047060.0,"it was about this time several years ago that i made the worst decision of my young life. i was 18 and thought i could conquer the world. i was in the upper 15% of my graduating class with a pretty good sat and i wanted the best out of my continued education. not having a clue what my passion was, i googled things like ""highest paying college majors"" simply because my only criteria for a line of work was success. i landed on computer science which was high on every list, and subsequently googled ""best schools for computer science"". my very generous parents took me to tour various colleges within the top 50, all of which we could not afford.  i landed on a school for stupid reasons. it was one of the better ranked cs schools i was accepted to and it had a great party scene with a lot of pretty (but heartless) girls. i did not pay attention to the cost or the inevitable loan debt i would accrue, it didn't matter because cs is such a high paying field right? well i left for school and began the worst year of my life so far. i was deeply depressed. i was failing and doing poorly in classes, i found it nearly impossible to make like minded friends, i was far from my family, and most of all i just hated my life. i contemplated suicide as i struggled with the reality of things, and if not for a pretty girl (now my wife) nearly 500 miles away, i might not be here now.  she instilled the idea of a transfer of schools into my mind. i knew that i wanted to be closer to home and subsequently closer to her. my gpa restricted my options but i found a spot in a local city close to where i am from. i transferred and left my past behind me. it was about half the price, which still was not a concern to me, but i am so glad this was the case now. i thrived here. many semesters above a 3.5, a long term and healthy relationship, regularly seeing family, tons of friends, and internships while i studied. it was so much better, and i was so much happier.  cs was no longer a means to make money, it was a passion. i started learning in my free time, which i thought i'd never want to do. i explored so many subsets of cs through youtube and [lynda.com](https://lynda.com) and just genuinely wanted to build software to solve problems. i found my way onto a full stack and let my creativity and ingenuity run wild.  i graduated, and remained in the same city i transferred to. a great paying job, but a lot of unfortunate debt. i refinanced my loans and after being granted 15 hours of overtime and working 55 hours a week, i'd have them paid off within the decade, lowering hours as my salary increased. i married the beautiful woman that inspired me to be where i am today, and i cannot express how great my life has turned around.  to all those looking at colleges or making a decision, use me as an example. do what is right and check the boxes for the attributes that matter. care not about some blogger's rankings of the institution or how much fun you will have at a party, and more about what is financially viable and will inspire you to get where you want to be. your college education is what you make it. the work you put in while being there determines what you get out of it. you could go to the best school or the worst school, if you aren't inspired to do the work, nothing good can come of it. at this point in my career, i know people without a degree at all, out-earning ivy leaguers.  i wish everyone a wonderful and prosperous new year, and all those deciding on their school the best of luck in their search. it will be a remarkable 4 years and an awakening of who you choose to become for the rest of your life."
"i'm 32 years old. i'm a recovering drug addict with a 3.92 gpa, 4 great internships, and have worked my ass off to be successful. if i can do it, any of you can.",ccxtvc,blank,d4ntr0n,119,1563100201.0,"hey, everyone. i just wanted to post this because based on what i see, people seem to be so hyperfocused on the small details in cs that won't actually affect them in life. i'm here to tell you that if i can do it, you can too.  i started going back to school at the age of 30. i had most of my gen eds completed from the first time i went to school. i dropped out because of a massive alcohol and cocaine addiction i developed. that continued until i was about 26. i never thought i would truly amount to anything. i met a wonderful woman who supported the shit out of me, we got married and i went back to school.  i'll be honest, school was not as easy the second time around. my short term memory is really damaged from years of drug use. but i didn't let that stop me. i knew i made those choices when i was younger, so i need to work on fixing them now. so i just worked harder. harder than anyone i knew. and it paid off.   i had my first internship doing basic web development. i learned some things and it was alright. my second internship was at a startup doing full stack development. i learned a ton there and it was a great experience. my 3rd internship was at the us's leading national research lab, where i am currently at. next month i will be going to a fortune 100 company to do a fall internship while i finish my last two classes remotely to graduate.  my message to people who were like me: we made our lives the way they were with our bad decisions. however, there is no reason that we can't fix it. work hard. harder than anyone you know. i busted my ass. i'm not smarter than your average cs student, but you damn well better believe i have a stronger work ethic.  i worked my ass off, and you can, too. and if you have addiction issues and want to make a better life for yourself then please pm me. i would love to talk to you and help you move forward in life."
why are math majors capable of working in computer science fields?,e0z6ap,blank,sterlingmeadow,9,1574634640.0,"one woman admitted she majored in mathematics (a long time ago) and barely had any programming experience. i was surprised she works on a software development team - she then admitted the position wanted someone who got a math or computer science degree, and she slowly got the hang of programming at her own pace."
is it worth getting into the field later on when i've had no formal experience in the past and will be starting from scratch?,e0av2o,blank,sisypheanrevolt,4,1574501003.0,"hey everyone!  i'd like to get some opinions from people in the field. i'm 28 years old and i studied something completely unrelated to cs in university (psychology and literature) and have been working in a completely different field since i graduated (education). however, recently i couldn't help but ask myself ""why did i go into this field?"" when i've always been interested in tech and programming. so i'm wondering if at this age if it's worth starting to study cs. i have no formal experience (other than teaching myself the basics of python a few years back) but i'm not super concerned about the material itself (i've always been logically minded and good at math, problem-solving, etc. so i know i'm capable if i put my mind to it).  i'm more worried about putting in the time, money, and effort to study and ending up struggling to find a job because i'd basically be starting from scratch later on in my career. i wanted to ask if anyone's been in this position and what what your experience has been/what advice you'd give (especially if you are a woman who's taken this path). also, i need to do more research into it but would going back and doing a bachelor's be the best route? or are there specific programs/courses for cs that i could take that would hold weight when searching for jobs later on?  any advice or stories of personal experiences are highly appreciated!  edit: also, what can i do on my own (alongside studying) to improve my chances, if i decide to go for it?"
"coworker went to a boot camp and has been employed for over a year, but still can't research properly",ceedfs,blank,Mr-JoBangles,107,1563406183.0,"instead of querying for keywords and error messages on google, this employee puts in full sentences into the search bar and complains about their not being any resolutions on stack overflow.  this employee then turns to us for help, which usually results in us having to google things. when we do find something, it's usually something that needs to be reworked to fit our framework, but coworker complains that it doesn't solve their problem.  it's very frustrating and management is aware of the time sink this person is causing us. this person has been warned for performance, but as far as i know isn't on a pip yet.  i'm at the point of refusing to help until my coworker documents their troubleshooting process in detail before asking for help.  end rant.  edit: because some people want to know, it's a woman coworker.  it shouldn't matter if guy or girl, but unfortunately some people may have criticized me for being a bad coworker if i identified her as a woman immediately."
how do i explain this to an employer? career advice?,e0dhdi,blank,JohnReedForPresident,3,1574514943.0,"i worked as a programmer for a sum total of 25 months. in that time i went through four programming jobs, was fired from three, and resigned after a month on the fourth. after the fourth job i decided that i would rather live with my parents and try to get a job as a waiter than try and find a fifth programming job. that being said i am having an issue explaining this to people either on my resume or when people ask. for example today at a server interview the woman asked ""why don't you do programming anymore?"" i basically said that i can't program anymore and i'm living with my parents and just need to cover health insurance and basic expenses.  on my resume there is now a two year segment that says ""various computer programming jobs"" and a bullet point that says ""no longer doing programming jobs because i am not able to code anymore."" technically that's a lie - i can physically write out lines of code, i just can't do it at work without a more senior engineer telling me what file to modify because i can't learn a codebase regardless of how much time i spend on it. i got by for 20 months at amazon web services by constantly asking for help and redirecting tasks (and on-call alarms) at more senior engineers before my manager told me that i would have to go on a ""performance improvement plan"" (at which point we mutually agreed that it was time for me to go). i just wanted to check and make sure that this little lie is better than putting a bullet point on my resume that says ""no longer doing programming jobs because: i hate it, i suck at it, and i don’t need that much money"". is it better to be honest about that or continue telling that little lie?  p.s. my reddit username is ""johnreedforpresident"" because i had bipolar mania and decided to run for president online after i was fired from my third programming job for being crazy. i am happily taking psychiatric medication and living with my parents who can step in if i am ever crazy again.  p.p.s. i got an adderall prescription which might help me with the whole ""can't learn problem"" (i'm not stupid - i scored a 1540/1600 on the sat and got hired by aws - i just have brain problems). i think add might have something to do with it because at stand ups i hear my teammates talking but don't pick up anything that they are saying. i don't know if adderall will help but my parents are pressuring me to get back into programming instead of giving up on it and working as a waiter. i don't know if the adderall will fix ""can't learn shit on the job"" but to be honest i don't know if i want to go back to programming even if i could or if anyone would be stupid enough to hire me."
does being a woman increase my hireability for diversity's sake? does being pregnant decrease my hireability?,85a0mk,blank,boaconductor,130,1521389075.0,"i was told by two of my professors that the lack of women in this field will be to my advantage since teams will be looking to satisfy hr requirements by hiring more women. does this hold any truth in reality?   secondly, my husband and i really want to have a kid my senior year of college (i am an older student working full time and taking online classes full time), but i am worried about not being hired due to being pregnant. i know that outright discrimination is illegal, but come on. companies don't exactly have to reveal their true reason for declining to hire someone.   edit: words are hard  edit 2: okay, it's pretty much unanimous that having a kid during my senior year is a bad idea. i'm thinking maybe after my first year of cs related employment is a good time to start revisiting the subject."
how do i best deal with a rude coworker who i think is trying to make me fail?,cj6ihy,blank,ThrowawayYes9293,64,1564404501.0,"i am a software engineer at a big tech company in  sv. there is one coworker on my team who i am having a lot of conflict with, and i believe he is trying to sabotage some of my work.  he is originally from a country that is misogynistic. he moved to the us about 7 years ago. his wife is a stay at home mom and i think i overheard him say once during lunch that his woman should stay home and take care of the kids.  i am the only female on the team and i am the youngest person on the team. i have worked extremely hard to get to where i am and i am confident about the knowledge that i have. however, he seems to have a problem with that.  he likes to correct me and tell me to fix things in my code. okay sure, i can look into whether his suggestion is actually valid or not. when i do not think it is valid, i explain why in my comment. he then gets defensive and he speaks to me verbally in such a condescending way. he seems to get upset whenever i do not agree with his opinion or when i question it.  he seems to want me to just agree with whatever he says and respect him so much that his word is final above mine. i am not sure whether this is because i am a woman or because i am younger. either way, i have been sick of it and i voice my opinion about how i think his approach to doing something is wrong for whatever following reasons.  he is now trying to sabotage my work in indirect ways. he makes comments on my code that are extremely non-productive and nit picky and intended to stall me. he tries to claim ownership over the projects that i have expressed a lot of interest in, and tried to delegate certain parts to me as if he is the authority over me.  the thing is, he is not even that great at programming. we are almost at the same level and he is not the team’s tech lead. i am resentful that he keeps trying to exert power over me. at the same time i think he is resentful that i don’t “respect” him the way he wants to be respected. yeah if i’m being honest, i don’t. he’s honestly not super great at programming and i view him more as a peer.  i tried talking to my manager and he basically didn’t help at all. he implied maybe i am imagining it and misattributing things. at this point, i am sick of it. i don’t even want to come to work anymore. i want to quit but if it were not for the cultural problems on my team, this team is my dream job. i find the technical work exciting and all my background experience so far in industry has been within this niche.   what would you recommend i do?"
go to meetups dude,bc8ssw,blank,itspickle_rick,270,1555067120.0,"ok so im an enterprise java programmer and i wanted to learn some of the new kids/hipsters are doing nowdays and maybe try to get into the 'startup scene' so i went to a javascript meetup in my city, and my god, it was sad.  &#x200b;  the event was run by the local js bootcamp, and the entire thing consisted of a bunch of people doing show and tell with some javascript animations of bouncing balloons and other things they made. they were all, to a man/woman, unemployed, from the out-of-work asp enterprise programmer who made a phone app for a hackathon, to a guy working as a medical technician who has been graduated from the bootcamp for over two years. i checked his linkedin and he listed his header/title as 'software engineer' despite never having worked as one.  &#x200b;  i came to a js meetup thinking that js was used for startups and the vibe would be youthful, energetic, and with people talking about and possibly starting companies/projects. instead i got the distinct impression that i was looking at a mass of people who had been rejected by the industry.  &#x200b;  i couldn't really help but feel sorry for these people as most were bootcamp graduates who were still working in their old jobs, despite having learned mern/whatever and making some toy apps. this is the side of bootcamps you don't see. the untold masses of people who fell for the meme of learn js in 21 days and get rich. a bunch of sad, unemployed guys who forked over thousands of dollars to get on the self taught web dev hype train and ended up exactly in the same place as before(except now with less money).  &#x200b;  maybe my area is just lacking in opportunities in software(which it kindof is), but i have a stinking suspicion that this is probably more representative of the average bootcamp experiences than a guy who went to a bootcamp and got hired at google for 200k a year. i looked through my whole city and tbh i can't identify a single successful tech startup, just a bunch of half-funded wanna-bes who have yet to turn a profit/ipo/get sold/whatever success is. i feel like the whole 'startup' hype is basically nonexistent outside of certain areas like sf and nyc.  &#x200b;  the bottom line is stop telling kids to go to bootcamp, you aren't going to become hirable in a few weeks and forget about startups if you're not in a major metropolitan area with an actual startup scene."
have you pivoted career path from tech to non-tech roles and eventually switched back? are you open to mentoring a confused woman? let’s chat!,bea61b,blank,blindnarcissus,1,1555549001.0,"i studied computer engineering. after school, i joined one of the big tech companies as a qa engineer with the ultimate goal of building a solid foundation in tech & system engineering before getting to technical product management. a year into my product career, i hate it. i have started doubting my intuition and judgment having invested so much time to get to a role i ended up disliking so much. i could really use the wisdom of someone who has been in my shoes before as i try to re-route. if you are interested and can offer up an hour of your time for a quick call, or if you know someone who might be, please let me know."
"as a woman and mom in my 30’s, how do i navigate the job search?",9gkzio,blank,Itiffanysphone,14,1537224822.0,"i’m in my last couple of semesters and will graduate may 2019. i’ve worked full time while getting my degree doing counseling at a life improvement center run by my church (nonprofit and low pay, but loved helping people). i got pregnant and had my baby in january. i quit my job after over 10 years and took a semester off of school directly after the birth. now i’m finishing school and looking for a job to start my new career in cs. my first real effort will be next week at my school’s career fair and i have questions:  1. do i tell recruiters i have a baby? i know it’s illegal to not hire me because of that, but...  2. i’m going to wear black pants, a blazer, modest blouse and heels. sound okay?  3. i have no side projects, school group membership or other extracurriculars because of full time job and baby. what’s the best way to explain this?  4. help me with my intro to recruiters: “hi, my name is ____. i’ve worked in nonprofit for over a decade, but am now switching to careers...”  please chime in with anything else you think will be different in my experience due to mom, woman, old, career change, etc.!!"
product side or engineering?,dzf62p,blank,giantstepper,2,1574346236.0,"after a couple months of working through the interview process (no fun), i’m finally in a position where i get to choose which offer i want to take. the difficult thing is that they are very, very different positions. one is entry level data engineering in sf, while the other is more senior product analyst in a smaller western city. these two positions are so different i don’t even know where to start comparing them (different cities, cost of living, career paths, team culture).   i worked for the last year to finish a masters degree and gain coding skills so that i could prove to myself that i could be an engineer despite doubting myself and coming from a non-tech background. however, now  that i am forced to decide i am wondering if a more business minded position is a better match for my skill sets and interest.  some questions i think you strangers could help me answer:  how would my career path differ if i were to start as a data engineer vs product analyst?   as a “woman in tech” (or whatever), will i feel like i let myself down if i didn’t charge head on into an engineering role that i worked so hard to get?  will starting my career in a smaller city vs the tech hub of sf hold me back in the long run?  any advice/thoughts would be welcome and appreciated!"
can we add a bootcamp thread stickied at the top?,bvzsq4,blank,Youtoo2,95,1559525081.0,"i have been in the business for 20 years. we frequently get people coming on here asking about bootcamps. we have people who have had success. i remember one woman who after two years experience said she got a high paying job at amazon in new york. we have others who can't get jobs.   since there are so many posts on this they don't get many good answers because who wants to repeat the same things? i think one posted thread at the top would be really helpful. however, mods, unfortunately you going to have to go through it and delete posts that do not add to the conversation or the thread will get just too big to find anything. it would also be useful if when someone gives a positive/negative boot camp review you can add it to the first post in the thread and link to the post. this would be really helpful to people.   i am hesitant to recommend them because they are expensive and you can't work. the kind of person this appeals to likely does not have a lot of money. i do not know how to tell a really good bootcamp from a bad one. i think you can do some used car salesmen skepticism. such as do they give you the hard sell. do they not shut up. do they go on and on about how much money you will make. do they then not keep any records of job placement. do they talk about 'financial aid' in a hard sell when financial aid is just loans or its one of those persian rug stores where you get a ""sholarship"" since the full price is not really the price.   the woman who got a job at amazon said she had to pass a test and show some competence before starting. so they can give you something to study at first.   so people can name good and bad boot camps. this opens up to shitty ones just putting up fake posts, so we need to say 'take this with a grain of salt'. what to look for when screening.   i also think we can stress just how much work it is. you are basically trying to get prepared to work in a few months where a cs student has 4 years. now that student is not only taking programming, but they are getting more fundamentals and its more time to digest the knowledge. this tells me that the successful boot camp people don't just show up during the day for class. they work at it every night. they work on it on weekends. they have side projects. they read technical forums(i find these really useful). they google other documentation and practice at it. they take notes. i think most people are not mark zuckerberg. i am 100% self taught. it was a fuck ton of work over many years to get good.  if we can get a thread at the top for bootcamps/career switchers people can go through posts. i think this needs to be strongly moderated and unrelated posts should be deleted or else it will just get too long. i am not a fan of mass moderation, but something like this is important to help people out.  to those who want to do bootcamps: i honestly don't know how to pick a good one from a bad one. i don't know the success rate. all i can tell you is to use these strategies.   1. google them. if there are tons of web pages talking about how awesome it is, its like fake news posts. mlm companies do this to bury bad reviews. look on glassdoor and ripoff report  2. if they nag you to buy their product in a hard sell. its bullshit.   3. if they talk over and over again about how much money you will make, its bullshit. if they are selling their product they need to sell its a lot of work and you can do it if you work at it.  4. if they sell you on lots of jobs then do not keep data on job placement and salaries, its bullshit. even if they do some of it is bullshit. google them.   5. do they make you pass a test to start? is it a real test? about 20 years ago chubb institute had one of these bootcamps with 'scholarships'. i had to pass a test to get in. i spent 3 hours on it. none of it was coding. the 'advisor' (sales person asshole) spent 5 minutes grading and said ok you pass, but not well enough to get a scholarship, you have to pay $30,000. i had to buy their laptop and not use my own (which is cheaper). when i told him it was too expensive, he got mad at me and pointed at the door. it was clear he was on commission. have a major bullshit detector. this was 20 years ago so take into account inflation.   6. when in doubt post the name of the boot camp on here and other websites and see if anyone did it. take the answers with a grain of salt. if its too positive, there is a good chance its someone who works for the company.   7. do they stress how much work it will be? you need to work outside of regular class hours and on weekends. you need to keep working at it after you graduate. you need to do leetcode. its alot of work. no one will hire you just for showing up.   8. i also recommend people post about the company and the website and syllabus on here and other sites. note there are a lot of cs snobs on here who will tell you its garbage, but you could get some useful answers on whether its garbage or not. for cs people i got a masters in software engineering after getting a job and i have read most of the cs books in the undergrad cs curriculum. it is good material, but there are snobs on here.   i think a thread like this is something we can do to help the community. people who are looking to job transition and may buy these classes do not make a lot of money and will not be able to work. i think a big thread at the top with tips and names of good/bad bootcamps will be really helpful to people."
4 excellent tips for becoming a software engineer,e1q2ao,blank,sweetseognam,1,1574758538.0,"hi all   wanted to quickly share [this](https://learn.g2.com/software-engineer) article that has some good tips on becoming a software engineer.  the quote i found most useful from the article is from dan holmes at arc.  “throughout my experience, i've learned that it's important to be a *yes man* (or woman). that is: say yes to everything you possibly can and provide reasonable expectations for what it will take. everything is possible but not everything is profitable. finally, i've learned that on the other side of being passionate about something, is being self-disciplined.  self discipline is the difference between a coding statesman and a script kiddie. if i was going to do things differently, i'd be less stressed about where i wanted to be, and be more inclined to sit tight and lean in.”  hope you all find it useful!"
software development: how would you behave with a woman who ask you for help but spends all day surfing the web/checking social networks/chatting with others instead of working?,5rlijr,blank,cpete85,178,1486050378.0,"a coworker of mine doesn't focus on her job and is constantly either chatting using her computer or surfing facebook or checking her phone. then, when a client request arrives, she dedicates herself no more than 1 minute to it before asking for help or complaining about it or making noises or whatever...  i've catch her doing this (screwing around instead of working) more than once when she thinks nobody is looking at her. this behavior seems like a mockery because she acts either offended or ""edgy"" when me or others refuse to help her...  i am not her boss, but she seem to believe she can get away with this behavior because ""it's taken for granted that 'the team' will help her in times of need"". once she manages to get help or fix the issue or getting someone else involved, she goes back to wasting time.  she adopts the same exact behavior even when she's getting help: if me or another coworker goes to the bathroom or gets away for a few minutes, instead of picking up the slack or focusing on learning, she goes back to whatever social network she's using or chatting... it's like she doesn't like the job and does anything in her power to stay away from it, and a couple of people can't say ""no"" to her which makes it worse...  management, of course, is not aware of it because we have covered for her in the past, and she uses the guilt card a lot. now i'm starting to distance myself from her, and it turns out she comment how ""i'm not in a good mood"" lately because i'm not willing to be used like that...  am i on the right track here? is there something else i can do without reporting her to my boss and/or having to deal with her gossiping behind our backs?  **edit**: given the amount of children around, i feel compelled to clarify that i wrote she is a woman for no reason whatsoever other than the fact she's female, if a guy was doing this i would have written ""a guy a work with""..."
resume (first job hunt) - should i list my completed college coursework if i dropped out?,dz2dyu,blank,aWicca,1,1574287059.0,"first to clarify; i completed a year and half worth of coursework before dropping out, and it was one of those unavoidable life situations (i moved countries, and made ireland (dublin) my new home). i'm also (alert) a woman, lil bit older than usual graduates, with a 26 years of living around in this world. i also did self taught route for a year before attending college, and am doing it now in my - ""gap"".  i've done a bit of reading up, watching and listening to stuff related to finding that first job. and there is plenty of information about going self thought route, college graduate route, bootcamps etc. of course collage graduates have advantage, i understand that and can reason with it. i also know what should be in my resume, know about must have handful of completed projects, how to showcase it, etc. all that theory is soaked up. and what i concluded is ""get a damn degree, it makes a life easier"". and frustrated as i am - for not having the chance to finish it, i try to find any kind of advantage, an ""edge"".  initially i wanted to list only ""self taught"", disregarding my education lvl, listing some of those courses as self taught acquired skills. but now i'm thinking of using it, if i can? if i can't, i'l go back to that ""self taught"" route. so i'm basically asking should i include it in my resume or not? i have transcripts with me, do i need them? what should i say?  i'm hoping to get that first job in half a year, so any additional tips would be appreciated. should i attend some sort of bootcamp to boost resume a bit? are online bootcamps worth it? (i find it hard to find any bootcamps in dublin that focuses primarily on c++, and i'm most interested in it, as that is almost only language that i know, and i prefer backend anyway).  or to contrast all of this - should i just go back to collage, but in dublin? i don't like this solution very much - as i need to have steady income (that's why i moved - from croatia), and it's kind of expensive. and - i need to wait for it almost a year.  my completed coursework include: computer architecture, digital techniques and microprocessor, linear algebra with a use of matlab, math analysis with a use of matlab, basics of electronics and basics of electrical engineering, c language, html + css + javascript basics, sql data bases 1 and 2, informational systems, c++, numerical math with a use of matlab, and at last algorithms.  thanks a bunch for any sort of guidance!"
how do you even transition from politics to the tech sector?,djbagr,blank,overcharing,4,1571369193.0,"&#x200b;  i'm done with politics. it has lofty goals (sometimes!), and often time you do good work, but i'm done. so done.   and, so, here i am, thinking of the next chapter in this non-traditional career journey of mine. i've been thinking long and hard, and i've figured that i honestly want to make the jump into tech. i'm a risk-taker (within reason, always), and i want to develop new skill-sets. i want to build things, and in the process, continue to re-build myself up too.   only issue? i've got a political science background, nonprofit and government experience, and no tech skills-sets. whatsoever. a real bummer.   i'm also a 29 year-old woman, and i make $120,000 and pretty high up in the hierarchy of  government in a major city, and oversee $4bn in projects... so not really excited to starting from the bottom. so what gives?   do i go through a bootcamp? is that worth it? maybe go for a pm role even though no tech background? if so, how do you even do that? anyway, you get the gist. i'm pretty much lost. and i really need help."
junior in college and just started my first internship - feel lost and need advice,c44zjf,blank,Ukusno,30,1561326727.0,"i started my internship and had my orientation last week. i feel very anxious and lost because i have never used tools that they use, like atlassian suite, python, and even git. when they talked to me on the first day i just felt like a big dumb ass. i spent all weekend learning git and researching but i’m afraid when i go to work next week i will be miserable and lost. i never had an internship before and i was honest and told them i never used tools they use. they seemed not too worried about it, but i am really panicking because i don’t know what’s expected of me as an intern. am i there to learn? should i be worried that i cannot contribute right away? also, i’m the only woman in the office. it’s not a big deal but i’m afraid i might get misunderstood and be treated like “one of the guys”. i would appreciate any tips or advice internships or my situation in general. thank you!  update: i just want to thank each one of you who responded and gave me advice and words of encouragement! it means a lot! i will be reading this if i feel anxious or lost. thanks again!"
is it normal for an assessment test to require a third party organization manage your webcam??? test got terminated for no reason,d4ure6,blank,lisacoop,10,1568631237.0,"im a new recent graduate in cs and i've been earnestly trying to find a job and i finally landed in a place where i can start doing the interview process. the first step is a assessment. i dont know what this employer does with this assessment because they said i will start training super soon. its an entry level software dev position and they are doing training etc. btw my recruiter straight garbage. i emailed him countless times to get more info never a single response like wtf? but i digress. first part that i've never done for an assessment is for the webcam to be accessed by a third party company. welp f it i need this job. during the test it told me image violation meaning my face some how wasnt in frame. im like ""wtf my face is right here"" so i put a book under my laptop on my lap so its level with my face. while taking it my laptop began to slide off my leg and i accidentally touched the mouse pad of my laptop. my cursor was at the top of the browser and click......... i get a window violation and my test is terminated. this is not only frustrating asf but i have anxiety taking these sort of test. also im a new grad where tf you learn about j2ee. where do we learn to use enterprise software??? i've used different frameworks and code things from scratch. j2ee wasnt event apart of the job description.   the company i just applied as i recently learned today is a very discriminatory place. the place laid off all 30+ new hires that were african american. dont believe?? find the review and i have friends who went to this place. they graduated in may did the whole training and did good got hired on and after a few weeks all african american employees fired for no reason. a lot of them know their ish so wtf?? in new york its the same type reviews. i may have strayed a bullet idk.   tldr: why are some recruiters so bad? i cant get a single response at all from the one who recruited me. i messaged on linkedin and via my gmail. did all of you have to do the same webcam thing? i dont like it one bit :/ . what is an effective course for j2ee since this assessment was based on that? are all entry level software engineer test like this?   for those who dont beleieve here is a review about this company. if your in my state you probably seen it if you researched the company.   -   ""this is the worst dicriminative place to work. turns out their management team is the worst deceiving lying manipulative (chonia ballard, karthic) unprofessional clueless individuals who know nothing about  insurance claims. they would train new hires to process 40 claims a day for commercial and government payors. what stood out to me the most was how they house their native indians on one side and my black folks on the other side like a slave plantation. i witness chonia mistreat and displace several of her own black people for this indian guy (karthic). then turn around and laid off all 30 new hires who were all black african american aside from the mexican and caucasian woman who quit the second week of training."""
help me decide: a development program or a dev job,dlofi7,blank,megretson,0,1571806997.0,"hello all! i am in need of help!   i am stuck deciding between two offers. for context, i am a senior at a state liberal arts college majoring in computer science with a biology minor. i have a few other offers, but for various reasons these two are the ones i like the most. i am mostly struggling with making the decision because i don't know how much to value the perks offered by one over the other. for context, here are the offers:  ge healthcare  * title: edison engineer. i would be part of a two year rotational program (4, 6-month rotations on different teams, almost everyone rolls off their last rotation into full time) with associated coursework. i would be working on firmware and embedded systems for their healthcare equipment (mri machines, x-ray machines, etc.). i can't speak to any greater specifics of my work because i'd be rotating.  * salary: $83,500 * sign-on: $5,000 * location: milwaukee, wi, with options to take rotations in chicago and seattle  * additional perks: relocation, master’s degree paid for (in technical field: cs, data science, any form of engineering, online at pitt, uc berkley, georgia tech or john's hopkins, or in person at u of wisconsin or marquette) although i would have to do it on top of a normal 40 hour work week.  * insurance: unclear, it exists and glassdoor isn't super flattering, but the specifics aren't available to me until i receive my written offer in the next few days * retirement: 401k, match unclear * time off: permissive time off, close to 3-4 weeks in reality  costar group (not the astrology app :(  )  * title: associate software developer. i would be part of a small team (i would be the 6th person on the team) working on an app used by field researchers within the company. i would have the ability to work on whatever part of the stack interests me most, whether that be managing the sql database, working on the c# api that allows communication between the db and frontend, or working on the react web-app and ios frontends (i haven't had the opportunity to do any frontend dev in college and so i think it could be fun). i'd have the flexibility to move through the stack however interests me, and i like the vibes form the person who would be my manager.  * salary: $100,000 * sign-on: $15,000 * location: richmond, va * additional perks: $5,200 tuition reimbursement, free meals daily (up to $150 a month in lunches), employee stock purchase discount  * insurance: base medical, dental, and vision is  entirely free  * retirement: 401k with company match up to 4%, options for both roth and traditional, vest after 3 years with the company  * time off: 15 days pto, 8 days sick leave (in a full year), and 2 personal days, 9 paid holidays  cost of living is 14% higher in milwaukee than in richmond.   here are the things i'm stuck on: how much is the master's degree offered by ge worth? is it valuable enough to take the lower pay? particularly as a woman, i fear if i take the lower starting salary now it will follow me throughout my career. i also worry that the ge salary is enough for wi, but not enough for chicago or seattle where i may also take rotations. please save me."
what can i do to get taken more seriously by my coworkers?,cycwst,blank,cinemageek8174,5,1567388140.0,"i’m a 29 year old woman currently working on a fast growing team at a big tech company. i’m a senior engineer but i’ve been trying to get to the next level for more than a year now.   my manager has said my technical skills and soft skills are definitely already there but the thing that’s holding me back from this promotion is my ability to influence.   i work on a team where others are in their 30-50s. it also doesn’t help that i look younger than my age, and constantly get mistaken for a 24 year old.   when i propose technical solutions, i get “trust but verified”. where even if they agree with what i say, they verify it with the chief architect of the team, even though i’ve noticed that they don’t do this when other senior engineers on my team propose solutions. when i am leading a project in a territory that is more “ambiguous”, i get questioned and doubted and nobody seems eager to follow me because there seems to be a lack of fundamental trust in my judgment.   i’ve worked extremely hard to get to where i am today. i trust my own abilities and judgment, but i obviously can’t force my coworkers to trust and respect my judgment and leadership if they just don’t.   has anyone been in this situation before and overcame it?"
"i seem to get a lot of callbacks, that's not because i'm a woman right?",8wgdtz,blank,KeyAppearance424,17,1530872706.0,"i've been applying tech support engineer and software engineer jobs over the past couple months. i've probably applied to 20 total, and have received 8 callbacks. of the callbacks, six were for tech support and 2 for development. so far i have done 4 final onsite interviews, all for technical support, and all decided against me (well except one, but they decided to go with someone else before giving me my offer letter). i have two more onsite interviews now, tomorrow for a tech support position, and monday for a dev position. i also just finished hr interviews with two more companies, one for a dev and the other for tech support.  so now here's my worry,  i've seen people say they send in hundreds of applications to only receive one or two responses, with maybe one onsite interview. the thing is, i gotten a 40&#37; response rate, and i've only applied to 20 companies. my worry is that companies are seeing a female name, and are going after me because of diversity, instead of my merits. and i really don't like that. i want to be hired because i can do the job, not because i help their numbers.  have any of you been on hiring teams where you were only allowed to target female candidates (or any other minority in the tech field)? or have any of you guys specifically chosen a woman over a man for the sake of diversity? this isn't to say there isn't discrimination against hiring women in the tech field, because there definitely is. i just would hate to think that i got hired at a company because i mark a diversity checkbox.  edit: i swear to god i'm not trolling, from these comments i think i've just learned i'm really naive about my skill level."
jumpstart a career: which course or certificate do you recommend (bay area)?,dpvl3k,blank,925pineapples,0,1572591698.0,"hello!   i have a bachelor's in cognitive science which required me to take about 1 year of basic programming (java 1 and 2). i really liked the challenge and producing something that actually does something. i went on to take another year and then graduated. i realized that i liked programming but i don't know if i would like doing it for 8 hours a day.   anyways, after i graduated i realized i really liked my computer science and neuroscience courses. and i know some career might rely on both. that is where i want to be. i'm not really sure what those positions are and who to ask. i am thinking about doing an it bootcamp or certificate (more on that later), getting an entry-level it job save up and then do a neuroscience related certificate. i would like to have a job related to both. i'm really interested in mri technician and then use my it skills to go from there or even stay.  okay so about bootcamps. i am a woman of color who lives in the bay area. i'm not sure if i aquire an it certificate or complete a bootcamp for software engineering, or software testing/qa, or ux/ui, or something else.   in the meantime, i would like to learn programming languages, computer science skills, it skills, cloud related skills, and a few soft skills. would you recommend linkedin learning, code academy, udemy, coursera, or lynda? what's your go to?   i am currently working as an ea to ceo at a very small scale it consultant firm. i just started as my first job after graduating and don't want to already ask him for advice which would mean i would leave the job. i am also thinking about asking him if i could do a certificate that would let me come back and work for the company and then save up for an mri course or just stay there if things look good.   i hope this is in the right spot and formated right lol."
wondering about potential career paths given my work history/interests.,cueqs1,blank,ColostomyBagSpiders,10,1566599775.0,"hello all,  i am a 30 year old woman currently working toward a post-bacc degree in computer science. i am a couple of quarters away from finishing and am starting my job search. i have a bs degree in accounting. i have always enjoyed working with technology, hence not going into the accounting field (because i find it super boring). i have worked as an it auditor for the past three years, and prior to that worked as a help desk technician.   i'm currently so miserable in my role as an it auditor. i enjoy the parts of my job where i get to talk about technical processes with people, but i hate the insane amounts of documentation, and being the ""bad guy"" basically telling people how they're doing their jobs wrong. i'm super empathetic and while my coworkers are shitting on people who are, admittedly, doing their jobs poorly, i feel really bad for them because they almost certainly have other things in their life that might be affecting their work. i know it's ultimately good that we help improve processes, but i'd rather be on the other side doing that. i have also enjoyed the parts of my job where i get to edit our audit reports... but that doesn't happen too much. i love editing documents and writing up policies and procedures. i wrote up a lot of desk procedures when i was a help desk technician and thought that was pretty fun.  i'm a creative, artistic person who likes to think about potential solutions to problems. i love drawing and working on graphics. my favorite thing i've done in school was creating a website where i got to make really cool graphics and neat effects using html/css/javascript (even though javascript made me want to cry... okay, i actually did cry at one point when i was trying to understand closures). i also enjoyed my usability engineering class in which i got to create a prototype for a mobile app that i actually thought would be neat to create. i've enjoyed the coding projects where i got to do something fun like create a game - i'm currently working on a side project which is a text-based game that i hope to eventually turn into a game with graphics (once i teach myself those skills). i'm using python and am really enjoying how easy it is as compared to c++ which i've used for most of my coursework.  i've been struggling to think of a career path that would suit me. i'm so bored right now and i just want to do something that doesn't make me completely dread sunday nights. any advice is appreciated. thank you if you actually read my wall of text.  tl;dr:   good: computer graphics, artistic work, coding fun games, creating desk procedures/policies and editing, python!  bad: telling other people they're fuckups, death by documentation"
career change to tech after ib internship,coqlkl,blank,needhelp6823,9,1565515619.0,"hi everyone,  i'm junior majoring in math & econ that just finished a summer internship in a pretty decent boutique investment bank, and i got a return offer for ft that is gonna expire in about a week. unfortunately, despite working my ass off for the last couple of years to get this damn job i realized i'm a really crappy culture fit as an asian woman who can't stand alcohol + the crazy hours are way more unbearable than i initially imagined.  a lot of my friends in tech are convincing me to give up this offer and try and switch to a tech career, and i'm giving some serious thought into that. i've done the intro to cs + data structures/algo classes in school, and while i didn't particularly love them (...not that i love working on spreadsheets all day either) i still got as for the classes. overall however the much better wlb and better culture are very big draws for me, and i'm willing to put in as much as effort as it takes over my senior year to land a job when i graduate - if it's possible at all.  is this a feasible idea especially with the pretty negative outlook in the economy? has anyone done something similar, and are there any tips for framing an ib internship's experiences for tech recruiting?  tia!"
raise for developer in san antonio,c7tbuf,blank,Sutekija,12,1562020590.0,"hi guys! i got hired to a san antonio company as a level 1 (junior) ruby on rails developer. i got hired at $75k after [this post 10 months ago](https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/9b3mkq/salary_for_junior_developer_in_san_antonio/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share).  potentially important things to note from that post: - at the time i had 3 years contracting experience - i have a ba in an unrelated field - i'm a woman in her mid 20s - company has 50+ employees  only 3 months after my hiring i was promoted to level 2. it was clear that my capabilities were much better than junior. i wasn't offered a raise at that time, but i also didn't ask for one since i was so new to the company.   my next review is coming up and considering that 1) i got a promotion and 2) the bonuses have been crummy and are based on company performance, and 3) i've been kicking butt the past 10 months (doing all my own work efficiently and contributing heavy 1x1 time to a junior's learning), i'm hoping to ask for a raise.   i don't want to later feel like i've been undercut and become unhappy at my company. what should i ultimately expect or ask for in a raise? also, how might raise negotiations be different from the hiring negotiations?"
should older worker ask for reasons how to improve skills for next job applied for?,d60r40,blank,StartingOverMan,0,1568854981.0,"i'm an older worker. i have been on many job interviews over the phone and even in person. obviously, my resume gets their attention and i come across well enough over the phone to be called in for an in person interview.  but i am not getting hired. it's been a year since i had a full time job. i have went for 3 years and even 6 years with no one hiring me!  obviously, it's my age, my skills, my vibes, or younger people are just more qualified!  i am pretty darn sure i have not been hired for yet another job that has not gotten back to me. i'm going to go out on the limb here, and contact them stating i realize i pretty much did not get the job, and would like their feedback on what needs improvement. perhaps this is not a wise move on my part. but maybe it is. this organization is a ""not profit"" organization that helps manufactures improve their businesses. what's not to say i won't get some good feedback from two of the people i would like to reach out to.  one is a younger guy who contacted me via linkedin. another is an older woman who could probably give me some feedback on what i am lacking in my skills and presentations.  i would like  your thoughts on whether you think this is good move or not."
i feel like a fraud...,bc19ks,blank,HansTheProgrammer,26,1555025570.0,"... for working as a programmer.     i'll try to keep this short, but i can't promise anything.  i'm a 20 year old guy in austria, who finished a good technical college and loves programming. i've managed to get a job at a rather small company (not a startup) as _junior java developer_. have been working there for 6 months now.  until just 2 weeks ago i didn't write a single line of code at work. all i did 40+ hours a week, is online documentation. 2 weeks ago i basically finished the whole documentation platform and there was nothing else to do, so they ""allowed"" me tp program.  i really like my colleagues and work overall isn't _that_ bad (despite all the above). but there is this weird woman in her thirties. don't get me wrong, i get along with her quite well and she is an absolute beast when it comes to work. she easily does the work of 2 developers in half the time (well, her code quality reflects that..., but still).   anyways, we have a few different applications. some bigger, some smaller. but most of them are **huge**. the one i have to work on is by far the biggest. i even asked my boss if it's just me and my lack of experience or if it's really that big and messy. \ he just said: ""well, it's no photoshop or ms office, but it's no joke"".   the 30ish woman i'm working with is supposed to mentor me a bit. teach me how the application works, what it does, the flow of it etc. instead, she just expects me to know it all and if i even dare to ask for help, she'll usually say ""just debug it and try to understand"" - _or_ she will just take the ticket, assign it to herself and do it. in that case, i always review the pull request and 95% of the time i understand what's going on or what she did - but this is frustrating. especially when there are methods with 250+ lines of code inside of them or 12 parameters. maybe this is normal in a professional setting/application - i wouldn't know since this is my first job as a programmer.  it has come to the point where i seriously question my abilities as java developer. i ask myself questions like ""should i be able to understand this quicker?"", ""am i doing something wrong?"", ""am i even allowed to call myself programmer?"". it's just embarrassing and i feel like a fraud of sorts... like i shouldn't even have this position.  out of 10 hours at work i spend at least 8 just debugging and _trying_ to understand this monster of a project. day-in day-out, for 2 weeks straight.  i'm asking you guys, out of despair, is this normal? \ maybe my programming capabilities just aren't as good as i thought. \ i'm getting things done, i implement features and i am part of the sprint. but i constantly have to ask questions and my tickets take way longer than they should. _i really don't know what to do._  _edit:_ just to clarify: she is not my boss. my boss assigned her to me. i think i'm just an inconvenience to her and her work. she sort of _expects_ me to know my way around the application."
my coworker keeps attacking my reputation behind my back and i don't know how to stop her,ajcdz5,blank,stephen_rex,78,1548365173.0,"our boss gave her webdesign work when she first join the company (web agency) even though she had never done it before. i helped her a lot until i no longer had the time and that's when she started criticizing me for my lack of ""collaboration"".  eventually she stopped trying whatsoever to learn and used to wait for me to have free time so i could tell her how to do her job. i didn't like it so i stopped this behavior and went my own way.  she kept complaining and criticizing me behind my back (even though i wasn't the one giving her work) until our boss transferred her.  three years passed since she joined us, and many situations like these arose in that time. last month one of the projects i analyzed and estimated was assigned to her by my boss. i hadn't worked on it. i didn't want any trouble so i prepared everything for her to do the job: research, specifications, test scripts, etc. it didn't matter.  the job was frontend development and she hates that, but my boss gave it to her anyway, and instead of taking it out on him, she started taking it out on me. everything that didn't work she blamed on me, trying to say that my research was wrong, my test scripts were wrong, that i hand't tested anything, etc. all of this behind my back.  and all of it wrong. everytime she came to me with a problem, we eventually found out it was caused by her. and besides, it wasn't even my project, it was assigned to her, so i don't see why she insisted on blaming me, and it pisses me off.  last week she found her app wasn't working on android devices. i told her i had tested it on android before so if it wasn't working it was either because of a recent andorid update (my tests were 3 months old) or the way the library was being used.  she went into maternity leave earlier and i was assigned her project. i took charge, found out the error and fixed it. it was, in fact, caused by the browser, not the code.  she came back in today to ""turn her computer off"" and say her goodbyes before giving birth. she turned her computer on and went through my commits, found the bugfix and texted a coworker of mine saying (behind my back): ""i know i'm a bad person but i went through his commits... *fixed android bug*... wait, hadn't he say he had tested it on android devices?!?!?!""  everything's like this. it's either do what she says or wait for her to start saying crap behind my back, and that crap reaches my boss ears. and i still can't believe she kept trying to blame me till the last day about something she couldn't do that i hadn't assigned her just because i wasn't willing to do her job.  wtf can i do to stop this woman from doing this to me?"
road map to getting a job,broxgn,blank,PtolemysCat,12,1558561246.0,"i am wondering if there is some kind of organized roadmap, boxes i can tick off, a recommended daily amount of practice, etc to help me pass coding interviews and get a job. i am working on the ""cracking the coding interview"" book, taking practice problems on hackerrank and some similar sites, working on coding projects, practicing answers to interview questions, sending out my resume. but between all those things i have to choose how much time to put in each. i see a lot of problems when i do actually go through applications processes, but i don't know which ones to focus on first.  &#x200b;  i'm simply overwhelmed. i am highly motivated, but i am lost because the hiring process for these jobs just seems like a big mess. does anyone has recommendations? how did you manage to land your first job? (bonus thank yous if you were out of school for more than a year before you found a job, but actually managed to find one). i have a lot of friends who have had an easier time finding a job than me, and while i am very happy for them, i was one of the better students at my school so it's starting to feel like my academic success was a lie. why is it that i did so well in classes and exams, and now i can't even pass a coding test? my peers who were c students, did they just get lucky? i recognize that maybe they have something i don't, i just don't know what it is. and i also don't know how long i should keep trying this before i determine that this is not something i am capable of.      also... it is weird for me to apply to internships at this point? i have been graduated since 2017. until august 2018 i was on a gap year and then i decided to not continue to a phd. so realistically i have been job hunting since last summer, but sadly now my resume looks like i've been job hunting for two years. i am a woman, and sometimes i wonder if people think i had kids or something, but i haven't even done that. i've just been trying to figure out how to get a stable career (and i also was dealing with some personal/family matters in that time). thanks for any advice."
"looking at a hfc designer position, no related education or job experience.",d54rwn,blank,Buttered_Hotdogs,0,1568688982.0,"i work in customer service for a cable company. there's almost a certainty that either you or your grandmother have called me something terrible over the phone. my only experience is in customer service, and i'm dying inside.  our offices work at a national capacity, which means we're relatively specialized and there isn't exactly room to break out. there are a few exceptions, but these are highly competitive and awarded to people with backgrounds i can't compete with. i recently sat with somebody who got a itt tech degree in some kind of engineering/design field. this wasn't much of an aspiration, but more of a fond memory, something she could hardly recall. it came up when we were looking at an outage map which contains hfc plant symbols and she was vaguely able to identify them. to be frank, she was one of the dumbest people i've come across in the position. she would ask questions that practically answered themselves, and more than once. i remember this was during the last presidential election, because i recall her saying she would vote for hillary because she wants a female president, but then pausing and saying ""we haven't had a female president yet, have we?"" anyway, she couldn't figure out how to set up a set-top box, but here looking at this map, she was dropping random hfc terminology to demonstrate she had, at least at one time, had them in her vocabulary. she absolutely wasn't cutting it answering phones at a billing capacity, but when the next hfc designer position opened up, she got it.  at some point in her life, i'm willing to bet money that this woman has paused for 2+ minutes at a mcdonalds drive thru before asking if a double quarter pounder weighs two quarters of a pound. and we all watched her pack her things and move into an office of her own, where her pay probably doubled. most people aren't petty bitches, so they moved on with their lives. but i found this very inspiring. please note, i have no experience in the field and mean absolutely no disrespect to the profession. i just found inspiration in the fact that this person got the position. maybe i could.  i used a free trial for lynda.com and watched the full up and running courses for autocad and bentley microstation. it looks very straightforward, and i've quickly taken to many other programs like illustrator, indesign, flash, photoshop, etc. after 10 hours of tutorial videos, i have a reasonable idea of what it looks like, and i'm conversational in how hfc networks work.  after all that, what i came here to ask is:   would it be a waste of time to pursue an entry level hfc designer position with no actual background or education in the field? i'm technically inclined, conversational in the content, and have a desperate need to break out of customer service. is it crazy to expect that i can fill in the gaps with on the job training?  i'm not in a position where i can get a degree. my most productive hours are at work between calls. could anybody recommend any resources i could continue to utilize to immerse myself in the content?"
what advice would you give a woman going to college for her computer science degree?,684395,blank,QuothTheRaven420,29,1493429313.0,"i am currently a freshman, and i haven't gotten into my major classes yet. i have not yet decided what i want to do with my degree. thanks!"
anyone get freaked out by how small and well-tracked this industry is?,bdvkzq,blank,WearyNeat,21,1555458976.0,"here's some incidents that have happened to me while internship recruiting:  1. a recruiter told me that a woman i had  met at the nyc branch of a company advocated for me when i applied at the bay area branch (same division so it makes sense she'd be privy to the the intern/new grad resumes, but i was surprised she remembered me at all). 2. a company recruiter emailed me about full time roles. i told him i was looking for internships and asked if he could interview for that, but he told me to apply online. i managed to get an employee referral and an interview. the aforementioned recruiter emailed me to wish me luck. it wasn't even the same division. 3. a company asked why i ghosted their interviewer the previous year ??? 4. i recognized the name of a recruiter who had interviewed me previously. she had moved to a new company and was screening me for a role there.  people say reneging is fine and no one will remember you... but idk anymore. anyone else have similar stories?"
32yr old woman: too old to start a career in it?,7z53ft,blank,ToughPolishCookie,8,1519243950.0,"i'm not looking for bs motivational answers about how it's never too late or that everything is possible with hard work. i truly want to know if it's too late or not so that i don't waste my time pursuing something that will never happen. i know i will never become a silicon valley star, but if it's too late for me to start a career in it then i want to know so i focus my efforts on something else.  some background about me: i have a degree in business administration, and some years of experience in accounting and other stuff, but nothing relevant, no specific knowledge about any industry or area. then there is a 4 year gap in my cv during which i played poker professionally.  i've always been interested in it; since i was 12 i was attempting to repair computers, disassemble electronics, etc. i know i should have studied cs or engineering but it didn't happen. i've been taking online courses on udacity for the comptia a+, also some coding courses and i like it so far. i'm also considering enrolling in a coding bootcamp but i'm not sure if i'm wasting my money and time. also i can tell already my brain is not as fast as it used to be younger, i was brilliant with math in my 20s, now not so much. will companies even look at a 32yr old girl cv when there are tons of guys in their 20s with plenty more energy than me? should i forget about it and do something else?  thank you in advance.  tl;dr: is it too late for me to start a career in it as a 32yr old woman with no education or experience on this area?"
getting out of embedded software?,cpl2jn,blank,BriDre,3,1565684104.0,"i am currently working as an embedded software engineer at a defense and aerospace company. i graduated with a degree in computer engineering in 2016, then took 2 years to do something completely unrelated to cs (worked with a christian student group overseas), then needed a job when i came back and pretty quickly got the one i have now at entry level.   i do a lot of work pretty similar to what i studied, all the code we write is c++ (or occasionally c), and i spend like 50% of my time testing on and debugging on hardware.   i’m really thankful for this job, but honestly i really don’t like it. i work with all middle-aged men (i am a 25yo woman), there are no windows, everyone is very negative and stressed out, and communication/cooperation is terrible. also, i don’t think i really like doing embedded software. i’m so sick of dealing with hardware!  i’ve looked around at other jobs, and i would love to work at a small/startup company, but most of them are doing web stuff, which i know almost nothing about. i’d love to learn, but i have a hard time motivating myself to learn on my own. plus, there’s like a million different things (languages, tools, frameworks, etc.) i wouldn’t know where to start.   during school i also dabbled in java, and i’ve made some feeble attempts to learn things like html/css, python, javascript, etc. but i never got very far before losing motivation.   i am only a few months in but i already feel like i’m trapped in a career i’m miserable in. how can i bust out of the embedded software world and make a turn in my career?  tl;dr - how can i, an early-career embedded software engineer, make the turn out of embedded into jobs that work in web/higher level languages?"
technical questions should not be asked at career fairs,9lo6tn,blank,Snowfroggy2008,158,1538788275.0,"yesterday i attended a career fair, mostly to get an idea of what local companies had software engineering intern positions. i waited in line at the table for bloomberg, and when i got to them the woman i was talking too just started interviewing me, which was fine until she asked me a technical question. it was fairly simple (merging 2 sorted linked lists into 1), but she just told me to write the solution on the back of my resume). in a loud gymnasium with tons of people waiting in line to talk to the engineers, i felt like i just had to start writing down. i had a pen, so erasing wasn't possible, and what i wrote down was complete shit. when i explained my solution, it made sense, and i've done that problem before so i know how to do it. it just infuriates me that i would be judged on something like that. how does that tell bloomberg anything  about what i am capable of doing? even in a normal interview setting i think that companies go way overboard with these types of questions, but this was just absolute bullshit."
"i don't look like an engineer, should i be embarrassed?",a69btj,blank,mscsdefb,84,1544853499.0,"so i attended an event that i went to last year. last year i was asked by a woman to put away her leftovers. this year a guy asked me for more napkins and chairs for their table.   i don't know if it's because i look like i am a part of the conference staff, but i wasn't wearing their event tshirt or anything remotely near the color. i don't know if i look like the cleaning lady, which is likely because my ethnicity is racially associated with manual labor.  my first reaction is that i'm not embarrassed when these things happen, but should i be? how should i react to those kinds of situations?  edit: thanks for the advice. i forgot to mention that i just needed to know the opinions of others because it happened around peers for two straight years, at a tech conference i attended. they looked mortified for me, two years in a row it happened around the same group, which is why i wanted to know how i should react. i think they’re just shocked it keeps happening to me when we’re talking as a group. i don’t think my coworker have anything against laborers. moving forward i will not attend this tech conference, i think it’s a sign lol. but i’m glad to see posts from others recounting the same experience. thank you."
worried i'm acting irrationally,ck22oh,blank,GlitteringCloud1,4,1564568764.0,"i have a dilemma.   some background, i am currently working at a great job, where i am the only developer for a manufacturing plant. i'm pretty new to software development, 3 years out of college where i didn't major in anything computers. this is my first job with the title 'software engineer', which is what i want to do. i have only been at my job for about 8 months and the hiring process involves a lot of training that makes it an investment in my career on my employers part. i'm really good at my job. because i didn't have any software engineering titles on my resume, i came in at entry level which i was fine with and the hr rules make it really difficult to get raises and/or promotions.   there used to be another software engineer, who showed me the ropes before he quit for greener pastures. everyone worshiped him. they just started searching for a replacement for him. i have been doing the entire development job for two months now and quite enjoy the responsibility and control i get over my work.   here's where the problem comes in. the position description for the new developer describes my job, quite rightly, as they would be taking half my work. since the dude who left was worshiped, my manager is replacing him with a 'more experienced' developer. at 3 years of experience, same as i have. except the new guy would come in at a much higher pay rate, being a non-entry level position. i asked if i could take that job (happens all the time at my company, instead of promotions/raises, they create a new higher paying job for you, weird, i know). my manager told me that i was not qualified for the job (i am definitely qualified), but i am welcome to apply. i don't want to give up my new-found responsibility to be supervised by someone who isn't better than me at programming. i also don't think my self-esteem can handle training someone who gets paid more than i do when i am the one with experience at this particular job and they have no more programming background than i do.  my manager hasn't been a developer in 20 years, does not know what i do, and does not see any of the results. i haven't been around long enough to gain a reputation of being great at my job, although i really am. my manager underestimates me a lot, or at least is uncomfortable talking tech with me (i am a woman, the only one in my department).   it seems to me like a great time to jump ship and find a higher paying job where people respect me. however, i feel bad leaving the company so soon, especially since they won't have an developer for months while they interview, hire, and onboard a new person. they did invest a lot of money in me and my resume got a giant boost from all the training they put me through. they found out that i am interviewing with a few other jobs and they did offer me a slight raise, although this is after - not before - they found out that i am planning on leaving. every other job i am interviewing for pays considerably more than the slight raise they offered even, and i expect offer(s) to come in soon.   is this the right choice to go somewhere else? i feel incredibly guilty at leaving them without a developer after they did so much for me. should i stick it out and wait until after they find a new person and i can train them, knowing that it could be months? how much do i owe the company? who's the asshole in this situation, me or the manager?"
first potential job offer (is it real/worth it tho?),cautwc,blank,s_kelly210,8,1562668802.0,"so i'm working on finishing up a software development associates degree at the local community college, and recently i applied to a couple nearby companies on indeed because i figured..what the hell? i thought that maybe i would show enough promise to be considered for an entry level or junior dev position.  i received a call today from one of these companies, and the woman told me that they are interested in me for a junior java developer position and went on to explain the process that this company has in place for new hires. it starts with an assessment via skype or google hangouts and from there if they wish to continue, they would put me in their training program which is 8 weeks of intense java training. she said i would receive a $500 a month stipend while training and until they place me on a project after the training period, at which point i would start with a base salary of $50k + benefits.  all of this sounded pretty good until i started reading some reviews of this company online. there were so many extremely mixed reviews, from people saying it is a great company to work for especially for a starting developer position, to people warning others to stay far away because they didn't pay on time, lacked communication, etc... in the follow up email they wanted me to say that i allow them exclusive rights to my resume to be represented by them which made me a little apprehensive.  like i said, this is my first offer of any kind in the field, so i'm not quite sure how i should be looking at it. i've spent the last five years at a job in an unrelated field and i'm super eager to get out of there and into what i actually want to do.   any advice or experience would be greatly appreciated!!"
what sort of questions should i be asking myself? woman considering career switch.,3lxlg9,blank,andglowworms,81,1442956607.0,"background: 32yo woman, work experience lies in healthcare and education - zero cs experience. heavily considering this as a career switch (preferably with a bootcamp as i can't be bothered to get another degree)...  been doing hours of reading and already begun on codeacademy (python) to get my feet wet. talked to all my programming friends..   wondering what this larger community has to say. what sorts of questions should i ask of myself in order to find out if i'm cut out for even entering an educational program to get qualified? thank you :)"
"young woman engineer w/5ish years experience, how do i get to ""the next level"" (e.g. currently mid-level, aspire to be more senior)?",61ah4i,blank,this1soptimistic,12,1490406752.0,"hi! first time poster here... i'm an engineer who graduated in 2011 from a good 4 year university with a b.s. in computer science & engineering. been living and working in ca since i graduated, largely in web-dev but also some other larger enterprise web systems (java dev). i have a couple of pretty good names on my resume, and i suspect i get called for phone screens because of the credibility of these institutions/companies. i'm also pretty articulate during interviews. anyway, no further justifications or anything, but basically... faced with a problem here...  i consider myself mid-level to early senior. given the experiences i've had/companies on my resume, i end up feeling like i'm a bit in limbo: getting interviews for gigs that expect me to be ""more"" senior now. to mitigate that, i've removed all notions of ""sr. engineer"" from my resume, but there's still a fine balance to being a ""junior"" vs. ""senior"" person in this competitive af industry. this many years into my career, if i've not stepped up into more senior-lead-or-architecture positions, it reflects poorly on me.   i basically am asking for resources and advice on how to take myself from this level of being a mid-level engineer to a more senior-level engineer. specifically, i need to understand more of the stack (specifically, i think: aws, db design, designing scalable systems, async programming/task handling, security, etc.) but aside from ""working more,"" i'm honestly not sure how to get this expertise!   advice appreciated!!!!!!!!"
feeling a little out of touch with my career path,c007hg,blank,acrosstheuniverse20,4,1560421859.0,"i recently landed my first software dev internship at a very large, popular company. i thought it was a dream when i got it! but now that i'm here, i feel like i may not be cut out for it. i am still an upcoming senior in undergrad so i shouldn't be comparing myself to my project managers or even fellow coworkers (who are full-time employees). but, sometimes they'll be (very nicely) explaining concepts to me and i'm just sitting there thinking that i will never be able to be so organically knowledgeable about software dev. i guess it's a mix of imposter syndrome (even though i studied for an entire month, day and night, for the internship's interviews) because i just don't feel nearly as competent to have an entire company or even my teammates relying on me for anything! i only just got into programming about a year ago so this is all very new but at the same time i feel like i bit off more than i can chew. i also sometimes convince myself that i only got this internship because i was a good-looking young hispanic woman, not even so much for my talents. which only brings me down more.   my dream in life is to be a software engineer for one of the top tech companies but i feel like i'm barely even bright enough to have gotten this internship. how do you deal with having intrusive thoughts of unworthiness within your tech career? especially among your peers?"
"[x-post from r/scams] i'm caught up in a possible scam or fraudulent situation involving recruiters in the tech industry. reddit, i need your insight and advice.",bk2r9b,blank,AConcernedCoder,12,1556875384.0,"[original post](https://www.reddit.com/r/scams/comments/bk1b4y/im_caught_up_in_a_possible_scam_or_fraudulent/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x)  i'm a tech professional who's spent a fair amount of time in the job market. after i left my previous job i felt that i needed time for some life maintenance, so i did not jump immediately back into the job market. within weeks, several recruiters began to contact me. i left the door open to possibility and decided to entertain their offers.  since that time here's what's happened:  recruitment company a contacts me via linkedin. one thing leads to another, they ""interviewed"" me internally over the phone and skype and none of the opportunities materialize. then i'm led to another ""opportunity"" that requires my ssn to apply. at this point i declined, stating that maybe if this were a government job i would understand the need for an ssn, and then the line with this company goes dead.  fast forward about a month. local recruitment company b, among others, contacts me with a job offer that sounds very provocative. everything seems normal over the course of several conversations, up until the point before we begin talking about interviews for the job, and i'm presented with an online skills assessment test (i'll call it the mystery test), and from a then-unknown third party company. i'm told i cannot even proceed with further steps with the supposed client until i take the mystery test. i've done similar things before, but i want to prepare, so i begin doing research on the mystery test. all i can find on it are a few posts on reddit with mixed results (some did well, some did not). it's an adaptive test that's designed to get harder as the test progresses, and there's no way to ascertain the amount of material that may be covered, nor is there any way to practice or prepare for the test. so basically this recruiter is asking me to undress and expose myself for inspection, in a sense, and trust them with the use of whatever information this test produces. i talked to my lawyer about my concerns who advised me to not take it, and i contacted recruitment company b about my concerns on the grounds that this assessment is not an industry standard and could be materially harmful in the wrong hands, and i asked for alternatives. none were given and i declined the opportunity. suddenly the line went dead among three recruiters who i had been in contact with at that time.  fast forward another month or so. recruitment company a contacts me again, over the phone this time, but it's a different recruiter. she has an amazing job opportunity, something that really appeals to me. it's a contract-to-hire government job with the state (it didn't dawn on me until later that i had mentioned government work with this company the first time). she forwards me to a ""manager"" for further questioning. this manager interviews me shortly, and notifies me that she is going to email me a skills test and such. not long afterward, linkedin pings me with a contact request from this woman. i received the test in email, and it's the same mystery test sent to me by recruitment company b. i am immediately suspicious at this point, i searched for this job opportunity through the state's website, but found nothing, so i called around. i'm still waiting for confirmation from the technology management & budgeting department, but i was first forwarded up to a civil services commission who informed me that the state does not work with third-party recruiters, and that they use their own resources.  apparently something highly suspicious may be happening here. a few years ago i almost fell victim to a fraudulent company praying on tech job seekers. there may not be a connection, but i at least have reason to be worried about malicious tactics out there.  reddit, i need any insight, advice or information that you have about what may be going on, or about what to do. thanks.   edit: i'm not sure why people are hung up on the test itself, but since there are so many questions about it [here is some info](https://www.reddit.com/r/java/comments/37ks28/am_i_just_dumb_for_doing_this_badly_on_the_ikm/) on the actual test. it's not for java only, and can be configured to test on different subjects. again, it's an adaptive test that is basically designed to find out what you fail at, so if you aren't 100% perfect at the given subject matter it almost seems guaranteed to come up with info on your flaws as a coder.  again, it's not that this test is harmful in and of itself, but there are other things going on here, like a lie about a job opportunity, and multiple, supposedly locally based recruiting companies who appear to be working together in some way, and i want to know what their motivations are.  edit2: i did a little more digging on the exam. i found a [data sheet](https://www.ikmnet.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/ikm-report-analysis.pdf) that states the following:  *all information generated throughout the assessment process is stored in a secure ikm hid™ (human intelligence database) for future use, whether its for training, recruitment or other hr initiatives. you may produce reports for additional analysis at any level, including individual, project team, departmental or enterprise-wide. you can even compare results to the entire ikm assessment-taker population for industry standard benchmarking.*  so apparently if you take this test your info goes into a database that can be accessed by many prospective employers."
"in your personal experience, is it easier, harder, or about the same level of difficulty for a woman to get a software engineering as it is for men?",57nzno,blank,throw25717685451,31,1476592826.0,"i'm honestly curious, please don't read into this. i've seen a lot of articles saying that cs is a toxic field for women and others saying that it's too easy for them because of diversity quotas. i'm interested in hearing the personal observations of people actually in the field."
discrimination in tech presentations,bbtl8a,blank,BadPresenter,21,1554971099.0,"ok, this is not a troll post. anyone who suggests/promotes: legal action, hateful speech, dramatization of situation, escalation, or extrapolation to other situations/trends; i don’t want to hear it. this is the first case i’ve heard and believe. misogyny is far more common and a larger issue then misandry. being a white man i do not experience discrimination so blatantly, this leaves me (thankfully) ill-equipped to deal with this so suggestions welcome.   story: my friend a, white male, is the core maintainer of an open source library. he was there from day 1 when there used to be a team around it. team left now he is core contributor, with random people pitching in occasionally. he leveraged this library to do something cool and was about to demo it at a conference. i work at a big 5, so we have demo program managers. they barred him from presenting because “we have too many men presenting already”, however they still want to present the content so they will “find a woman”. this was collected in a call not recorded in text or otherwise.   my friend does many presentations. he is also a stud so he doesn’t really care, but it miffed him a little. he says this has happened before but subvertly, so its a little easier to swallow in past, also in other cases: there’s usually a woman on the team who can fill (justifiably so!) to ensure we can increase exposure and promote diversity (which is a good thing).   this case is different because 1) they literally said that shit in a call. 2) he’s the sole contributor at this point, they literally stripped his team and are still pushing this shit at conferences to look good. now they want to find some random woman from some random team to present his work as her own.   i’m working on something where i may be in his shoes shortly and curious how to mitigate.   what would you do? how would you navigate politically? thoughts/experiences? this ship has sailed but how would you prepare to mitigate risk in an environment like that for next time?   again: please don’t make this political. only practical advise. again: if he had a woman on his team who contributed, totally fine. again: this is my first experience with this in my 4 years at the company and 1 year on this team. i’ve seen many more cases of misogyny and feel more comfortable reporting that then something like this, especially with no evidence.  his manager already threw a fit and said at least give us a female head who can be dedicated to project (at least the demo) so she can present and be knowledgeable. pm refused and said he’d boot the demo from conference. most parties want this demoed, pulling demo would be politically unwise for my friend and his manager, as the demo people can find another demo and management wants this demo presented."
first software engineering job out of college is awful for all the reasons i didn't expect,9b3hwq,blank,iceSeraph,131,1535524183.0,"hi reddit.  i'm sorry if these kinds of questions get boring, but i just feel absolutely at a loss at what to do.  i’m sorry if this kind of rambles on, i’m honestly feeling pretty bad about the day.   i graduated from a good school in december 2017 with a cs degree and, by the end of march, i had scored and started a job. everything was great. i was getting paid what i considered to be a good amount for the area i live in, and my boss and coworkers seemed really nice. it was a small company, but i didn't mind because at the time i was enthusiastic about programming and treating this as a time to really hone my skill.   yeah, about that.  i'm currently 5 months in and absolutely regret everything and it's all due to one person.   my qa lady at this small company seems to hate me.   my first month at the company i did not come into contact with her at all (she works in a different office building than i do), and everything was swell. then, i was assigned to the project that she does qa for. i treated this as any other project, and for the first week or so i figured i would be getting used to the new project, spending a little bit of extra time to make sure i was understanding everything correctly. within the first week she called my manager to complain that i was too slow at solving issues that i was assigned. i know this because my office is extremely open concept and i got to hear the entire conversation about how i am too slow. i assume all my coworkers heard as well, though i never actually asked them.  this continued. there were actually multiple occasions in the first two months of working with her where the subject of me came up of me being too slow at my issues, and not doing things right. at this point i had been with the company about 3 months. and yes, the complaints about me could be heard by the entire office every single time.   as time has gone on, nothing has improved. in fact, it's only gotten much, much worse.  to give you an example, today our qa sites were down. i messaged her to tell her that “hey, things are messed up now but they’ll be back up shortly!” and then a few minutes later another message of - “everything is fixed now!”. she then sent 6 paragraphs scolding me for using the word “everything” because it’s too unclear, and perhaps it meant that i had rebooted every single environment that the company has. this, or something similar to this, happens during every interaction we have.  i  not to mention, when a bug is found in my code, she calls another developer on the phone and tells them to immediately go talk to me about the “issues” i’ve created. so i get scolded by my fellow developers too, as they are always annoyed that they have to do this and, honestly, it’s embarrassing. even if i know the issue that has happened and try to explain, they will basically make me erase all my code and then rewrite it (sometimes the exact same things) while they watch over my shoulder.  it’s honestly just embarrassing and i hate turning in code at this point.   that leads us to today. today, qa lady yelled at me pretty much nonstop, 8 hours, sending multiple people to yell at me. and responded to every single update i put on jira, etc, with passive aggressive messages telling me what i am doing wrong. i always apologize, and never ever argue. but before i leave work, i get an im from the cto of the company to come talk to him. :( basically she complained so much that i’ve gotten a warning and, i think it was implied, if things don’t change i won’t have a job anymore.  i thanked him for his time and left.   reddit, i don’t know what to do. this woman has made my job feel so toxic and i dread going every day because i fully expect to get yelled at and talked down to daily.  it seems like none of the other devs in this office have ever had this issue, though it’s well known that this woman is…. not well liked. i feel like i can’t leave without it looking bad because it has only been 5 months, but i dread going to work everyday and i can honestly say i despise my job, for every reason except the work that i do.   am i being to dramatic, or would you guys agree that this is toxic? what would you guys do?"
who is the worst developer you have worked with?,7fzfhy,blank,NowImAllSet,259,1511853370.0,"what made them so bad? did they ever improve?  i get down on myself sometimes, and hearing these kinds of stories gives me hope that maybe i'm okay after all. i think a lot of people on this sub could use a similar boost of confidence."
i'm a woman who wears an amish-like head covering. will this hurt me in interviews?,35865w,blank,macoafi,53,1431066236.0,"i wear a cap that looks similar to http://quakerjane.com/images/plain_dress/caps/eastern1.jpg but made from opaque fabric, every day. for job interviews, i have a skirt-suit with a mid-calf-length skirt.   i'm concerned that even if intellectually they know i am a computer person (cs degree, plenty of programming experience, open source, etc.), the gut reaction will be ""ah, amish people, they don't computer!"" or ""hmm religious, bad culture fit.""   should i leave off my head cover for interviews, just in case? my suit jacket also has matching pants and matching shorter skirt, but i've changed weight enough that i doubt they'd fit.  (i didn't see religious clothing / symbols covered anywhere in the interview-clothes section)"
internship questions... any/all help is appreciated very much!,cmedv6,blank,internshiphelp3014,1,1565056561.0,"hey, everyone!   i'm a 26-year-old woman living on long island, and i go to school in manhattan, where i'm currently studying computer science. in a few weeks, my peers and i will be applying to internships for next summer (apparently, that's when the applications open up...)   i'm tutoring csci135 (software analysis & design i) students starting in the fall (the official title is ""teaching assistant""!) which i'm extremely excited about, as i already really enjoy helping other students in those same computer labs, anyway. my professor for that class thought i was personable and sharp and i got an a in it, so he helped me get the job! i'm also working on making a basic 3d game on unity (not sure how realistic it would be to get it developed onto steam or something similar, but i'm hoping it'll impress potential employers! i'm already making some decent head-way.)   i was wondering what the best websites/places/events were to find a good internship based in manhattan or brooklyn. any good tips? things i should look out for (red flags or green flags?) i've been really nervous about this entire process, and was wondering how you guys managed to find what you did. what helped you prepare for the interview, and what should i know? where did you find your internships, and what did they ask you? any and every response means a lot to me.      thanks in advance!"
should i demand a better salary,br5qhe,blank,Chunka23,7,1558440184.0,i started at this company back in october 2017. i signed a two year contract getting paid 3145 a month.   i was the newest addition to the team and the second assistant. the first assistant is a 52 year old woman who has been at the company for 7 years. i looked up her pay (we can see everyone’s personal information it’s just the nature of the business) and saw that she’s getting paid 3660 a month. now i know she has been around for a lot longer than o have so it’s somewhat deserved. but the only problem is that she’s one of the worst workers in the whole team. i do 3 times the work she does and my work is rarely wrong. my supervisors see this and my direct manager. they’ve tried to give me bigger positions but it just falls apart due to higher level management which she is close friends with. well that’s what i believe.  i’m to sign my new contact in 4 months and i started wondering. what should i demand to be paid. i do work that’s out of my pay scale right now and i’m doing way more work than my counter part. i’m young only 21 so they may see it as being rude.   realistically if it was based on output i should be getting paid more. what do you guys think. also what would you accept as your salary?    this is probably the best job i can get around at this time so i can’t just jump up and move. i also enjoy what i’m doing.  i will also have my bachelors degree in april which is another thing
what are some non-technical books that you felt made a difference in your career?,9q8tua,blank,bearcp,27,1540197922.0,"as opposed to technical ones like ctci, etc."
how to prepare for coming freshman internship,bcw3tn,blank,AlexFleming007,6,1555223413.0,"i am sorry if this question just reinforce another distressed senior high school kid stereotype in cs. i have been accepted to computer science/ engineering at either union or connecticut college. i am very happy to get there but i also know that i would have a hard time competing against the t20 school or top lac college kid  &#x200b;  i found a post about freshman internship experience opportunities with google, facebook, uber, microsoft,.. for freshman and sophomore year. i want to utilize my summer learning/ improving cs language from code academy ( thinking about either python or c+).  &#x200b;  i would like to get some advice on how to best increase my chance for these interview and prepare for these interview. i am also a woman and an international student so i might love to know more about diversity recruiting event.  hopefully, through the process, even if i might not be good enough for these freshman role yet, i would meet recruiters, make connection for my sophomore and junior.  &#x200b;  thanks a lots for your time. i hope you have a great day"
how to deal with managers that make your life hard even if you truly love your job,bog53h,blank,T_A_A_FOR_POST,3,1557851237.0,"hello everyone,  i would like to apologize because this is a throwaway account, but i truly need to get something off my chest.  so i work in the corporate world as an engineer in a rare niche sector of engineering. natural gas, my job is to not make things go boom by doing some very precise work for gas processing plants.  this detail is only important because i want to emphasize that this kind of job is hard to find in this area of expertise and that's why it one of a kind and fun and interesting and so on...  the problem is, corruption, and it is not a joke when they say it is spreading like wildfire.     being an european and working in an eu office, in an american company, top management is obviously american but all bellow the hierarchy are locals and that is a big problem here, i will explain why.  nepotism or hiring an acquaintance is very common and their are very open about this with no shame and no consequences and it seems no one cares as long as results are being produced. my direct manager is a woman my age with less experience in this field which found herself in a position of managing a team, basically overnight, only because she is the sister in-law of the operations manager. she is out of her league in every way, clueless and not even trying to understand anything...everyone around her is just a tool to build her resume and even if anyone says something or does something to point out a mistake she has the full backing of upper management.  i am really at a loss for this, i don't know what to do. she is careful in making any mistake just because she avoids a straight answer, even the emails are carefully written in the sense that everything is a ""suggestion"" or you need to consult this, read that, talk to this person... the decision falls only on the person who she is relaying a half-order. in case it is executed well she takes credit but in case it is not the other person does.  we're about 20 engineers and 4 of them just quit, could not deal with the bullshit anymore. while others they became indifferent to the work, which is also affecting everyone because it was nice to speak with someone that had the same enthusiasm about problem solving and engineering work as you did. now they just cant be bothered, it's just a do the work ""yes sir"" or ""consider it done"" attitude with minimum effort and i cant blame them.  due to circumstances about my living conditions, living in this town with my wife i truly have nowhere else to go unless i switch roles, but a new role would mean a start from 0 and all of years would be for nothing because my applied skills are no match in any other industry of engineering (well, like 90%).  i refuse to believe that i'm powerless in this situation, what can i do? has anyone dealt with this before before the ""\*\*\* this shit i'm out"" attitude kicked in ?  wonderful job, amazing projects, i feel like i'm making the world greener by learning about implemented new techs in these old polluting factories... i really dont want to call it quits.  looking forward to any kind of reply."
need advice: career change to software engineering,bvri3y,blank,guevarsd,3,1559463314.0,"hi! any and all advice would be super appreciated. i’m looking to do a career change and i’m considering a few options right now:  1) take a boot camp or boot camp-like program with an org like fullstack or general academy or even colombia university 2) go back to school and get a masters 3) doing a second bachelors majoring in cs.  i’m leaning toward the first option because it’ll be a lot cheaper and faster, but i don’t know what the quality of education difference would be and if i’d still and an equal shot of getting a software engineering job at the end of it.   i’m a minority woman, so i know that might add like a nugget of help to my job prospects in the industry, and i took several cs classes back in my undergrad (i majored in economics, and i almost finished a minor in cs save for one elective class that couldn’t work w my schedule in the end). any thoughts?  thanks so much in advance!"
"given a huge raise, why?",b9kqzf,blank,LockedLeer,12,1554454174.0,"hello,     as the title says, i was given a 15k raise (broke it down to 10k now and 5k plus whatever raise and bonus i receive at the annual review in september). i was informed my first day back from a 2 week vacation in japan. caught me completely off guard, because i don't think i've done anything to deserve this much of a raise. although super grateful and i know that if any other dev found out it'd be trouble, especially since i am one of 6 juniors and i know we all started at the same salary of 55k. i have been working for a year now there and there are juniors alongside me that are pushing 3 years.   &#x200b;  i haven't done anything special, i take one day off a month outside of this vacation so far. i am by no means a great developer but i get my work done and speak up during stand ups, look aheads, retros, etc. i have never received employees of the month we usually get about 3-5 devs each month receiving this accolade. why did i receive this raise? any ideas? i am by no means complaining just completely dumbfounded as i thought my manager said 1500 at first, but then broke it down to 10k now and 5k plus whatever raise and bonus i receive at the annual review in september. is this suspicious? they were concerned about my staying in japan haha since i went to go be with a woman i had not seen in a few years and my manager although originally stated i should only stay for 2 years has no been saying 3-5 years and i am going places in this company. i have a great attitude and i know my team missed me while i was gone/stated it was ""quiet"" without me and now discussion is flowing again. can having a positive impact on the work place bring in 15k alone? and what does this mean for extra pressure and responsibilities? during my first annual review, i received great reviews from coworkers and also from my manager getting a 3/4 overall with a 4 in majority categories, especially being communication.   &#x200b;  tl;dr went on vacation for 2 weeks, first day back informed i am receiving a 15k raise. don't know why? not the greatest developer or even greatest junior developer.   edit: i was given a raise because we hired a new junior and he had leverage from past job to get a higher starting salary. my work place is kind of communist/socialist in the sense that everyone at the same level makes the same. all juniors were given a participation trophy of 10k. glad he got hired! he's a great addition to our team. i don't think the other juniors realize that is why though."
my friend and i had too different interviews. how is this fair?,5rorr1,blank,projonour,442,1486091508.0,"we both interviewed for a financial startup. i had to pass several tech interviews. i didn't make it. she got absolutely zero tech interviews. her interview consisted of four behavorial interviews. she told me she felt she didn't deserve the offer, and she feels they hired her due to diversity. my jaw dropped. i'm usually all for diversity, but how can companies get away with different interview processes, especially ones with no tech questions?"
a coworker keeps pointing out my work is wrong (it isn't) and the lead is being influenced by him... how can i deal with this?,a8uxxl,blank,Patrizia80,20,1545603270.0,"i'm a developer working on a 3-people team. the lead is a woman, and the other team member is *her husband*.  the husband is a very skilled fronted developer who loves doing stuff on html+css only (no javascript), while i'm more inclined towards using html, css *and* javascript. apart from that, we produce the same.  because of this, every time i do something on javascript that he thinks could have been done on html+css alone, he points it out and labels it as ""a mistake"". i can take the criticism, but his wife is starting to side with him and blocking me every time i want to do something my way in favor of her husband's.  professionally speaking, what i do works and it's not detrimental (ie, it doesn't affect seo, performance, or anything). it's essentially a clash of styles, but while i let him do his stuff, they are slowly preventing me from doing mine.  i'm trying not to provoke a fight, but whenever she decides that something will be done by him and not me and/or whenever she sides with him, it really gets to me and makes me wanna ask for a transfer... which is not possible.  how would you guys deal with this?"
"controversial question: at the top companies, is the bar for getting hired as a woman lower than for men?",3u89w3,blank,JbarneStroustrup,25,1448496433.0,"i know some women who work as software engineers at some of the top companies and when i ask what technical interview questions they, those quesitons seeem remarkably easy compared to what i was asked. could be coincidence, but have you ever heard of this?"
frustrated recent grad. have been looking since august with no luck.,ae8whp,blank,PostNuclearTaco,21,1547082651.0,"hi, i am a recent college grad and i am getting more and more defeated in my job hunt. i've sent out over 50 applications and so far i've had very little luck and i have no clue where to go from here. any advice would be appreciated, as my situation gets more dire each month i am unable to find work.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------  so far my experiences have been as follows:  * had a phone interview where the recruiter seemed very frustrated with me and i never heard back after that.  * had a phone interview where the recruiter told me there were more specialized candidates and that unfortunately it would have to be a no.  * had a few skype interviews and several major in person interviews with a very large company. ended up stringing me along for a month saying they were still trying to make a decision and then told me it was a no.  * had an several phone interviews, a programming project, and an in person interview with another large company. experience seemed very positive and they told me my code was one of the shortest solutions to the problem they had ever seen. after the interview, recruiter told me response was very positive and i'd be hearing back from him after holiday break. i emailed him to check in after not hearing back a week after break and so far it appears like the company has completely ghosted me. i have my suspicions why, which i will get to later.  * had a google interview i bombed.  * the rest of the jobs have either sent me a standard rejection notice upon application or never heard back.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------  information about me:  * located just north of boston. have tried the boston area with no luck, have tried manchester, new hampshire with no luck. have tried smaller massachusetts cities with no luck.  * almost all of my free time projects have been game development related. i had worked with a friend designing ai systems for his game (never released), have participated in ludum dare several times. i also do project euler problems for fun and post my code on github. however, i am not looking for a job in the game industry given how bad i've heard conditions are.  * specialized in robotics in college.  * received a 3.7 gpa in degree and a 3.2 gpa out of degree from a state college.  * i do a lot of coding in c# and vba. in school i primarily used c++, c, and some racket (which is lisp-like).   * have worked my current job for 3 years. i do database design for a small company but nowadays i am mostly a receptionist/front desk and i don't have much in the way of interesting work.  [here is a link to a censored copy of my resume](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kctmzmj6ln7x7hptde9degckankdj5jw/view?usp=sharing)  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------  i'm getting to the end of my rope. my current living situation is really, really bad and getting worse by the day. i'm partially living at home with my parents, who i do not have a great relationship with, and partially living with my partner at their friend's apartment, which is getting worse by the day as the friend's are going through a very difficult divorce and a lot about their apartment and some of the things going on there are very, very bad for my mental health.  partially i'm worried because i am a transgender woman. a lot of people i interact with don't realize i am trans and i am legally female, and i am using my new name on all of my documents, but legally my name hasn't changed yet. this i believe is causing me serious issues. that one job that was going positively before? after i had to hand over my legal name they started ghosting me. i am kinda in a catch-22 situation, as i need to change my name but it costs money that i don't really have until i start making more.  does anyone have any advice as to what i can do about my resume, my applications, or my situation in general? at this point i feel so hopeless that i just want to give up. i know these kind of questions get asked often, but there just seem to be so many barriers to entry into the job market and i feel completely lost."
voluntary hispanic disabled black woman,7brk2e,blank,lambo4bkfast,0,1510237042.0,should i be filling those bs questions out?
putting (mixed) race into my application,9kqxxf,blank,biracialdev,50,1538518268.0,"hello! i was inspired by the threads within recent post [https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/9kn8cp/because\_youre\_a\_woman/](https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/9kn8cp/because_youre_a_woman/) to post this question though my question doesn't deal as much with discrimination, but more with ""quotas"".   &#x200b;  i'll cut straight into the point. i am a college student applying to internships. i am also half african american and half east asian.   &#x200b;  would it actually be to my advantage (and ethical) to self-identify as african american instead of two or more races? i initially thought that recruiters weren't allowed to look at the self-identification form and that the form was only used to gather percentages of who is hired after the fact. looking back at the threads within the post i referenced, it seems that this is not the case.  &#x200b;  it feels very weird asking this question as i feel like i would be ""exploiting"" something that i probably shouldn't. i also wouldn't be telling the complete truth by self-identifying as african-american, but it wouldn't be a complete lie either?"
is revature an out and out scam?,9xqmb8,blank,dwitman,24,1542433941.0,"tossed a couple of resume's at revature...response was nearly immediate and, they feel like a scam. i can't tell if they are a boot camp or a staffing service or something in between? they called me and texted constantly, and i finally called back, the conversation felt like a multi-level marketing scam. a poorly trained woman on the other end of the phone, the call was recorded by them, she didn't really offer any details past ""you can't work for us with a 2 year degree, but we can sell you some classes in the hopes you get plucked from the pack and placed."" i ended the call. from their website and glassdoor listing, i'm not sure what they even are.   they seem to want to sell classes, possibly place you into a dev role at minimum wadge, and sign a pretty employee hostile set of documents that keeps you from seeking real employment for a period? [i feel like their glass door listing is heavily astro-truffed](https://www.glassdoor.com/reviews/employee-review-revature-rvw19941407.htm).   anyone have any experience dealing with them?"
i am on internship and feel that i am stuck babysitting my classmate who is on my internship with me. what can i do about this situation?,apdc56,blank,CaliBounded,7,1549894260.0,"**tldr: my classmate who has come with me on my internship is not where he needs to be in terms of working on a team with me. he doesn't understand basic concepts, but he's been assigned to work on an app with me. he slows down my work, but is also too prideful to accept any help or tutoring in fear of looking like he doesn't know something (he doesn't, and it's actually obvious to everyone else), yet he is even taking it a step further trying to take charge of the production /delegate tasks to me on making this app that even he doesn't know how to make any part of it, and frequently asks me for help. i don't know how to tell our representative from the school about this without making me sound like some asshole who's too impatient to help, but i am not okay with him getting credit for an app he didn't build. i'm considering even delegating him some kind of busy work... how do i handle this?**  so this is kind of long, but i do definitely need some help with this.  so i finished the first half of a fantastic program where students who are accepted learn something it-related for 6 months, and receive a fortune 500 company internship for another 6 months in the hopes of being hired/converted, then we graduate. i am in the software development track of my program.  prior to entry, i worked my tail off learning web development on my own for 8 long months. for the first two months, i'd come home from work and study for 8 hours a day. i was tired of working customer service jobs, as i have no parents, and no means to pay for college or higher education, but i figured i'd learn a trade in something i was already somewhat versed in. i found out about the program, got in, and have a 4.0 (our courses count for college credits). this has resulted in me being sent to one of three internships that our best students go to.  so far, my internship environment is great: i love my supervisors and the atmosphere of the office. it's super casual, and i've only been there 2 weeks but i've been learning so much. the thing is, i was sent to my internship with a few other students from my program; some students, however, because of the fact that we had to learn so much in 6 months, were really good at convincing our instructors they knew more than they actually did. the student that is on my team is one of those students: i feel bad for him in a sense, because on one hand, we both need to do well on this internship to get good recommendations to get hired after its over, or even possibly taken on by the company. but if i had to describe his level of skill, it's like... trying to explain geometry to someone who only knows arithmetic. i wouldn't mind helping him if it weren't for the fact that he's stubborn.  let me give an example: we work with mostly ruby and ruby on rails in our company, and not much else besides front-end technologies (html, css, and js). he was attempting to teach himself sql, python, django, and c++ at the **same time**, and three of those technologies are not anything we're using at our company; i tried to explain to him that python is not something we're using, and he said he ""wanted to learn it anyway"" because he doesn't like being corrected. as a result, he doesn't even know the syntax of ruby yet, and our supervisor ended up having to tell him exactly what i did during a meeting that we don't use python, and that he recommended he didn't learn it right now. i also warned him not to be doing several tutorial series at once on one subject, because in my experience, it throws me off and makes things take longer (decision fatigue is very real, and it slows down the learning process for me when i can't even decide which book or video series i'm consuming that day). i feel alot of the times that he is afraid of coming off like he doesn't know anything, so he attempts to make himself look good, which results in him learning even less than he could from this rare experience. **the issue is that we have recently been told that we have to create an app for the company...** ***together***. i have never done this before, but i do know the concepts involved: we have to make a database, find an api so people can book reservations with the app, create a backend, link it to the front end, etc. what i don't know, i at least know how to find out how to do it. he doesn't understand basic concepts and has barely ever written basic scripts like a cli calculator (thus the arithmetic/geometry analogy earlier) and will ask for help, but will then completely deviate from what you tell him to do -- i explained to him that there's an order to the things he needs to learn... that he needs to at least know what composes a web app (what http is, apis, json, etc.) before he starts working on one. he just barraged me with questions earlier today, then directly after me trying to (once again, the analogy) explain geometry to someone who knows arithmetic, he tried to instruct me on what task i should do first. i was livid. i stood my ground and reminded him (in the most professional language possible) of the fact that i've been his personal google machine the last two weeks, so maybe i should be the one delegating tasks (he backed down after that) i do feel like some of his issues stem from the fact that i'm a woman, and maybe it hurts his pride or something having to come to me for help (this happened a few times during school actually)  my point is, i'm at a loss how to handle this. i feel like this guy found his way into this internship not knowing as much as he's supposed to, which is fine -- i would feel bad for him if it weren't for the fact that he doesn't take criticism well. i am tired of him riding my coat tails -- before he tried instructing me (the person who has been instructing him these last two weeks) what to do on this app, he messaged me to find out what i was doing/studying. because whenever i tell him, he begins working on the same thing i am even if it's a one-person job: if i told him i was working on the database for this project, he'd immediately start creating a database too... the exact same one with the exact same data i'm making, because he's afraid of not looking busy and literally has no clue how to do anything without my help he's not independent, and is riding my coat-tails, and by the time i'm halfway finished with this app, he'll actually know enough to do something to help me on it. he wants me to assign him tasks but if i do, he'll be coming to me every 3 minutes asking me what to do next(he's done this to a coworker who's been hired from the same program we came from, to the point where he became visibly annoyed), and absolutely won't listen when i try to tell him what he can do next, leading himself down some kind of rabbithole (""hey, i know you told me to make a database, but i decided to teach myself html and css and started making the front end!"") and whatever he makes, i'll end up having to fix it, thereby making this whole app take even longer to make.  we have a representative that we're supposed to report to who monitors our progress during internship and helps us negotiate salary if they decide to hire us, provide us with moral support, etc. we have the same rep since we're on the same internship, and i don't know how to let him know that he literally can't contribute to this project rn without making me sound like a dick who ""just doesn't want to help your fellow classmate in need""(staff often reminds us to help eachother, but he doesn't want the help, so idk what the heck i'm supposed to do). i'm also debating finding some kind of way to delegate him busy work... i'm just really annoyed by how all over the place this guy is. like legit, i could finish this app in a month or so i'm sure, and by the end of the month, he'll have finished picking up rails and will be ready to actually help."
job offer rescinded after i mentioned i was transgender. i need help determining if this sounds like discrimination.,8qzxi5,blank,ComprehensiveRope424,76,1528990030.0,"for context, this job was at a software company headquartered in sf, however the office i would be working at was a small satellite office in washington state.   i'm aware legal advice would be a better place to post this, however i would really like the opinions of people in the field i am in, and if you guys have experienced anything like this. i posted this in the transgender subreddit about 2 weeks ago, but i wanted to get the opinion of this subreddit as to whether i should actually consider this discrimination or not, and what, if any, action i should take. i'm not angry anymore about it, but if it does sound like discrimination, i want to do something to warn other lgbt people like me about this company.   i'm a transgender woman, meaning i was born male but transitioned to female. i'm rather far along in my transition to the point where you would have no clue i was born male by looking at me or talking to me, so i'm positive they didn't know i was trans by meeting me. my name and gender have also been legally changed, although this was only done about 6 months ago. these have never been my real names, but for simplicity sake, i'm going to say my previous male name was ""shawn"" and my current legal name is ""sarah"".  i'll start with the onsite interview. everything up to this point was rather standard. i had a phone screen, talked with the hiring manager over the phone, and then they invited me for a final interview. while going in for my interview i was a bit taken aback by the lack of diversity in the office. i mean i know the tech field isn't exactly known for having a lot of women or minorities, but i saw absolutely no diversity in that office. i'll admit the office was rather small at only 25 people, but i would at least think i would see at least one woman or person of color there. nope. of the 15 or so people i saw in the main area, there wasn't a single woman or person of color. every person who interviewed me as well was a white guy.  the interview however, went really well.    two days go by and i get a phone call from a recruiter (internal i'm pretty sure, and the only woman i talked to throughout the entire hiring process) telling me they absolutely loved my background, and that the team loved me, and that they were really excited about me. she said pending references and background check, they were going to extend a job offer. she told me to send her my references, and i did (although i'm not sure why, she was already calling the references on my resume while i was typing up the email about my references). my last two jobs knew me as sarah, however three jobs ago everyone knew me as shawn except the general manager, whom i told before i left i was transgender, and if someone called asking for sarah, then that was me. well i found out the day before my general manager didn't work there anymore, so i mentioned to the recruiter that they could call that place if needed, but that i was known by a different first name, so refer to me as shawn. she didn't say anything about it in the response email, and just said she would call my references within the next couple days (again by that point she had already called my references). well a couple business days go by, and i got a call saying that they had found another candidate that interviewed at the last second and they decided to go with him instead. she just kept going on on how great he was and how he matched all of my qualifications. seriously, she went on for like 2 minutes about how he was a better candidate than me, and how the team went back and forth between us, and why he fits the business's needs better. she said the team still really liked me and wanted to keep in touch in case another position opens, but she hinted it was rather unlikely.  so now this is where i need help determining if this sounds like discrimination or if they really did find a better candidate at the last second. i mean, if they did find a better candidate, good for them, but do you really need to tell me why he is so much better than me. i mean in my mind that is just really unprofessional and suspicious. it just seemed like she was trying to cover the company's ass by overselling it.   anyways, does this sound like discrimination? or is this pretty standard in the software world? have any of you guys experienced anything like this? this would have been my first software job btw.  tldr: got a call from a company saying they were going to extend an offer pending reference and background check. told them i used to go by a previous name while sending over references, couple days later the offer was rescinded."
does age matter?,a7rbwu,blank,MisfitinME,12,1545287201.0,"as a 50-something woman interested in pivoting my career towards cs/data analysis (currently taking classes), is it realistic to think i'd even be given a shot?  i have four years of experience as a sr. programmer/data analyst for a large healthcare company but that was 20 years ago.  i had no real experience going into that role, taught myself sas and my boss said i was one of his best programmer/analysts he had - they gave me reporting and analysis responsibility for all of their largest clients within 6 months of starting the role.  i left the job to be a full-time parent, but would love to get back into it.  i've no doubts about being able to pick up the programming piece; i loved writing and documenting code to answer/solve complex problems.  i'm taking classes now towards a data analytics degree but am wondering if employers will actually give me a chance once they see how old i am.  i'm not looking to work for google or facebook, but want to be realistic.  i'm fine starting out entry-level, and job-hopping/relocating as needed to work my way to higher salary/levels.  curious as to how age plays into hiring decisions.  i'm not looking for politically correct answers; i'm a big girl, give it to me straight."
black and muslim and a woman,3qruym,blank,scaryjblige,14,1446190912.0,"hey guys i don't know if you've seen a question like this before, i'm pretty new to reddit. anyways i'm a young black(somali) muslim woman and i'm interested in getting a ba in computer science. do you guys think it'll be hard for me to get a job out of school because of my background? thanks xx"
seeking advice on what path i should take,bhdcz9,blank,jcling,1,1556252421.0,"i am a 25 year old american woman moving to the northwest of england soon (liverpool/manchester area). i have a bachelor's degree in digital media and computer science and have experience interning at a creative agency (mainly doing animations with maya and aftereffects, and working on wordpress sites) for 6 months. after that, i taught children how design, code and other computer skills for 2 years. (augmented reality, virtual reality, unity, 3d printing and a large variety of other things.)  i love art and computers and want to incorporate both my artistic talents and programming knowledge into a career. i am also aware, however, that my skills are very broad and i have trouble finding my niche.  i enjoy being an educator, and while i am currently doing freelance tutoring to make some extra money while i wait for my uk visa to be approved, i would like to work in ""industry"" and work on bigger projects. i am currently conflicted as to whether i want to be a graphic designer, a front-end developer, a ux designer or a unity developer.  i *am* leaning towards either ux work or unity work, as i feel confident that either path could help me grow the most. i would appreciate advice from anyone who has worked in these fields. bonus points if you're familiar with the uk and what it's like working there! i've heard exciting things about the baltic triangle area in liverpool."
is it worth paying for a leetcode membership while looking for a new job?,8ueho2,blank,rafikiknowsdeway1,56,1530171481.0,"recently laid off, looking for a new position.  i want to shake the rust off and i have an interview with facebook in about 2.5 weeks.  the woman i spoke to actually gave me a study guide and recommended leetcode to practice.  though facebook or no facebook, would you recommend paying for at least the months i'm unemployed?  the mock interview thing looks like it could be worth it"
to the females in software engineering,eg5vi4,blank,nim0730,14,1577447343.0,"i am an american female cs student and have experienced plenty of pros and cons of being one.  so females who have been in the software engineering industry, how do the struggles and eases carry over into “real world jobs?” i’m interested to hear stories and advice. i’m kind of nervous about this whole thing. thanks 😊"
grace hopper academy - how is learning in an all female environment?,d04rty,blank,lowkeystrangle,6,1567737176.0,i am looking to attend either fullstack academy or grace hopper - obviously i am leaning toward gh because they offer deferred tuition but i am curious to hear any feedback from post grads or current students regarding working in an all female environment.
'mature' learner- get a second degree for free or knuckle down and teach myself?,ehuo24,blank,keepcalm87,24,1577779918.0,"at 39 and female i'm not your typical programming newbie. however, i'm looking for some advice about getting up to speed to get that first job here in the uk. i've just started back on my third attempt at freecodecamp. last time i got as far as part-making a animated virtual pet using javascript and html/css but got completely stuck and lost it.  however, i miss the intellectual satisfaction i get coding and solving a problem i thought was nigh impossible so i'm back on the wagon...  i simply can't afford to do a bootcamp or conversion masters - it'd take me 4-5 years to save the £8000-12000 by which time i could self teach (although i wouldn't have a precious degree). so that's out.   leaving me with 3 possible options-  completely self-teach mainly through freecodecamp/make projects and give myself a 1 year to 18 month deadline. free bar the odd magazine and book on web design. however, a lot of jobs near me do ask for a degree in cs or a science/maths as well and my undergrad is a social science.  dedicate myself to an open university undergraduate degree from next month (takes 6 years part-time). you seem to learn through python then java. but wouldn't cost me a penny as a scottish part time student. i could also specialise in software development. maybe i could find a first job a few years in before i graduate?  i feel combining the 2 isn't an option. if i have 20 hours free to study, it has to be one or the other.  i'm particularly interested in employer opinions. what would you advise/ choose for yourself? it's coming around to ou enrollment time again- i have to decide asap if i'm signing up or i lose the chance for another 6 months."
can i still get a career in computer science with carpal tunnel and tendonitis?,evbigt,blank,cacarolynn,12,1580273981.0,"i'm a 17 year old female and have been struggling with constant flare ups of carpal tunnel and tendonitis. i went to a doctor and got diagnosed with mild carpal tunnel and tendonitis when i was 13.   i'm an avid gamer and coder, and i like to participate in speed coding competitions. because of this, i'm always writing programs in my free time as fast as i possibly can to practice.  i wear a brace when i can and when i start to feel a lot of pain, i'll take a break. i've been dreaming of pursuing a career in computer science since before i even left elementary school.  however, i'm worried that i won't be able to successfully do so because of this. would i still be able to viably pursue a compsci career in the future or would it hinder me too much? any advice on how i can manage it in the field?"
how should i react when i get interrupted by more senior engineers? or am i being too sensitive?,eavbxy,blank,flowersandwine999,32,1576418392.0,"i'm currently a 28 year old software engineer who is female working on a team primarily comprised of older men who are more senior and experienced than i am. i try not to be intimidated and i try to be assertive, but i find that i still get interrupted a whole lot.  this scenario happens frequently:  me: hi joe, could we talk about this design idea i have for how to architect this piece of the system?  joe: sure! what's on your mind?  me: for implementing the backend database, i think we should use a nosql--  another more senior engineer on the team two desks away: joe, i fixed the client code and submitted a patch for it. it turns out the issue was an invalid function call that failed out but never got checked.  joe: oh! it works now?  \*joe walks to the other guy's desk to look at his computer\*  sometimes the joe will apologize with ""sorry, let me go take a look at what he's saying"" before going off to the other coworker's computer. usually i'm left sitting there waiting for them to finish before i can continue with my conversation with joe.  i think it's infuriating and completely disrespectful, and frankly i'm getting way sick of it. i don't think it's even the gender, i think it's because i'm less experienced as a software engineer and younger. though the gender probably doesn't help.  part of me questions whether i am being too sensitive, whether this is not a big deal and that the more senior engineer's priority should come first since they're more senior, etc.  my questions are:  1. do i have a right to feel upset or am i being way too sensitive about this issue? 2. if this behavior isn't okay, how should i address it or call them out on it? i was thinking something with humor but i can't think of anything funny"
name and shame: zillow,cx75ee,blank,znameshame,360,1567142592.0,"i recently left the worst job in my life: a software engineer at zillow in seattle. do not consider working there.  it was the singlemost toxic work environment i’ve ever experienced or heard about. some of the lowlights:  * a male manager told a female manager that her skirt was so “distracting that the meeting will grind to a halt...or grind in another direction” then made porn music sounds. he also suggested she “shouldn’t get into an elevator with any sales guys if you catch my drift”  * a manager bragged that he had had 7 hr complaints. the same manager was overheard telling someone “don’t tell hr the things i said in that meeting because less important people than you ave tried to get me fired”  * constant name calling from all my team members about each other and others in the company. one guy “is such a fucking idiot” another is an “asshole” and another a “fucking prick” and these things were said seriously and daily, also by managers, directors, and leads   * a manager said he “hates” his employees “disability” while that employee was present   * a senior dev would openly and angrily berate a new college grad he was supposed to be mentoring to not bother him or ask questions. “figure it out! this is the job” and later got that jr dev fired.  * another manager would go to lunch and get drunk   when i put in my notice the first thing the director said was “would you stay if i could move you teams and make sure you work with different people?” so they know these issues and do nothing.  i have a lot of other toxic stories but i’ll stop there as this is long enough and hopefully saves a lot of people from ever working at zillow"
"21 y/o. currently almost finished with my b.s in biology, my original plan was to go to pa school. i've always had second thoughts, i always had an interest in learning coding and programming. recently i've been wanting to know more and i'm not sure if the medical field is for me anymore.",es4yle,blank,purplelattern,6,1579686744.0,"i really need some help on what i should do. i've never really had a passion for the medical field i just did it because everyone tells you to especially females and i just went with it. i'm 8 credits left with finishing my b.s and i'm considering on applying to njit to get another bachelors in computer science. i have no background on c.s and the terminology i recently have been watching videos and downloaded apps to understand the basics and so far i really enjoy it. i know i'm not deep in just yet and could possibly not like it in the end, i also registered for an intro into it class just to see if i really do like it.    the question im asking is since i have no background in c.s is going back for my bachelors a good idea? or is there an alternative?. the reason i'm leaning more towards getting a bachelors because i feel like i would appeal more to employers and also when i want to apply for internships.   another question i have is... do employers prefer b.a or b.s in computer science, they're basically the same things just b.s you learn more math."
ageism in tech?,do2cd3,blank,plzdontbecold,19,1572255788.0,"i was reading this thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/dnojei/another_failed_attempt_losing_hope/  and several of the posters mentioned the op’s age (30) as a possible issue.  is 30 really considered that old in this industry? i’m going to be 29 next year and this really worries me, especially as i’m female. how prevalent do you guys think this type of discrimination is at fortune 500 companies?"
best leetcode list to go through without premium,c1xgk4,blank,dasnkjdnasjkd,57,1560859037.0,"hello!  &#x200b;  so i am a college student looking to grind through leetcode for the summer to prep for internship applications for next summer. but i have looked at leetcode and there are currently over 1000 questions. i don't think it would be feasible to go through all of them this summer. i know that there is premium which gives you company specific questions but i only plan on buying that if i end up getting an interview with any of those companies. so for now, i have seen lists like ""top interview questions"" and  ""most liked"" which seemed interesting. which one of these would be better? if there are other custom lists that aren't on leetcode itself and are preferable to those, i would love if anyone could tell me about them!   &#x200b;  thank you!"
"is getting a programming-related job really that difficult? (first gen, not familiar with us job search)",dmn1qi,blank,biggestcuckalive,7,1571980999.0,"about me:   * junior year, majoring in mathematics-computer science (combined major) at columbia   * i've had 2 technical research internships though i'm pretty insecure about those... they weren't difficult at all even though they sound impressive  * gpa 4.0 that i'll most likely keep/increase until graduation   * asian female   * no hackathons or projects or cs/business-related clubs (i'm only in 1 religious club)  basically i moved to the united states a little bit ago and while my parents are now decently wealthy they started out as farmers and don't know much about us job markets. my school's career services seems to be kind of dodgy and don't want to give it to me straight if i'm in a terrible position. everyone around me spends all their time going to networking sessions and working on career things and complaining about how difficult it is to land an internship, and it makes me anxious :(   i don't need to make a lot of money or to have a ""cool"" /prestigious job. my requirements are that my coworkers and bosses are not awful and i'm not too busy to read, cook and spend time with my loved ones. i would like to make enough money to live decently (afford groceries, rent and a splurge once in a while.)   i don't really have any long-term career goals, i'll likely be married with many young kids to raise.   last of all i do not want to remain in nyc, happy to move.   do i need to haul ass to network, do projects and land a cool internship this year? i'm sort of a timid person and don't have the skill of selling myself. i can make small talk or big.   am i in a place to achieve my goal of getting a decent job post-graduation? or am i about to graduate with no prospects and no job offers in 2 years? please give it to me straight if i really have to start taking careerism more seriously."
does my job suck? is it because i'm female? or am i just bad at programming?,8jg9y3,blank,tootoes,37,1526363886.0,"i've been programming for about 3.5 years professionally. when i first started i was bright eyed and determined with all sorts of ideas and excitements about programming.  it's been a bumpy few years though. i've watched as male colleagues with similar experiences are promoted into positions above mine. i've watched as the junior is awarded with responsibilities in the matter of a month or two that took me at least a year to obtain.  i'm given primarily maintenance work. i almost never get to work on anything that involves my input. i either work on legacy apps that haven't been maintained for years or am put on builds with little freedom on how to build them.   i have tried to exercise my voice and opinions about things but am usually shot down. i've lost all of my excitement for programming. i used to work nights and weekends to get my work done and now i can barely close out a ticket a day. i look through job listings and realize that i haven't really gained a ton of experience by working here. i feel unqualified for everything.  is it just me? is it because i'm a female that this is so hard? am i burnt out? is it just a bunk company? am i just actually bad at programming? maybe i really don't deserve more responsibility, maybe all my co\-workers are just generally smarter than i am and i'm just blaming it on some notion of discrimination.   i'm thinking about hanging up web development and switching careers. it would be a huge slice of time out of my life to go back to school but maybe it's worth it. it's hard to decide between the higher salary or the comfort of working in a female dominated industry where others are more likely to appreciate me. i felt very valued when i worked in special needs education but i was very poor financially.   does anyone else feel this way? i would love to hear from the community."
favorite side projects,e36kfv,blank,itradedaoptions,2,1575014689.0,"hello bois and female bois,  curious to hear what you mad lads have created in your spare time   what was the point of the project? was it fun to make? what prompted you to make it? did it make any money/gain traction ? did it help?  i’ll sign all the ndas if need be /s"
statistics on black and/female female computer scientisis?,8womjy,blank,thenewlight1,28,1530947544.0,"i'm a college freshman who started out as computer science major but is lately thinking about changing majors, although at the time of writing  this i've already decided against it. one of the biggest reasons why i wanted to change majors is the lack of representation of african-americans in the tech field. in all of the hundreds of videos i've watched dealing with swe i've only seen 3 aa's, two men and one female. are there any other scientist out there who work with people and or come from an under represented group? do you think its possible to lose out on a job because you come from an under represented group? if you do come from an under represented group (such as being a female and/or black) have you ever been discriminated against at work?  edit: changed spelling mistake"
worried about finding a job?,dgmuf2,blank,jsingh999,8,1570864100.0,"so, i’m a 21yr female, who just started to computer science . i’m the slowest programmer ever. i don’t grasp onto concepts as fast and it seems like everyone else has a better code. i’m just concerned that i won’t find a job knowing that there guys and girls majority guys who know so much. i’ll never be as knowledgeable in programming as them!"
i don't want to lead the team,dv5cnn,blank,tmplead,4,1573564526.0,"my manager wants me to lead our team. my title is senior software engineer, and i don't want to lead any teams at the moment. last time i did it in my current company i had mental breakdown and now i have to pay therapist. in other words, it creates so much tension and takes so much mental effort, so i'm basically incapable of doing this work right now. my manager isn't aware of that. and under no circumstances i want to reveal that.  so now they are asking kindly and i have a chance to say no. however, i don't want to reveal any health information. and i don't understand how to do it professionally with minimal impact on my career. there is one dude who is leading the team right now. may be he isn't the best team lead in the world, but i'm fine doing whatever he thinks important. i'm doing my work and collecting salary, i don't need stars.  but things are getting hot, because this dude seems doesn't want to lead our team anymore, and our manager is about to pick one of us for this role if nobody wants to do that.  also, by leading the team i won't get any adjusted salary or better work conditions. i never agreed leading any teams while doing my job interviews with this company. there is some sort of pressure, and i don't see any good options here, except just saying my manager ""no, i won't be doing that"". is there any way to say ""no"" the way it won't affect my career?  (my location is texas, us. 45 y.o., female coder if it's important)"
experiences: female machine learning developer in japan?,9x3vgv,blank,nirtiac,6,1542256654.0,"i'm a canadian cs masters student soon to graduate, doing applied ml and nlp stuff. i got a message from a recruiter with a number of positions he's looking to fill in japan. i'm actually somewhat interested, have had a long time fascination with japan, but am aware that japan's gender parity isn't where canada's is. the job ads i've been sent have pictures of a group of 20 men, not a woman in sight.   does anyone have experiences with working in japan as a female (white) foreigner in tech? i don't actually mind so much being the odd one out, but i'd like to know if i'm just going to face roadblocks, frustration and stress. i'm probably the opposite of what my (unfair?) stereotype of a japanese woman is - i'm very assertive (even compared to my canadian peers), don't take shit, and not-at-all feminine. i don't know if that would help or hinder me. any experiences to share?  **edit, i was told that it would be english-speaking offices, but looking online many of them seemed to be staffed mostly (but not solely) by japanese."
female name as a guy applying,8ktlr0,blank,Mosho1,19,1526861863.0,"i haven't really bothered being concerned with this before, but i'm wondering what you guys think.  my name, when pronounced as written in the us, is a very typical name for a female. i often (read: always) have to explain it when using my legal name.  i do have a name that is very close to the way my name is actually pronounced that i use in everyday life, but the name on my id is still the female one, so that's probably what's going on my cv.  so far, i left it as is. i'm probably going to change it legally at some point, but not at the moment. so the other option is somehow putting that on my resume. using my assumed, non-legal, male name, or somehow otherwise declaring my gender. the last thing i want to do is make my resume/application awkward even before the interview, but i also don't want to throw interviewers off."
is there any reason why so many recruiters are attractive young females?,5x6ibm,blank,pdab892,90,1488522925.0,seriously. look up recruiters at any company on linkedin and it's like you're viewing a fashion magazine.   is this supposed to be a 'trick' to attract programmers who are assumed undoubtedly to be straight males? because i think it's dumb.
confused between 2 job offers for a pm role,dfhqj7,blank,fdundo,3,1570659755.0,"hi all,  currently i am in the middle of changing jobs and need some advice on which job would be better from a product management and future career perspective.  my background - i am an indian female with around 3 years of work experience and currently work as an associate product manager at one of the unicorn startups in india.  1st offer - it's a l5 product manager role in amazon, india. offering decent salary. the product vertical looks good - pretty critical to the business.  2nd offer - its a product manager role in zalando, one of the fashion tech unicorns in germany. the product vertical is great - again pretty critical to the business. the salary is average(<60k euros) and i would have to relocate to berlin.  i believe my savings from the salary in india would be more than i would be able to save in berlin at that salary.  my short term goal is to pursue higher studies - i am aiming for an m7 mba (mainly harvard, stanford, wharton, sloan) and insead for applications next year i.e mba starting from 2021.  i guess my question is, which of these jobs would be bigger value add to my profile, also from an mba perspective and otherwise?  please do share any other pointers that can be helpful in making this decision. thanks :)"
wardrobe for female on internship?,8r5yke,blank,euidhtn,11,1529043645.0,"i'm going to a reasonably sized company (\~2000) for the summer.  being a student, my wardrobe consists of shorts(see women's denim shorts on google), mini skirts, tech t shirts, legging, and dresses with spaghetti straps. i've never worked at a company with a considerable number of people before,  but this company is known for having good culture and advertises it extensively.  do i need some wardrobe fixes?"
how many black female developers/engineers are there at your company?,5ilnop,blank,Sweet013117,95,1481882382.0,"i'm a black female computer science major and out of all 3 internships i've done i've always been the only black female. not only that but i'm the only black female in my major's graduating class (there's maybe 4 in my entire program including me, and that's probably a generous number). matter of fact, i was the only black female that posted on the subreddit's new salary survey last time i checked lol. just want to see if someone like me is really that much of an anomaly in this industry. thanks!  edit: i just want to point out i definitely don't feel like it's the hiring process that is resulting in a lack of black female developers, like i said before i am the only black female of my graduating class in my cs program so i definitely realize there's not many people like me who are even getting the education needed to get into these developer positions."
"female se getting really frustrated at work, some gender-related issues. really need your advice",381e1k,blank,lantom,208,1433158568.0,"second company i've worked for, been here ~1 year. i was able to tell myself 'not every place is like this' last time, but now that it seems to be following the same pattern, i find myself really frustrated and am hoping to get some advice.  problem is, people *assume* you have no idea what you're doing, until you prove them wrong. (i.e. it's a high priority feature. we're going to let matt handle this.)  and then even after that, if i happen to do something faster/cleaner than someone, the reply i often get is something along the lines of 'wow you did it faster. i must have really fucked up.'  there's another experienced (female) se who's really good at what she does, and i've noticed that people are condescending  towards her sometimes too.. (mocking her for little things)  anyway, i was usually one of the stronger programmers in my classes and at my internships, so i think i have the skills to do well. problem is, there's always some indignation and resentment if i happen to do something faster or correct someone. there have been several cases where they were wrong, and i said something (in the gentlest manner possible, because i should know that by now), and still, they get pissed off.  so the question is, how do i get past that people who don't know me immediately assume i don't know what i'm doing, and how do i be a strong performer without coworkers getting pissed off?  edit: for clarity, 'matt' joined around the same time (a month later than i did), but there was more confidence in him and other guys who started around the same time"
"female interested in web development/coding, looking for events, opportunities, and resources while in silicon valley for the summer",8wkylb,blank,Alvithehuman,5,1530919574.0,"i am a late 20's female who is interested in making a career change to web development. through coincidence, i am in the silicon valley area for the summer with a flexible schedule. i am wondering if anyone has recommendations for events, trainings, resources, etc. that they would recommend i take advantage of while i am here with time to spare. i've mostly been spending my days working on leet code problems and learning a variety of languages.  i should note that i have already spent considerable time on google finding various meet-ups and events. i just wanted to know if anyone has anything they would highly recommend. thanks!"
companies to apply to in san diego area,cgg1le,blank,btbeats,20,1563844656.0,"hi, i am about to be a senior at unc-chapel hill, and i am wondering what companies to apply to in the san diego area. i am currently interning in the research triangle area, and though i like it a lot, i really want to move to the west coast to try out living there. i consider myself relatively driven and the allure of silicon valley and being on the cutting edge area of innovation is exciting, but after a couple visits to my uncle and grandma's place (they live in fremont and alameda, respectively), i'm not a fan of the traffic and exorbitant costs of living. another factor is that in my experience, people in the bay area are pretty unattractive (i am a dude, and i haven't seen many attractive females here).  &#x200b;  i grew up in florida and love surfing and skateboarding, so i have always wanted to live in southern california, but i am concerned about the lack of a tech industry compared to the bay area and even raleigh or austin.  i have interned at a defense contractor in orlando in the past, so i've had an interim secret clearance before, but i felt that the defense industry is quite slow moving and would be hesitant to go into the defense industry, even in san diego. outside of qualcomm and walmart, are there any other major companies in the sd area that i should be looking at?"
how do i make friends at work?,d951yo,blank,deckthesocks,1,1569454915.0,"hi! i hope it is okay for me to post this question in here...  i am a female who just turned 24. i started at my current company last year after graduating with a degree in ee. it is one of those companies where most people are either in their 20s or 45+ years old. the thing is (as ridiculous as it sounds...), i see a lot of the younger people at my work hanging out together, grabbing lunch, socializing, etc., and tbh...i wanna be a part of that too (i guess ""fomo"" is the right term for this?...even though i hate that word lol). i usually pass these groups in the hallway or lobby, or during lunch.  but i feel like these groups are there because these people work in the same team, or at the very least work closely together. otoh, i am one of the youngest people in my team (we have an intern who is 23 years old, but since he's still in school, it's not like we can ""hang out"" much), and while i am pretty close to my teammates, most of them are over the age of 45, which isn't a problem ofc, but idk...it's just that i do wanna try to hang out with some people around my age group as well (i hope i am making sense). i think i also feel sorta lonely after graduating because most of my friends moved away.  my question is...how do i insert myself into these groups? i think i also feel kinda apprehensive because a lot of these groups are majority male (expected given the field we are in), so i find it pretty intimidating..."
"male teamlead, need to speak to a female dev regarding her performance.",3nedk0,blank,NewbieLead,132,1443945208.0,"so this is my first time leading a team of devs (two months in) and one of them has been falling behind. stalling on obvious problems that can be looked up on google, shoddy documentation, lack of test cases. she has been more than a bit defensive about it but she's also a fresh graduate so i believe it's just lack of experience and can be rectified with proper mentoring.  i'd rather not bring hr into the situation at this point as they have a reputation for being very trigger happy with our company's take on pips (nobody passes) and this is not the desired outcome.   so i need to have a 1-on-1 with her, preferably without hr present,  but i'd really really want to prevent a situation where her defensiveness turns into offensiveness and i walk out of the meeting room with a harassment allegation. what do i do?  edit: for those that offered constructive criticism, thank you very much. especially /u/honestduane who took the time to type out the 'managering 101' on how to deal with this problem specifically and how to make my team more productive generally.  i understand that to some of you my approach to this might seem as sexist or paranoid, but my father went through a sexual harassment investigation back in the days of the first dotcom boom. he was cleared , but i remember the stress it put on my family and now i have a family of my own to think of."
early career (3yoe) advice - promotion vs leaving,dgl2l3,blank,shrazzzy,1,1570855706.0,"hi everyone!    i’ve lurked on this subreddit a while, but only now do i have a situation that’s left me at a crossroads.     about me: i’m at \~3 yoe as a software engineer at a large (but not tech) company. i’d been working very diligently towards a promotion to the software engineer 2 level. now that it’s time for this promotion to finally happen (or atleast i thought), i just found out that for the last 8 months since a re org, no one in our subgroup of \~50 people has been getting any promotions due to a logistical issue. management is aware of the issue but not much is being done about it.    the work itself is fairly decent, i work in technologies that are somewhat on par with industry standard but to be honest you can imagine my experiences as a <25 year old female in a team of 8 male developers over the age of 40. basically, i end up getting assigned a lot of grunt work/get left out of certain decision making processes.     i know i need to leave (i think?), but i’m struggling with my exit strategy. i live in a major city in california (not in the silicon valley).     at this experience level, i could either sit around at my current role for another year and apply for senior level positions afterward. but if i did that i’d be pretty unmotivated this year since there’s not really much room for upward movement/learning new technologies. there’s a chance management will do something about the logistical issue with promotions and i could be moved up in the meantime too?     or i could get out of my current role now at the same level (or at the software 2 level), hopefully be more motivated/learn more at another job. the idea of studying for interviews again is frankly a little terrifying seeing how competitive things have gotten in the three years it’s been since i last applied.    there could definitely be other options i'm failing to see as well.    thanks for reading!"
ideas for an almost 60 year old uk based female programmer?,6i66lc,blank,throwawaycs123412343,14,1497905340.0,"hi reddit, thought i'd do some brainstorming on behalf of my gf's mum. she is 59 and has been unemployed for 4 years. her last job lasted 20 years where she was a contractor for a large company who updated the old system using fortran i believe. she's been struggling to find any jobs at all, just wondering if anyone had any good ideas. she's been using recruiting agencies i think and has applied for hundreds. but i think people are immediately put off by and eccentric almost 60 year old woman in programming. she specialises a lot in internet privacy and has almost no credit history at all or references i think as the huge list of companies she used to work for are no longer around."
another career switch to cs question...,cl5w6c,blank,MovingForwardWOmd,9,1564789890.0,"hello all!  i am an old (2013) bs in biology grad (with some medical/ healthcare experience) thinking of going back to school for cs. i am doing cs50 online right now.. and am willing to do a lot more classes that are available online if it helps me. i totally love this field so far! wish i hadn't wasted all these years doing other things lol..  anyways, i live in nyc and would probably only be able to afford the public schools around here. i would most likely work to put myself through school (so it might take me a bit longer to finish a degree).  i have contacted both masters and bachelors level program advisors- and both options seem possible for me to do. which is better in terms of future employment?  the thing i am most concerned about is if i would be able to find internships/ employment after a ny public school degree, how the career trajectory would look (could i ever work up to the fancy jobs like at google one day?), and how long/costly the schooling process would be. i would love if i could graduate into a $80,000+ job- but of course i want to be realistic  &#x200b;  if anyone has experience with changing careers into cs from an unrelated background esp in ny i would love to here it!  &#x200b;  thanks!  edited to add that i am 27 years old- will the age at graduation (around 30) be a hinderance to this plan? also will probably start a family in next couple years (female)- will being a mom make me lame to tech companies? thanks"
is it true that companies have a reserved quota when hiring males/females for positions?,529vbd,blank,threwawayforme,59,1473647008.0,"i might get hammered for this but i don't care. there was an interesting discussion on this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/askmen/comments/5244oa/my_wife_and_i_work_in_the_same_industry_with_the/) that i am quoting below from:    it's not an assumption. i have witnessed women that have graduated from the same courses of study as myself - who by their own admission are inexperienced and lacking in knowledge/expertise within a section of the field we studied in - be hired into positions that are at odds with their weaknesses.   they relayed to me that they were specifically told during the job interview that the company was looking to hire only female graduates. male graduates i knew who would have been perfectly suited to these positions were interviewed but not hired, and were also not told about the female-only hiring policy.  i am not going to start a sexism war here but i seriously would like to know how the internal politics of hiring graduates work. if you take a look at yahoo for example, i've heard from someone that a few years back (friend's family friend - he worked some upper manager level position but quit yahoo some years back), they happened to hire female graduates for higher level positions while hiring few male for average dev-related position. the man told me there were so many young male graduates who he interviewed had such promising talents with good academic records and professional intenrship experience, yet they were all turned down based on the hiring process politics by company.   i often wonder when it comes to companies hiring graduates, **are there times when companies are specifically looking to hire female graduates instead of males but they don't mention on their job postings? is there biased hiring when it comes to males vs females graduates?**  ------------  **edit:** (based on reading the replies so far) oh man, this is bad for men.   ------------  **edit2:** brought back a memory and though i should share: this incident was with my father (in the past few years back). he applied for a software dev position and the interviewer was a female (director). she rejected him with no reasonable explanation even though he knew he was qualified. after a few days after his interview, the position closed and was opened up again by the company a month later. he applied, interviewed again but with a male director instead; he was accepted."
don't know how to address female recruiter,71nlhv,blank,confuuuuuuuuuused,33,1506070379.0,"suppose i am writing to a female recruiter to either thank her, arrange an on-site interview, etc. and her name is ""jane doe.""  1)  suppose i don't know whether she is married or not, and she doesn't have social media for me to figure it out (i've encountered recruiters who don't even have a public linkedin!---not that marital info would be there anyways).  if i call her ms. doe and she is actually married, then did i err in social etiquette?  2)  regarding #1, is it a problem if i just call her ""jane""?  is there some age range at which this is appropriate vs. not appropriate?  3)  regarding #2, if ""jane"" is too informal, then can i call her by her full name such as ""dear jane doe...""  ehhh i actually don't like that, it doesn't sound right.  4)  suppose jane doe is in fact married but very young (e.g. 24, not far removed from college and not much older than me) and that i am able to know this from social media (no surprise, she's only 24).  then do i call a young woman not much older than me ""mrs. doe""?  i'm sorry but that doesn't seem right and i'd rather just use ""jane""...  5)  if the recruiter signs the letter using just her first name, i do have to say that i am encouraged to address her as such.  sadly, many of them use the full name ""jane doe"" (along with position, company, etc.) in a full signature and i can't call her ""dear jane doe..."" (#3)  6)  after all this, i'm probably just going to call her ""ms. doe"" and pray that either she's not married or if she is, she won't get offended.  help! (and thanks in advance'!)"
"nyc undergrad student looking for a data science, artificial intelligence (ai), machine learning mentor",dfnlqc,blank,e2ee_for_all,1,1570684781.0,"i'm currently a female undergrad student studying computer science. i switched from a healthcare major. in school, they only teach software development, however i am interested in data science, ai, machine learning, particularly for healthcare, journalism, or finance. i have been doing a ton of self-learning on my own, but could use the advice from an experienced person in the field.  i'm looking for a mentor in the field who can help me and guide me towards what i should/shouldn't be studying or focusing on, as well as help towards project ideas. if you have any inspiring stories or ideas, i'd love to hear and discuss about them as well!  i'm looking for a mentor that i can meet up with occasionally to discuss and learn from. drinks, coffee, or tea is on me!"
2.5 years of recruiting journey,bvzj6o,blank,macaron2017,17,1559523687.0,"(tl;dr - thoughts after rejected by google twice)  **about me** : female, computer science undergrad, 4 yrs of experience  i was recently rejected by google after onsite for a second time. before this, i also interviewed onsite around dec, 2016.  **dec 2017**  from dec 2016 to dec 2017, i was looking for a new job because the company i worked for at the time was not doing well. let's call it company x. there was massive cost cutting and number of employees in our location needed to be reduced by half.  my team was not on the list to reduce headcount, but the company has not been making a profit in 3 years at that point and there was also no new hiring. $0 salary increase. yearly bonus was around 4k-5k range. random people i know were leaving left and right.  during that period of time, i got 4 onsite rejections which i wrote about them [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/7gxorj/failed_4_onsites_looking_for_some_insights/).  looking back at the post i wrote before, my weakness was not just on system design or the lack of experience/exposure to system/architect decisions.  i was also weak on ds/algo. i only did \~30 leetcode type questions. and i was mostly doing the easy ones. looking back, i realized that i was ""solving"" coding questions during interviews, but i took maybe 30min to write brute force solutions, that i didn't have time to optimize. even if i had time to optimize, i didn't know enough algo/ds to do so.  an example would be, if someone asked me what a heap is. i can talk about its runtime, how to insert in it and etc. but i didn't know what problems can a heap solve. the same can be said about sorted maps.  **apr 2018**  i didn't fully understand my weakness in ds/algo, i kept applying and 5 months later, i got an offer from a company y. and also a verbal offer from a large hedge fund.  the verbal offer fell through. something with the hiring committee didn't approve. even though the manager has called me several times after my onsite saying things like ""we are working on putting an offer together."" i wasn't very surprised about it falling through because it dragged on for 6 weeks without an actual paper offer. desperate to get out of my job at company x, i accepted the offer at company y.   these 2 companies' interview process were more like easy leetcode questions + some javascript questions + experience (talk about what you worked on before).  **today**  a google recruiter emailed me early this year to my university email. i'm not sure how. either because they have some system that says she interviewed with us 2 year earlier, let's see if she improved. or the first time in 2016, i was interviewed because a friend referred me. so maybe, that referral still has some weight years later?  i told her that i need to think about it and get back to her. i ultimately decided that it doesn't hurt to try. and so i did the phone interview round again in march and passed. afterwards, i did a solid 1 month of leetcode. almost every day i practiced, the day before my onsite, i was at 127 questions. i got rejected again. the recruiter said ""there is not enough positive feedback.""  the day i got the rejection email, i was pretty sad. since double rejection hurts more than the first rejection. and it's a first to get rejected twice lol.  i can only be sure that 2 out of the 4 technical ones went well because 1 interviewer told me ""normally people don't get this far in this question."" the other interviewer said ""o(1) is the best we can do.""  the other 2, i  didn't have the optimized solution. either time ran out. or maybe i took a different turn and took too long to write a brute force. there was no lc-hard questions for me.  so if you haven't mastered mediums, focus on medium first.  now, i have snapped out of sadness. i want to continue to apply elsewhere and not waste all the prep work that i did. and use some [interview.io](https://interview.io) type platform to identify weak areas to improve. after a second time going through it, google's process is still easier than 2sigma and the goldman onsite that i had. easier because those 2 companies not only covered ds/algo coding exercises, they also had questions on oop, system design, web related questions and database questions. (not saying i prefer this whole knowledge + coding test modal).  i'm simply realizing that i still have a long way to go in terms of interview prepping.  **what's the problem with my current team?**  at this point, you are probably wondering why i still want to change job. company y is doing better than company x. there is no frequent going-away drinks to attend. my team at y grew after i joined. but some of them are beyond difficult to work with. almost daily i get some passive aggressive and micro-managing. and the team lead frequently minimize my work in front of the whole team (maybe not on purpose because the person is not very technical). let's say a task needs some change that team lead proposed. i said ""okay, this will take me a day."" team lead will say ""why? it's just some formatting."" maybe the team lead was technical at some point in his/her life. but after i joined, he/she definitely has not made any code change. a huge task with 6 sub-task would be labelled ""minor abc improvements"" and then assigned to me. none work related stuff: my team would say something mean about the food i eat. so each day, i don't feel motivated to go.  company x was cutting employees, but my old team were pleasant to work with and were delivering many impactful features out frequently, solving interesting problems. but for a junior dev like me, i really couldn't be in an environment with $0 salary increase for long since i didn't start at a high salary to begin with. at the end of the day, i can't really say i regret coming to company y. but working with mean people is not fun. and very bad for my sanity. that's why i will continue to try, apply to places and keep studying."
worried about diminished coding skills while on maternity leave,cw8p3k,blank,knowemsayin,5,1566960446.0,"any other female devs out there who have advice for going on maternity leave and ways to maintain sharp coding skills? i worry about falling behind, or worse forgetting while out on maternity leave. on the other hand, i don't want to too much take time away from raising and bonding with my new baby to devote to coding exercises. any advice from other female devs who have done this successfully on what to do/not to do?"
"how, or rather when, do you know you've got what it takes?",bnfdli,blank,Sherlock_Fan1,43,1557628617.0,"i'm a 38 year old female from the uk. for the past 2 years i've been harbouring dreams of becoming a software or web developer.  i don't know if it's a pipe dream, infatuation or the early start of something genuine and possible.  i got stuck with basic javascript last year on freecodecamp. hit a complete brick wall and reluctantly gave up. i'm back at it now, having deleted everything and currently studying html/css again. i'm determined i'm going to get past that hump via reddit, udemy courses and text books but that's only one hump of what i'm sure will be many. i've no natural ability in computing.    how much of computing can be sheer determination/ pushing through and how much is talent?  when do you know it's 'for' you. was there a eureka moment when it all clicked?   has anyone here been 'bad' at computing but managed to get competent and find a job?   there's an admin job going that's only 1 year but it's study friendly. i could do fcc in my spare time then take a bootcamp at the end and be coding professionally by christmas 2020. however, in doing so i would be missing out on a something i know i'm qualified and able to do and comes around rarely. but if i went with the second option, it means i wouldn't have time to code for a few years due to having to take another qualification.   &#x200b;  any opinions? chase the dream? give up and settle for the non-computing option? insights very welcome."
what is the ratio of female to male at your company?,4zoe4o,blank,purpleheyy,46,1472244139.0,also what job do you have? :)
female self-taught programmer need advice for in-person interview,66kqep,blank,unemployedandfemale,17,1492751645.0,"i'm trying to get my first programming job. i passed the phone interview and they looked at my github, so my coding level is acceptable. so now i have the in-person interview, which is, in my opinion, determining my personality and if i'll fit in with the team. i think i have a pretty good personality and get along with people, but i'm shit at first impressions because of nerves. when i get nervous, i come off as too formal (or cold or distant, whatever you want to call it).  so my question is: what kind of personality would you look for during the interview? i am a tomboy, but i can act more feminine if it will make the dudes interviewing me more comfortable."
how should i pick a bootcamp?,c6rmfl,blank,Jeru1226,20,1561794442.0,"i'm looking to get  a job in cs--ideally, i would love a job as a programmer for a biotech company interfacing between their software development and their wetlab, because my degree and research experience fits most closely with that description currently. i also would just be happy with getting a job.   &#x200b;  i'm now living in sf bay area proper. i also happen to be female and latina, (might be helpful for particular bootcamp programs, but i have no idea). i just graduated from uc davis with a degree in cell biology. i have 2 years of undergraduate research, most of which involves pipeline development and image analysis. i have a fair amount of broad programming experience from my research background, but i would like to get good enough to feel comfortable applying for jobs.  i saw an ad for general assembly and am trying to evaluate if they could actually help me get a job after their ""data immersive"".  i also saw an online masters in data science from uc san diego which was significantly less expensive. how should i evaluate which of them/if either are useful. if i should seek out others, what's the litmus test to decide if the money is worth it?   &#x200b;  how should i go about looking for bootcamps/programming immersives here?   i know i'm the bay area is a great place to get a cs job, but i want to be careful about where i spend my money."
what are some common unconscious bias in cs and how to avoid the pitfall?,a5phje,blank,salads_and_chips,36,1544699433.0,"a few months ago, i attended an event where a senior engineer briefly mentioned the importance of avoiding [unconscious bias](https://rework.withgoogle.com/subjects/unbiasing/) in the workplace and the hiring process in order to treat all employees/candidates fairly.      i am still very new in the industry, but i have found myself leading teams on a few occasions. in the interest of self-improvement, could someone trained in this topic share a few words of wisdom/specific examples on unconscious bias and how to identify/prevent them?"
"as an asian female international student, can i even make it/find a job?",6kn91q,blank,akakoko,14,1498947997.0,"there's talks about sending me to the us after my current semester ends, but i can't help but be worried that i'll be discriminated like crazy. i'm asian, that's bad enough, also a girl, and then will be an international student with visa baggage. add to that, i'm 4'9"" ~~tall~~ short, which is another factor to be discriminated against. lower pay and whatnot...assuming i get a job there at all. i'll look like a child, and i don't want to wear high heels that'll wreck my legs...  as for grades... i'm a b student? in my undergraduate studies, so no masters to help me out.   in your opinion, should i just keep to my home country? i feel like i'll just be thrust into hard mode, with multiple stacking debuffs. sure, there may be a few success stories like how one woman will get to break through the glass ceiling, but i'm just a normal person.  it doesn't sound reasonable when i weigh the factors... i do want to go to the states, but i'm thinking this is one of those times where i should listen to reason instead of pure 'want'...? are my chances really as low as i thought?   tl;dr: asian, foreigner, short like a kid, and female. do i even have a shot?"
how could we balance the current male to female programmer ratio (even further)?,5ea7zt,blank,Fedzero,38,1479842612.0,"hey reddit, i have come to the conclusion with my past post on this subreddit that there are a lot more male programmers for one specific reason, explained very well by this [image](http://www.smbc-comics.com/comics/20100516.gif).   therefore i am asking you: reddit and fellow programmers, how can we improve this ratio? i believe that having more female programmers would make our job a lot more interesting and would also get rid of the idea of the nerdy weird geeky connotation which is associated to our species: *the programmer master race*."
new job overwhelming me,apcdx0,blank,Sunny906,37,1549887148.0,"i recently started my first post-grad job in industry at a large and well-known networking company. i’m very blessed to have the job, but i’ve been there for 6 months and i don’t feel i’ve made the progress i should have. the whole first three months were nearly completely lost due to me being the first to try a pilot for their training program.  my manager/mentor just reorged and i’m currently spread out across three teams. i don’t know what to do with myself, like what my main role is, and i was a new grad with basic programming knowledge and can’t yet contribute completely to their goals, but they don’t seem to have time to incorporate me to show me their daily work because of time crunches so they give me things they don’t have time to do which is fine except that every single day the list of new technologies or interfaces or network topologies or politics grows two-fold and i can’t seem to learn fast enough to keep up! i don’t mean any disrespect but i am the only female on my team and the only non-indian female on my whole floor/department. i find it hard to understand my coworkers and my new mentor sometimes and my new manager is in a fit because of the reorg. i’m very stressed and don’t know what to do and have deadlines for things that i don’t even know how to do and i’m trying to learn them so fast but we have week long sprints.   i want to stay and be successful here very badly; but i feel like crying and i’ve already asked for too much help. i can’t keep being hand-held when everyone has so much to do. now my three tiers higher manager wants to know what i’m doing and i honestly can hardly explain myself since my mentor just keeps doing it himself even when i ask him to go over it with me and show me the processes etc. and unrelated i have no friends because i’m the only female my age in the department and only one of two young people on my team and i just eat a ham sandwich in the basement and read a book.. i’m by myself in a new city hours and hours away from my family to try and be successful in this career and there are so many new things coming at me at once just... phew ok i need to stop typing now that’s enough. help."
"[vent] how do i deal with a coworker who ""informs"" me that girls of my race are seen as undesirable?",9w60d0,blank,JuniorInvestment,90,1541988828.0,"not sure if this is the right place to post...but it happened at work so...  i am a pakistani female. this coworker is a white male. we are among the few young people at my work (in our 20s). anyways, this guy basically always ignores me in group convos, and isnt very inclusive (like he will ask invite other people to walk around the campus with him right in front of me without inviting me). the only time he will talk to me is when he wants to tell me about his south asian friends...  so the other day at work, he was ignoring me once again while only talking to the girl who sits by me, when the topic of his indian sikh friend came up. now he began including me. he then proceeded to say things like, ""all my indian guy friends tell me that they do not wanna marry indian girls, and that they wanna get with white girls because that is seen as 'making it', since white girls are seen as higher social status. they said south asian girls have low status and only get with them as a last resort...""   idk why, but that whole exchange made me feel kind of upset. first of all, i have never heard the south asian guys i know say this sort of thing, nor have their actions ever indicated such an opinion (and when i told him this, he seemed kind of...unpleasantly surprised?).  most importantly, i felt kind of weird that this random white dude who never includes me is all of sudden ""informing"" me that girls of my race are essentially seen as...undesirable. and then proceeds to feel surprised when i tell him that i have never heard this among the guys i know before. it is just...why did he feel the need to even tell me in the first place that girls of my race are seen this way, and that girls of *his* race are higher social status? i feel silly about being offended by this too, but idk...am i justified? and not to brag, but i *do* get hit on to the point where it gets annoying, so i do not feel umattractive either, but wtf??  tldr: why would this random white dude feel the need to tell me that girls of my race are seen as ""low"", even by guys of my own race? what exactly is he expecting me to say/do?"
i hate seattle and sf/bay area. now what?,a11xfw,blank,ThiccPenis,136,1543401559.0,"context: mid-20s male, lived and worked in all of these places  **reasons for hatred common to all locations:** * monolithic tech culture. it's impossible to find people who are different. everyone codes, and if they have a hobby, it's ""outdoors stuff"" (???) * culturally dead cities. no young artists or musicians doing interesting things. nothing but boring techies who go to work, go home, sleep. it's absolutely fine to be a cultural leech and supporting the local culture by partaking (i.e. buying tickets), but these people don't even do that, so artists are starved for patrons and go elsewhere. * too many dudes, finding a date is very hard * aggressive homeless make me worry for female friends and companions who are out by themselves  **reasons i hate specifically seattle:** * very small. lacks ""neighborhoods"" that have unique feels to them; it's just one techie gentrified blob.  * shit weather, of course * bar scene is relegated to one freaking block in cap hill and another freaking block in belltown. seriously what the hell kind of city has only like 5 bars that people actually go to?  **reasons i specifically hate sf:** * really, really expensive. i'm cool with seattle expensive, but it's actually absurd here. * bad public transit, causing me to take many lyfts in an already expensive city. (seattle actually does have fantastic public transit for the record) * weather is surprisingly bad here. the fog is almost as bad as seattle in terms of creating a depressing atmosphere.  **reasons i specifically hate the bay area:** * it's a boring suburb. what's not to hate? great place to raise a family (only if your family income is 400k of course) or retire.  is it normal to hate all these places? i feel like i'm taking crazy pills. is it just me--am i a stick in the mud who won't be happy anywhere? or do these places just suck that bad? i come from the east coast. i'd like to go to nyc (can't, work at social media company and nyc roles are highly sought and only for seniors) but idk if that will even solve my problems."
am i unlikely to find an entry-level job with an associate's while i work on my bachelor's?,boayrq,blank,fun-dumb-mental,10,1557818884.0,"i currently work a 9-5 in an unrelated field, chipping away at my associate's during nights and weekends and will be moving onto my bachelor's thereafter. i would really like to start working in a job that involves computer science in some capacity while i'm still in school. is it unlikely that i can find any cs-related jobs while in school that are a little more permanent than an internship? (after completing associate's degree, or even right now-- about a year away from completing) what might these opportunities be? i have realistic expectations knowing that i'm not yet qualified for 99% of entry level jobs. i just really want to at least start being in the environment that my career will be in. fwiw i'm 24 and female.   thanks!"
help me get the stick out of my ass - why should i work for a big tech company as a data scientist?,c3uyu3,blank,Outremontthrowaway,8,1561267556.0,"throwaway as my employer knows my regular username.   please explain to me why i should work for a big company such as the faangs - i know i should for money, and both resume and career experience.... but i just can't get over my bleeding socialist heart that hates all big companies for centralizing wealth/power. this is stupid. yet i can't even bring myself to apply.   instead i'm working for a startup i believe in for half the salary i should be getting and stock options... which is a bad idea. taking less money is dumb, and not having anyone more skilled than me that i can learn from is also dumb.   i have an msc (recently graduated) in cs, am moderately skilled in machine learning (as in way beyond intro mooc-level but also nowhere close to sutskever-level), have some valuable niche knowledge, and am female.... all of which means that getting at least an interview should be easy (sorry about the female part). i get poaching emails weekly offering me $180k in toronto, or even more at a finance job. i turned down a real 100k (good for montreal) offer to be a lead data scientist at a startup in the ad space because i hate the idea of perpetuating that. same deal with an insurance role offered by a friend. i started the interview process at deepmind but we stopped it once we agreed i didn't fit working for finance roles (they didn't have any positions on their health team at the time). i realize i am privileged to be able to turn these down... but my family is solidly middle class, i'm directly hurting myself financially by doing this.  how do you justify working for someone like facebook? or heck, anywhere that doesn't do any good for the world, like finance or advertising or insurance? please explain, so i can stop watching my peers make way more than me, and stop feeling like i'm being too much of a ""nice"" female."
do tech companies tend to stray away from females?,64opfb,blank,dachdachdachdach,11,1491913426.0,"recent cis grad, i haven't gotten any tech jobs yet. just wondering if it is more difficult to get a tech job and be a female? i know it's generally men who shoot for these jobs, but do they usually get hired over a woman with the same qualifications?"
why are there much more female than male programmers?,57r7la,blank,Fedzero,20,1476649909.0,"hey reddit, now i don't know the exact numbers but there is a pretty large discrepancy between male and female programmers. i feel like it would be much better if there was a more similar percentage. i am sure that female programmers would improve this field.   now i'm not necessarily worried or anything, but it's just something which i find weird, i am guessing it's because there is such a strange connotation to programming and maybe girls are not so interested.   any ideas?"
what's the gender ratio like at your software engineer job?,apo9y2,blank,whitecumblackcome,20,1549967404.0,"according to datausa.io, it's 70% male. my intro cs classes are also 70%ish male."
"impostor syndrome, or am i really not that good?",a2qj0g,blank,Cultural_Passenger,58,1543885275.0,"for context: i'm a female who changed careers. i'm finishing up my m.s. in software engineering after an undergraduate degree in psychology. as i am currently unemployed right now, i'm volunteering at a non-profit with their backend and am finishing up a class on dev ops infrastructure which is taking up all of my time. but i am slow at coding. i can't solve leetcode questions. i have an interview coming up for an associate software engineer that requires a 1.5 hr coding challenge, and to be quite honest i don't think i will pass. i get flustered. i'm not confident in my skills.  at what point do you realize that you are actually not good at what you do? or is it impostor syndrome? is there some magic point where you feel confident in your skills? i've already interned for a year at a company (foolishly left to work as a contractor, got fired). i wasn't a rockstar in my internship - i got by.  &#x200b;"
looking for guidance,by4ew2,blank,AnonymousRolyPoly,7,1559999540.0,"hello, i am a 32 female and technically speaking i do not have a degree. i got an associates from itt tech, so now i have student loans out my ass and educationally speaking nothing to show for it. i have to go back to school and get a new associates degree, if having a degree is even the path i need to take.  &#x200b;  i have been in and out of tech jobs my entire career, and have discovered that really want to be a software developer. i have no background in programming and i don't know anyone in the industry. i feel like i have the finish line but i can't find the start of the race.  &#x200b;  &#x200b;  do you know of any books/speakers/mentors that i can look into?  do you know how to get onto a software development path?  does anyone have any advice for me?"
should you make it obvious that you are female when applying for positions?,6i338j,blank,64market,5,1497860811.0,"a friend of mine has an unusual female first name (she's filipino). she has always gone by this name and doesn't have an americanized version. it isn't a difficult name to say, but it is quite unique (she was able to get her [firstname].com). at this point, in 2017, do you think that she should be advertising the fact that she's female on her resume and/or cover letters? not explicitly stating that she's female, but dropping some small hints. on one hand, big companies do seem committed to being more diverse. on the other hand, bro-culture still does persist. for what it's worth, she's looking for work in seattle.  thoughts?"
will i ever be good enough to be hired?,arxib2,blank,lisanottheaveragejo,12,1550527290.0,"for the last year i (23 year old female in nyc) have been teaching myself web development in my spare time. at this time last year, i hadn't even written my first line of code. though i am proud of how far i have come, when i see the gap of how much better others are, people with actual cs degrees (i have a bs in neurology), and the experience jobs want you to have, this aching cloud of i am not good enough appears. its paralyzing enough that i dont apply to jobs after i see the list of requirements because i don't think anyone would hire me with my skill level. but the part that upsets me the most is that i actually enjoy doing it. its the best part of my day, sitting down an being able to tangibly grasp what i create and see the payoff of my work. is there anything i can do? i don't know how to network and i'm not entirely sure of how to go about looking for one. if you read this far, thank you."
pointers for job fairs/events to meet with recruiters,ccztxw,blank,yayem,0,1563114087.0,"i am a graduate student at a not-top university in us. the problem in regards to job fair in the university is that maybe 1-2 good cs companies (financial ones in nyc) come here for recruitment. i want to attend some events which have job fairs to get face time with recruiters from more companies, but not sure which ones would be useful. cold mailing/linkedin posts rarely do get the job done.   i've heard great things from my female friends about grace hopper conference, but being a male, i don't think that it would be in good taste for me to attend.  i'm looking for advice, if someone can point me in the right direction."
getting full time offer with no prior internships?,c4v1zn,blank,animalsarenotours,3,1561436806.0,"i am a rising senior and i started my cs major this past semester. i will be able to finish so that’s not an issue. i’ve also been told leetcode is more important than any class for getting a job, lol  anyway, i’m wondering if anyone with a similar experience or who knows anyone with a similar experience has advice for getting a full time offer, or can tell me how it went for them?  for some more context, i’m female, my other (completed) major is linguistics, my most advanced skill is textual analysis lol (lda, svm), i worked in a cs lab for a semester but was just doing transcription, i have some datathon titles, and i have prior internships but unrelated. my gpa is decent at 3.67 though i’m not sure if it matters too much for jobs."
the dilemmas of the early 30s female dev...,3b2w9r,blank,DjangoPony84,13,1435273661.0,"i'm at a bit of a crossroads career-wise. i'm 31, female, recently married, no kids (yet), bsc/msc in cs, 4 years as a full time dev plus 2 years of qa and based in the uk. i work for a large company in a very corporate environment, was originally hired as a python developer but the role has switched much more towards being almost exclusively a front-end web developer which isn't exactly my cup of earl grey as i prefer to work server-side.   i've been reaching out to recruiters recently and investigating my options, and by the looks of things i could take a fairly significant raise by moving - we're talking approximately £10-15k a year, a lot when you're on around £36k now.   the elephant in the room is that we want kids, and preferably sooner rather than later given our ages (my husband is 30). my current company has a very good maternity leave policy - 4 months full salary before switching to statutory as opposed to the usual uk 6 weeks at 90%/33 weeks at fuck all/13 unpaid. statutory only barely covers london rents.   i suppose what i'm asking is whether i should stick with a very stable role that doesn't massively interest me and pays poorly, or push a bit harder to try and get significantly better money but with possible risks involved."
i’m a cs student who’s considering working part-time in a blue collar job for a different perspective,af5wgm,blank,Guest602,27,1547314358.0,"i think having some experience working a blue collar job (waitressing, retail, etc.) might be valuable and humbling, but i realize that after graduating college in this industry, i likely will not have the grit or “need” to do so.  so, i’m considering looking for a part time job now not to put on my resume or even to make money, but to perhaps work on social skills and meet people. if i don’t like the job then i can always quit and who cares 🤷‍♀️  is this worth venturing? if so, which kinds of jobs would you suggest? for context, i’m a 22yo female senior in college who’s accepted a full time offer.   update: i’ll instead consider spending time volunteering to meet people and help others. i appreciate everyone’s opinions and thanks for the discussion!"
how to quit job < 6 months in and still save face?,bhul57,blank,triunenull,5,1556361035.0,"little background for me: i've been working in the field for about 1y9mo, staying at my first job for almost a year and a half. i switched to a smaller company because of much increased pay and the opportunity to work on newer tech plus a more progressive culture, but soon after i started one of the leads left and another was pushed out shortly after because of a lot of tension between her and management. the only senior left is limited in his exposure to the entire stack (not so skilled in java)  but to compensate they have brought over people from other teams working on older products to attempt to assist but productivity has really ground to a halt; not only did we lose the two people who basically created the bulk of the new product by themselves, but we are now severely lacking in domain knowledge.  i have been picking up as much as i can across the entire stack and it is really burning me out. when i first started it was a lot of fun but now i feel like we are never making any progress. operations/sales is picking up more and more contracts for the new product since they are desperate for the new revenue, promising features that don't exist yet just to drive sales and pushing previous deadlines back to prioritize the highest paying customer.  everyone they interview they don't like. they want someone that fits the culture, but anyone they interview that has experience delivering large enterprise projects (with similar stacks) is usually rejected because of any rigid structure they might impose. because of that we are having trouble finding any new candidates at all and the two vacant positions have still not been filled yet after almost two months.  the stress and lack of confidence in the company is really starting to affect my health and personal relationships and i know i can't continue this way. but right now they are leaning on me a lot and i really enjoy the chance to work with other female devs (my last job had none).  i am expecting an offer from a big n company soon after a very promising interview which will obviously have a lot more tc and structure in place/resiliency to sudden changes in the business environment. i have only been working here for almost 6 months, so i am very nervous to put my two weeks in.  what is the best way to go about quitting? i am really worried that they will be angry at me for ""wasting time"" on me and possibly fire me on the spot. i don't want to risk tarnishing my reputation or burning bridges (we all run in similar circles and will likely run into each other again eventually) but i also cannot turn down something that is a better fit for me mentally and financially. my manager also used to work at big n and i am worried she might be angry enough to try to sabotage me/get me blacklisted elsewhere as her back is against the wall even more if i leave  thanks for your help. any advice is appreciated"
solutions engineer vs software engineer,bmer6i,blank,femalecoder91,6,1557400223.0,"hi, female coder here who recently finished a bootcamp. i made the transition from consulting to software engineering and given my previous background and personality, i’ve been encouraged to go into a solutions engineer role that is both client facing and minimal coding (50/50 is a lot of what companies claim). i’ve heard rumors that you can lose your coding chops if this is where you start. and frankly, attending meetings and answering client emails all day is not what i’m trying to do again tbh.   is it difficult to make the transition from solutions engineer to software engineer? given that it’s hard to find a software engineering role straight out of a bootcamp, should i consider the solutions role to add experience under my belt then apply to a swe role? would solutions engineer be better than a swe internship position?  i just feel like i didn’t pay thousands of dollars to not be able to fully apply what i’ve learned. i want to continue using and learning current libraries/frameworks and not just use javascript.   and this might sound silly, but i want to prove that women can also be software engineers and i feel like because of the nature of the solutions role, i’m sure a lot of women engineers would be pushed towards this position. not that that’s bad, i just want to prove to myself that i can be a software engineer.   any insight would be helpful because everything above is just based on assumptions so i’d love to get input from those who are more experienced."
i think a couple coworkers aren’t feeling me,9vzktj,blank,atheist_terry_ascend,40,1541926171.0,"so long story short i’m a bad looking guy and am shy, eye contact can make me uncomfortable — all interrelated.  i joined a small company recently, only a few women there. never have had a problem before but at our current co there is very little interaction and collaboration and from the cursory interactions i get it feels like one woman especially isn’t super comfortable around me. i was seated next to her and recently actually was asked to pick a new desk. i don’t really do anything, i’d talk to her if she seemed open, am trying to develop rapport with people and be friendly but i just don’t know what to do. and after being asked to pick another desk i’m actually concerned. i have no idea how to handle this, i’m actually concerned about this in general because being shy and ugly is a pretty quick way to be seen as a creep though honest to god none of that shit is even remotely on my mind for various reasons (why would it be, shit i’m not trying to get rejected or ruin anyone’s day)."
advice/resources for new female programmer?,441bwh,blank,moshimaro1,10,1454555479.0,"i'm a female software programmer about to graduate from undergrad. are there any groups or sites that i should join to connect with other programmers?  also, any thoughts on joining linkedin groups for software developers? are they helpful?"
"why do female statisticians/economists avoid the tech industry and ""data science""?",3n4qve,blank,o_safadinho,24,1443752328.0,"so i was a statistics major and a cs minor in undergrad. i'm starting a grad school program abroad to get my master's degree in cs with a concentration in data mining. while i'm waiting for some stuff in the cs department, i'm taking two math classes.  all through undergrad and now that i'm in grad school, my personal experience has mirrored all of the available data that i've seen on this subject. there will be plenty of women in the generalized linear modeling class that is offered by the math department, but not in the machine learning class offered by the cs department.   burtchworks, a recruiting firm that specializes in placing data scientists and analysts people, does an of data scientists, the percentage of female respondents generally hovers around 10%.  however, the american statistics association and the american economic association also keep track of the number of men/women that graduate from statistics/economics graduate programs as well as pay data. both of these organizations puts the number of women working as statisticians or economists in academia, government or industry at around 33%. this is a similar number that burtchworks gets when they do surveys of ""other predictive analytics professionals"".  so that brings up the question, if there are plenty of women that have the applied math skills why do so few of them go into ""data science""? it seems like it isn't that there are no women that are qualified, it is that the qualified women either avoid the tech industry like the plague or they are kept out for some reason. what do you think causes this?   the studies mentioned: the [burtch works studies](http://www.burtchworks.com/big-data-analyst-salary/big-data-career-tips/the-burtch-works-study/thank-you/#gf_10)  the [american statistics association studies](http://www.amstat.org/careers/salaryinformation.cfm)  [a guide and advice for economists on the u.s. junior academic job market 2014-2015 edition](https://www.aeaweb.org/joe/pdfs/job%20market%20guide%20and%20advice%20--%202014-15%209-3-14.pdf)"
"i am an uber survivor. - ""amy""",5wm7nt,blank,Linooney,344,1488288807.0,"https://medium.com/@amyvertino/my-name-is-not-amy-i-am-an-uber-survivor-c6d6541e632f#.ump1tdrry  *not me, but thought i'd share"
should i keep my last name?,9pa8v1,blank,DaughterEarth,37,1539904998.0,my career is going well and i'm slowly building a reputation in a fairly niche industry. i have good connections with important contacts from partners and clients. i'm involved in the community as an individual and i also represent my company in a number of ways. i'm also going to get married in the next few years.   when i worked in executive recruitment it was common for people to not change their name when married because of all those industry connections. can it also have an impact in cs? i don't really care what my name is unless it could be important career-wise. i only know one other female developer and she's in her early 20s so it's not something that has been talked about!
what to wear for an internship? (female),34qp31,blank,csg4l,11,1430707682.0,"i'm currently working part time at a relatively established startup (~100 employees) near my university, and i've realized recently that what i've been wearing to work may not necessarily be work-appropriate.    i go straight to work from classes and vice versa, so i've never really considered what i was wearing until now.  there are not many girls there my age that i can take cues from as to what to wear.  the typical attire for guys is t-shirt and jeans, sometimes maybe polo and khakis.    i was just curious if dresses like [these](http://imgur.com/qwns1q5,1yzshwt,utvvar5) are considered too short?  and if you have any advice on what i should wear (that will also work for going to class) i'd really appreciate it.  thanks!"
full stack sw developer turn tech pm after a career break is wondering if it’s better to return back to being a full stack sw engineer.,aaut62,blank,techie_needs_advice,14,1546193683.0,"32 year old female sw developer had to take a career break for caring for family. i kept in touch with the tech world ofcourse. when i was ready to re-enter the work force, i returned as a technical pm. i made this choice just because i was good at project management and talking to various people across the organization to get the job done. i worked hard on re-educating myself via online tutorials and certifications like csm and cspo and got a seemingly dream gig as a tech pm for one of the big 5s. but the hourly rate i got was undercut so bad by the consulting agency that it was extremely demotivating.  i am thinking of ways, i could get back to higher paying gigs. maybe enterprise companies; maybe startup, maybe as a full stack sw engineer. i am absolutely open-minded on this.  during this time, i have also been trying to apply to various companies as a tech pm. since my last gig was for one of the big 5s, i get lot of interest.   so in lieu of a masters or exec mba, i figured i could do a bootcamp to turn technical again and also to open doors to companies that could offer better opportunities. i am ofcourse more interested in the ones offering job guaranteed and/or even tuition deferred.   —full stack sw engineer (hack reactor)  —app developer (app academy)  —data analytics(métis, springboard, uc berkeley extension) —product school ( for becoming a ft product owner in an up and happening startup or newer companies)  —cybersecurity bootcamp   —gracehopper program  the main concern few folks have mentioned that i am older and that this can make it harder to get hired as an engineer.  even if hired, they said i possibly can’t keep up with the time that younger engineers with no familial responsibilities can put in. but to me it means that i may possibly get better opportunity to be remote and not having to be on 24/7; as a tech pm.  i can even get trained in data analytics and get hired as a data analyst.  i am ok to work as a test automation engineer too. or a security engineer or devops. just would like to get back to having better opportunities. and a more promising career.  to most of my friends irl, this seems like a step down but i am trying to increase my payscale and perhaps have atleast remote working opportunities.  tl;dr: tech pm consultant wondering if it’s better to convert into a full stack sw engineer for better opportunities in the bay area."
is there really hiring discrimination based on name? i applied to 50 different companies with 2 different names,600a4u,blank,thanksmnd,191,1489813374.0,"**skip the next 3 paragraphs if you don't want to read a bunch of contextual info.**   let me preface this by saying that this isn't a scientific study or anything even close. it was an project for one of my arts electives and i thought i'd just share the results here. i'm not going to jump to or make any conclusions about the industry as a whole, but i think my results are in line with what actual studies say about application call back rates based on name.   i'm a caucasian male. however, my parents were hippies and gave me a traditionally indonesian name, and it also happens to be mostly given to girls and sounds feminine. they also combined their last names when they got married and my last name sounds korean (my dads last name was lee so its leexxx). never really thought about it much, actually quite liked my name. anyhow, my sociology professor thought it was really interesting and encouraged me to do some kind of final project surrounding my name. since i was applying for internships anyways, i thought it would be easy and interesting to just apply twice to the same companies, but with different names.   my resume has one previous internship at a mid-sized but not tech company, and one interesting class project. i had troubles getting interviews for this summer, but i attributed it to my lack of experience and no side projects. without changing any other content on the resume other than the name, i made a fake email and started applying twice to the same companies. i did change the formatting a bit so it wasn't too obvious, but everything else stayed the same. the fake name i chose was connor miller, so it was clear that the applicant was a caucasian male.    i applied to 50 different companies using my real name and the fake name, mainly large and some local companies i was going to apply for anyways. applied for most of them from january - february and waited until last week for the results.   * real me: 6 rejections, 2 coding challenges, 2 interviews * connor miller: 4 rejections (3 of the same companies), 2 coding challenges (both same), 5 interviews (1 same)   this was pretty surprising to me, to be frank. i knew and read on the news that people discriminated based on gender and race, but i didn't think it was this significant, nor did i think it would affect me. someone with the same credentials as me could land more interviews solely because they would have a whiter/more masculine name. i'm not even a minority or a female and i feel pretty cheated.    i'm not going to change my name, but what can i and others with more ethnic names do to about this issue? is it just a fact of life and our society? how have your experiences been on this issue?"
dressing well and the tech industry?,5xds2r,blank,inepte,61,1488611863.0,"i'm about to graduate next year, and this question has been weighing on me a bit. last summer, i interned on the west coast for a major tech company and i noticed that most people didn't put a lot of effort into their appearance; a lot of the male swes on my team work old t-shirts and board shorts with sandals. women also dressed pretty casually. my new york casual felt overdressed for california, and i ended up ""dressing down"" a lot, so to speak. growing up, it's always been a kind of dream of mine to be able to wear the business-casual kind of look daily (sheath dresses, nice blouses with pencil skirts, blazers, heels), i was wondering if that's even feasible. was what i witnessed last summer representative of tech in general? are there any companies/locations where this wouldn't be too dressy? do any women, in particular, have any advice on dressing for the industry (from your experience, does what you wear change others' treatment of you, and in your opinion, would it be for the best to ""dress down"", not just necessarily in terms formality, but also femininity when at work?)"
planning to switch from cs (b.s.) into applied math (b.s.) and philosophy. advice?,825usz,blank,poyox4,30,1520284675.0,"so some things i've noticed from the cs department at my university is that the undergrads are severely lacking in mathematical and computational thinking skills and the classes focus way too much on theory rather than actual programming. i want to switch into applied math to hopefully stand out from my peers and put me in a good position in case i decide to go to graduate school. i do intend to get a job related to cs in the future, so to compensate, i plan to minor in cs, code some projects on the side, and apply for internships related to cs. the whole philosophy thing is simply an interest of mine; i doubt it'll land me a lucrative career, but it's definitely something i want to pursue on the side. in any case, i'm concerned that switching into applied math will put me at a disadvantage in case i want to get a job related to software development/engineering after getting my bachelor's. is it worth abandoning a cs degree in favor of a math one? what kind of jobs are out there for applied math majors (both non-cs- and cs-related)? if i want to go into grad school for comp sci, will applied math prepare me better than the regular computer science curriculum? if i want to get a job related to self-driving cars or ai, will i be able to get one with an applied math degree or will i have to go to grad school for it? should i take higher level comp sci classes as an undergrad (such as computer vision or ai) or is it better to go to grad school? these are just some of the questions i want answered, but feel free to contribute any advice you have to offer.  as a bonus question: any ideas on how to integrate philosophy into a potential comp sci career? i know that collision ethics is a hot topic in the self-driving car industry and i was wondering if having expertise in a topic like that would make me stand out in interviews or if it'd just be icing on the cake.  edit: for clarification, i'm a girl. as in: g.i.r.l. i like to be referred to as ""she"" and ""her,"" which are feminine pronouns. if i sound patronizing, i'm not trying to be. i'm just getting irritated at the fact that people are assuming i'm male. two, i'm not getting rid of cs entirely. i plan on minoring and self-studying it in my free time. and finally, three, i want to double major in philosophy because it's extremely complementary to cs (esp. the logic-based classes) and i just like it. sheesh, i didn't think i'd get so much flack for the last part. philosophical thinking is actually extremely similar to computational thinking, guys. if you've never taken a basic class on philosophy, please don't ridicule me for liking it."
finding work with pending name change (transgender)?,37dhxp,blank,missblit,3,1432702400.0,"i recently graduated with a bs in cs.   i'm also transgender. and my diploma will be under my ""old"" name, all my legal documents too, not to mention the name on the page for my cool capstone project that i'd like to show off.  i'm going to work on getting a name change (yes, i should have done this earlier); but it's a time consuming (over six weeks in the best case), expensive, and kinda confusing process.  in the meanwhile; i'm not totally sure how i should approach looking for a job. since presumably employers will want to do background checks and degree verification and all that good stuff.  * would it be better to use legal or actual name on resume? * should i put a note about it one or the other? * should i just avoid the issue entirely and act like a well-endowed feminine guy or something? * etc.  i appreciate any thoughts!  i've also already read the [other thread about transgender stuff](http://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/35xdob/difficulty_for_transgender_or_gender/) but if anyone has some other thoughts about that all i'd love to hear them as well."
can anyone share their experiences with transgender people in the workforce (openly or transitioned on the job)?,e4ntxj,blank,SofiaLoved,4,1575263554.0,"i have been hearing quite polarizing views even within the bay area, so i would like to ask an open forum what your views or what you have witnessed with transgender people in the workforce."
for web dev how often is discrimination among transgenders?,a9i2g6,blank,skylartrap,8,1545798873.0,hey to start off this post   i kinda have 2 questions in mind also as a quick disclaimer   i don't want to start an argument why hostile comment section or even a political debate   i want honest advice and an answer no sugar coating  i'm going in the career in programming specifically web dev i have three more classes left before i have my degree and i'm already in the process of trying to build a portfolio  i'm always looking to work and improve my skills where i can't i even picked up an extra database management class for the extra oof   the truth is when it comes to job searching it's normally hard and it's even harder for those that are transgender  this is due to the fact that a lot of discrimination can run rampant he'll i face a lot of it through daily living in pennsylvania   https://www.quora.com/why-is-it-so-hard-for-transgender-people-to-find-work   see the above for a reference and good explanation. as a trans individual i realize that i'm going to have to work a lot harder than others  and learn extra skills that give that wow feature    so to sum up these two questions  how hard is it for a trans to find a job in this field?  secondly what are some extra skills i could pick up that might help me get a job over another candidate
what's the cs workplace like for transgender folk?,733iok,blank,StarryLight89,3,1506665511.0,"i'm a trans girl, still a junior in college working on a csci degree, starting to look into the job market. i've searched through the cscareerquestions subreddit for what cis women have said about their workplaces and found that it's kinda a hit and miss thing for finding a good company. it seems like there are some bad companies but that there's also a decent number of good companies for women to work at in terms of how they're treated. does this apply to trans workers too, or is it limited to just cis women? or are trans programmers just like unicorns where you only see one in a blue moon in the professional cs field?"
how big of a mess have i got myself into?,aoz7jr,blank,newacc0101,13,1549790823.0,"i will be given a formal offer for a summer internship in a few weeks. i was referred by person a to a close colleague and i’ve passed the interview stage as a male, over the phone. i turned down other offers in the fall, because i’m a fucking idiot.  i’m transgender, and person a (parent) has not seen me since early january. i still present 100% my birth gender and regardless, it would not be a problem for the company, which has strong lgbt protections. it’s going to get pretty hard to hide over the summer though. i prefer to hold off coming out as long as possible.  **however**, person a is able to commute to the office i would be assigned to (they don’t have to because they work in a closer office), and i don’t want to see person a, likely a transphobe, all summer. on top of all that, my official/permanent address with person a is close enough that the company wouldn’t cover housing with a stipend (according to person a), and there’s no way in hell i’m going to live with person a, obviously.  what do i do when i receive the offer that doesn’t include a housing stipend?  *if i want to get it, i would 100% have to out myself to at the offer stage, which opens another can of worms like if they decide to rescind the offer because they wouldn’t want to create any conflict among their team with person a  *even if i just accept the offer without the stipend, i will probably eventually have to come out to the hiring manager, who i would be working directly with.  how and when should i come out to the hiring manager? or should i not initiate that conversation?  thanks everyone!"
"boss was replaced by a micromanager, i need out",7a6klr,blank,__cscq_throwaway,5,1509599036.0,"so, [i posted last june](https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/4oeozr/starting_a_new_job_when_i_know_i_might_have_to/) about how i got a job offer and i was agonizing over whether or not to take it because if the texas bathroom bill passes (i am openly transgender), i'd have to flee the state.  well, i took the offer, and the bathroom bill didn't pass. i've been hear for a year and a quarter now, and the job was great. my boss was the best boss i'd ever had; he was a mentor and a friend to me. note the ""was"". my boss quit at the beginning of september. his boss immediately rammed through an old friend and college roommate of his to replace him, and the new guy has been utterly horrible. all he's done since joining is pointless micromanagement. i'm sick of it, and i need out.  i'm going to be updating my resume tonight.  i need to know the best tactics i can use to avoid working at a place that prescribes micromanagement. i've already decided i don't want to ever again work for a company that uses jira in any capacity. i'm not going to work for any place where words like ""sprint"" and ""burndown"" are part of the vocabulary. how do i articulate this while looking for a job?  it's sad because i like a lot of other things about my current employer. they're a conservative b2b telecom with a suburban office filled with rows of cubicles. despite their conservatism, they wrote the single best transgender policy i've ever seen in response to my hiring. this is, for the most part, a company i like. i'm going to be looking for a very similar company. maybe not specifically a telecom, but i definitely insist on a company that's not a startup, that isn't a small business (looking for 500 employees minimum), that has a cube farm in a suburban office park instead of something urban or open, and actively shuns brogrammer culture in favor of a more traditional conservative image. and that's in addition to making sure i find a team that doesn't practice micromanagement or use micromanagement tools like jira and agile concepts.  to complicate things more, i'm going to move. the bathroom bill didn't pass this time, but they're going to try again in 2019, and by then joe straus will be gone. i intend to apply for jobs in the la/oc (preferably oc) and vegas areas. also, i can't fly for a variety of reasons, so i'm not sure how i can make interviews work when i live out of state. are there companies who will hire on phone skype interviews alone? or will i have to use up all my vacation time to take a road trip across the country for a single interview?  basically, what i'm asking is what are good tactics to use in order to find a company i'd like to work for? and how do i effectively hunt for a job in another state?  thank you!"
will identifying as genderqueer or non-hetereosexual hurt your chances in a career in cs?,35bgeo,blank,SoullessSingularity,18,1431139122.0,"i searched in the searchbar for genderqueer, gender, trans and nonbinary.  i didn't get anything much, and if i missed something i am quite sorry.  i am a person who doesn't really identify with male or female, but can pass off as one of the genders based on physical sex.  i'm interested in pursuing a career in computer science (software engineering) but i don't know if it is appropriate to present myself as nonbinary in this field and couldn't find much information on if i should continue to pretend to behave according to my assigned sex at birth. i also don't know how open the tech field as a whole is to people who are trans or otherwise don't fall into the specific cisgender category.  on a more general note, i am also curious how open the tech field as a whole is to non-heterosexual sexualities such as homosexual, bisexual or pansexual. i couldn't find anything much about this.  i'd just like to know people's experiences about this. thanks!"
starting a new job when i know i might have to move next year. am i doing the right thing?,4oeozr,blank,__cscq_throwaway,4,1466128787.0,"i got laid off in march and have been on unemployment since. multiple attempts to find a new job failed, many of them in frustrating ways. last month, one of my best friends, who i went to college with and have known for over a decade, suggested that i apply for a job at his company. i looked at the description, and it sounds like my dream job. i looked the company up on glassdoor, and the company sounds like my dream company. so i applied, my friend stuck his neck out to recommend me, i interviewed, and i got the job. i'm taking care of the paperwork this week, and i start on monday. that's the good part.  now, the bad part: i'm openly transgender, i live in texas, and my new job is in texas, too. recently, our lieutenant governor has promised to ram an anti-transgender bathroom bill through the state legislature (and the lt. gov. has extremely strong powers over the state legislature, so he absolutely can do this if he wants), and the next session will be in the first half of next year. if that bill passes, i'm gone. i'll put in my notice at my job, break my lease, pack my things, and move to a blue state (probably to socal, but that's still up in the air).  basically... am i doing the right thing accepting this job if i know there's a very good possibility i'll have to quit in less than a year? it's my dream job, and i really, *really*, ***really*** don't want to have to leave, but i cannot live in any state with a transphobic bathroom law. but it feels almost dishonest to accept a permanent position knowing that i'll probably have to leave it so soon. i will, however, do my job to the absolute best of my ability and act as if i intend to stay at this company for life, because there's a chance the bathroom bill *won't* pass, and i definitely intend to stay at this company for as long as humanly possible if it doesn't.  i'm also worried about hurting my friend, since he stuck his neck out to get me this job. this is a guy who's told me that i'm like a sister to him, and the feeling is mutual (that is, he's like a brother to me... i'm fairly sure he's not trans). i'm not sure how much my friend is aware of my intentions to move, either. i mentioned it to him last month (not in the context of a job hunt, just venting to a friend about possibly being forced to evacuate my hometown), around the time he suggested i apply at his company, but he just kind of blew it off with ""that bill will never pass"", and i don't think he put two and two together. of course, he's when i told him that, he also said that he's confident bernie sanders will become president and nullify the law, so i know that his expectations of political events are unrealistic (i love him like a brother... i just think his head is in the clouds sometimes). and i made a post on facebook last month soliciting ideas for places to move to, which i don't think he even noticed. i can't tell if he's aware i might have to bail under a year in and simply accepts it, or if he just hasn't realized it yet and will be hurt when he finds out. honestly, part of the reason i made a throwaway instead of using my main is because he's a redditor, my main is linked to my real-life identity, and i don't want him reading this post and knowing i was the one who made it.  what do all of you think?"
inquiry about bad job history and having an associates in cs and mathematics,epuc6u,blank,WildStay2,2,1579258773.0,"hi, i love this sub and it’s been helpful in preparing me to join the workforce that is coding and software development.  a bit of backstory quickly - i’m mid 20s and have terrible work history due to being a stay at home parent for 5 years. resume looks awful because of this, though i did work.   in the winter, i’m going to be graduating with an associates in computer science and a second associates in mathematics with a cumulative gpa of 3.66 right now, but hopefully better in the next two semesters. last semester i finished with a 3.8 so that was great.   i’m not sure how to spin my resume when looking for jobs or if i am even a viable prospective intern for companies as someone who isn’t able to pursue a bachelor’s yet(time constraints due to parenting). here are my prospective options and i’m wondering what you would do:  1. join the honors society and try to get a scholarship and aid package to pay for childcare while i get my bachelors   2. network with the school’s stem club for internships or jobs  3. try to start making my resume as acceptable as possible and land a data analyst or help desk job  in the meantime, i’m doing all three.. but when i finish school i’m going to have some pretty big financial concerns and want to place my effort in the best place possible, including really taking the time to understand the computer science courses. i have permission for referrals from two of my professors for job and internship purposes and am taking some courses with them this semester, so i plan on really doing office hours to learn more about coding for specific skills to put on my resume.  what would you do? what would you put on your resume? would you shoot low? please help."
clean slate,e50nve,blank,balognabuilt,5,1575329675.0,"32yr old father living in rural midwest. i've spent my entire adult career working on cars for a living. if you're a glutton for punishment then it's a great career to get into. when my daughter was born, my wife and i decided that it was best for me to be the stay-at-home parent while she works as a speech therapist, because my pay as an auto tech was barely enough to cover insurance and childcare expenses alone. i'm currently running a very small auto repair business out of my own garage to keep my mind busy while i raise my daughter, but i've realized after leaving the full-time field that i never want to go back.  so, i've spent the better part of the past year bouncing back & forth trying to decide what field i want to dive into next, and i feel that despite my lack of knowledge of computers (i'd say my computer skills are ""average"" compared to the general population), i need to look into this more. i've never considered myself the ""computer guy"" within my circle, more of the ""redneck guy that finds a way to fix anything even though sometimes it involves google"". i'm intrigued by some distinct parallels between the auto repair field and the it field, the biggest being the obvious: the satisfaction of seeing something run properly when it's fixed. i love a challenge. when i don't know the answer to something, or how it works, i can't help myself... i have to figure it out. i'm relatively quiet, but still enjoy camaraderie and working with people. i feel that i possess all (or at least most) of the personal qualities that are essential to being successful here. but the problem is clear... i have basically zero technical knowledge or experience, and i'm 32 years old. i need lots of training. am i too far behind the curve to get caught up now? what's the best starting point? am i going to face difficulty finding an it-related job in a rural area? should i consider an online degree? if so, what universities do you recommend? i want prospective employers to take me seriously, but an on-campus degree is probably out of the question because family time is important to me.  any and all advice is much appreciated."
thoughts on working at uber atg?,6yg1c3,blank,nolonger_superman,18,1504737805.0,"i recently applied for a [position](https://lensa.com/project-specialist-label-production-jobs/pittsburgh/jd/aa6e1e1011d1eda6c6108432209957a3) (the actual posting at uber appears to no longer be up) within uber advanced technology group (i.e. autonomous vehicles).  i've gone through the phone screening process and am scheduled to be onsite for a 5 hour interview process next monday.  i'm trying to gauge whether it's worth it or not.  does anyone have any insight?      additionally, and getting ahead of myself here, but in preliminary discussions, it sounds like at best i can expect a salary in line with what i make now, but i currently work from home since my commute ""downtown"" will take, at best, 1h 15m and most days probably more.  there is little opportunity for telecommuting in this role and it would cause some childcare issues which will require an additional expense.  at the same time, this is ""high tech"" and would look great on my resume.  plus, it's working on something that i truly feel could be one of the next big things and vastly change so many facets of our economy (not necessarily for the better -- i.e. truck and taxi drivers).      i know i'm rambling and i apologize.  i'm just so conflicted because while i think this would be awesome, i also don't know if i can justify it because of lack of pay increase, unknown stock options, longer working hours, longer commute....          - for some background, i have been working for 12.5 years, but not for a ""tech"" company like uber.      - i've been in it in the insurance industry (both health and life/annuity).   currently in the health insurance industry so given the political landscape, things are always changing and my company is currently doing random layoffs.  who knows if i'll end up impacted or not.       - my degree is in information systems, but my program had significant programming courses (same as the cs program).  i can read code and understand what's going on, but have not been asked to code in a professional capacity (other than vba scripting in excel which i hesitate to even call coding).    - my career has been in the business / systems analysis realm, but i also have experience as a project lead and as a people manager (of a team of business/systems analysts)."
"suggestions for smart, incremental progress",84bkhk,blank,SAHCSer,1,1521041594.0,"graduated from ivy league school with liberal arts degree, currently in a flexible online cs program to get a second bs in cs, with a 4.0 gpa. however, i'm also currently a full-time stay at home mom, with a toddler and a  baby, and plan (god willing) to have another baby in the next 18 months. and my kids have had some medical problems (nothing traumatic, but making the baby stage especially exhausting). so i'm progressing very, very slowly.  my question is, how do i prioritize to make the best use of this time? time limitations are real, given that kids are young and it's hard to / i don't have a desire to pay for childcare on top of tuition. but i have time at night, or during naps, that's flexible.  would you prioritize... - finishing the degree? - personal projects? (resume building) - open source? - leetcode? - something else entirely?  here was my plan: finish most of the degree at my own pace, getting some foundational knowledge with which to build projects. then, take time off to build a resume with first projects then (when kids are a little older and i have a resume that can get a good one) internships. finish the degree right around when i am ready to seek a job, and market myself as a ""new grad"" -- vs finishing the degree ""early"" and then having to explain what the heck i was doing after graduating.  still, it's going to look weird that i pursued a degree for so long, right? or if i don't put a start date, my previous work experience will give it away? (unless i did a project-focused/organized resume?)  any advice appreciated. let me know if i'm even asking the wrong questions or approaching this the wrong way.  edit: my hope is to eventually intern at one of the more prestigious tech companies, and possibly work at one for a year or two, then seeking a lower-key role with a less competitive company or possibly even government."
list of compensation negotiation factors,5tn53x,blank,ocawa,0,1486953387.0,"this is not a comprehensive list, so please contribute your idea in the comments!  * average salary for your experience level in your area. for example a glassdoor search for ""software engineer new grad in x"" should give you a base level market value. there's also paysa, salary.com but in my experience glassdoor and paysa are the most reliable.  * cost of living (col) adjustment. [this wolfram alpha](https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=moving+from+st+louis+to+san+francisco+salary+$42,500&lk=3) shows about how much more it costs to live in one place vs another. i'm not too seasoned on col calculations, but wolfram alpha was listed before hand. another benchmark that might be more specific is how much the average house price in one neighborhood is compared to another. doing two searches on zillow or any other real estate website should give good results.  * relocation. hiring managers have budget they use to hire people, but money allocated from the relocation budget is separate. if you need to move houses, break a lease, buy a car, set up in a new area, take care of inconveniences that people who are in the area don't have to deal with, etc.  * competing offer. a competing offer is amazing for leverage, especially if it's from a competitor. say there are three companies: a, b, and c. all three three offers are $10. if you like a the best, and a and b are competitors, bringing up b's offer would do you better, since company a is not only acquiring talent but also decreasing the talent pool b has to chose from.  * state income tax. i've not read about this before, but it might give you a one-up. since employers understand that states that portion of salary taken up by income tax will not be able to directly support one's cost of living. say a company sets the baseline for pay at $10, but the state where your takes $1 for taxes whereas the state where the hq for the company is doesn't take any money in the form of taxes. in this case it's reasonable to ask for a little bit more money.  and all of these factors go into compensation, which takes many forms. here is a brief list i've taken from an article [linked](https://medium.freecodecamp.com/how-not-to-bomb-your-offer-negotiation-c46bb9bc7dea#.u3cljsfjz) on here many times : salary, signing bonuses, stock, year-end or performance bonuses, commuter benefits, relocation expenses, equipment, an educational stipend, a childcare stipend, extra vacation time, a later start date, getting a dedicated hour a day to work out or study or meditate or play solitaire.  again, please contribute your own ideas below"
a decision which could make my career. need your advice,dely8q,blank,superThrowAwayPro,6,1570495044.0,i am senior software engineer with 7 years of experience and i have 3 offers in hand here is the list of the offers  1) rakuten (different city) highest package 2) a startup in the pos industry(current city) almost  equal pay package to option 1. 3) shure(current city) very little hike compared to my current salary but the higher management says the long term gains are good.   i'm not sure what to choose mostly i'm not opting for rakuten but what about the rest should i choose shure where i know the work culture and work life balance would be good and stay in the long run or take the startup where there's no insurance for my parent and then make a switch later on?  i know it is individual preference but i dont know if i have to choose money or work life balance or choose short term gains vs long term gains.
is it possible to get a job without having to do ridiculous algorithm questions?,9jzuf2,blank,ThanksForTheGoldDude,73,1538278457.0,i’m sick of stressing about getting a job and i absolutely suck at doing algorithm questions. i’m thinking about switching majors to accounting because jobs seem more easily attainable with almost equal pay.
uber new grad fulltime offer non-negotiable and same for everyone?,b40cn8,blank,kaafar,3,1553255820.0,"i have a full-time offer at a few companies including fb, google and uber. facebook offer is a lot higher than uber, yet uber refuses to negotiate and said they have a commitment to equal pay for equal roles. they offered 125k/4yrs in stock.     is this a bluff? i tried pushing 3 times and i think the recruiter got annoyed. but i heard returning interns to fte get 150k/4yrs in stock. can anyone confirm this?"
is teksystems legit?,99aauo,blank,Raleda,7,1534940809.0,"so i was in the middle of a shift when i got a phone call from teksystems. the lady on the other end was polite and personable, and the follow up email i requested (as i was at work and not free to talk) was actually not a template for once.  it was, in fact, a straight up job offer for a contract position. the posting would have been equal pay to my current position except without the benefits or permanence, so i politely declined... but is this normal? a job offer without any real communication beforehand?"
how do i avoid people (or companies with people) like this,6r1fwm,blank,idontwanttomsft,19,1501672455.0,"this letter was floating around the intern group and i was very annoyed because it makes all of the interns seem like entitled twats. how do i avoid places with people like this (who wrote the letter).  dear dr. gwen houston, chief diversity & inclusion officer at microsoft, i hope this email finds you well. my name is xxxxxx, and i write this email in behalf of the summer 2017 interns at microsoft. we write this email to let you know what we think about microsoft’s policies regarding diversity and inclusion, what microsoft is doing well, what it is failing at, and how it can do better. microsoft is doing a much better job at promoting diversity and inclusion than any other big company out there. the impression i get is that microsoft is a mature company and behaves like an adult. we believe microsoft really wants to be committed to diversity, that it has exerted a tremendous amount of effort in being ethical, and that it can be the true leader of marrow-deep diversity in tech, the leader that shows the travis kalanicks of the world what they are doing wrong and how they can do better. but it is not that leader yet. as of now, it is hard for us to discern how much of microsoft’s diversity efforts are marketing tactics, and how much are sincere. while we would very much like to believe that they are sincere – and there is a lot that indicates that they are – there is a smorgasbord of small things, peppered and doused throughout the company, that stick out like sore thumbs and make us doubtful about microsoft’s true commitment to diversity. here are some company-wide examples, just so you can get a feel of what we’re talking about. 1. during satya’s intern q&a on july 27 th (yesterday), an engineering intern made a piercing point about the hypocrisy of the explorer program. she noted that, as a rising junior, she could have applied for a regular internship, but, being an underrepresented minority, was specifically sought out and encouraged by recruiters to apply for the explore internship. as a result, she discovered that she received about half the pay of regular interns despite their shared education history and the requisite skill set. 2. also during the q&a, there was a big screen at the stage magnifying satya and occasionally showing the faces of interns in the group. a friend who was wearing a hijab was shown on this screen no less than three times. i don’t make judgments about the cameraman’s intentions, but the outcome was that several of us felt our friend, as a “token minority”, was being used for marketing, so microsoft can say, “look how diverse we are!” i also saw microsoft officials going around the room to pick out “diverse people”, frequently female and/or african american, to come up and sit on reserved seats on the front, so that they would be better viewed by the camera. 3. on monday, july 17 th , wdg held an intern summer event at marymoor park. as part of the event, interns were divided into teams to solve challenges together. while this game style is a common intern activity, the guise it took was insensitive: teams become tribes​ to compete with other teams in survivor style challenges and castaway themed activities… the group will be divided into tribes​ and will have an opportunity to “theme” themselves with tribal markings and create a custom tribe flag​… in the wake of the washington redskins controversy, as well as the long and ongoing history of the mistreatment of native americans, some of us thought this game was not inclusive and not respectful. a number of us chose to sit out of the game. and here are some personal examples. 4. xxxxxx as a south korean national, i have been asked several ignorant questions about my heritage throughout my internship. one legal representative spelled my name as *off by 2 letters* in an official correspondence. and while i see people of my race represented well in lower and middle rank positions, i notice how they drastically thin out in the higher rank positions. 5. your example here: 6. your example here: … … … despite all these problems, i still have hope that microsoft can be the diversity leader that the tech world needs. microsoft is the unique company that successfully underwent a full cultural shift under satya, a leader who has shown remarkable humility, who, after saying that women who demand equal pay should just wait for the system to change, genuinely learned from the lesson and has worked tirelessly to diminish this gap. two weeks ago, i had a great meeting with daryl welsh, director of engineering at our organization, where i brought up some of these issues, and told him i was drafting this email. he encouraged me to send it, which i appreciated. he noted that initially, when microsoft’s cultural shift was underway, employees had to attend offline workshops lasting three to four days. i was surprised at how short these workshops were considering the drastic shift that resulted within microsoft’s internal culture; if three days is enough to accomplish what it did, what could be done over longer timespans? and that is our proposal: offline workshops lasting not three, four days but three, four months. in effect, classes, led by passionate ethnic studies scholars, with hundreds of pages of assigned readings and sincere debates, for full-timers and interns alike. for people who do not want such a big commitment yet, a speaker series from renowned authors and scholars, just like msr’s speaker series, but talking instead about systemic racism, colonialism, and unconscious biases. in other words, a push towards not superficial but deep diversity, a push with microsoft’s full weight, to really challenge the status quo, to change long-seated stereotypes and facilitate dialogue. we understand that this could be a big commitment, and at times can be even a sticky political issue. but there is no easy, superficial cure for racism. hiring minority students gets only so far when racism and culture are taboo topics to discuss. we believe that if microsoft leads a company-wide initiative, offering long-term offline workshops to talk about racism, colonialism, and unconscious biases, the domain of discourse will significantly expand, and employees, whether enrolled in the workshops or not, will feel more comfortable discussing such topics. this, in turn, will create a truly diverse culture in microsoft, and, i believe, it will be a significant factor in attracting new talent. i, for one, will choose a company sincerely committed to diversity over any competing offer, because i care more about the climate in which i work more than anything. us millennials are sick of superficial diversity, as it has been hoisted on us our entire lives, and want genuinely to be able to empathize with diverse cultures – now if only we had the knowledge to do so! thank you for taking the time to read this email, and i hope you will consider our proposal. i would love to have a meeting with you to talk further, and come up with more concrete plans. already a few scholars i know come to mind who would love to work here. we hope for a near future where this following mission statement is a bit less empty, where it deeply resonates with the soul of every single person at microsoft. diversity and inclusion: we don’t just value differences, we seek them out. we invite them in. microsoft is a place where employees can be who they are. we value diverse perspectives. and as a result, we have better ideas, better products and happier customers. (https://careers.microsoft.com/mission-culture) sincerely, your name / alias here, … … …"
would it be worth it for me to move to the west coast?,en0rqi,blank,lindburger_,91,1578735376.0,"i'm a 29f java developer with a masters degree in computer science. i've been working for about 5 years now and live in a mid-sized city on the east coast. i just got a new job and i expect that if i stay with the same company for the next 3 years or so my salary should get to around 150k (base + annual bonus), not taking promotions into account. i'm mainly a backend developer but i'm also decent at building stuff with angular. going forward that's what i want my career to look like - equal parts back and front end development.  my life in my current city is pretty great. i own a 2-bedroom condo in the city, bought my car with cash, save and invest a good 40-45% of my paycheck and just in general don't ever feel a shortage of money. even though i get to work on interesting projects, i rarely have to work more than 40 hours a week and have my evenings and weekends free to do my own stuff and hang out with friends. work is a quick 20-minute train ride away and i don't even have to pay for it out of pocket. decent benefits as well.  but lately i can't help think that i'm missing out by not being on the west coast. i've been to california a few times and tbh i've never really liked any of the cities i've visited. sfo is too cold (for me) and expensive. la, san diego and everything in between is charmless and boring, and expensive. rural california is beautiful but there's no jobs there as far as i'm aware. seattle is beautiful as well but again expensive and so far removed from the rest of the country. then there's all the stuff that i read about how the silicon valley culture is so competitive, cutthroat and basically everyone is always working long hours and and it's just a dick-measuring contest to see who makes the most money. plus the cost of living is so high so everyone lives far away from work and has a terrible commute. it's all anecdotal so i don't know how much of it is really true.  here's the thing though - i love money. it's why i moved to this country. but i also love my life here on the east coast. if i decided to move to ca or wa some time in the next few years, would i be making enough money to justify giving up my life here? would i be able to afford a house, car, savings, all that jazz, living on the west coast? while still having enough of a work-life balance?  **tl;dr** is it worth it for a java dev to move to the west coast for the pay increase and would i be able to maintain the same quality of life there as i have here on the east coast?"
consulting vs. full stack developer,76xy4d,blank,Shadowmox,2,1508268974.0,"specifically, my question is about longevity: does my career benefit more from the consulting job or from the full stack development job?  you can assume that i like both jobs equally, i'm just trying to see what other future employers would see. and you can assume equal pay.   i'm unsure how consulting stacks up in a resume against an actual programming job.  i just got my bs in computer science in california, and a friend of mine works at a consultation company consulting clients on their software needs.   problem is, that position doesn't do much more than consulting --basically, there's no programming involved since most of it is outsourced to other people.  he's part of the hiring board at the company and invited me for an interview, meanwhile i'm interviewing for full stack development positions.  note: neither job is 100% guaranteed, but i'm fairly confident.   on mobile so apologies if format is off. thanks in advance."
"bs in ""math & cs"" but not work history, no internship - where do i go from here?",erfryt,blank,fear_computerum,28,1579567768.0,"i graduated with a degree in ""mathematics/computer science"" (there was no plain ""computer science"" degree at my relatively unknown private college) in early 2018.   my story is atypical: since my early teens i had serious personal/health-related problems. i always heard that computer science grads were incredibly in-demand and getting my bs in cs would assuredly lead to a job. at the time i was just trying to get through the program because the unrelated issues were dominating my life. i didn't realize the importance of an internship, nor did my professors/counselors inform me just how much of a mistake it would be not doing one. i figured i'd just focus on getting the degree, get hired, and get all my *real* training at the job.  after graduation, the reality hit me that find a job wasn't going to be easy. i realized i fucked up and now i was going to pay for it. so i applied and applied got basically 0 calls back. my resumé was(is) essentially blank except for my degree. no work, no extracurriculars, nothing else (again, as a result of my personal issues). the one response i did get, i was sent what was supposed to be a relatively easy hackerrank and i did poorly.  on a positive note, with lots of hard work and an equal amount of both fortune and help, my personal/health issues are now essentially resolved.  after a year and half of searching, i took an it support job out of desperation, which basically has nothing to do with programming. i'm there now but it feels like a dead-end.  anyway, i want to get back into *really* learning how to program for once. in school, we learned basically exclusively java, so i feel like i know a good amount of the fundamentals. i wouldn't need to start entirely from scratch writing ""hello world""s and stuff, but i don't really know where to pick up learning java where my formal education left off. should i even attempt going for a master's now that i can focus on school 100% in hopes that i can get an internship/networking opportunities?  any help is appreciated."
i feel...tricked with this offer letter. is this the norm?,epj59q,blank,diddy41,22,1579209154.0,"leaving my current job and just starting to look over things in my downtime.   comparing pay and healthcare, etc.  anyways i was looking at the offer letter at my soon to be old job and it states my base salary was $xx,xxx. yet, looking at the internal hr system - this base salary includes annual leave, sick leave, and holiday pay at a certain amount $x,xxx to equal my base pay.  is this the norm?"
"the good, bad, and the ugly of web dev coding bootcamps - in depth explanation",doixms,blank,that_90s_guy,191,1572341460.0,"hi reddit!  so, i often get a large number of bootcamp related questions directly to my inbox, and decided to instead of answering every single one of them, to write an article summarizing my experience as a bootcamp mentor across various programs for +3 years, and someone who's been in the industry for +5 years now and interviews candidates on a daily basis. i was recommended by a redditor to post my article on r/cscareerquestions. i decided to just post the markdown content as my goal isn't to promote my personal blog and it's instead to help people. hope it helps some of you!  on to the article!  # the good, bad, and the ugly of web dev coding bootcamps.  not all bootcamps are created equal.  so…**coding bootcamps**. calling them a controversial way to get into coding as a career path is nothing short of an understatement. right? some people love them, some hate them. some think of them as little more than a quick cash grab to ride the influx of developer roles. plus, it would explain why the most often received question i get in my inbox is:  # what do you think about <insert bootcamp name? do you think it’s worth it?  sadly, there is no short answer 🙁 so, in an effort to help all these people on the edge of considering a coding bootcamp…i’ve decided to write this article summing up my experiences teaching at bootcamps, seeing students rise and fail, lessons learned, and any tips and advice i’d give to anyone considering a coding bootcamp.  ## the good ✅  the thing coding bootcamps excel at the most, is at providing **direction**. learning how to code can be a daunting, overwhelming task at times. there is so much you need to know, and so much important stuff you can’t possibly know that you don’t know. bootcamps make this easier by providing a curated learning path.  the other fantastic thing about bootcamps, is the **community** that often comes along with it. learning on your own and getting stuck can often be a deeply demoralizing experience. one that changes drastically once you have a whole community behind your back.  there’s also the **portfolio **of projects aspect. most bootcamps have a roadmap that lets you end with multiple portfolio projects by the time you graduate. this is the key to landing a full time job with no experience, and probably the hardest part of learning on your own. as you will probably be faced with the common “what do i build?” type of question and end up building nothing.  for the ones that offer it, there’s also the invaluable **career services** option. for those unfamiliar, this is basically a service for course graduates that helps you find a job, polish your curriculum and social media, and basically does its best to set you up for success. not too bad!  lastly, there’s the **1:1** **support** which is invaluable as a beginner coder. this is one the biggest things i envy the most as someone who had to learn coding pretty much from scratch (i am not a cs graduate). it’s an incredibly frustrating experience getting stuck for days at a time, only to finally arrive at a random meetup and have a stranger point out a single line of code is to blame. i would not have had to go through so much frustration if i had a 1:1 mentor back in the day.  ## the bad ❌  there are a **lot **of **bad** coding bootcamps. i cannot understate this enough. at least in my area, i’ve seen an increasingly large amount of *cheap*, online coding bootcamps. these are made by people who are only out there to cash in the public interest to learn coding, but don’t really care about making you employable. and you can quickly figure this out by just looking at their curriculum.  some bootcamps barely go into js/css/html fundamentals, and then rush you into a react/angular/vue app and call it a day. this will **not **land you a job. the market is **saturated** with people who know how build a hello world react app but lack the pillars that really make up a developer. training a person properly takes time, and money. this of course means that a good bootcamp will not be cheap. i’m sorry if that’s not something you were hoping to hear 🙁  the second thing you need to know before even considering a job in coding, is that you need to make sure you ❤️ this line of work. nobody really ever tells you that a life in coding, is basically a career where you can never stop learning. and one where sometimes you’ll have to sacrifice free time to stay up to date to current trends in technology if you wish to either stay relevant, or go up the professional ladder. i’ve met a lot of people who joined bootcamps, but were not prepared for the amount of time they had to sacrifice to complete it.  lastly, **time**. due to the challenging nature of a lot of coding bootcamps, it is important you consider the need of having to put in more hours into the course. this is by far the biggest thing i see catching people off guard. what this means, is that if the bootcamp you are considering asks you for 20 hours a week to complete, be prepared to spend up to 40 hours a week when the going gets tough. if this is impossible to you, i would say find another one with a smaller time commitment that fits better in your time schedule.  ## the ugly 💩  first, and possibly the most controversial topic on this article:  # you** need** to know how to code **before **joining a coding bootcamp.  i know what you are all thinking. isn’t that *why* you would join a coding bootcamp? well, not exactly. the thing about learning how to code from scratch, is that quite frankly…it’s **hard**. not to mention every person learns differently both in technique, and at a different pace. this in turn, makes it extremely hard to design course material. specially when you have to **predict **the specific amount of time it takes to complete, how easy/hard it will be to most people.  which results in bootcamps that are either:  * *easy and a breeze to complete*, but yielding almost no value to students in terms of employability. meaning you’ll probably have to pay for another course/bootcamp to even be considered for most programing jobs.  * *hard and challenging*, but with high student drop out rates due to the challenging nature of the course. of course, this also means that should you not complete the course, you will not be getting a refund.  these two stereotypes are the reason why even reputable bootcamps always have their fair share of complaints. such as: the course was too easy, i couldn’t find a job after graduating, or that the course was so hard i always felt like i was drowning and received no help.  having said that, as you can probably imagine, only the hard/challenging ones will give you your money’s worth when it comes to becoming a job ready software engineer. however, in order to highly increase your chances of graduating, my recommendation is that you** learn how to code *before* joining a coding bootcamp.**  in summary: does this mean there are no good bootcamps? no! there are fantastic bootcamps out there. however, like buying a house or a car, you should do your own research before settling on which one to pick. and i can definitely vouch to there being fantastic coding bootcamps. you just need to find them.  ## that’s all folks!  do i hate bootcamps? of course not! i work for one after all 😁 at least at the time of writing this article. still, i’ve received so many messages lately about bootcamps, i felt writing a piece on this was the right step to help people. hopefully you can pick up the right bootcamp, or if it proves too expensive, maybe hire a private mentor? 👀  until next time! 👋 *adios*!"
a@mazon new grad vs 0racle cloud infra new grad?,esjwz9,blank,LaxatedKraken,21,1579763222.0,"i need help trying to decide between these two offers:  &#x200b;  |@ mazon|oracle cloud infra| |:-|:-| |unknown team|infra team| |112 base +50 bonus + 80 stock |135 base + 30 bonus + 170 stock| |amazon vests - 5% : 15% : rest in last two years|oracle vests equally over 4 years|  &#x200b;  on the face of it, oci pays considerably more.  however, i was wondering how the two compare in terms of:  * growth: i hear you can go sde 1 - 2 in a year if you work hard at @ mazon. **how does it generally go  at oracle?** * stability: @ mazon it seems doesn't generally fire you unless you under perform. oci is the cloud upstart and had some layoffs last year though the seattle office wasn't affected. **do you feel this might be an issue? i'm a** ***runaway*** **russian on a visa so it would suck if i got deported due to losing my job.** * faang prestige: do you guys feel having @ mazon on my resume would be more valuable than having oci **in terms of landing jobs at other top places in the future?** * anything else i might have missed?  thanks a lot!"
what to do after ccie collaboration?,5j03af,blank,GirishPai,2,1482094669.0,"so this is the brief summary of what my career has been. i'm 26, located in bangalore , india.  2010 - graduated with a 3 year cs degree. scored 73%.  2010 oct- joined one of the top it firms in india as a assistant systems enginner.  2011 may- there was an opening to fill. i stepped up and got the opportunity . completed ccna in the next 6-8 months. ccna voice next and couple of contact center papers.  2013 may - half the team quit due to bad salary hike, i had stayed back . designated as tech lead and lead a small group of engineers. (drink coffee and fix shit)  2015 dec - not sure what to do with life. why not try ccie collaboration.    for the next year, give up social life and everything associated with it . sucks, but had to.   2016 dec - pass ccie collaboration. first attempt. never thought i could do it with attempt #1. i work for one of the top 3 indian it firms. cisco gold partner. but doesn't recognize ccie as something worthwhile because indian it mentality. number of years of experience equals pay scale. i do not get a pay raise for being a ccie. no promotion. no payback for the training. only the exam fee is being reimbursed since i passed. i'm not happy, i don't even feel like i achieved anything. i thought i'd feel different, i don't. i'm just glad that ccie  is over and i can spend some time with loved ones. i see posts where the ccie salary is $60k to $110k . but it's just shit here .   i want to get out of this place. this country. i gave it all for 6 years yet be treated this way just like an average performer, i expected better . shouldn't i ?    i intend to move elsewhere but where do i ? do i have options ?  i have no family dependency, on my own. one of my friend is suggesting me to move to  us/canada .  us seems hard because of how random h1b(lottery).  im open for suggestions. any suggestions.  tldr; completed ccie , not sure what to do with life."
[internship] big company i've worked at before vs company leaving startup phase,5y803o,blank,Thomas4024,1,1489010007.0,"hey everyone, my last internship is this summer and i have the choice of going back to the same place i worked at last summer, blackbaud in charleston, or go to a small company (~100 people), pendo, that is 3 years in and considered a start-up.   both give equal pay and i'd be working on frontend with both. at pendo i'd be their second intern ever. what would be a better for my career? feel free to ask any additional questions."
negotiating bloomberg internship salary,3tqhu7,blank,bad_alpacino,6,1448168440.0,i have an offer from bloomberg for an internship at their london hq. the pay is pretty good but still a lot less than what they give interns in nyc.  is it worth trying to negotiate with them to higher my salary based on this fact only? the wage for nyc is like $40 per hour while in london ~$27. do you think there is a chance they'll cancel their offer because i'm asking for an equal pay with my nyc counterparts or just because i'd like a higher salary?  oh and the nyc offers are per hour while london ones are per month with 45hr work weeks.
need a good way to decline offer,eoz36h,blank,aznraver2k,11,1579101356.0,"okay, this is going to be a story about getting everything i wanted but still managing to fxxk everything up.  here's what happen - i wanted a new job and got a new job (pay bump + working with interesting tech). did well enough at old job that boss said i can go back anytime. after starting the new job imposter syndrome and new-guy anxiety kicked in. the job was faster pace and the culture was different so it hit me like a ton of bricks. felt like i made a big mistake, out of frustration and panic i called my old boss asking for old job back. he asked if i was sure, i said 'yes'. he got the ballrolling and went batting for me. offer letter still in the works but coming in soon, but now new job doesn't feel so bad.  i know i messed up by jumping the gun, believe me i feel awful. if only i just kept my mouth shut and waited 3-months before saying anything. i'm going to work on this and get it under control. i've already started reading books like ""unfuck yourself"",""stop doing shit"", and ""discipline equals freedom"".  my questions:  * is there a way i can decline the offer as politely as possible?  * the way i see it, it will be worst if i quit the new job to go back to the old because i'm already in the company. feels like i'm going to be burning a bridge either way (staying in new job or going to old). is there a way to approach this situation that will do the least harm? * biggest concern is whether this will make my boss look bad because he had to go through higher-ups to get me back. one of the best boss i've had and i really don't want to screw him over. hr probably blew a bunch of $$ with the paper work. should i bite the bullet, keep my word, and just go back?"
choosing between two junior roles in london,3vwtd4,blank,londoncscareer,2,1449596375.0,"hello,  i have received 2 offers for .net developer roles in london, and i am having trouble deciding which offer to take.  they're both equal pay. one is working for a construction consulting company in the city. their core business is consulting for the construction industry, however they also have a software division which has become pretty successful and spawned a whole new company on its own. in this role, i would be the 5th developer on the team (all similar ages), working in a very modern office, doing backend, web, and mobile development in xamarin. lots of developers for me to learn from, less pressure, happier working environment, and more people my age.  the other company is a very small fintech company in west london. the company is essentially the 3 directors, who are very experienced and successful, ~40+ years old each. i would be employee #7, developer #2. i feel i would have to work hard here, but the potential rewards are higher. this company also has the advantage of being in finance, which is more difficult to break into later on in your career. this role is c#, asp.net.  i'm leaning towards the fintech company, mainly because of the industry (i have an interest in finance, have interned at jpmc). the construction company ""really want me"" and the recruiter is asking me ""what will it take for you to accept the offer? how much will they have to offer you?"".  help, /r/cscareerquestions.  inb4 downvotes since this post isn't about sv google internships."
an account of a successful job search for an experienced engineer,dg31pc,blank,csthrow123456,103,1570764120.0,"\[edit: rip inbox and comments on a throwaway account. sorry, didn't expect this response and didn't realize i need to check my throwaway account too. the most frequently asked question seems to be: what coaching service did i use? i used interview kickstart ([https://interviewkickstart.com](https://interviewkickstart.com)). i didn't mention it earlier because i didn't want to be mistaken as someone advertizing for them. but if you are an experienced engineer and can afford it, they are a goldmine. i can attest they are very sincere group of people, in it for the right reasons, despite whatever your views may be about the interview process. i will review interview kickstart later. happy to answer more on dms only. see replies to specific comments below\]  ====== original post follows =========  i will be joining google in mountain view as a senior software engineer, a little before thanksgiving! and i more than tripled my yearly comp. whoa!  in this sub, i have been a long-time lurker, and am grateful for many insightful comments. i wanted to create a short account of how my job search went, in the hopes that it may help someone.  (throwaway because i’m a moderator of a couple of subs in a completely orthogonal domain (pornography) and i don’t want this post to affect that image. yes, porn. now get over it and read this one, which is no less exciting!)  **my profile:**  location: texas  degree: bachelors in electronics engineering from a top 100 college in us. never done algorithms/ds in college.  work: software (i got into programming when in college and then a friend of mine hired me to do a little project for her. it rolled from there)  experience: coming up to 11 years, mostly full-stack work in python and java. i'm old.  current workplace: a small company you have never heard of  total compensation: $100k approx. (yes, that is sufficient to live in texas in your own house!)  goal: get into one of the top tier companies as a software engineer. i was okay to move to bay area to get that brand i never had on the resume. not sure why i wanted a brand; i just wanted it.  job search started: november 2018. i thought i will prepare during the few holiday weeks and apply when the new year starts. boy was i wrong.  **first attempt**  practice in nov and dec 2018: about 50 problems on leetcode, mostly easy, some medium. some mock interviews with friends.  companies interviewed at in jan 2019: apple, amazon, ebay, atlassian, walmart labs, microsoft (i got all interviews via friends).  i failed all of them. like all. every one of them. some on phone, some later. walmart labs, atlassian were the two where i went onsite and failed.  there is probably nothing more depressing to realize that you’ve spent 9 years and are still not good enough for a tier-1 company. i was that guy.  i was about to give up, when my girlfriend encouraged me to prepare even more and try again. i thought she was being ridiculous - who prepares for interviews at all? but after a few months of her nudging me, a lot o beers, porn and frustration, i figured i should at least try once again.  **second attempt**  practice from april 2019 through august 2019: nearly 250 carefully curated problems in algos and systems design, done in a proper way with repetitions etc. i also found and paid for a coaching class to help me keep pace and support me.  companies interviewed at (approximately in order) in july and august 2019:  &#x200b;  * microsoft (a different org from last time). == offer! didn’t take it because it was lower than other offers * amazon alexa team (they don’t have a moratorium) == didn’t make it again. the phone screen had a question too specific in a domain i have never worked in (embedded software). i thought alexa was more of a distributed system behind the scene but looks like that part is more or less an application on top of aws. interesting parts are in hardware and ml. * linkedin == senior engineer offer! they are separate from microsoft even today. this was a harder interview than i had expected. i got a dp problem, a graph problem, a tree problem, and two systems design questions. * facebook == l5 offer! i had told them that i have an li offer, so they moved fast. one of the hardest interviews i had. one of the interviewers asked me 3 coding questions in one interview! three! questions weren’t hard, but they expected me to code fast. i feel that speed was very unrealistic to expect, but hey it’s an interview - what can you say? they also asked systems design and behavioral questions. trees and graphs were popular here too. * google == l5 offer! i started this one before facebook, but the offer came thru only later. google is painfully slow. they took what felt like forever, in scheduling the interview, getting to the hc, in team matching, compensation and then closing. got two dp questions. two!  new compensation: $310k total. 165k base, 25k (15%) yearly bonus and rest in equity. 5k sign-on bonus (after negotiation), which i’m not counting. fb and linkedin came close, but i really wanted google.  **advice for fellow seekers**  &#x200b;  1. don’t hate the process. it’s not in your hands to change it and often not in your interviewers’ hands either. embrace it. if you want to change it, then get inside the system first and then change it. wish me luck. 2. practice the right set of problems. don’t just blindly grind leetcode. it will take you forever, even if you can keep motivation. 3. work on your communication skills. i thought i communicated well, but only when i was forced to work on it with the coach, that i realized mine was nowhere near acceptable quality. 4. repeat the problems you’ve done again. yes, repeat. just write code again. there is some sort of magic there, which improves your retention and recall of other newer problems too. 5. know that getting and setting up interviews is as much work as actually appearing for them. i mostly got them through friends and connections i found on linkedin. also, there is just no good way to take time off of work and not raise suspicions. in my case, i had to travel which made it worse. i tried to bundle as many interviews as i could, including phone-screens. though one advantage of being in texas was the timezone difference. it’s lunch time when the day is starting on west coast, so phone screens were slightly easier to schedule. 6. you will feel like giving up. a lot of times. don’t. just don’t. i had a group of (remote) people in the coaching class which helped me keep motivation. find your friends. or your enemies. whatever floats your boat to get you off your butt to get back and work. 7. do mock interviews with people who know how to give feedback. find whatever means necessary to find such people. don’t just do them with other fellow seekers. 8. not all roles at top tier companies are created equal. i wanted to crack into the coveted se role which is usually the highest paid and i could, but it was hard and took me a while. given that only brand was my goal, i could have just considered other discounted roles at same companies e.g. frontend engineering, solutions engineering, support engineering, project management etc. pay is going to be less than se in these roles, but they are a bit easier to get in.  **tl;dr:** practice pays. start early. keep on going. i realize that preparing to get into top tier companies is the single most impactful thing i have done for my future. except porn, of course ;-)"
return offer post-internship vary based on school,53fh7p,blank,Squirreldit,1,1474280231.0,"(i'm going to keep the company and schools obscured for now just to keep the anonymity) i recently got a return offer from the company i interned at this past summer as did a few of my friends that i met there. i later found out that one friend was offered a base salary of around $5000 more solely because of the school they go to.  i know that my school is at least ranked the same if not better in our cs department (their's may technically be iv league) and so this doesn't really seem fair to me.  if i choose to except the return offer i'm not sure i'd feel comfortable knowing that someone equally qualified and with virtually the exact same experience as me was getting paid more.   i was wondering what would be a good way to go about bringing this up with my recruiter in the event i do choose to pursue this opportunity?  i don't want to throw my friend under the bus, but it seems like we should be getting equal pay.   (just to be clear this is more about the principle than the money in the long run)"
lost and overwhelmed. any suggestions on careers with about 50% or less programming.,eryg3z,blank,thisoneforfun,2,1579658716.0,"tl;dr: i think i'd like project management, administration or any business related roles. i attended a bootcamp, but found that i don't care for web development but i'd still like to learn to programming to use at work since that may equal higher pay.  any help researching roles where my primary function isn't programming, but it's still very useful to know?  &#x200b;  a little background:  i used to play a lot of text based games. (muds, mushes, etc) and it was fun to automate certain things. i learned a little bit of javascript and attempted to make my own text-based game from scratch and i'm still tinkering with it to this day.  i'm also interested in modding minecraft and building a game on roblox. i downloaded unity and gamemaker. all this is very overwhelming because they each rrequire me to learn a different languages. then, if i wanted to go into a tech career, i'd be learning at least one more.  i would love to focus on one thing.  so, i took a bootcamp and they didn't really teach us much. i completed a website, but when i got out i felt like there was a huge difference in what i should know and what i actually knew.  a friend of mine tossed me some work in angular because that's what my camp taught. i couldn't understand any of it. i read tutorials and got a basic understanding of the topic, but when i went back to the project nothing made sense. it was like using a spanish dictionary to translate a book in french.  right now, i'm not sure what to do. i get information overload a lot thanks to my adhd. i've started and stopped learning different technologies so many times and i really would like to focus on one thing.  my bootcamp was actually a year ago and the experience that i gave kind of turned me off so i went to finish my ba in business. a friend of mine suggested salesforce administration/developing so i may lean toward that. i'm not sure what else is out there."
question: i am leaving my deadened job to prepare for a better job. need some advice.,enn97v,blank,brokeCapitalist007,9,1578863327.0,"i'm from india got this job 9 months ago from college campus placement. my job profile says i am a software developer. it pays less.  i haven't developed a single thing in this 9 months. all i did was use sql to place things here and there when customers requests. i signed a 2.5 years bond that prohibits me from putting down my resignation. so i planned to just stop showing up(which as far as i've researched is doable, legally ) then i am planning to prepare for 6 months for tier-1 companies like intel, google, amazon etc. in this case i'll considered as someone fresh out of college.  what do you think of my decision?   hrs and interviewers of reddit, would you hire someone like me (assuming i am qualified for the job and you have someone to choose over me who is equally qualified) ?   and i need suggestion regarding study for these 6 month timeline."
where do non-indians go to work in software engineering?,e7fiwm,blank,Purpledrank,36,1575761072.0,"9/10 places in my area that i interviewed at were all managed by tenured indian workers who came the the infosys/tata consulting route about 10 years ago. eg: they worked at some <insert bank name and then either still work there or moved onto another industry in my area. the entire software engineering fields is dominated by indian workers and i have no interest in working in defense/security-cleared work. is that just how this has to be?  for me, i don't mind to work in a situation where all of my co-workers share a different language/religion/upbringing. not initially. but what happens 99% of the time is that they all form a clique and back each other on their way to promotions and push out anyone who is a competitive threat. i am just an american and believe  strongly in equality but the indian culture is very big on rank and face. eg: had an interview and the more senior one asked me if i wanted water, and become slightly offended that i answered yes. one of his crew asked if he should go get the water instead, as someone that senior shouldn't be getting up and pouring water apparently. just a bizare situation, and the interview was filled with many ""i'm sorry can you say that again?"" as they don't enunciate english that well, let alone speak it at the level required to discuss software design.  just really not a fit but i feel like my industry has really betrayed me. i've been fascinated with software engineering and computers for the past 20 years and will do this even if the pay is low or i have to put up with things i don't like, i will never do anything else. i just feel like i am missing out on the right area or something. there are remote/sales jobs that are not so enterprisey and are not staffed at all by those with a similar background to me. i seem to be applying to these and making it through the interview stages well as it's just a decent fit. i get those people and they get me. sorry to say but it seems like if the place is **not** diverse and one group has all the power then it isn't a viable place to work if you are not similar to them. i have worked in environments where one ethnicity did not dominate (equal amounts of russians/indians/chinese/more) and that worked out very well.  edit: i focus on java, is the the wrong language to be in? seems like a lot of people moved over to ror/nodejs/etc to get out of the enterprisey world.  tl;dr: diversity is an important thing, don't ignore it and try to put more diversity not just in the overall butts in seats total head count, but in all parts of seniority and management."
should i drop an offer i've already accepted for a better offer?,dudln4,blank,PsychopathicPanda,35,1573432293.0,"hey all,  i recently put in my 2-week notice at my current role for a better opportunity with a financial company through a recruiting agency. after accepting the offer and completing the paper work (i9 & background check) for said recruiting company, i received a notably more lucrative offer from another financial company company through a different recruiting agency. this other offer would also allow me to work with co-workers i have worked with before.  would it be bad for me or my career to drop the first offer for the second given that i already completed paper-work for the first? both are contract roles doing roughly the same thing, but the second offer pays considerably more and i'd be able to work with people i know and like.  tl;dr - i accepted an offer and did the paperwork for one job and then got a better offer for a different job. both are contracts, both are through different recruiting agencies for different companies. should i drop the first offer for the second or is that dangerous?  edit 1: also, as far as the project i'll be working on and tech i'll be using, both roles are equally appealing."
conflicted,41y3h9,blank,Sanjinkan,1,1453376704.0,"hey everyone. hopefully someone on here can help me out. quick background. i'm 30, military, and work in cyber security. been doing it for about 2 years now. i have a couple of certifications (sec+ and gcih) and will be working on my cissp. no degree, which bring me to my question.  i am very close to enrolling with western governors university for their software development plan. i like programming. making stuff happen with code is awesome. that does not mean i'm well versed in it. i taught myself javascript and python (basic stuff with things like code academy), and i took courses in high school (vb and some c++). i need to finish my degree because i know i will completely glanced over without it. with about a year and a half left in my enlistment, the opportunity to finish classes at a quicker pace is what is drawing me to wgu. however, things like the competency units and possibly being looked at as less skilled due to school choice is pushing me away.  is there anyone out there who has been in a similar situation? i don't have alot of time to go to class in person (wife, kid, work), and i'm highly leaning towards getting out, but i want to be able to move into a job with at least equal pay to take care of things as i do now. i don't have to worry about paying for the school. should i go with another school, and risk not being able to finish before getting out? also, i'm in texas. i'm have given all my transcripts to wgu and they stated i'm 27% through their course.  any help would be amazing. i'm super nervous about everything, from choosing the right school to getting out of the military, i'm freaking out. thanks for any help you guys can spare."
would you rather get paid to go to school full time or work a dead end job full time making the same amount (and loathing everyday of it),ee1u7w,blank,burgerville503,10,1577026159.0,i am basically sitting on a full ride scholarship via the post 9/11 gi bill and it will pay me to go to school that which is equal to my current wages as a delivery driver. in fact i'd gross $100+ more from the gi bill than a full 40hrs/wk currently. i've been out now for 4 years and am 31yrs old living in oregon.   what would you do? (i know this is a no brainer but i just need some encouragement and support)   thank you everyone!
machine learning vs distributed system,eq6021,blank,willfred_thiel,2,1579321902.0,"first post on r/cscareerquestions, hello friends!  i'm a software engineer with 2 years of exp. mainly in backend development (java, go and python). i'm single and i have all the free time i need to pick up a specialization (did not pick any during school). i'm equally interested in both machine learning (applied ml only, no math :) ) and distributed systems - building systems that scale amazingly. which one will result in higher pay in the long run? which is harder and more challenging? please help."
quitting full time job to study full time,epc3zs,blank,conncurr24,2,1579167361.0,"hi everyone,   i am a 22-year-old living in chicago who has been getting my gen ed’s and a few intro cs related class out of the way at my local community college at night while working full time during the day at an account manager/sales for an industrial maintenance supply company. (in other words, completely unrelated to cs or software development at all.) my job pays me about $47,000 a year.    i have been accepted to transfer to depaul university this coming september as a computer science major and i am beyond excited for this opportunity.  the fork in the road i am coming to is, right now i am currently living with my dad, i have bills to pay, but he does not make me pay rent. i am also really beginning to hate my job and i am starting to think i should stop killing myself over it since it is not even related to my desired career path.  here is my plan as of right now, i am considering working at my current job for the first quarter of my time at actual university (if it becomes too much or starts to affect my studying or gpa i figure i’ll have a 2 week out from the job if needed. i would like to quit around thanksgiving and go traveling over my university break for 5-6 weeks to southeast asia. upon quitting my job, i hope to have my car paid off this year and have $30,000-$35,000 in savings. when i return, i want to take the max amount of classes the college will let me take with my tuition those next 2 quarters before summer starts. i took nearly all of my gen ed’s at community college, but have a lot of cs classes to catch up on as a quite recently decided to declare this is my major and my community college only has what they call a cis and cit program so i can’t take a lot of the classes i want that will transfer to depaul.  i would like to complete depaul within a solid 2 years and nothing more even if it means taking summer classes at night or online while i intern.   my main goal is to manage getting a software development internship and being ready to do so by next summer. i would like to spend the 2 quarters (roughly equal to about one semester) not working and taking mostly all cs classes and studying to prepare for software development interviews and the internship itself.  does this seem like a solid realistic plan or a recipe to backfire and screw me out of a large portion of my savings. would love to hear everyone’s suggestions.  cheers everyone! and thank you!"
is an internship valuable enough to skip out on more money?,epffb8,blank,exzachtlynd,3,1579184355.0,"i'm finishing my associates in it and shifting to a bachelor's in mis after this semester ends. due to my 1 class load i can work full time 8 months til august begins the fall semester.   i finished up internship experience prior at a very large medical facility last month that has a lot of push power to get me a job once i graduate. as of now, however, i'm working a normal $15 an hour college kid job. it does enough to pay all my bills and save some as well.   my roommate mentioned to me a position to work roofing construction these 8 months for $21 an hour. if i penny pinch just right i'll be able to save enough to pay all my bills and most if not all my tuition with that job in those 8 months. this means i can go to school fully and not need to work.  on the other hand, i have an interview on monday for an internship at another equally large company as a systems analyst. i haven't discussed pay, but i can assume $11-13 is probably a good bet based on my last internship. that's a pay cut compared to either non internship job. this means i won't be able to save enough to not need to work in the school year.   is an internship valuable enough to forgo those jobs? would skipping the internship be worth all the stress i avoid devoting all my time to only school?"
is it easier to find a fully remote role or to freelance?,epg0hv,blank,BigMagicTulip,2,1579188116.0,"front-end developer, about 1.5 work experience, currently working as a front-end developer in a eastern european country.  during this time the hardest part for me was having to work in an office environment. sure there are other things i dislike (working on boring tech / codebase, the whole agile working and meetings,. etc), but on the whole i had a lot of flexibility and the pay is more than decent given the cost of living here.   not gonna go into much details (see my post history for more), but i just am unable to do barely any work done due to distractions and my inability to focus and ignore those. it's not something that can be fixed with putting your headphones on and blasting music or exercise and all that (i've tried most of the common suggestions i've found while trying to address it).  guess it kind of sucks, but working in an environment where i can't do my work is deeply frustrating and is kind of making me miserable right now. so the alternative to this would be either fully remote work or going into freelancing.  i know the most useful route into going remote would be to start at a company and then going remote after a while, but that implies that i was going to work hard and become good enough to warrant that change, and given my inability to properly work in an office environment that kind of makes it a no-go option.   now my question is, would it be easier for me to find a remote position or go into freelancing? given my experience, to me they both kind of seem to be equally hard in terms of finding a role versus finding enough clients as a freelancer.  (regarding the pay, given that i'm not from the us, freelancing also has the possibility of giving me much greater income, as close to 2 times as much as a salaried position given my experience)"
"have you ever wondered what the hiring process was 20 years ago compared to today? probably not, but i'll tell you anyway.",brjexy,blank,SomeGuyInSanJoseCa,298,1558521862.0,"i have searched tech jobs twice in my life.  once as a new grad in 1999, and just now.  for those that are just curious, or for those that are older and am curious about the current recruitment process, let me explain what i saw.  1999:  jobs were super easy to get.  it was a weird time when non-tech folks were in charge of tech folks.  also, the amount of technology used wasn't as massive and varied as it is now.  no one asked for 12 years of python experience with computer vision with jenkins within a docker container or whatever because that shit didn't exist back then.  it was a much simpler time.  it was kind of development of system admin as the major pillars back then.   this meant that often times, it was behavioral and simple questions, as many hiring managers were just general people managers and not engineering managers.    in terms of tech questioning, whiteboarding of useless problems was the only way to test really.  but it wasn't that complicated.  and if you were decent, and communicated well, you got the job.  i think i ended up with 10 offers out of 10 second round interviews (i got rejected by one, but another one gave me two offers).  but since i just finished undergrad, silly algo / data structure problems were all i knew, it was super easy for me.  sure, the first time i saw vi i was scared and had to ask a colleague what this was, but i could traverse a graph on whiteboard like a motherfucker.  recruiting was also different.  it was put your resume in a resume database and kind of wait.  job fairs were the best way to do that.  the massive recruiting teams that large employers have now were definitely not at today's scale. this meant that you got fewer requests for jobs, but you also weren't competing against 100 other people for that one position.  essentially, if you were contacted, there was a much better chance you were getting the job due to limited hr resources.  it saved a lot of time.  also, there were no tiered awesome companies with great pay.  it was pretty standard for a new grad.  i got $62k and a few piddly stock options at the time at the most awesome company ever, a company that would never run out of ideas and dominate the industry forever.  that company was sun microsystems.  so, yeah, don't count on me for any gambling advice.  pretty much ever company was the within $10k of that, with varying degrees of stock options.   all that being said, the fallout of the dot-com bust (one year later) was dramatic.  all those people who were hired with limited credentials and skills suddenly got canned and things got tight.  suddenly, knowing html didn't make you a coder anymore.  i know a lot of people who were plain screwed.  there were no bootcamps back then, but equivalent were the people that learned to code with the ""learn java in 21 days"" books were assed out at the end of the day.  a lot of them went it to real estate, so, yeah, you can put two and two together on what the next downturn was.   2019:  first thing first.  holy fucking shit job searches are annoying.  you need to match all these random technologies.  then, even if you have that, you have to memorize all those leetcode tricks (that's right, not skills, but tricks).  sure, i know loops and trees and the like, but dang, i didn't remember the trick to get the consecutive subset of numbers to equal a passed in sum efficiently (mine was inefficient) - so yeah, even though i matched pretty darn well with the job requirements, i did not get that coding parlor trick, so i'm out.  this was for a partner engineering position btw, which in no way shape or form would require any sort of algorithmic knowledge.   in my undergrad days, i would say i memorized 80% of those tricks out there.  today, i know about 40%.  so, i was immediately knocked out of like 60% of interviews.  i didn't realize that the leetcode monkey dance would be so prevalent.  next job search, i know what to study for - this last one i was ill-prepared.  anyway, i think most people felt the algo / data structures problems were outdated 20 years ago - but man, they are even worse now.  but knowing the trick basically got me an in as well.  so yeah, it's completely fucking random whether i impress people or not.  one company thinks i'm an idiot and nother thought i was god because of the random selection of leetcode-esqe questions.    on the opposite end - holy fucking shit does this pay well.  my. fucking. god.  5 years ago, those that got $300k were lucky to jump in the right company at the right time with the right options, were a super genius, someone who is some major thought leader, or some senior director.  now a schmuck like me can get near $300k.  this is crazy.  i joined a company for $180k in 2017 in total. compensation, and i was ecstatic.  in 2012, i think i was rightly paid at $120k or something like that.  now i just accepted an offer for $280k.  this is nice, but also a bit scary.  i've been through 2 different downturns.  what's going to happen if there's another downturn and these crazy salaries whither away?  let me put it another way.  for the early to mid 2010s, my wife and i were paid the same though she's way smarter than me.  but since she does supply chain and not tech, she's gotten about a 30% increase in pay in the last 4 years (pretty good), and my pay has roughly doubled.   i'm also amazed that some companies out there think that it is still 2015 and offer those salaries.  most non-tech companies are completely flabbergasted in terms of my desired salary.  many of them came back later with a substantial increase because they couldn't find anyone qualified, but i still had to say it wasn't enough.    recruiting is also way different.  linkedin is awesome, because i know how yakov smirnoff feels when he talks about soviet russia.  on linkedin...jobs come to you!  of course, since it is linkedin, you got to wade through all these useless intros.  it's a full time job.  i think the first week i said i was actively looking, i got 30 pings.  everyone wanted a half hour conversation.  many of them didn't bother reading my requirements.  no, i am not a front-end engineer and no i don't want to move to seattle - why do you want to talk?  many just plain ghosted me after i replied with something like, ""i am interested and i would like to know more.""  like, what did you want, me to show a picture of myself jerking off to tim cook or something or in order to get a reply back from you?  most recruiters who do talk to you basically tell you are god's gift to employers, then either say something like, you were not a match to the job i said you were a match to, or send me to another person who grills me.  it's a huge bi-polar emotional rollercoaster of validation and rejection.  i was mentally drained from all this.  like my ex-girlfriend is god of job applications or something.  also, the pillars are way different.  you don't have simple pillars like development or system admin, it gets way more fragmented.  you have devops/sre, you got web development, ml/ai/data science, and way more high level pillars.  this is cool in that you can be more sure of what you want, but not cool in that once you are in one, it takes some effort to get out.   in terms of those pillars - devops/sre is the hottest thing out there right now. i actually just got a masters in cs with a specialization in ml and some minor ml experience.  no one gives a flying fuck. but because i can spell kubernetes, i got devops / sre requests left and right (this is the job i essentially took btw)  anyway, 2019 is similar and different in many ways.  but damn, i do not want to go through this job search again.  fuck. that.  ...............  anyway, for us old farts who walked uphill both ways in the snow, i wanted to share a few tricks along the way and would totally do my job search differently.  here's what i l learned.   1) leetcode algo / data structure memorization is key.  sure, they don't know if you are older, but it's the easiest way to have age discrimination.  very few 41 year olds are going to remember what they did in college at age 20 - the perfect way to filter out the gray hairs and those with a family.  2) i always ask for salary.  weed out those that say, ""it depends.""  depends on what?  my experience?  the exact same experience that you can see on linkedin as we are talking right now?  3) ask a question that only a hiring manager can answer.  if the recruiter can't do that, the recruiter is just gathering resumes and has no idea if you ""perfect for the job"" as he or she states.  time is limited with the relentless amount of pings you'll get - this is a great way to make sure that they are serious about you being a candidate.  4) ensure that you are the only person interviewing for that position if possible.  i got a semi-offer from a company because they loved me, and wanted me to wait for another rec to open, but they hired someone with azure experience and explicitly saying azure experience is not a requirement.  i wasn't going to wait and it was a complete waste of my time.  i found that there are companies that have like 5 people interview for one position, and those that interview one at a time and will fill it if you are good.  the latter is the key because you are the only variable.  ask for flexibility in terms of interviewing.  if they are interviewing a whole bunch of candidates, they want you in a 3 day window.  if they are just checking you out exclusively, they'll be really flexible.  ...............  anyway, enough my pointless rant.  now you little fucking whippersnappers can get off my lawn!"
opportunities in embedded systems/iot for new grads,emeuvo,blank,angryroombaba,1,1578628155.0,"i'm currently enrolled in a graduate cs program and i have several different options of where to focus my coursework on. they are not official specializations offered by the program but the way i see it, the options that seem most appealing to me currently are:      (1) focus on machine learning/ai-related courses with electives such as computer vision, robotics, reinforcement learning, etc.    (2) focus on embedded systems/networks/distributed computing courses.     i have industry experience in neither of these fields, but i have completed small personal projects related to both and find that both are equally interesting to me. machine learning is obviously one of the hottest skills to have right now with many large tech companies paying a premium for people with these skills (from personal observations/anecdotes, might be wrong about this point), but i also find the stuff that iiot companies such as samsara and flexport are doing also very interesting.      my question is for those who have worked at companies or on teams doing iot/embedded systems-related stuff. i understand experiences could vary drastically depending on the company and position but in general:      (1) what are some of the common (technical/non-technical) problems that you find yourself having to solve on a regular basis and do you find solving these problems satisfying?   (2) what is the hiring outlook looking like for those with no experience (but possibly a small portfolio of personal projects) looking to break into the field?"
swe at hardware companies vs swe at unicorn on the east coast,dxoykg,blank,01fb14ecs,6,1574038392.0,"is it easier to move to google, facebook from smaller software companies, unicorns or do swes in hw companies have equal opportunities ?  i will be graduating at the end of this year and have swe offers from a hardware company and a unicorn, while both companies are paying comparative to google, fb, i want to know joining which company would increase my chances to switch to google, fb or amazon in a couple of years.  i think moving from a unicorn would be easier, but the problem is that this unicorn has me joining their major campus on the east coast with no prospects of moving to the bay area campus.  if any of you in a hw company have tried this or have moved from a unicorn company on the east coast please share your experiences."
"already 15k in debt, is the degree an additional 40k? also a story in what not to do for a startup.",dhkeir,blank,WishIWasOnACatamaran,8,1571049536.0,"tl;dr: started working in it as a cs student. joined a shitty startup setting me back a year in development skill and my degree, already have 15k of debt and 40k more scares the shit out of me, but my other options scare me just as much, need advice.  a bit of background first:  i've been in school since 2016. fall 2017, i took an it internship (after working in it for a year at that point in student-worker role for my university) that pushed 35 hours a week, and since i'm an early 20s person, i valued also having a life. you know, hanging out with friends, going on small cheap trips, concerts, etc. i decided that to have that balance, i stepped down to a part-time student. after that internship, i ended up taking a role with a startup for the experience to do code. well, turns out coding exercises and ebooks do not equal being able to pull the weight as 1 of 2 developers on the team. one week i would be asked to do website work, the next programming electronics for our technology, the third database, and the fourth our ceo would be lost as to why i wasn't keeping up with the website. this was all brand new technology and brand new languages, but i was just so eager to try it all out. eventually, he decided that i had incredible business acumen, and wanted me to focus on both business work and tech work. great i thought, i get exposure to tech and get to use my business acumen (my prior background and career path before i found passion in tech). soon he began telling me to prioritize the business work, but just for now he kept saying. well, as i'm sure plenty of you may guess, this became my primary role. especially after a particular week he wanted the entire website complete out of the blue for a potential investor (of which i also had to prep market research and ir paperwork). after that didn't meet his standards, he put me solely on business. this resulted in us getting thousands of dollars in investment (giving us millions in valuation, landed us some techcrunch recognition even), and starting a side project that would become the sole purpose of the company. this also put the nail in the coffin on me doing anything tech related. i basically assumed the entire business role for the company. i hated it so much. it discouraged me from doing any programming. keep in mind, i am getting no pay, and an undisclosed (to me and only me) amount of ""ownership"" in the company. i had a part-time job as a computer tech to pay my bills, but between that and school, i just couldn't handle all 3. since i poured myself into this role, i decided to essentially take a whole year off from school. after completing 37.5% of my degree. at 22 years old. eventually the ceo became so strap for cash, he poured everything into trying to get clients for a side technology that was on par at best with the rest of the market, but on the higher end cost-wise, and completely removing focus from the tech that did make us special. i completely disagreed with this decision, but he refused to find another job for himself to support himself while building this company. i realized i could not afford to spend more time on this sinking ship, especially since i was not making literally any money, and decided to up and leave one day. i tried to find dev jobs in my area, but had little to nothing to show project-wise, and frankly had lost some fundamental knowledge. the best offer i got was an internship for 66% of my hourly wage at half the hours. also, due to contract reasons, i could not do that and my computer tech job at the same time. i wanted to get back into school, get back into programming, and get my life back on track.  here i am 7 months later. i have been promoted to full-time at my computer tech job (with a raise and bonus!). this company has a corporate side that my manager has made clear he will get me in the door for. they have every role anybody could dream of doing that has any interest in cs or it. however, i am taking follow-up courses to classes i haven't taken or touched in 2.5 years. i was behind going in, and am ever further behind now. i don't really have a social life at this point because i am either tired or trying to relearn material from years ago, letalone shit out something even close to what we are covering now. at this pace, if i pass every class, i will graduate in 5 years with an additional 40k of student loan debt (less if i get as or bs due to education reimbursement from my employer, but that would be a godsend given where i am currently at with these courses). i want to start focusing on my career and focusing specifically on that. my courses don't touch on anything related to these subject, except occasionally on a theoretical level or a math level.   i feel very stuck, and personally know nobody in a similar situation. i know people work multiple jobs and attend school full-time and get all a's, but frankly that blows my damn mind. i'd be happy doing anything from sysadmin work to ios development at this point, but just don't know what the right path is. i am trying to meet with tutors on the 2 days i have off (the days i have multiple classes and don't allow for a 9 hour shift to be schedule), but also have errands to run and chores to do. i want to accomplish my goals, but i don't want to burn myself into the ground in the process. i still feel the same discouragement i felt failing on tech stuff in the startup, but know i really shouldn't blame myself. if given an opportunity on the corporate side, i don't want to fuck it up. they don't require a college degree necessarily, but i will be expected to show up and perform. i may have an opportunity with the company that i did that internship for, but it would pretty much lock me there 8-5 mon-fri (plus weekends and ot in the spring, for reasons) for the next 5-10 years. it'd be great on my resume and i'd get a decent amount of freedom in what i do, but it's mostly going to be it work. it basically will lock me in it for a long while, but without the contractual obligation to code freely for myself in my free time.  i appreciate if you made it this far in my post, and doubly so if you have any advice. focusing on any direction feels like a complete gamble, and to be honest i am just scared and stressed. i don't mean for this to be a sap story, and if anything a cautionary tale to those younger than myself. especially those who have to take unconventional routes in life, because you're just that type of person. thanks again guys, this is easily one of the most supportive subs on this website."
thinking about moving to software dev from devops engineer,dzqeq8,blank,kjiroppokre,2,1574400940.0,"right now i'm a devops engineer making $150k. 100% remote, working 40 hours a week.  however, this seems like the cap of this career path. i'm not exactly sure where i can go from here. i've been a sysadmin / devops engineer for seven years now, and of the past five jobs that i've had, there is zero opportunity for advancement within a company. my performance reviews have never been anything other than glowing, but then my raise is either nothing or an insultingly low 2% or similar. (usually prompting me to look for work elsewhere, and finding something paying 10k more)  i've been pretty comfortable at my current job for the past two years, but i think it's time to move on.  i'm wondering if i should try and transition into a software dev career path. i have years of professional experience with python and bash, and some minor experience with java and ruby. personally though, i have about 15 years of experience with x86 asm, c, and c++, just from personal projects. i've talked to some sr java devs that make around $250k and have reasonable (40-50 hr) work weeks, but i don't know if i would be starting over from square one salary wise if i started applying to software dev positions.  when i was a teenager i had some jobs working with c and fortran, although they paid absolute garbage, i was a kid and didn't know how much to ask for, it was for a local university anyway. but in this vein, i would be open to working with some more esoteric languages as i find this sort of work quite interesting. ie, any sort of legacy systems, asm, fortran, etc.  ideally, i'm envisioning something like a mid to sr level c++ or python dev starting at around 160k, then climbing the salary ladder from there. is that reasonable?  what would you advise for my career here?  i'm equally happy doing sysadmin work or software dev, but of course i've never really done software dev professionally."
struggling with internship decision...,dn2myy,blank,rubicon7653,2,1572061278.0,"hi all,  i’m kind of struggling with my decision about my internship for next summer and was just wondering what you think about it, or what you would do in my situation.  for some background, i am a second year computer science student, but i am graduating in may 2021, so i am especially trying to get a good internship this year either to get a full time return offer where i intern or to set me up better for full time interviews at big target companies. i did not intern last summer, so it is crucial that i get something this summer.   now here’s the actual situation. my internship search has been going better than i thought so far. having no prior internships, i had expected little to nothing, but i’ve been interviewing with ~10-15 places and i have offers from 2 already. one offer is one that i almost surely won’t take, however the other offer is from a place i really like—the culture seems great, i think i would like the work i do, and the pay/location is decent. they aren’t a big name or prestigious, but it wouldn’t matter for a full-time search if i ultimately wanted to return there anyways. however this offer has a deadline of november 1st.   i am basically torn on whether to accept this offer that expires nov. 1st or to risk it and go for something better. i am in the final interview stage for 3 companies right now, and still interviewing with many others (including big n), so i probably won’t end up without an internship, but i can’t say for sure that i will be able to find a better offer than what i have now. i know i would prefer a big n offer for sure, but that’s still up in the air completely (interviews still coming up with amazon and g). also, i know i would like one of the offers from a company i’m in the final stages with equally, but final interview doesn’t mean guaranteed offer. basically, if i had all the offers now i would prefer them in order of big n  company a = company b  the rest, where company a is the company i have an offer with.  i feel pretty good about all my interviews coming up, and i feel like i know my data structures and algorithms very well, but a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush...  accepting and reneging if i get a better offer is an option, but i like the company and wouldn’t want to burn any future bridges by accepting without 100% committing to work there. plus, my university says they dish out serious consequences for reneging on an offer, and this company has a good relationship with my university.  if you followed my rambling the whole way through, thank you. what would you do? would you accept the sure offer that’s good, but not great? or would you go for a great offer (and hope you still have a good offer to fall back on)?  **tl;dr** : i have a good offer from a place i like but it expires soon. if i decline the offer, i have final interviews with places i think would have equal or probably marginally worse offers, but i would also have a chance at better offers. do i play it safe or do i go for something better?"
what do software engineers think about designers?,cc65xc,blank,custardthebun,41,1562934687.0,"i'm very early on in my career and am currently a ux designer at a large tech company.   personally, i can't see myself as a swe, but i feel like software engineers have a lot of clout. maybe it has to do with me being located in silicon valley, but it seems software engineering is glorified nowadays, like if you're a swe you're automatically the smartest person in the room. not to mention you guys have amazing pay.  my question is: is it just inferiority complex speaking since i've given swe a try and greatly disliked it and now respect people that can do something i can't? what's your attitude toward designers? do you see us at an equal playing field, or do you deep down feel superior?"
"why leetcode is a thing, and why you (probably) shouldn’t mind it as much as you do",a2aguz,blank,belldozer95,296,1543755160.0,"in my two years of keeping tabs on r/cscareerquestions, i’ve seen hundreds of threads debating the merits of leetcode style interviewing. there’s been a lot of insightful debate on the subject, but i’ve also seen a lot of people who have fundamental misunderstandings about why exactly this style of interviewing even exists. so, here i’m going to attempt to offer a thorough explanation of why leetcode is even a thing at all, for all those out there who don't get why everyone is testing them on dynamic programming and graph theory.  &#x200b;  **why leetcode is a thing:**  the software engineering field is one of the most favorable for qualified job seekers, in general. anyone with a bachelor’s degree in a technical field who can prove they know how to code and have good social skills should have little problem obtaining a job in the field.  however, there is a very big exception to this general rule: **big name west coast companies**, otherwise known as the “big n”. these well-known companies in san francisco and seattle get way more qualified applications than they have available positions. for example, about **1 in 130** google applicants get an offer, per forbes. this number is probably slightly more favorable for software engineering positions compared to other positions at google, but you get the picture. even a very well-qualified applicant faces long odds of getting an offer.  let’s say google wants to hire 1,000 entry level software engineers, and they get 100,000 applications. there may be \~30,000 applications that are completely unqualified and easy to weed out. but after they do that, they’re still left with 70,000 applicants for 1,000 spots. most of these people will have roughly equal qualifications: about to graduate with a b.s. in computer science or something similar, 1 or 2 internships, a few small side projects.   how do you pick 1,000 winners out of a pool of 70,000 resumes that all look mostly the same? you interview them, of course. but normal behavioral interviewing is too easy, and won’t weed out nearly enough people. so another method is needed that can weed out a very large portion of the applicant pool, while still appearing fair and somewhat related to the job. enter leetcode!  make all your well-qualified applicants solve 4 hard leetcode problems. maybe 10% of them will be able to solve all of them correctly and efficiently in a short period of time, and do a good job of explaining their answers. now your pool just got narrowed from 70,000 to 7,000. it’s still a daunting task to narrow the remaining candidates down, but it’s now much more manageable.  those exact numbers are just estimates, and certainly vary from company to company, but you get the idea: google/facebook/microsoft/everyotherhotwestcoastcompany have to pick a small percentage out of a massive pile of nearly identical resumes, and leetcode serves as an effective way of weeding out a majority of the competition in a way that’s (mostly) objective and (kind of) related to the job. that’s really all there is to it.  &#x200b;  &#x200b;  **why you probably shouldn’t mind:**  if leetcode was suddenly deemed an illegal hiring practice, your chances of getting hired at your favorite “big n” company probably wouldn’t increase. these companies would still need to narrow down their massive applicant pools in a way that’s not terribly time consuming, expensive, or overly subjective. how would they do that? maybe they put more weight on gpa. maybe they put more weight on where you go to school. maybe they exclude anyone who’s not a cs major. none of those things are good indicators of who is going to be a great engineer.  there are a few ideas i can think of that would most likely do a slightly better job than leetcode:  assigning some sort of coding test centered on solving bugs in a large codebase would be one example. but it would be extremely expensive and time consuming to design and grade enough unique versions of these tests to make them free from cheating.  placing more emphasis on quality side projects would be another good tool. but taking the time to actually read through the code of thousands of personal projects and coming up with some objective way to judge whose is better seems insanely subjective and time consuming.  long story short, there’s no “right way” to pick a small percentage out of a massive pool of very similar applicants. there’s no way to magically tell which 22 year olds with minimal experience will turn into amazing engineers and which will just be good engineers. the industry has settled on leetcode. it’s bullshit, but that’s okay, because the alternatives are mostly bullshit, too.  &#x200b;  &#x200b;  **so you hate leetcode. what should you do about it?**  you have two options:  **1.**  stop applying to google/facebook/microsoft/amazon/otherhotwestcoastcompany. this is not the end of the world. there are tons of companies that you can easily get hired at without grinding hours of leetcode. they will pay you extremely well, respect you, and give you challenging work. you may not be the coolest person at your high school reunion for saying you’re a software engineer at “random midwest tech company nobody’s ever heard of”, or ""non-tech company that has extensive software needs"", but you’ll still have a much more stable and enjoyable career than most new college grads can hope for in 2018.  **2.** grind leetcode anyways. if you wanna work at to google/facebook/microsoft/amazon/otherhotwestcoastcompany, you will probably have to excel at leetcode. yes, it’s bullshit, but the alternatives are bullshit, too. at least mastering leetcode is a clearly defined, bullshit objective for you to work towards.  &#x200b;  and in conclusion, i will add one last thought: if you don't think you can enjoy a software engineering career if it's not at a ""big n"", you should probably re-evaluate whether you really like this field at all."
is front end a waste of potential if i have a degree and work experience?,cngq92,blank,FEthrowawayCSCQ,18,1565267923.0,"i'm an upper year undergrad cs coop student at the university of waterloo who will be finishing my degree within the next two years. i'm trying to figure out what area of cs i want to work in once i graduate so i have some questions.  i read on /r/cscareerquestions that front end is a fast growing field where there's a lack of people who have technical degrees or significant work experience. there's an over representation of boot camp grads and career switchers applying to these jobs. people who have strong cs and software engineering fundamentals are mostly drawn towards other areas of development, so the ones who actually choose front end are (from what i've heard) highly sought after. two of my three internships have been full stack where i liked front and back end equally. if i just consider the day to day work i have no strong preference either way, so it's appealing to me that i could get ahead in my career by choosing to focus on front end now instead of competing against everyone for the other types of work. i'm not passionate about anything like ai, ml, data science, embedded, or any of those more competitive positions so i think i can have a better career just by continuing with the path i'm on and focusing on web stuff. also i've never had any luck getting interviews that weren't web related lol  you guys make it seem good, but in real life it seems like the consensus is front end development isn't a good career path. i feel like front end developers aren't respected and make less money than any other kind of developers. this is how it's been viewed at the companies i've interned at, and what i hear from my classmates as well. front end is for people who are looking for an entry into the industry but somebody who has a degree has the potential to get a much more challenging job with more interesting problems, better pay, and more opportunities.  i understand that there's a big difference between pixel pushing html/css/jquery marketing agency tier jobs, and js heavy web applications. i'm only interested in web app front end and don't really care about things like design.  my next internship is primarily front end, and i've been working on some front end focused full stack projects recently. i've been thinking about committing to something now so that i can get a solid job for full time because my generalist approach isn't getting me anywhere but mediocre companies in canada. like i said, i don't have a strong preference either way. what i want to know is, am i handicapping myself if i decide to commit to front end? will i be pigeonholed? i can do full stack or back end and be equally as happy. i'm looking at this from a perspective of salary and career growth. like every good little uw student, my ultimate goal is working at one of those big competitive west coast companies, but i'll be satisfied as long as i get out of this country.  tl;dr: i'm a cs student capable of getting front end, full stack, and back end internships. i'm thinking about focusing on front end but worried it would limit my earning potential. i've seen conflicting views on this. is it a good idea?  edit: oh and also, is it ok to use js for leetcode style interviews that aren't for front end? i want to practice in the language that i'll actually be using each day for the next few months so i won't make syntax mistakes."
some coworkers get major tax benefits that others do not,bcgnw1,blank,throw_away_51029,17,1555120811.0,"my company is involved in a program called startup new york which essentially gives the company (and employees of that company) major tax advantages for headquartering in certain locations. for example, employees pay $0 state income tax! when i first joined onto this company (<1 year ago) i didn't know anything about this sny program, so it was never brought up in my salary negotiations.  turns out, due to some accounting issues a few years ago, my company messed up and had to pay some fees for violating the sny program. because of that, my company stopped hiring people in under the program (myself included.) but the majority of engineers at the company who are sny eligible, remain in the program. this basically means that compared to the coworker next to me, he may be getting a take-home pay that is at least 4, and potentially 5 figures larger than mine.  upon asking managers about the state of the program, they always just reply that it's something that's still up in the air - ""they're figuring out who is going to be eligible, or if they're going to re-instate the program for newer employees."" meanwhile, some engineers (myself included) are still paying those taxes. every time someone brings up sny at work (which is frequent, since it's tax season) i get pretty salty internally about the potential pay discrepancy.  i joined this company from a fang company which i believe allowed me to negotiate my salary higher than what most of my coworkers are making. however, as i mentioned, those negotiations happened with no mention of the sny program. i'm wondering how you guys recommend remedying the situation. does it make sense to argue for a pay raise even though i *think* my pre-tax salary is higher than most of my coworkers with similar experience? how do i argue that case?  thanks in advance for any advice!  edit: tl;dr (and clarification) - many coworkers have an added 'benefit' (so to speak) that allows them to avoid paying state income tax. does it make sense for me to ask for higher compensation to offset this benefit that i am missing out on?"
"company not honoring an extension, other company sending decision a couple of weeks after deadline",d9eu42,blank,thatisreallyfunnyha,3,1569501701.0,"hi,  company a gave me a internship return offer for summer 2020, and the deadline is october 1st. they won't extend my deadline.  i'm doing my final interview at company b tomorrow, but they won't be able to expedite the decision so early. company b has a 2-6 week project matching bit after their hiring committee takes me.   i also have an offer at company c. my order of preference for these companies is as follows: b  a = c. i prefer a's location over c's location, but would like to have some diversity in my internship portfolio so i prefer both kind of equally.  options so far:  1. take company a's offer 2. take company c's offer 3. take company c's offer for the summer and company a's offer for the fall (so that i skip a semester at my university) so i have some diversity in my portfolio 4. take company a's offer, but renege them once i get company b's offer  will reneging company a's offer hurt my future in any way? my school career center says i shouldn't do it. the only reason why i'd still consider company a is because their pay is... insane.  thanks and have a good night  edit: i'm a sophomore and my internship won't get me a new grad return offer."
putting in more work but paid less?,cr27yi,blank,hapachino,8,1565964010.0,"i transitioned from an unrelated field after earning my second bachelor's in cs and got my first swe job earlier this year. the first few weeks i just felt overwhelmed with gratitude, like all the hard work paid off and i finally made it. but lately resentment has started creeping in over my salary.  in a vacuum, i'm actually quite happy with my pay - it's probably slightly below the local average, but significantly higher than my previous job. however, i recently found that a newer hire on our team is earning slightly more. a little background - he doesn't have a cs degree and his one year of experience was in a more font-facing role.  maybe real world experience, even front-facing, trumps a cs degree and that's fine. the problem is i'm literally doing like 10 times the amount of work, no exaggeration. i'm a fairly fast worker to be fair, but sometimes i look at the amount of work he's done and i just don't understand how he's done so little. it's become an inside joke within the team that i'm the carrying the frontend, which we and another guy work on. he even brought it up himself that i'm way more productive.   i've also taken on additional tasks such as architecting the frontend, creating the database and endpoints, creating test suites, helping with the build process, dockerizing the application, just to name a few. he's only 3 months in, but i've only got a couples months on him, and i was equally productive at that stage.  it just feels a little demoralizing. one coworker says i should definitely ask for a raise, which i'll probably do towards the end of the year. how should i go about negotiating to lessen the sense of inequity i'm feeling? and if they don't offer a significant raise, which companies usually don't, is it time to leave?"
research assistantship or internship?,d8i937,blank,bpe9,1,1569328333.0,"hi all,  so im starting my phd next year, but i have a few months till then.  ive been offered a research assistant position at my current university (doing my phd at a different uni), and also a data science internship at a top bank in my country.  im having difficulty choosing between the two, both would be 40 hour weeks. pay is roughly equal.i have previous internships (general software dev not data science) and also research experience already. i really enjoy research (hence doing a phd) but im not yet sure if i want to stay in academia after my phd (guessing ill decide during my phd), but at this stage im leaning towards a career in academia. if i dont stay in academia, i would like to work in data science. so both positions are obviously good here, and i would like to keep my options as open as possible for the future.  im wondering if i should take the internship and see if i can do the research assistantship part time on top of that. any input would be great! what choice do you think best sets me up?  thanks"
whole foods software engineer,cdy5dc,blank,FoamythePuppy,5,1563317976.0,"hi everyone, i saw a listing for whole foods software engineer and have a couple questions for anyone who might know:  &#x200b;  1) since they are owned by amazon now, is the pay equal to other amazon subsidiaries for software development? i know at places like audible it usually is.  2) do they use the same technology stack as amazon, or do they do their own thing?  3) do you think it is overall a good place to start a career?  &#x200b;  thank you for anyone who answers in advance!"
offered a 50k raise. considering turning it down,cejpii,blank,Sexualhurasmentpand,6,1563430408.0,"i was offered contract worth 135k/year. i'd work for a company that manages the contract, so i wouldn't be subject to self employment taxes or paying the companies share of the social security taxes. i believe the post tax income is \~117k. right now i make 85k before taxes.  &#x200b;  benefits are pretty much equal, i might lose 1 week of pto if i take the other job. my biggest issue is having to drive to work everyday. right now i work remote and save 10 - 20 hours a week by not commuting to an office. the other issue is that the contract would run out in april 2020. the consulting company said they would help me find something after, but i'm not willing to bet a steady income on that.  i make plenty of money for my lifestyle. if i took the job i think i'd use most of the extra money for an early retirement."
stay in toronto or go to the states?,au9chn,blank,Cs_canadian_person,49,1551053432.0,"my situation,  i have a bit less than 2 years experience as a software engineer in toronto. i have release an ios app for the first company i worked for, but most of my experience is with frontend dev using react / js and doing some devops responsibilities like creating ci pipelines, automating unit/e2e tests, and promoting builds to prod environments  my total set of skills are react, javascript, jenkins, google cloud platform, kubernetes, docker and, go lang (for backend).   on my free time i try to keep up with the latest news and try out tech that my job doesn't offer like graphql and react hooks. i also try to contribute to open source projects that i like with not so great results but it is nice to see how people more experienced than me code.   at my current role i am making 70 k and have options in a very early stage start up that might not be worth anything depending on where we end up. my stocks start to vest in september.   i recently was contacted by a recruiter in the states for a contract opportunity in portland or at nike hq which she estimates i can get 50/hr which equals ~100k per year. if i convert to cad that's about 130 k, almost double what i am getting now.   i think i am getting underpaid as i felt my worth was not as high due to graduating from a bootcamp. if i was more patient i might have been able to find something that paid more. the biggest draw for my current role was the learning opportunity as i really wanted to learn more about security, reliability, k8s docker and gcp from experienced senior devs.   after half a year though, i feel like i am ready to upgrade to something that pays more. living in toronto isn't cheap and this salary can get me at most a 350 k mortgage if you don't factor in maintenance and property taxes. that can barely get a studio downtown.    before advancing with the nike job, i wanted to see with this subreddit what someone with my experience could get in toronto. i've seen some posts about senior devs only getting the low 100s which seems pretty disgusting considering the cost of living is so high here.  i am actively looking /interviewing but wanted to see what people here have to say so i have a bit more of a baseline to work with."
which company would you choose?,cfa2ra,blank,nothingbutnew,5,1563584400.0,"recently i've (26f) interviewed to two different, yet similar, companies. they are both saas companies and my position would be implementation/technical ba roles. here is the run down:  company 1: head office is overseas and they are looking to expand into north america. they are just beginning their establishment in north america (not incorporated yet) so the first few months in the role would be working as a contractor. the industry has a lot of potential and they are currently doing very well at their head office location. i would be one of the first few employees on the north america side.   &#x200b;  company 2: quite established already - they were recently acquired by an even larger company so they are expanding quite rapidly. they are already an international company with office worldwide.  &#x200b;  pros to each: company 1 is very new in north america, meaning i would be one of the first employees at this location. i am presuming that i would be an integral part of building their business on this side of the globe. company 2, having already been established, would be easier on me as i would just have to complete the job. they will already have processes and procedures in place to handle their projects.   each company is considered a start-up culture. they both have been reviewed as having an amazing work and company culture. based on the reviews from company 2, people are stating their compensation is not up to market value and that there is a lot of ot work for no ot pay. i am assuming that if i start at company 1 i will also have to be putting in a lot of hours and commitment to get everything up and running but, with that, comes the satisfaction that i can somewhat make it into something of my own (rephrase: i will have consideration input into how the na office is structured).  i've interviewed at both places so far and both went really well but i am a point where if they both offered me the position (assuming the compensation packages are equal as well) i wouldn't know which to go with.   &#x200b;  are there any other perspectives that i'm missing? what do you guys think????"
"seeking recruitment advice: currently employed intern who wants ft, but current place's hr is not recruiting that far in advance, and seeing other offers extended closer on the horizon.",cwui40,blank,Kahako,0,1567073115.0,"hi everyone! i am an it major with cs minor who just started the first week of my second swe internship with company a. i feel like company a is 100% where i want to work after graduation this summer. their pay is industry competitive, their benefits are beyond phenomenal. their maternity and paternity leave is something to drool over, and the office culture and professional values align deeply with my own. as a business, it feels as if they're financially and strategically level-headed and on a good track to remain as a stable company for a long time to come (or, at least for the next three to five years). quite frankly, i feel like i just go to my second home when i go there.  &#x200b;  additionally, my manager is paving the way for leadership to consider pulling me in full-time after graduation. i've gotten a verbal (not signed) agreement that i'll have a third internship in the spring. there is need for back-fill, as two members of the team received in-company promotions to different swe departments and my team needed more people on their team before they even moved. so there is room for career growth. overall, i am grateful to say i'm in a decently good spot to be extended an offer after graduation.  &#x200b;  however, i do not have a signed offer in hand, so i'm still searching as if i don't have an offer at all. i've started interviews with company b, and they're looking to make a summer 2020 hiring decision by the end of september. i am decently acquainted with the internship recruiter for company a, and the recruiter's one complaint is that hiring managers are not looking at summer 2020 full-time hiring for swe at this point, when other companies are. while trying not to put the cart before the horse, i am mildly worried that if i'm extended an offer with company b (or c, d, e if they come along), i will not give company a enough time to provide a counter offer.  &#x200b;  with this being my first week back, i'm not sure when i should start putting this information in front of both my manager and the recruiter that i am being reached out to, and i need to seriously start considering my future now. i'm also not sure how i should best approach this conversation. midway through my first internship, i told my manager that i want to be here for the long haul, so i don't want to come across as overbearing. but i also want them to realize that a decision needs to be made soon, else i'm going to leave when i graduate.  &#x200b;  as a personal tenant, i will not say yes to one company now, and if the other comes through, back out later. i personally find that to be unprofessional, as i feel like a person's integrity is their strongest selling point as a potential employee. soap box aside, at the end of the day you really just don't know who knows who and burning a bridge is easier than building it. i know company b will be equally as competitive in terms of salary, benefits, (probably not the maternity/paternity leave), and career growth. i just want to know when a good time is to tell my company that if they can't extend me an offer soon, i'm going to have to look elsewhere when admittedly i don't want to. but i also don't feel comfortable with the risk of not pursuing other opportunities.  &#x200b;  does anyone have some advice for me?  &#x200b;  edit: for grammar."
best science degree to pair with cs?,bw1ikx,blank,MediocreAccountant1,16,1559534243.0,"i'm entering college soon and i wanted to double major in cs + chemical engineering. i know electrical and mechanical engineering are both good pairs with cs but i find those more boring, being more focused on physics which i'm not interested in.   i'm okay with: biology/biological engineering, chemistry/chemical engineering, biomed, biochem. i'd say i'm equally interested in all of them so the main concern would be job opportunities.   in my future i would probably get bored of doing straight up programming/software development so i would ideally want a job that mixes cs with one of the above sciences, without sacrificing too much pay that i would have gotten from just doing cs."
no negotiation policy?,a7e651,blank,colinsbear,10,1545189279.0,"i read an article about a few places having ""no negotiation"" policies in place for compensation (jet.com and magoosh). does anyone know if this is actually true? i am applying to a place that is saying they have no negotiation but is this just to deter me from countering? if anyone that works for jet or magoosh can chime in that would be ideal."
[job offer] industry offer vs consulting offer,akcqen,blank,smarshall89,22,1548630368.0,"hi all, need help deciding between two similar job offers from two very different jobs.  ==== me  ====  - 7.5 years experience - live in dc area - test automation engineer/sdet  - some lead experience - built a couple automation frameworks (java, selenium, cucumber and testng) - love automation, i automate most repetitive tasks in my life - dating my best friend, been together for 3 years, living together for 2. i see her every day and we spend all of our time together. i love her dearly. she's my other half.  ===== job a  =====  - very large secondary mortgage market company - 135k base - up to 10k to close on a house - up to 10k annually for a masters degree if i choose to enroll in a grad program (likely georgia tech online masters in com sci) - 1-3% annual raises - 1-3% annual bonus - 18 paid vacation days - total comp somewhere in the area of 174 - 0 travel required   ===== job b =====  - very large big 4 consulting (accounting) firm  - 135k base (room to negotiate) - no $$ to close on house - no $$ for grad school  - 5-8 % annual raises - 1-5% annual bonus - 25 paid vacation days - total comp 172 (with 135 base) - travel required... anywhere from 0% to 100% depending on the project i'm assigned to. most likely more than 60% travel though, where i'm essentially living out of a suitcase m-th..  job a wins in total comp year 1.. but job b wins in total comp (combined) after year 3.   anyone got thoughts on which of these jobs offers better comp for me given my scenario and job requirements (travel vs non travel)? with job a i can get a master's degree, but i don't really care to get one because i've read that they're not worth the effort in software engineering. is this true?  anything you can provide would be helpful. thanks!  tl;dr: industry job requires no travel and small increases with option for masters degree, consulting offers larger salary increases but requires lots of travel. equal base pay. which do i choose?"
not sure if i should renege for another opportunity,by23gj,blank,notsureaboutjob,8,1559983523.0,"i'm a relatively new grad (graduated last summer) and have been looking for work since then with no luck. a few weeks ago, i received an offer from company a, which i was of course very inclined to accept. to summarize key points about it:  * company is us based with multiple offices and is looking to expand and establish a large office in canada - i will be one of the first people to join this canadian team, which i believe will probably be a good opportunity for growth. their main product is software for utility companies. * salary is a bit on the low end of average, but i was told there were yearly bonuses and regular performance reviews. this may or may not be true as glassdoor reviews imply that performance reviews and growth do not happen as often or as easily as they were told they would * they will pay all costs for training trips as necessary in the us, but i need to work for them for at least 24 months (if i leave earlier, i may need to pay back training costs). * as they are still sorting out logistics in canada, i don't know what the benefits plan is but i was told there would be a ""competitive"" one by the time i start work. us employees report on glassdoor that the health benefits are pretty good and that they offer 401k matching, so i assume it might be similar in canada (but maybe without the retirement savings, at least not for a few months). * new office location should be good, in the downtown core which is a very easy commute for me * i don't know the exact technologies or project i will be working on, but i get the impression it will be web dev related (i was told during the interview process that they use angular and other newer technologies, and likely some c/java in the lower-level side).  * the contract mentioned that i may need to work overtime with no additional pay other than my regular salary  after accepting company a's offer, i continued to interview with a few loose ends that i had started before i received my offer, thinking that i would decide later if another opportunity comes up. lo and behold, i was given an offer early this week for company b. company b is a consulting company which wants to hire me as a permanent employee of theirs (in order to provide health benefits), whilst working for their client company. the client company's main product is not software - it's ecommerce related and it seems like devs work mainly on internal tools, the client's online storefront and the like.  * initial contract would be for 6 months at their client company with a very likely chance of extension or permanent employment for the client company. i could also pursue other opportunities afterwards with company b as a consultant. * salary is a bit better than company a, but not by an incredible amount * healthcare benefits seem decent, there are no retirement savings benefits * i would be working with a heavily functional codebase with react native / reactjs, go, redux, node.js and similar. * the team is pretty small overall, only about 30 people, but i was told they are very tight-knit * i am expected to work 37.5 h/week which leads me to believe overtime is not expected * office is a long commute - located about an hour away from me. i think this will be especially annoying in the winter.  vacation benefits are about the same for both companies, and neither company name has more clout than the other (they're both relatively unknown).   i'm having an extremely difficult time deciding on which company i should choose - i feel about equally towards both. it may have come to the point where i might just take company a so i don't have to deal with the lost integrity and trouble of reneging.  basically, i need opinions - which position is better for a future career? i get the impression that working for a large enterprise company that is very engineer oriented may be a better career start, but company b sounds like it might have better technologies."
having trouble deciding on dod computer networking contracting jobs,cfggm5,blank,fordgoldfish,1,1563617207.0,"hello everyone.  currently i left the air force w/ 3.5 years experience in computer networking.  i have ccnp, ccna security, ccna, and security+.  i have worked setting up and managing infrastructure for my entire time here.  i also have a ts/sci clearance.  so, i have 2 possible scenarios:  job 1: network admin role in tampa for 75k (seems low for this area especially w/ a ts/sci, but maybe tampa is a lower-paying job market overall?).  this is a multiple year contract w/ 17 days pto, ~8 paid holidays, and some education benefits.  i do not need education benefits or healthcare because i will still be in the reserves.  also, there is family support we have for our children, which is why we initially moved to tampa.  job 2: network admin role in colorado springs making 104k, but just straight time.  6 month contract-to-hire.  i know what your all thinking about this c2h, that it sucks, unpredicatable, no benefits, etc.  i have talked with the recruiters and they tell me everything is pointing to me getting hired full-time with the company.  this is just the probationary period.  i know, i know, talk is cheap.  also, my wife works in gov and will have an easier time getting her foot in the door, and there are 3-4 bases near here to work at so i shouldn't have trouble finding work in case the job doesn't work out.  backround: i have friends who got out with my same experience and certs or just security+ getting 90k+.  it is possible that they interview better than me, are more competent, etc.  but this pay just seems very low for my creds and clearance.  thank you for reading and all your help!  i would love any insight into these job markets especially for dod contracting in network engineering/admin roles.  i am unsure of what to do because i see equal pros-cons for both locations and am having a hard time with a good gut feeling."
looking for advice regarding early career progression,c0ikok,blank,Mycsthrowaway5588,2,1560537396.0,"background:  i have just finished year 5 of a part-time web dev degree and currently work as a junior web admin (i mostly do content management, light seo, analytics, marketing, and some testing) for a media agency. i have been there just over a year and make not much more than minimum wage. i took a pay cut for this job as i saw it as a foot in the tech door, i was ok with a pay cut initially, but a new little family addition has meant that money has become tight. i really like the company, but the job is a bit linear and i would like to utilise more of my degree training.  &#x200b;  i was contacted by a recruiter yesterday who would like to put my name forward for a junior swe job at an embedded software company close to my current job. the money would definitely be more and its another step up my career ladder.  &#x200b;  all things being equal i would prefer to stay with my current company, its a really nice team and atmosphere.  &#x200b;  the tech lead in my current company and a senior dev have both expressed interest in eventually pulling me across to the dev team, but there is currently only 1 junior and no signs of the director and production manager planning on hiring another, yet.  &#x200b;  i would love some advice and thoughts for what my options could be.  &#x200b;  thanks"
"dislike my job, but no prospects in my desired field",cejwlh,blank,BurnedDownTheSawmill,0,1563431395.0,"hi all. throwaway as i know some of my coworkers know my reddit handle.  i got into programming in late junior high because i wanted to make video games (or rather create the technology behind them, not engine level, but backend gameplay code). i graduated university in december in computer engineering. i took a lot of cs-related classes in both community college and university (i did 2 years cc, 2 years uni), and have been programming in various languages since high school. my gpa wasn't great at college (cc and university combined it's about 3.07, but at uni it's only about 2.9), and i wasn't doing terribly well on interviews with most companies since (the old ""you can code, but you can't invert a binary tree on a whiteboard"" line). however, in february, i got a job with an embedded systems company that seemed like it would line up really well with my education and would be a great starting point. it also paid really well. i started there at the start of march.  i was hired on to work on a particular project, and when it started out, it was great. there were several people in my office working on it, and i got to work with them a lot. though i wasn't doing exactly what i wanted to do for work, i was at least having fun and gaining a lot of knowledge. again, the pay is great and also, i've made a lot of friends at the company. the culture is great. however, about a week and a half later, the client we were doing the work for cancelled their contract with our company.  i was placed onto an ongoing project since then, and i really don't like it. when they were trying to reorganize following the contract loss, i spoke directly with the cto and coo (it's a fairly small company and they're very approachable), and i was essentially told there was basically no place to put me and that i would just be placed on this project. but, all i'm doing is copy/pasting and repurposing old code. i don't think i've written any original code since getting on this project and i feel like i'm losing my edge. honestly, i'm so bored and feel i am not contributing anything.  i've had about 3 meetings with my direct manager as well as the company executives where i've all but said this directly to them, and always the response is thus: given my skillset and background, this is the only project i fit on for the foreseeable future.  i've been applying to jobs in game development, and while i have several school projects and some backend game tools i've written, i don't have the demonstrable professional experience due to only working in any industry for a few months. all the emails i've gotten from recruiters have been for either jobs across the country, or for ones that are far too high up for me (swe3, 5-8years experience, etc.). i've been rejected or no-responsed by everything i've applied to in games development, and i applying to just as many if not more jobs than i was between university and my current position.  i hate to leave my current position, as everyone here seems like they have a long career here (everyone speaks as if a 5-year tenure is still equal to new-grad or entry level, and most people have been here longer than that). it pays really well for an entry level position, and i have friends here. but i really hate what i'm doing as i basically do nothing.  how do i make myself more attractive to jobs in the game development space? i have knowledge of the development pipeline from working with indie developers and using a lot of the tools aaa devs use, and i have projects to show i know what i'm doing with backend game code. also, is it worth it to keep my current job for the experience for x amount of time even though i dislike it?  thanks all."
what tech companies that you know are highly underrated?,8wxcjd,blank,JogaleHunchhaBhet,127,1531035141.0,"we hear about big4s all the time, but there are a lot of other companies where the pay  and employment benefits  are almost as equal and the learning opportunities are tremendous. what are some of those companies that a lot people in tech don't know of?  edit: spelling"
experiencing discrimination at work.,a5xjgb,blank,throwawaysrj,20,1544763101.0,"this is a throwaway account since some guys at work use reddit.  the director of engineering who makes all of the hiring decisions only hires people that are specific religion. i do not want to name the religion because the situation is unique enough that if i did they could identify me on here.  it used to be a family run software shop that grew originally, the ceo was a member of the religious group and would give preference to member of the group as well.   we were recently acquired by a larger company and he retired. the company adopted us as their main product this year. hr does not know that out of 6 people on the engineering team only 1 is not from this particular group.   most of the people are graduates from this religious-based college.  i have been working for the company for three years and they hired a jr developer with less experience and equal education over me. they didn't even give me a chance to interview. he straight up told me i did not have enough experience.   i work as a technical support engineer and have done major development on our companies website that uses the same stack as our saas product. its a pretty small city and they use ember and c#. thats to say finding developers is hard here, finding developers that know our stack is even harder. they cant used the excuse that i didn't have enough experience when i had made major contributions to our code base and became the sole developer of our companies website site.  the reason this sucks is that if i leave it going to be very hard for me to find jr/associate level position that will pay what i need. i make 47k now which is under market value for the area, but i would really need to be making at least 65k which is on the high end.  this is because my wife works at the company as well and it would mean having to finance a used car, double the cost in gas (everything is a 30 minutes drive one way without traffic) so transportation cost add up.  i would also be giving up a good health insurance package.  my work life balance is great like i said i get to work with my wife and we have developed great friendships here. it would really be like losing a family.  they recently hired another member of their religious group as well.   working on a team by myself at a jr/assosite level is not a good thing. yes i get a lot of freedom to do what i want, but its impossible for me to get a code review done by engineering. every time i ask them to they say okay and the pull request just sits there for months.  i'm just wondering what i should do. i am stuck in a position now where i do not have any support and a ton of responsibility. it is forcing me to grow and learn which is a good thing but its super painful and stressful.  i found out today that the doe is going to be dropping third-party integrations on me because he does not trust the integrations team that does not work in the office to take over the work.  sorry for the long post. it's just a great situation turning sour simply because i don't believe in their religion. the doe has never given me any negative feedback and is always super nice to me and we have good conversations. i have even been to his house for a cookout. its just whenever i ask about any upcoming ob openings i get shot down instantly.   maybe i will talk to him in a more formal meeting and ask when they plan on hiring for a jr/associate role. i know he cant really use the excuse that i don't have the experience anymore since he is expecting me to take on thrid party integrations.   any feedback would be nice. normally i would leave but being in a small town and in such a good work environment with good benefits is making it hard."
have you ever left an internship too early,c1ggyt,blank,Unchart3disOP,1,1560756567.0,"i am in this sticky situation, where i was accepted in a frontend development internship, the thing is the startup i got accepted in is a very new and struggling startup so there is alot of work to be done, and the pay i have to say is just terrible to give you an idea of what's it like my transportation alone would cost more than my pay or at best, would be equal to it. now i did apply to other companies however, no replies yet. now, i am caught in two minds, whether to continue working there even though the first 2 weeks are just for orientation and having us familiar with the technologies they're using or should i just wait for a better opportunity to arise so i can leave this one.  &#x200b;  tldr: i am stuck in an internship with a very low pay but alot of work -which maybe good- should i wait for a better one with a better pay or stick to this one and in a way double cross them  edit1: typos"
career outlook with first job in angular?,az8zhz,blank,SixCivility,7,1552199464.0,"so i recently got my first web development job offer. the pay is higher than i hoped and the benefits are great. the company is fairly large, which has pros and cons, but i'm looking forward to learning a presumably more structured workflow. the only negative is they use angular.   i've been studying react since it's the most in-demand framework/library and continuing to trend upward. after getting over the initial shock of jsx, react feels very intuitive and straightforward. most of the time it feels like writing plain javascript and i love the freedom.  i've only briefly gotten into angular, but so far i'm not a fan. everything feels more abstract with more boilerplate, and the syntax and naming conventions are bleh like `[(ngmodel)]` and `*ngfor`. i mean who came up with this? most people seem to prefer react - can those who've used both tell me why they prefer angular? some say angular is more suited for ""enterprise"" projects, but i've heard large companies converting from angular to react as well.  i'm going to take job since the pay is great and it'll get my foot in the door. i'm sure i'll learn skills that will benefit me wherever i go, and developers change frameworks all the time, but i'm wondering how it will affect my career. if i want to get back into react later on, surely preference is given to previous react developers, all else equal. and can i expect the same pay increase if i move on to react compared to if i continue with angular?"
deciding between two very different full-time offers,a9uwnn,blank,CSQThrowaway31415,19,1545905758.0,"apologies if this sounds like the ultimate in first world problems, but as someone with bad anxiety making large decisions this is eating me up and i figured i'd ask for advice.  i'm a senior computer science student from canada looking at two competing job offers, both with companies i've done 4 month internships with before (one last winter, one which just ended).  the first company is a medium-large sized firm in nyc, that is very highly respected in it's field. it pays incredibly well (starting at 250k usd/yr + 401k matching and an incredible health plan with lots of potential to grow, and a 50k signing bonus), is stable and growing, with free lunch and gym and all the usual crazy tech perks. it's also only a 7 hour drive or 2 hour flight where i grew up and where all my family is. i found it a pretty good place to work. i also like to cook and have a lot of cooking equipment that i could easily move to nyc and have a nice setup.  the second company is small (\~10 people) stock trading firm in tokyo. it pays very well for tokyo (\~175k/yr), but might not be the most stable company in the world (plus a good chunk of the pay is tied to firm performance) and has limited growth potential (as all the employees except the owner are effectively equal and paid the same with some slight tweaks to the bonus structure). it's also 12 hours by an expensive plan ride away from my family and existing friends, and i'd imagine making new friends and finding other jobs in the future will be harder there given the language barrier. however, i just worked there, and absolutely fell in love with tokyo and japan. the city is amazing, the general way of life feels like a better fit for me, and the transit, infrastructure and food give an incredible quality of life. my university program involves finding a lot of 4 month internships, meaning i've been able to live in many cities around the world and this is the first one i've reached the end of and not had any real desire to return home. i also quite enjoyed the freedom of the smaller firm, both in terms of the work done and the working style (you could order whatever setup you like to work on, you could work from home most of the time if you want, or come into the office, hours were mostly flexible).  part of me thinks that i'm giving up an incredible opportunity if i don't take the ny firm, and that the foreignness of tokyo may grate on me eventually (even if it didn't at all in the 4 months i was there). it's an insane amount of money, a highly prestigious job that i enjoy doing, and a world class city near my family where i speak the language. the other part of thinks i'm being too conservative taking that job, and should take the risk and return to tokyo, which has been by far my favourite place to live."
cash vs equity compensation?,anddgl,blank,dudebobmac,9,1549396463.0,"it seems to me that cash compensation is just safer. between two job offers (all else being equal), why would someone take a job with lower pay but equity comp vs something like netflix that pays high salaries but little to no equity compensation?"
is it better to have a gap in your job history or have a low-paying unrelated job?,a1y1xr,blank,jobgap_throw,13,1543652127.0,"i worked as a contractor for a year, and recently had my contract terminated for underperforming. they expected me to take on additional work after other employees left. for a web agency, the workplace had very few local developers and basically no mentorship or training. turnover was high.  i would have to start looking for work, and have to apply cold since i can't use my last job as a reference. however i don't really have great track record in getting back on a job quickly. last two times i left a job, it took 4 months and 6 months, respectively, of job searching before i got another offer.  so i am wondering what looks better, have any job at all, even if it is unrelated like stocking merchandise, and pays low, or just go 100% on job searching for another software engineer job? and this is also from the perspective of recruiters- all other things being equal will it look worse that i am working as a stock person or barista for a couple months, will they say ""why the hell couldn't he find relevant work"" or stick it out with another gap? no recent experience for a swe job could have them discard my resume... maybe?"
full stack or reverse engineering?,ap1c6q,blank,Davileet2,8,1549807334.0,"having two offers on the table with relatively equal benefits and pay, which is the better/ more interesting career path?   i am afraid that re will be hard, and not very enjoyable working in assembly and machine code environment. this is a ten man company that has been around for ten years and is in a cleared environment.   going into full stack development i am afraid that i will pigeon hole myself later in my career. and not sure that i enjoy websites very much. this is a medium sized company and also in a cleared environment.  any input would be appreciated. experiences, future pay, etc."
courses to prep for quant dev positions,b9igka,blank,bashorunGaa,6,1554441143.0,"tl;dr: given that i have a solid cs (degree) + math background (math excluding statistics beyond probability theory used in machine learning/ai); if i could take 4 semester-long classes to prep me for quantdev roles, what should they be?  &#x200b;  my background:undergrad double major: **ba in cs**, **bs in mech engr**post-college job: 2 years of full-time **software dev**, quit to go to grad school.current situation: 3 years into **mech engr phd** program (2 years left); already got the ""along-the-way"" ms in mech engr  i'll start by saying i am really enjoying my phd in mech engr and i'm 100% committed to finishing. i love the academic rigor and mental challenge - especially because my research is very math heavy (control theory). however, as is common knowledge, phds often come with the financial sacrifice, and traditional mechengr jobs don't pay as much as swe jobs. i consider myself more of a problem solver than one who is attached to a specific major/job title so i would be equally as happy ending up in either fields, so earning prospects is the only significant difference for me.  thus, i am planning to explore swe options post-graduation. in particular, i'm leaning towards quantdev roles for two reasons:  1. the heavy mathematical content, 2. from reading through this subreddit, it seems quantdev companies would appreciate/value my mechengr phd than typical software companies would.  that said, one of the luxuries of a phd program is that i am on a university campus where so many classes are being offered, and since i am done with the course-requirements of my phd program, i can afford to take whatever classes i want on campus and have enough time for 4 classes before my graduation (1 per semester). **now, here is the question**:  * ***what 4 classes would you recommend i take to prepare me for quant-dev swe roles? ""prepare"" as regards passing job interviews and day-to-day life of a quantdeveloper.***  note that i have pretty solid cs and math background, just that the math is more in the real analysis, calculus realm and not much into statistics beyond the probability theory used in machine learning/ai."
which internship offer is the better deal?,bbror0,blank,BigFatHogDaddy,4,1554960814.0,"i recently received two internship offers and since i have no experience in the industry, i can't tell which one is the better deal in the long run.  &#x200b;  company 1: midsize startup,  will be working on lower level programming projects (i've been told that previous interns work on 10gbe test apps, working on their build system and testing, working on test software to control test equipment, and writing drivers for some boards). this offer pays very generously  &#x200b;  company 2: large defense contractor, will be working with amazon web services and will be building java back end micro services working with the spring framework, and other stuff along those lines. this offer pays significantly less ($13/hr less than the other offer).  &#x200b;  i'm tempted to go with company 1 because of their pay, but i'm not sure if the experience gained at company 2 will give it a greater opportunity cost. can anyone with some experience in the industry shed some light on how valuable the experiences are in each company? i enjoy both types of work equally and have no personal preference on what i would want to do, mostly just looking to see if company 2's experience is worth the $13/hr difference."
how much would i need to make if i move from full-time salaried to contractor?,7uv1xp,blank,redpillthrill1,20,1517638702.0,"i am currently making $130k/yr as a full-time employee. i get 3 weeks vacation, $401k and benefits. i'm applying for a contract-to-hire position. it does not pay vacation or $401k but it does provide medical, dental and vision insurance. about how much hourly would it make sense for me to submit to get an equal deal as where i'm working now?  no sick days.  40 hrs a week.  need to find out about holidays, company match"
renege on a return internship for research?,b2kwz1,blank,inspectorpickle,6,1552956068.0,"i'm only a sophomore in cs so i feel like it doesn't matter \*that\* much, but i want to cover all my bases. i accepted a return offer from northrop grumman in san diego(my hometown) in october, because when i had told my manager i had little intention of returning, he told me to accept it anyway and renege later. however, speaking with my advisor, i'm not sure anymore.  i'm interested in getting into art and entertainment technology, and failing that, i have little preference.  but northrop has already invested money in getting me cleared for stuff, it /is/ a really good company and internship program, and i would be doing something i am interested in (vr/ar research and development). my last internship experience with them was ok at best; i was doing building a webapp but i honestly had to really push for things to do. i was able to get this new position, but i'm not sure if it'll turn out the same.  the research position is doing graphics for map data visualizations at my university(carnegie mellon) in pittsburgh. i'm honestly equally interested in both, but the reason i was looking for other opportunities in the first place was that i really wanted to get involved in research, and i didn't like the rigid structure of the workspace, or the fact that everything was under red tape and i basically couldn't talk about or showcase anything i did afterward. i don't really care about the pay, and i would much rather be in pittsburgh than at home over the summer.  i also feel like if i were to do the ""dumb"" thing and give up an opportunity at northrop, it might as well be now and not later.  tl;dr  there are different benefits to both, but a much greater cost to leaving as opposed to staying.  &#x200b;  edit: upon rereading my post i realize i said that i was doing research at northrop. and i am, technically. i was mostly referring to the different environments of both."
deciding between redfin & mongodb,9ssgmn,blank,p0wnedqueen,9,1540964995.0,"i was lucky enough to get offers at both companies, but am having a really tough time deciding between the two. i have seen some posts on both companies, but not enough to make a decision.  they both pay around the same, but i am wondering what will help me out long term / offer a better summer experience. both of them do project matching and i won’t really know my project until i start.  mongodb - new york - 10 weeks - slightly less pay - known more as a tech company - will probably need to make more active effort to meet people in new york  redfin - san francisco  - 12 weeks - slightly more pay - might be cool opportunity to explore businessy company - have lots of friends in / around sf in the summer  would love to hear some other pros/cons as i’m too equal on them right now! thanks!"
new grad: unicorn vs gg!,a71qif,blank,dantlz,8,1545095845.0,"hi.  &#x200b;  just wanted to get reddit's opinion on this decision between stripe vs google as a new grad software engineer:  * google: get the name first, unicorns will always be there * stripe: more selective, better team and culture, more potential growth, google will always be there * location, pay, environment, team transfers are equal * job security is not a concern  is there any factor i'm not considering? i am leaning towards stripe.  thank you!"
capital one data engineering internship v. goldman sachs swe internship,7fh1gn,blank,BelligerentBumbler,60,1511663949.0,"greetings, cscareerquestions.  i'm a junior trying to choose between goldman sachs and capital one for the summer. i received an offer for data engineering at c1 and an offer for swe at goldman.   the pay is about equal ($3500 biweekly at c1 v. $3800 biweekly at gs), but c1 also provides free housing, whereas gs would make me find housing somewhere near manhattan/jersey city. i'm not sure whether i should even consider profit in my internship decision, but i think i'd come out with about $1k more working at c1.  i don't know what my interests in tech are, so i'm generally interested in hearing about redditors' experience with both programs/companies. the technologies used in data engineering sound exciting, which is why i chose it over swe for c1, but i have no experience with them, so my estimation could be far off. working at goldman, i'm not sure what my summer project would be, but the ones i've heard about have sounded interesting.   again, i'd love to hear others' experiences. in addition, i have a few specific questions:   1. for those who have worked at c1 in richmond or mcclean, what is company housing like? for those who have worked at gs, what did you do for housing? are nyu dorms the most affordable choice? 2. (for both) how much will i grow as a software developer during the summer? i like cs, but i don't have much real experience, so i'd really like to do as much learning as possible. has anyone had an experience where they felt bored?    3. what is social culture like among interns at both companies? for c1 folks in mclean or richmond, is there much to do? 4. how does full time conversion work at both companies? are there signing bonuses/other perks available to intern converts? 5. what's something you've disliked about c1 or gs? how big of a deal was it to you?"
current startup job after graduation is terrible and overworking me. how do i switch to a better job without going broke?,aukv2a,blank,little_reverie,2,1551127487.0,"i've read the faqs but i really need more advice specific to my situation. already posted this on r/careerguidance but didn't get enough replies.     so i currently work at a small startup as a software engineer/consultant/slave. i'm a recent graduate and have been working at this company part-time/casual as a means to build up experience months before graduation. the plan was to move to a bigger job once i graduate. although my current workplace is somewhat flexible with my working hours (for now), i absolutely feel like i am getting overworked for the little pay i receive. i know startups or any companies would tend to overwork cs-grads, however not only am i getting around 20k less than market average but the company has almost zero mentoring or proper workflow present in the workplace. i know i might sound like i am complaining a lot as a graduate, however everyone of my university peers work in a significantly more professional and higher paying job with actual learning potential (***technical details can be found in the last paragraph***). for a startup, i do not own any potential shares in it nor am i friends with anyone there prior to working there (they certainly don't treat me like one). i actually feel like i would be a better software engineer if i just stayed at home and did online courses than working at my current job. of course i really hope to be paid a fair amount of the work i do.  normally i would just swallow my pride and work for this place for a little longer till i can find another job at a slower pace. however, i am now out of university supporting myself and paying my own rent. on top of that, i do not come from a privileged family background and both sides of my family are barely earning enough to sustain themselves much less have me rely on them. i've been actively searching for other jobs from bigger companies with a decent or high pay and such. however tech giants, unicorns or corporate in general have really long and different interview processes which come in 3-4 stages or more. i've been rejected from a few of such companies for many reasons already (not as good as i thought i am at interviews, shitty hr recruiters etc.). i am currently still out actively applying to newer jobs however balancing interviews/interview study with full-time work and supporting myself is taking a visible toll on me (not the most medically well person either). i really don't want to run out of money and i really hope to be able to financially support my family a little that's why i'm working this hard.  my current contract will renew soon in which i would want to **1.** ***request for a shorter termination notice*** **2.** ***request a weekday off or something*** as i want to try to have as much time to look for jobs/ do interviews. however, i am unsure if this is the best approach to doing this correctly. as much as this job is driving me insane and is downright disrespectful at times, i do not have any financial security net to fall on if my manager gets suspicious and just decides to fire me(very unlikely but possible). due to the nature of the company i cannot see them giving me a raise so that is out of the negotiation plate. i have ran through these plans with some friends of mine, however most of them are equally inexperienced in life/career so i am unsure about their advice. i really need some advice on what to do. should i try to negotiate more? to confront them straight about my problems? i'm really at a tough spot right now so i would appreciate any help possible. thank you.  **tech stuff**   *currently i am put on a bunch of front-end projects which i admit, i'm not the most interested in (coming to work and just writing css), however i've been on projects where i was straight up put on as an illustrator/designer (have no proper background of being one). what i despise the most is that there is completely no workflow and coding standard whatsoever put in place so you get people pushing node modules or environment specific configurations onto master or have pull requests with a million merge conflicts or few hundred thousand line changes in which i have to fix. pull requests never get reviewed properly at all and i'm the only one who every writes any sort of documentation. everyone works with the ""if it is hard to write it should be hard to read"" mindset even on collaborative projects and let their ego get absolutely in the way when i try to propose better solutions to literally anything. project staging/production pipe-lining or usage of docker for projects that need them is absolutely non-existent with me being the first advocate for them. only recently, they have began using it and not only did i get zero credits of proposing something like that, i get treated like i have zero experience in any of these tools and hence am not allowed to work on any cloud/devops stuff. the worst bit of this is that no one realises this is wrong and whenever i try to speak up i get my opinions pushed aside. not only are the conflicts/configurations tedious to deal with, i usually have to fix these problems myself if i have to meet my own deadlines. my manager, being a manager, doesn't understand any of these issues and just end up assuming i cannot meet deadlines. as such, i either get placed on terrible ""media""/wordpress projects or mundane features of interesting projects with zero skills i can actually take away whilst meeting deadlines of 5-6 projects at once.*  **tl;dr**   getting overworked as a grad code monkey with questionable pay and want to find/transition to a higher paying job to support myself and family. don't know the best way to approach the transition phase. need help."
[28/f] starting a new programming role and just learned i'm earning 20k+ less than my male coworkers. advice?,8nwold,blank,Throwaway28fe,34,1527926517.0,"i'm in the uk. i was contacted by a recruiter for this lovely programming job in my area doing secure software development and cyber security stuff for a really huge company. i said great and had them send off my details. nailed the interview and start monday. train travel will cost me £94/mo.  i have a b.a. in fine arts so no programming qualifications. my last it role was as a back-end developer. my job was outsourced so everyone got laid off.  my husband was gaming with his friend last night telling him about my new job. his friend commented saying that you would think trusting someone with your secure information would equal a higher pay. i didn't think anything of it until we crawled into bed.  my husband said his other friend does less secure software engineering/developing for blomberg and earns £50,000/yr. i'm making £22,000/yr after bonuses.  i checked payscale and it said i'm earning 87% less than the median person. my husband told me to check the company's gender gap report for last year. sure enough the company reported paying women 40% less, but plan to supposedly fix it by 2020.  i was all excited to go shopping for work outfits today and now it's 1:00am and i can't sleep.  what do i do? when i worked back-end i was paid the same rate as my male coworkers. this job is paying my male co-workers £45,000 for the same job title.  i want this job, but i don't know what to do. advice?"
"should i quit? i am underpaid, my contract has been broken multiple times by my employer and now they want to take wfh away.",abzuz1,blank,Only_Vermicelli,3,1546504847.0,"sorry if i get mad in this post because this is literally my job and i'm freaked right out and hope people can be patient with me and see past the anger and caps, it's nothing at anyone here ofc! just the stuff that brought me to consider quitting in the first place :d <3 :d <3  -----  i live in a low col area and opportunities here are limited.  i graduated in april this year and landed this position shortly after, resulting in me at present having ~6 months of post grad experience ontop of a ~1.5 year internship. i do not currently know if i could get a job again here if i am being honest.   i should add my at rest blood pressure i had checked a few days ago when i went for a dental cleaning (idk why they check bp for a dental cleaning?) and it was 136. a few months ago when i went to see my family doctor it was 134. i never had this issue.   (i cannot imagine how high my bp is when i get emails from clients swearing at me or screaming about things that should never break in a system breaking. i cannot go into detail but we're talking some basic fundamental core functionality. i don't disagree with the client either. it's unacceptable.)  i truly don't know. and right now i am getting ""official experience"" which is a blessing because while i can hack away at home for hours on end it's not apparently enough to get an employer to care i exist.   for this job they have: 1: denied me healthcare when they told me i would have healthcare, only fairly recently getting it to me after complaints were made. it was scheduled to be upon commencement of employment.  2: never did a salary review that was baked into the contract.  3: never updated my title of my job, which it should be read as junior software developer or the likes and was promised to me to happen. yes that is my actual job but my title is different. i am doing the react, java etc etc programming.   4: now, and it is mentioned absolutely 100% in the contract, they want to take away my ability to wfh. and i have come in whenever requested such as meetings or when requested, even if the thing i was requested for never happens that day and i came in for literally no reason.   this is a big point because:  -the office is loud and has distracting people come in open the door and go ""hey guys"" and startle me and completely break my focus.   -light literally pours into where i sit and the light can and does get into my eyes.  -i want privacy flat out i do not like the way things are there.   -i respectfully want nothing to do with anyone there because i am dealing with my own issues:  ------ i have ptsd i am looking to get treated right now i have ignored for years from my rape. and yes for the record i mean penatrative rape, twice in one ""session"". yeah, i'm trying to deal with it. it's ~4 years late but i need to deal with it now because flashbacks mid workday aren't cute.  ------ i am dealing with general anxiety as well.  ------ i am dealing with losing a 2 year ltr that i tbqh care about infinitely more than this job. i was going to get married in a year, now idk where things are at.  ------ and the drama associated with that ltr like not being invited to weddings, inner family shame, the dad avoiding me when i went over, me having to hide in a car when they visited their grandfather and me feeling like i probably got heat stroke. and so much more.  ------ my mother falling to pieces because her mother (my grandmother) went after her. because my mother's biological father passed away and she got not even the sentimental ring from him passing on and 0 acknowledgement.  and just more. wfh i knew ~6 months ago when i signed the freaking contract was. a. huge. huge. huge. huge. deal.  in fact looking back these things in the contract were why i took the job in the first place. - i like healthcare, but i sure as heck didn't get it until just recently. ""upon commencement of employment"" does not equal many months in. - i strongly prefer to wfh for the reasons mentioned above.   ----------- but wait, there's more!:  i know i am a new grad, and so i got warning signs during the interview that i ignored. this company is on the smaller side and even in the interview huge warning signs were everywhere telling me ""don't freaking do this!"" ""you will regret this!"".  examples: -i asked them some basic questions on architecture and even before i got into the code i knew there were some ghastly issues just there.  -the owner of the company was in my interview and tbqh seemed super aloof and like he was better than me and even as he grabbed me resume just crinkled the fuck out of the paper.  dude literally asked me after checking over my resume if i could write code for 8 hours a day. a real coding job.  say my nose is out of place or i am prideful but if i wasn't a new-grad and i had options i would have just walked out right then and there. i did a real coding job for ~1.5 years where i worked on a project dramatically more significant than this one.  -their initial offer to me was part time that i obviously declined and so respect for me is clearly low from the get-go.  -their system has no documentation. at all. none. when i came in we had none. we didn't even have slack or skype or any way to communicate outside of outlook email.  -i spent days trying to figure out errors so far. days. the system is in a complete state of carnage and chaos and me and a person hired the same time as me are desperately trying to break up new functionality of the system into microservices and such because we don't want to frigging deal with the old code base that is so horrendously bad.  -they have tried to do shady things like literally get into other companies to write down all their features and that.  -they have 0 comprehension what they are doing right now should be done by a bigger development team than the number of digits on one hand.  ...  there's just so much more and there's no point in me going into it in more detail on my issues those ways. there's tons.  ----------- my feelings:  i am a new grad and scared i won't be able to find another job. not sure how i'd build ""experience officially"" and land a new job. the city i live in is not filled to the brim with software opportunities. i'm on the verge of nearly 2 years experience and can do db, frontend and backend pretty stupidly easily but i'm worried about getting a job because ""experience officially"" comes from having a real job and not hacking away at home.  i am really pissed off right now. the contract itself that i signed has been broken over and over and over again and now they plan to take wfh away.  i am making the same salary i did when i was hired as an intern prior to my 1.5 years exp at the internship and now nearly 6 months here. i cannot and do not want to pay the gas to drive an hour there and an hour back. furthermore i live up north meaning the roads are extremely dangerous to boot and gas to heat the vehicle along with the hour long drive... may as well torch another few thousand off my take home that is already pretty bad.    ----------- ""okay why is the office so bad?""  - it's hard to focus on my job there rather than at home. there are a lot of distractions and a lot of stress and tbqh it's so much more productive for me to just walk to my desk at home and get shit done and read up on new tech if i need to.  - sunlight bathes where i sit and tbqh is intensely distracting. i want the blinds closed because the sun comes in on me and it's horrendous. i am bathed in sunlight and i do not like it. it strains my eyes and makes me feel uncomfortable and overheated. even with the blinds shut some still comes through.  - it's an hour long drive there. and an hour long drive back. meaning i lose 2 hours of my day. and the gas is expensive, way too expensive to add ontop of my already low takehome. tbqh pay me 10-20k extra and i'll consider this, which is what i should be paid in the first place.   - i am addressing ptsd i got from me being raped years ago as i said above. that's a huge thing and i don't want to have flashbacks in the office. at all.  - i don't want to go into your office where people are loud and distracting and randomly opening the door and shouting. i don't want to go into your office where a guy literally will grab food off of your desk and shove it into their mouth. again, are we in jr. high?  - coworker i work with has said many homophobic, elitist and other awful things in general. none directed at me ofc because that wouldn't make sense, but just in general.   something bad happens ""that's gay"". what, are we back in jr. high? one coworker for instance during a meeting flat out said people are idiots and it blew me away. lots of over extremely offensive stuff.  listen, i don't care to be frank about people's opinions but i don't want to be constantly exposed to that negativity and bullshit. i just don't want to deal with it. i don't want to be in a negative environment that enjoys ridiculing people over stupid shit.           ....  so i guess facts are idk what to do. i'm angry and sad at the same time."
software enginering co-op vs. test automation intern,b3gk91,blank,0100001101011001,2,1553140436.0,i've read a lot of old posts comparing software engineering to software test engineers but i want to get an updated opinion and ask about my specific situation.  last summer i did a software engineering co-op at a fortune 500 company. they offered for me to come back this summer but i also got an offer to be a test automation engineer at a different company (equally as large).   would the summer internship as a test automation engineer benefit me if i ultimately want to be a software engineer in the long run? like what would be better on my resume \[2 summers of software engineering at the same company\] or \[1 summer se and 1 summer as an automated test engineer at different companies\]?  note: pay doesn't matter to me but the se co-op pays $4 an hour more than the test engineering position
my option grant contract up to scratch (concerned about repurchase/claw back),ayfhh6,blank,tommywommywom,1,1552010067.0,"hello   &#x200b;  i'm just accepting a startup offer and am going through their equity incentive plan. i have no plans to leave, but if i do leave, i want to make sure that i won't loose my options to claw back/company repurchasing them from me.   &#x200b;  i've copy/pasted most of the legal speak in below. i've been over it twice so far, and can't see anywhere where it says the company would be able to take their options back even after i've exercised them, however the language is very dense to me, so i would appreciate more experienced eyes to put my mind at rest.  &#x200b;  another thing - i only have 3 months after leaving to make a decision to exercise stock. isn't that a little on the low side (low but industry standard?). should i/can i push back on this?      this option shall be exercisable, in whole or in part, according to the following vesting schedule:  \[twenty-five percent (25%) of the shares subject to the option shall vest on the one (1) year anniversary of the vesting commencement date, and one forty-eighth (1/48th) of the shares subject to the option shall vest each month thereafter on the same day of the month as the vesting commencement date (and if there is no corresponding day, on the last day of the month), subject to participant continuing to be a service provider through each such date.\]  termination period:  this option shall be exercisable for three (3) months after participant ceases to be a service provider, unless such termination is due to participant’s death or disability, in which case this option shall be exercisable for twelve (12) months after participant ceases to be a service provider. notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, in no event may this option be exercised after the term/expiration date as provided above and this option may be subject to earlier termination as provided in section 13 of the plan.  # i. agreement  ## 1. grant of option. the administrator of the company hereby grants to the participant named in the notice of stock option grant in part i of this option agreement (“participant”), an option (the “option”) to purchase the number of shares set forth in the notice of stock option grant, at the exercise price per share set forth in the notice of stock option grant (the “exercise price”), and subject to the terms and conditions of the plan, which is incorporated herein by reference. subject to section 18 of the plan, in the event of a conflict between the terms and conditions of the plan and this option agreement, the terms and conditions of the plan shall prevail.  if designated in the notice of stock option grant as an incentive stock option (“iso”), this option is intended to qualify as an incentive stock option as defined in section 422 of the code. nevertheless, to the extent that it exceeds the $100,000 rule of code section 422(d), this option shall be treated as a nonstatutory stock option (“nso”). further, if for any reason this option (or portion thereof) shall not qualify as an iso, then, to the extent of such nonqualification, such option (or portion thereof) shall be regarded as a nso granted under the plan. in no event shall the administrator, the company or any parent or subsidiary or any of their respective employees or directors have any liability to participant (or any other person) due to the failure of the option to qualify for any reason as an iso.  ## 2. exercise of option.  ### (a) right to exercise. this option shall be exercisable during its term in accordance with the vesting schedule set out in the notice of stock option grant and with the applicable provisions of the plan and this option agreement.  ### (b) method of exercise. this option shall be exercisable by delivery of an exercise notice in the form attached as exhibit a (the “exercise notice”) or in a manner and pursuant to such procedures as the administrator may determine, which shall state the election to exercise the option, the number of shares with respect to which the option is being exercised (the “exercised shares”), and such other representations and agreements as may be required by the company. the exercise notice shall be accompanied by payment of the aggregate exercise price as to all exercised shares, together with any applicable tax withholding. this option shall be deemed to be exercised upon receipt by the company of such fully executed exercise notice accompanied by the aggregate exercise price, together with any applicable tax withholding.  no shares shall be issued pursuant to the exercise of an option unless such issuance and such exercise comply with applicable laws. assuming such compliance, for income tax purposes the shares shall be considered transferred to participant on the date on which the option is exercised with respect to such shares.  ## 3. participant’s representations. in the event the shares have not been registered under the securities act of 1933, as amended (the “securities act”), at the time this option is exercised, participant shall, if required by the company, concurrently with the exercise of all or any portion of this option, deliver to the company his or her investment representation statement in the form attached hereto as exhibit b.  ## 4. lock-up period. participant hereby agrees that participant shall not offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any common stock (or other securities) of the company or enter into any swap, hedging or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any common stock (or other securities) of the company held by participant (other than those included in the registration) for a period specified by the representative of the underwriters of common stock (or other securities) of the company not to exceed one hundred and eighty (180) days following the effective date of any registration statement of the company filed under the securities act (or such other period as may be requested by the company or the underwriters to accommodate regulatory restrictions on (i) the publication or other distribution of research reports and (ii) analyst recommendations and opinions, including, but not limited to, the restrictions contained in nyse rule 472(f)(4), or any successor provisions or amendments thereto).   participant agrees to execute and deliver such other agreements as may be reasonably requested by the company or the underwriter which are consistent with the foregoing or which are necessary to give further effect thereto. in addition, if requested by the company or the representative of the underwriters of common stock (or other securities) of the company, participant shall provide, within ten (10) days of such request, such information as may be required by the company or such representative in connection with the completion of any public offering of the company’s securities pursuant to a registration statement filed under the securities act. the obligations described in this section 4 shall not apply to a registration relating solely to employee benefit plans on form s-1 or form s-8 or similar forms that may be promulgated in the future, or a registration relating solely to a commission rule 145 transaction on form s-4 or similar forms that may be promulgated in the future. the company may impose stop-transfer instructions with respect to the shares of common stock (or other securities) subject to the foregoing restriction until the end of said one hundred and eighty (180) day (or other) period. participant agrees that any transferee of the option or shares acquired pursuant to the option shall be bound by this section 4.  ## 5. method of payment. payment of the aggregate exercise price shall be by any of the following, or a combination thereof, at the election of the participant:  ### (a) cash;   ### (b) check;  ### (c) consideration received by the company under a formal cashless exercise program adopted by the company in connection with the plan; or   ### (d) surrender of other shares which (i) shall be valued at its fair market value on the date of exercise, and (ii) must be owned free and clear of any liens, claims, encumbrances or security interests, if accepting such shares, in the sole discretion of the administrator, shall not result in any adverse accounting consequences to the company.  ## 6. restrictions on exercise. this option may not be exercised until such time as the plan has been approved by the shareholders of the company, or if the issuance of such shares upon such exercise or the method of payment of consideration for such shares would constitute a violation of any applicable law.  ## 7. non-transferability of option.   ### (a) this option may not be transferred in any manner otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent or distribution and may be exercised during the lifetime of participant only by participant. the terms of the plan and this option agreement shall be binding upon the executors, administrators, heirs, successors and assigns of participant.  ### (b) further, until the company becomes subject to the reporting requirements of section 13 or 15(d) of the exchange act, or after the administrator determines that it is, will, or may no longer be relying upon the exemption from registration of options under the exchange act as set forth in rule 12h-1(f) promulgated under the exchange act (the “reliance end date”), participant shall not transfer this option or, prior to exercise, the shares subject to this option, in any manner other than (i) to persons who are “family members” (as defined in rule 701(c)(3) of the securities act) through gifts or domestic relations orders, or (ii) to an executor or guardian of participant upon the death or disability of participant. until the reliance end date, the options and, prior to exercise, the shares subject to this option, may not be pledged, hypothecated or otherwise transferred or disposed of, including by entering into any short position, any “put equivalent position” or any “call equivalent position” (as defined in rule 16a-1(h) and rule 16a-1(b) of the exchange act, respectively), other than as permitted in clauses (i) and (ii) of this paragraph.   ## 8. term of option. this option may be exercised only within the term set out in the notice of stock option grant, and may be exercised during such term only in accordance with the plan and the terms of this option agreement.  ## 9. tax obligations.  ### (a) tax withholding. participant agrees to make appropriate arrangements with the company (or the parent or subsidiary employing or retaining participant) for the satisfaction of all federal, state, local and foreign income and employment tax withholding requirements applicable to the option exercise. participant acknowledges and agrees that the company may refuse to honor the exercise and refuse to deliver the shares if such withholding amounts are not delivered at the time of exercise.  ### (b) notice of disqualifying disposition of iso shares. if the option granted to participant herein is an iso, and if participant sells or otherwise disposes of any of the shares acquired pursuant to the iso on or before the later of (i) the date two (2) years after the date of grant, or (ii) the date one (1) year after the date of exercise, participant shall immediately notify the company in writing of such disposition. participant agrees that participant may be subject to income tax withholding by the company on the compensation income recognized by participant.   ### (c) code section 409a. under code section 409a, an option that vests after december 31, 2004 (or that vested on or prior to such date but which was materially modified after october 3, 2004) that was granted with a per share exercise price that is determined by the internal revenue service (the “irs”) to be less than the fair market value of a share on the date of grant (a “discount option”) may be considered “deferred compensation.” an option that is a “discount option” may result in (i) income recognition by participant prior to the exercise of the option, (ii) an additional twenty percent (20%) federal income tax, and (iii) potential penalty and interest charges. the “discount option” may also result in additional state income, penalty and interest tax to the participant. participant acknowledges that the company cannot and has not guaranteed that the irs will agree that the per share exercise price of this option equals or exceeds the fair market value of a share on the date of grant in a later examination. participant agrees that if the irs determines that the option was granted with a per share exercise price that was less than the fair market value of a share on the date of grant, participant shall be solely responsible for participant’s costs related to such a determination.  ## 10. entire agreement; governing law. the plan is incorporated herein by reference. the plan and this option agreement constitute the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the company and participant with respect to the subject matter hereof, and may not be modified adversely to the participant’s interest except by means of a writing signed by the company and participant. this option agreement is governed by the internal substantive laws but not the choice of law rules of washington.  ## 11. no guarantee of continued service. participant acknowledges and agrees that the vesting of shares pursuant to the vesting schedule hereof is earned only by continuing as a service provider at the will of the company (or the parent or subsidiary employing or retaining participant) and not through the act of being hired, being granted this option or acquiring shares hereunder. participant further acknowledges and agrees that this agreement, the transactions contemplated hereunder and the vesting schedule set forth herein do not constitute an express or implied promise of continued engagement as a service provider for the vesting period, for any period, or at all, and shall not interfere in any way with participant’s right or the right of the company (or the parent or subsidiary employing or retaining participant) to terminate participant’s relationship as a service provider at any time, with or without cause.  participant acknowledges receipt of a copy of the plan and represents that he or she is familiar with the terms and provisions thereof, and hereby accepts this option subject to all of the terms and provisions thereof. participant has reviewed the plan and this option in their entirety, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing this option and fully understands all provisions of the option. participant hereby agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the administrator upon any questions arising under the plan or this option. participant further agrees to notify the company upon any change in the residence address indicated below.  &#x200b;    \---------------  &#x200b;  &#x200b;  1. exercise of option. effective as of today, \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, \_\_\_\_, the undersigned (“participant”) hereby elects to exercise participant’s option (the “option”) to purchase \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ shares of the common stock (the “shares”) of xyz inc (the “company”) under and pursuant to the 2018 equity incentive plan (the “plan”) and the stock option agreement dated \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, \_\_\_\_\_ (the “option agreement”).  2. delivery of payment. participant herewith delivers to the company the full purchase price of the shares, as set forth in the option agreement, and any and all withholding taxes due in connection with the exercise of the option.  3. representations of participant. participant acknowledges that participant has received, read and understood the plan and the option agreement and agrees to abide by and be bound by their terms and conditions.  4. rights as shareholder. until the issuance of the shares (as evidenced by the appropriate entry on the books of the company or of a duly authorized transfer agent of the company), no right to vote or receive dividends or any other rights as a shareholder shall exist with respect to the common stock subject to an award, notwithstanding the exercise of the option. the shares shall be issued to participant as soon as practicable after the option is exercised in accordance with the option agreement. no adjustment shall be made for a dividend or other right for which the record date is prior to the date of issuance except as provided in section 13 of the plan.  5. company’s right of first refusal. before any shares held by participant or any transferee (either being sometimes referred to herein as the “holder”) may be sold or otherwise transferred (including transfer by gift or operation of law), the company or its assignee(s) shall have a right of first refusal to purchase the shares on the terms and conditions set forth in this section 5 (the “right of first refusal”).  (a) notice of proposed transfer. the holder of the shares shall deliver to the company a written notice (the “notice”) stating: (i) the holder’s bona fide intention to sell or otherwise transfer such shares; (ii) the name of each proposed purchaser or other transferee (“proposed transferee”); (iii) the number of shares to be transferred to each proposed transferee; and (iv) the bona fide cash price or other consideration for which the holder proposes to transfer the shares (the “offered price”), and the holder shall offer the shares at the offered price to the company or its assignee(s).  (b) exercise of right of first refusal. at any time within thirty (30) days after receipt of the notice, the company and/or its assignee(s) may, by giving written notice to the holder, elect to purchase all, but not less than all, of the shares proposed to be transferred to any one or more of the proposed transferees, at the purchase price determined in accordance with subsection (c) below.  (c) purchase price. the purchase price (“purchase price”) for the shares purchased by the company or its assignee(s) under this section 5 shall be the offered price. if the offered price includes consideration other than cash, the cash equivalent value of the non-cash consideration shall be determined by the board of directors of the company in good faith.  (d) payment. payment of the purchase price shall be made, at the option of the company or its assignee(s), in cash (by check), by cancellation of all or a portion of any outstanding indebtedness of the holder to the company (or, in the case of repurchase by an assignee, to the assignee), or by any combination thereof within thirty (30) days after receipt of the notice or in the manner and at the times set forth in the notice.  (e) holder’s right to transfer. if all of the shares proposed in the notice to be transferred to a given proposed transferee are not purchased by the company and/or its assignee(s) as provided in this section 5, then the holder may sell or otherwise transfer such shares to that proposed transferee at the offered price or at a higher price, *provided* that such sale or other transfer is consummated within one hundred and twenty (120) days after the date of the notice, that any such sale or other transfer is effected in accordance with any applicable securities laws and that the proposed transferee agrees in writing that the provisions of this section 5 shall continue to apply to the shares in the hands of such proposed transferee. if the shares described in the notice are not transferred to the proposed transferee within such period, a new notice shall be given to the company, and the company and/or its assignees shall again be offered the right of first refusal before any shares held by the holder may be sold or otherwise transferred.  (f) exception for certain family transfers. anything to the contrary contained in this section 5 notwithstanding, the transfer of any or all of the shares during the participant’s lifetime or on the participant’s death by will or intestacy to the participant’s immediate family or a trust for the benefit of the participant’s immediate family shall be exempt from the provisions of this section 5. “immediate family” as used herein shall mean spouse, lineal descendant or antecedent, father, mother, brother or sister. in such case, the transferee or other recipient shall receive and hold the shares so transferred subject to the provisions of this section 5, and there shall be no further transfer of such shares except in accordance with the terms of this section 5.  (g) termination of right of first refusal. the right of first refusal shall terminate as to any shares upon the earlier of (i) the first sale of common stock of the company to the general public, or (ii) a change in control in which the successor corporation has equity securities that are publicly traded.   6. tax consultation. participant understands that participant may suffer adverse tax consequences as a result of participant’s purchase or disposition of the shares. participant represents that participant has consulted with any tax consultants participant deems advisable in connection with the purchase or disposition of the shares and that participant is not relying on the company for any tax advice.  7. restrictive legends and stop-transfer orders.  (a) legends. participant understands and agrees that the company shall cause the legends set forth below or legends substantially equivalent thereto, to be placed upon any certificate(s) evidencing ownership of the shares together with any other legends that may be required by the company or by state or federal securities laws:  the securities represented hereby have not been registered under the securities act of 1933 (the “act”) and may not be offered, sold or otherwise transferred, pledged or hypothecated unless and until registered under the act or, in the opinion of counsel satisfactory to the issuer of these securities, such offer, sale or transfer, pledge or hypothecation is in compliance therewith.  the shares represented by this certificate are subject to certain restrictions on transfer and a right of first refusal held by the issuer or its assignee(s) as set forth in the exercise notice between the issuer and the original holder of these shares, a copy of which may be obtained at the principal office of the issuer. such transfer restrictions and right of first refusal are binding on transferees of these shares.  the shares represented by this certificate are subject to restrictions on transfer for a period of time following the effective date of the underwritten public offering of the company’s securities set forth in an agreement between the issuer and the original holder of these shares and may not be sold or otherwise disposed of by the holder prior to the expiration of such period without the consent of the company or the managing underwriter.  (b) stop-transfer notices. participant agrees that, in order to ensure compliance with the restrictions referred to herein, the company may issue appropriate “stop transfer” instructions to its transfer agent, if any, and that, if the company transfers its own securities, it may make appropriate notations to the same effect in its own records.  (c) refusal to transfer. the company shall not be required (i) to transfer on its books any shares that have been sold or otherwise transferred in violation of any of the provisions of this exercise notice or (ii) to treat as owner of such shares or to accord the right to vote or pay dividends to any purchaser or other transferee to whom such shares shall have been so transferred.  8. successors and assigns. the company may assign any of its rights under this exercise notice to single or multiple assignees, and this exercise notice shall inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the company. subject to the restrictions on transfer herein set forth, this exercise notice shall be binding upon participant and his or her heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns.  9. interpretation. any dispute regarding the interpretation of this exercise notice shall be submitted by participant or by the company forthwith to the administrator, which shall review such dispute at its next regular meeting. the resolution of such a dispute by the administrator shall be final and binding on all parties.  10. governing law; severability. this exercise notice is governed by the internal substantive laws, but not the choice of law rules, of washington. in the event that any provision hereof becomes or is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, unenforceable or void, this exercise notice shall continue in full force and effect.  11. entire agreement. the plan and option agreement are incorporated herein by reference. this exercise notice, the plan, the option agreement and the investment representation statement constitute the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the company and participant with respect to the subject matter hereof, and may not be modified adversely to the participant’s interest except by means of a writing signed by the company and participant.  &#x200b;  &#x200b;  &#x200b;  \------------      in connection with the purchase of the above-listed securities, the undersigned participant represents to the company the following:  (a) participant is aware of the company’s business affairs and financial condition and has acquired sufficient information about the company to reach an informed and knowledgeable decision to acquire the securities. participant is acquiring these securities for investment for participant’s own account only and not with a view to, or for resale in connection with, any “distribution” thereof within the meaning of the securities act of 1933, as amended (the “securities act”).  (b) participant acknowledges and understands that the securities constitute “restricted securities” under the securities act and have not been registered under the securities act in reliance upon a specific exemption therefrom, which exemption depends upon, among other things, the bona fide nature of participant’s investment intent as expressed herein. in this connection, participant understands that, in the view of the securities and exchange commission, the statutory basis for such exemption may be unavailable if participant’s representation was predicated solely upon a present intention to hold these securities for the minimum capital gains period specified under tax statutes, for a deferred sale, for or until an increase or decrease in the market price of the securities, or for a period of one (1) year or any other fixed period in the future. participant further understands that the securities must be held indefinitely unless they are subsequently registered under the securities act or an exemption from such registration is available. participant further acknowledges and understands that the company is under no obligation to register the securities. participant understands that the certificate evidencing the securities shall be imprinted with any legend required under applicable state securities laws.  (c) participant is familiar with the provisions of rule 701 and rule 144, each promulgated under the securities act, which, in substance, permit limited public resale of “restricted securities” acquired, directly or indirectly from the issuer thereof, in a non-public offering subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions. rule 701 provides that if the issuer qualifies under rule 701 at the time of the grant of the option to participant, the exercise shall be exempt from registration under the securities act. in the event the company becomes subject to the reporting requirements of section 13 or 15(d) of the securities exchange act of 1934, ninety (90) days thereafter (or such longer period as any market stand-off agreement may require) the securities exempt under rule 701 may be resold, subject to the satisfaction of the applicable conditions specified by rule 144, including in the case of affiliates (1) the availability of certain public information about the company, (2) the amount of securities being sold during any three (3) month period not exceeding specified limitations, (3) the resale being made in an unsolicited “broker’s transaction”, transactions directly with a “market maker” or “riskless principal transactions” (as those terms are defined under the securities exchange act of 1934) and (4) the timely filing of a form 144, if applicable.  in the event that the company does not qualify under rule 701 at the time of grant of the option, then the securities may be resold in certain limited circumstances subject to the provisions of rule 144, which may require (i) the availability of current public information about the company; (ii) the resale to occur more than a specified period after the purchase and full payment (within the meaning of rule 144) for the securities; and (iii) in the case of the sale of securities by an affiliate, the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in sections (2), (3) and (4) of the paragraph immediately above.  (d) participant further understands that in the event all of the applicable requirements of rule 701 or 144 are not satisfied, registration under the securities act, compliance with regulation a, or some other registration exemption shall be required; and that, notwithstanding the fact that rules 144 and 701 are not exclusive, the staff of the securities and exchange commission has expressed its opinion that persons proposing to sell private placement securities other than in a registered offering and otherwise than pursuant to rules 144 or 701 shall have a substantial burden of proof in establishing that an exemption from registration is available for such offers or sales, and that such persons and their respective brokers who participate in such transactions do so at their own risk. participant understands that no assurances can be given that any such other registration exemption shall be available in such event."
is it still realistic to say that any quantitative degree works?,a5mysg,blank,CollegeKidThroweway9,7,1544681546.0,"as the title implies, i'm wondering what the actual reality is, in the current world we live in, of successfully majoring in another 'related' field to cs and getting internships and employment from it. this is a personal question, so the specific field i'm wondering about is majoring in mathematics and minoring in computer science.   now, don't get me wrong, i would like to pursue what i enjoy, but i'm also realistic about the fact that i won't use higher mathematics probably ever outside of school, and i would rather study something interesting enough and have money after i graduate than to study math and struggle for the rest of my life.  so, here are the issues that bother me the most. if you have a counter or an affirmation to them, please share your experience.  1.) you always hear about how projects are such a huge deal, but this seems like a major issue if you are pursuing a degree in a non-cs field, the reason being that you are fighting an uphill battle of learning another field(arguably harder, in the case of mathematics) then learning the basics on your own that the cs major learned in class, and then doing projects. these seems either impossible or a recipe for burnout.  2.) i won't be able to get internships in school, which in turn will lead to struggle in the real world. it's one thing to be a graduated mathematics major, but up until your junior year, you really want have much in the way of ""real"" mathematics under your belt. is it realistic to expect companies to hire a person like this?  3.) finally, even assuming that i can get an internship, how is the fact that i have an unrelated degree not going to weigh into the decision as to hiring me or not? i would like to believe this is true, for selfish reasons, but even i wouldn't consider hiring a proven programmer with a mathematics degree over an equally proven programmer with a computer science degree.  in essence, i love math greatly, i study math for fun, and on the same merit, i love coding greatly, i code for fun. either way i will likely continue to do the other, but a degree is a hefty investment nowadays and i need to know that i can pay the debt i will accrue off in a realistic time frame."
what bootcamps will give me most bang for my buck,akksnk,blank,js5395,2,1548686001.0,"hello, i am stuck at a boring job for a while. i have been coding for 3 years. i wanna know what bootcamp should i do ai/machine learning, reactjs and etc. that will give me most bang for my buck or in general how do i future proof or even present proof myself. i am back in the job market and feel like myskills are outdated. people dont wanna pay much money for java developers and the field is filled with much experienced folks. who i come close too but always get surprised at interview about some minuscule detail that i might have missed. i am really tired of this snobbery. i am all for knowing basics well but its like i am satisfying interviewer's ego sometimes that he know this one thing more than me. worst of all the pay is pretty petty as well! the hours i am putting in just does not justify the wage increase. i feel like learning a new technology will give me equal footing and good chances in interview."
"dear nerds -- friday rant thread for february 26, 2016",47o30d,blank,AutoModerator,91,1456502666.0,"and now for something entirely different.  hate how old-timers justify their indecipherable spaghetti code by repeating ""it works."" over and over? tired of the mods deleting your innovative question about salary negotiations during big 4 internship interviews?  this is the rant thread. it is for rants.  caps lock on, downvotes off, feel free to break rule 2 if someone likes something that you don't but if you post some racist/homophobic/sexist bullshit it'll be gone faster than locally-sourced, artisanal bagels at a conference in portland.  (ranting begins at midnight every friday, best coast time.)"
lower but competitive salary in low col area or higher salary + signing bonus in high col area?,a7unxj,blank,Csthrowaway123456abc,6,1545311703.0,"so i’m a new december grad from a top 10 uni in the us, and of the offers i’ve gotten so far, three have caught my eye:   1. $65000, atlanta ga, no signing bonus, small coding firm, java 2. $90000, new york city, $5000 signing, hedge fund, java 3. $105000, san francisco, $5000 signing, game dev, mix of languages   i don’t want to be scraping the barrel in terms of money by paying everything for rent and necessities even if the nominal pay is higher, so i looked up the cost of living in these three cities to equalize these three offers, and it turns out, $65k in atlanta would be the most affordable option. (equivalent to $103k nyc, $132k sf)  but i wanted to ask people with actual experience. what does everyone suggest?"
imposter syndrome vs lack of direction rant,af2wqp,blank,errminator,4,1547288194.0,"hi all,  first of all, let me introduce my background: i have a phd in theoretical physics which i completed three years ago. up to this point in my life i had never really touched programming - my phd was pen and paper calculations.  sadly, there has not been much demand for string theorists in the job market recently. as such i went on to teach high school maths and physics at a top school. this was pretty interesting as there were some extremely able students who i was able to teach undergraduate material to. plus the long holidays have allowed me to travel the world. the pay has been pretty good also and i have completely cleared my existing student debt and saved around 40k over the three years i've been doing this.  however seeing some of the top students proceed to prestigious universities and careers, along with seeing some of my contemporaries progress there own professional lives has resparked my interest in doing something like this myself. over the last three years i have been teaching myself programming and machine learning in the evenings. i do not feel comfortable to sit down and write an algorithm yet though which is giving me some imposter syndrome. as such i have applied to, and been accepted for, the ucl msc in machine learning.  i now need to decide whether i will accept it.  argument for: would give a solid understanding would probably open up more jobs  argument against: need to be a student again (would be my 10th year!!!) living in london and tuition would wipe out my savings could get a job and try to learn on the job not clear this is the area for me - very indecisive person   ultimately, i'm not sure ml jobs would be for me. sadly the only way to decide this is to try it and the masters seems an expensive way to do this.   i guess i want a job that is  1, intellectually challenging 2, offers opportunity for management progression (that's why i think financial jobs might be best bet?)  3, commands some respect from friends/family  4, feels like i'm doing some good in the world (concerned the majority of ml jobs are just doing advertisement grunt work for corporations?)   as i get older my patience for doing a job that doesn't offer a reasonable quality of life is fast diminishing. i suppose this is more of a rant but i'd welcome some community feedback on it. did anyone else find themselves equally lost?"
"m.e to software dev: opportunity for paid java bootcamp with 2 year consulting commitment (most likely banks in charlotte or dallas). hoping to get some questions answered, opinions and feedback to those who have done this.",9gzuug,blank,UbiquitousThoughts,10,1537341391.0,"background: mechanical engineer transitioning to software dev.  an opportunity has come up  that pays for an immersive bootcamp then hires me as a consultant with a 2 year commitment, mostly working on projects for their clients which are banks. this will be in charlotte, nc so bofa or wells fargo i presume. the details are as follows:  1. i will be paid $600/week to attend a 12 week bootcamp ($20k value which is  a bit higher than most but accurate) 2. once completed i will be a consultant for the recruitment agency for two years working on projects with their clients. this will most likely be application projects.  \- $50k salary for the first year and then $60k salary for the second year. may be lower a bit lower than cs grads but seems reasonable, i am okay with it. i realize they make money off me for these two years but also invested a lot.  3. they are committed to keeping me on as a consultant until i get a job, they hope with their client for the referral bonus. however it is not mandatory.  4. if i quit before 15 months (she said that but the two year thing doesnt make sense then) i must pay them back the $20k.  **questions, etc:**  1. does anything sound sketchy to you or is it really a situation where the demand is that much higher than the supply and this is a good money making opportunity for them that benefits me? 2. those who work for banks, preferrably not interns, how do you like it. pros/cons? 3. will working with/for a bank give me good experience or does the bureaucracy resist that? 4. how does the industry view experience with a bank. is it a postitive for eventually applying to a tech company later on? 5. anyone go through a route similar to this that can provide feedback?  &#x200b;  thanks a lot for sharing.  &#x200b;  **edit:**  i did some due diligence and contacted a couple people that just completed the first course. the setup is just like revature but here is what i gathered. the camp is $13k plus the $600/week equals the $20k they front. i spoke to two people who were completely satisfied with the bootcamp, although pricey it did get the ball rolling for them as far as coding goes and they had great things to say about attending a bootcamp. out of the first group, some were not placed (possibly beacuse they are unwilling to relocate) and a few  got  decent jobs with  defense contractors etc. which took 3-4 months getting paid the $600/week. but i would consider them success stories. so it is possible. they are commited to placing you and it is in their best interest to do so. they are moving the program to places that have higher demand so perhaps it will pan out better in the mentioned cities.  **however,** there were people attending the bootcamp along with the group hired by the recruiting agency and almost all of them got placed upon leaving the bootcamp at around $65k (but minus the $20k investment) and had the ability to choose where they applied, obviously.  it is a risk of $0 income after but there were good hiring rates for this example.  &#x200b;  **pros:** if you are not a self learner, don't have the $20k to front (camp plus living) and don't care where you get placed. go for it. it is in their best interest to place you so they are trying to do so and will do so eventually. that is how they make money and $50k/$60k plus the $20k they fronted really isn't a bad deal.  **cons:** they are only trying to place you with their clients. i think this is the problem with placing people. we know the demand is out there so these programs sort of restrict the job market for you. you don't get consultant pay until you land a project which could be a few months after the bootcamp. lastly, they send you wherever they want. you have the ability to deny (i think because the people not wanting to relocate didn't) but in the end you are not involved in the placement process at all.   &#x200b;  **tl;dr**   **i will not be attending but it is not a scam or a bad option for certain people. it is all situational. bootcamps can be a great option, depending on the camp and city. if i attend one, it will most likely be out of my location to ensure a better placement chance.**"
why would any decent software engineer want to live in canada?,9a9pqr,blank,happytravelbug,29,1535256343.0,50-70% pay cut. crappy weather. equally boring suburban cities as the midwest. lack of innovation. at least europe has cute looking cities and culture to explore.   i should add toronto is considered amongst the worst cities in na to date for single men.
"switching jobs after 5-6 months, is that okay?",9hc3jp,blank,PoorCollegeKid01,7,1537444930.0,"hi all,  skip third paragraph for current problem, following two gives context.  i graduated last year in june with major in cs and math. also i am in the philadelphia area. started my first job part time around feb, work part-time 20-30 hours a week with a full-time contract signed. i left the company this april, so i was there for about 1 year and some extra. i was unhappy with my team lead and never felt challenged, but i was still doing ""exceptional"" based on my review, probably put in a solid 4-5 hours of work in a day. team lead wasn't engaging, lack mentorship/communication, and overall just had a  bad attitude, so i had to get out.   around the time i was thinking about quitting, my friend(same class, lets call him bob) got a job paying 105k with 15% bonus and he offered the job of the place he was leaving. i thought it was a good opportunity because he learned so much from it and was able to get a great paying job. he quit after 8 months. i was at 78k at the time and i thought i could get higher. we were at equal footing when we finished school, but it was obvious he learned a lot more. i interviewed, ask for 90k and got the job, quit my current place next week.   so here is the current situation. i have been at this new place for 5-6 month, i am actually pretty happy with it. really chill and they are working with much better technologies. however the product is pretty lame and it was almost too relaxed at times. also average age there is about 45-50 i would say.   i recently met up with my friend bob and he was telling me about his new team. it was really interesting. i took up his offer to just check it out. two days later got a call from recruiter, another 3 days i got an onsite. campus was awesome, people were young and the product was something i wanted to be a part of. on the plus side i will be working with bob, who has worked in both places, he likes it a lot more, and will mentor me. he told me the stuff they currently have me doing was why he quit. got an offer for 95k with 15% bonus, compared to my current 90k, not a huge jump but i didn't really care. i would've worked at this new place for less. also we have another friend from college interviewing and will be joining when he gets the offer (i worked with me at my first gig).  what do you guys think? i want to stay loyal to what i want to do, but how will this decision impact me in future interviews? i would want to stay at the new place for at least 2 years. didn't expect to leave current job so quickly, opportunity came my way."
"[help please!] i am in a bad situation as a new grad. what if i get fired? (in my contract, deep in it's details, i can be terminated for any reason at any time 100% at their discretion. they don't need to provide a reason either.)",9hf9d5,blank,DeepLock6,14,1537478597.0,"throw away for obvious reasons :(  i am a new grad that took a position as soon as i could get it and deeper in the contract i saw that i just waived my rights away as a canadian citizen (where we don't really have at will employment, at least i've surely never heard of it here where i've lived most my life).   **what exactly do i do with the experience i get here if i am terminated in say a month or 6 months? is putting that on a resume literally writing my own death sentence? but leaving out the experience as a new grad and having the ""void of time"" there could be equally terrifying couldn't it be?**  i feel so fucked at this point. i can be terminated purely because they found someone better to hire or something. i am in such a screwed position right now and i know it at this point. gah.  here i just wanted to get like experience here and keep going on my career. i think i'm fucked now. i've been kept up at night worrying about it now. literally this mornign at 3:00am thinking of it in bed.     ------- specific from contract ------------------------   ""this agreement may be terminated in the following manner in the following circumstances:  **by the employer, without cause for any reason whatsoever, upon the employer providing appropriate notice** (or pay in lieu of notice) as required by the employment standards code (states province, removed here)  (ii) by the employer, in its absolute discretion, without any notice or pay in lieu of notice, for cause, including but not limited to serious misconduct, habitual neglect of duty, incompetence, conduct incompatible with employee’s duties or prejudicial to the employer’s business, willful disobedience, conviction of an indictable criminal offense or material breach of any provision of this agreement;   (iii) by the employee providing the employer with a minimum of two (2) weeks advance written notice;"""
acquistion: take offer or wait for potential severance?,98i5bj,blank,holy-meatballs,13,1534686185.0,"my company is being acquired. i don't want to stick around, and i have an excellent offer elsewhere that i'd like to accept. i told my supervisor about the offer, and he told me i should consider sticking around because it's highly likely my team will be laid-off asap after the acquisition closes in ~3 months, and i would receive severance equal to about 1/2 of the total yearly compensation of the offer i am considering. i have a good relationship with my manager and trust him.   the acquisition is not closed yet. it could fall through, the layoffs may take longer to happen, or they could do some other role transition with high-severance employees to get them to leave via attrition rather than paying out.   i'm conflicted about what to do. i want to accept the offer, but i also don't want to leave this potential large sum of money on the table.   my first instinct is to talk to the recruiter, explain the situation and ask for a bigger signing bonus or start date extension, but i kinda doubt they can do that since the offer is already very good and 4 months is a longish time to wait for a new hire.   advice? anyone have experience with trying to wait things out to get a big severance?"
offer help - large or small company?,95x6i7,blank,anotheravailable5,8,1533855712.0,"so i have two offers. the large company is one of the biggest retailers in the world and the smaller company has less than 400 employees. i'm not sure what to choose. i want to think long term for my future career growth.  some details:  smaller company is offering higher base (10k more) with bonuses every year. most of the code is new tech but there will be work for legacy as well (vb.net)  large company offers stocks and a more generous bonus structure. with bonuses and stock, they are fairly equal in total comp. but stocks vest after 5 years and i'm not sure i'll be there that long. however, they are using all new tech.  any thoughts on this? my biggest concern is career growth. i can deal with less money if it means i can get to a big n in a couple years. but i'd like to have the higher pay so it is common for people to be able to move from smallish companies to a big n?"
frontend web or ios - which one should i focus one?,6vqrfl,blank,csdude300,5,1503609234.0,"hello everyone,       i'm a third year cs student, currently on my holidays. i really enjoy both frontend web development and ios development (as i've tried a little bit of both) and would like to focus on **one** of these during the holidays/spare time. however, i'm having a really hard time picking one.   i know it mostly comes down to personal preference, but i'm very divided. of course, i could always change from one to another, but as for now i'd very much like to focus on one.       **frontend web**     what i think are the pros   * i enjoy working with the core tech stack (html, css, js) and modern spa libraries/frameworks like react + redux, etc. * a part of me likes how insanely frenetic the ecosystem is. * i enjoy making websites (i.e. landing pages) - but with all the static website generators (jekyll, hugo...), will this be really needed for most cases?    what i think are the cons   * it seems that developing web **apps** (and not sites) is a bit more limitative in terms of creativity - i can be completely wrong, though, could you guys point me to some cool web apps? * hopefully this should be changing in the upcoming future, but it doesn't feel uncommon for frontend developers to be looked down/payed less in some cases - at least from what i've seen.       **ios**     what i think are the pros   * the field seems to be much less saturated than web dev. * i love swift (never learned obj-c). * i'd say i prefer mobile apps to web apps in general. * it feels like you can be really creative - maybe more than with web apps? - in terms of the app's flow, animations and general ux. once again, i could be wrong. * unlike the *new-framework-every-month* state of frontend web development, this environment seems more stable and would probably make it more reasonable to really get a deeper knowledge. * (this is not a killer one, by any means, but) higher salary?    what i think are the cons   * will pwas eventually replace native apps? * the ecosystem seems a bit closed. * stuck with xcode, swift/obj-c and 3rd-party libs.   so, what would you do/what should be the real deal breakers here?   thanks in advance."
how i was promoted to management in my first 90 days (without ever meeting my new boss),9ftuyf,blank,agmckee,4,1536974044.0,"let’s be honest, the opening of a job with a higher responsibility and (typically) a higher salary comes few and far between at our companies and in our careers. a promotion can skyrocket your career, introduce new challenges that will grow your skills, and instantly move you higher up the ladder. but when this rare opportunity comes along, will you get passed-over? will it be the coworker that:   · hasn't been at the company as long as you?  · hasn't developed a long-term relationship with the hiring manager like you have?  · hasn't yet been given awards, raises, and bonuses like you have?  that coworker was me. and it can be you too. learn how i strategically cut-the-line and was promoted to management in my first 90 days - all from the comforts of my new fully-remote, work-from-home job - never having met my new boss. the following are a couple key techniques and mind-sets you should practice, remotely or in-office, that can quickly land you your next raise or promotion.    &#x200b;  **be the boss**  “a critical mindset needed to position yourself as the best candidate for a raise or promotion.”  you’ve sold your exceptional value to your new company and they are willing to pay – now it is time to deliver that value. know that no matter how long you’ve had the job, there are extra things you can do that your coworkers never will. but before you can pull out that hidden ace, you need to start changing your mindset and how people perceive you. specifically, you need to adopt the mindset of “the boss.”  most people have the employee mindset. as employees, they narrowly think only about their job, their responsibilities, and their small corner of the company.  what is amazing is how this narrow mindset can actually limit your perceived value to the company, especially when your management sees the flipside of this mindset in other people around you.  different than an employee, the boss thinks about the company as a whole and what improvements can be made in all corners that make-up the business. this is expected of the boss. what is not expected is an employee with the mindset of the boss. those employees with the boss mindset are playing an entirely different game – one that will give them an advantage vs. every other “employee”.   having the boss mindset can be powerful if used strategically. one key area is in networking with those in your company. those with the employee mindset will typically network mostly with people at their same position level, and of course their own boss. they may know other managers, but the strength of their network connection with them is weak.   with the boss mentality, put yourself in your boss’ shoes and make it essential to take the time to learn about the people and positions that are above you - something you would have to do if you were promoted anyways. a good strategy is to start with your direct manager and branch out horizontally. your three goals in networking with your upper management are to:  1) gain immediate visibility and form a connection  2) personalize yourself  3) search for ways to add value to their lives and deliver it  we will address #3, below, and how to strategically add value.  understandably, there are a lot of fears people have with reaching out to a person in a high position of power or influence. they may say things like, “i don’t know what to talk about?”, or “why would they want to talk to me?”, or “they are probably too busy”. these are normal fears to have, which is why having the boss mentality, and thinking of these people as your coworkers can make this an easier task.   here is how to approach your first conversation with your upper management. first request a brief \~15minute meeting face-to-face or over the phone with the purposes of finding out what they do in more detail. assume they are very busy, so a 15minute meeting becomes even more attractive and increases the likelihood they will accept. in this meeting, you should:  1) introduce yourself and learn what they are responsible for and how they contribute to the company.  2) pick something they said and explain how you thought it was interesting or relate it to your own personal or professional interests  3) tell them something personal about yourself like a hobby, interest, or trip you’ve been on. then ask them what hobbies, interests, or vacation spots they enjoy.  4) thank them for their time and let them know you would be interested in getting to know them further, or talk about x,y,z at another time.   a simple and quick conversation like this is essential for forming the foundations of a great relationship and a strong network. you will also be one step ahead of all other’s stuck in the “employee” mindset. but top-performers do not stop here. now that our foundation is starting, we have an opportunity to build on the relationships we created with upper management so that we can add an immense amount of value to their lives and stand miles above anyone else around you.   **search and deploy**  “the #1 strategy i used to immediately stand out from my peers and unload an immense amount of value in my first 90 days.”  the following is my #1 strategy for adding crazy amounts of value to your company - beyond your job’s core responsibilities. the good news is you can start implementing this strategy no matter how long you’ve been working at your job, or whether you work at home or in an office. better yet, your management will be completely blindsided at first. and you will immediately prove you are worth what they are paying you and more.   the strategy breaks down to two simple steps:      1) with the boss mentality, **search** for key problems, inefficiencies, and pain points that other people and organizations have, but especially with your coworkers, your boss, and upper management  2) **deploy** solutions, feedback, processes, automation, improvements, etc. to those pain points in a calculated and strategic way, which if done correctly, will add value and visibility.  most people never think outside their box, having the employee mindset and just working on what they are assigned. they accept being led, instead of leading. let’s get more specific on how to implement the search and deploy strategy.  **search**  remember that you are searching for ways to improve your company, your organization, or the people in it – in any way. with that said, know that the bigger the problem is to someone, the more valuable you will be if you solve it.  although, large problems are typically more difficult to solve. so, don’t just search for the quick and easy problems. instead, search for the big wins - the big unsolved problems that affect multiple people and especially that affect your team, your boss, and your upper management. although, don’t rule out the strength in numbers approach of searching for and solving several small to medium problems, which is actually how i recommend you start.  know that some problems and pain points will be easier to find than others. that doesn’t necessarily mean the big problems will be the hardest to find. in fact, sometimes the big problems are more out in the open more than the small ones. remember the big problems are typically very complex and hard to solve, and therefore remain unsolved but widely known and accepted by many. therefore, uncovering a small to medium sized problem that provides you an opportunity for a quick win can be harder to find.   regardless, it is easiest to start with what’s in front of you - with the low-hanging fruit. start searching for people that are specifically asking you or an audience for help. for example, some people may email you and a larger audience asking for help with a specific problem they are having. you also may overhear talking with your coworkers of an inefficiency your team has. these are situations where your coworkers are directly or indirectly telling you problems. directly meaning they are specifically asking for a solution. indirectly meaning they could be discussing the problem as a form of conversation and not specifically asking for help.  either way, these are examples of low-hanging fruit you can easily harvest – free and ripe for the taking. make sure you listen for them.   beyond the low-hanging fruit, you will need to talk with people in order to dig out their hidden pain points. this is true especially for people that you don’t regularly converse with, like upper management or people in other organizations. this is why having already established a relationship with these people is key before digging in. people are more willing to talk about their challenges and problems with someone they trust will not judge them.  from just a couple conversations with someone i’ve never met, i can typically dig out at least one main pain point they have. you can too.   once a relationship and trust have been built, you can ask questions like, “what are your biggest challenges at this time with \[specific job function\]”. if they respond, try to dig deeper. ask questions like, “why hasn’t this already been solved?” or “that’s interesting. tell me more. specific followup question.”   it is important to actually listen and to care what they are saying. your search has to seem natural and subtle. no one wants to feel like they are being interrogated or drilled. the conversation also has to “ping-pong” naturally, which won’t happen with a person who isn’t truly listening.  from actively listening to the conversations around you for problems or pain points, you will want to start recording them in a central document. i call this document your “value vault”.  with a value vault, you can:  · record your notes from conversations surrounding pain points and problems  · better identify patterns with problems and pain points after talking to many people  · easily continue conversations with others where you left off, instead of having to remember.  · start documenting possible solutions you will deploy to the problems you discover from the people you talk to  a value vault is especially useful when working from home because of the ability to reference and edit it while you are having conversations, and the other person on the phone will never know! whereas in the office, you would look very stupid pulling out your computer and writing down notes while having a candid face-to-face meeting with your coworker.   **deploy**  with your value vault growing, you can at any time start working on deploying solutions to the problems and pain points you’ve uncovered. sometimes a solution can be a quick email reply with a concrete answer to someone’s question, which doesn’t require much planning. although some problems are more complex or affect a larger group, which may require a solution to be deployed very strategically.  regardless, there are two important factors to deploying solutions successfully, to ensure that they not only provide value, but will be accepted by those who need them. they are:   · quality  · timing  **quality**   if there is one thing you should remember from this strategy it should be quality over quantity.  don’t just spam out mediocre solutions or advice to your colleagues whenever you discover a problem they have. not only will you come across as a know-it-all, your actual perceived value will decrease. people around you will realize you don’t put true thought into solving their problems, which over time can lead to a perception that you do the same with your main responsibilities.   on the other hand, a quality solution to someone’s problem will improve your reputation as a key contributor and an idea-leader.  take the extra time needed to offer quality. it is true that spending 2 to 5 times more time on a quality solution can bring you 10x+ the rewards. so how do you determine how much quality to put into a solution? enough to make your boss and others say phrases like:  · “wow, you put a lot of thought into this!”  · “thank you, i really appreciate all the alternatives you suggested to solve this problem!”  · “let’s start working towards implementing this”   · “how do we hire more people like your name?”  understandably you won’t be able to solve every problem with equal quality as everyone has different strengths. therefore, be strategic and leverage your strengths and your past experience from past jobs to create your quality solutions.   **timing**  timing is also an important factor to consider when determining when to propose a solution. truthfully, it’s always good to solve people’s problems, but there are certain times that are better than others – times that can give you more visibility than others.  as already stated, we don’t want to release our solutions before it is ready and quality. although beyond that, we can be more strategic around the timings of our deployments.   remember, why you are spending the time to implement this strategy is to immediately stand out from your peers and unload an immense amount of value. we know that the value is there because of your time commitment to quality. you should now be thinking about the best time to pitch your solutions that would make you stand out the most.  the following are 4 examples of some very intelligent times to implement this strategy:  · during your first 3 months of employment  · 1 month before yearly performance reviews  · at a yearly conference or summit  · after a change in management, especially your manager’s position  there are others, but what do these times all have in common? they are the most critical moments in your career when you should be standing out and giving it your all. a deployment of massive value during these times can help you towards getting huge raises, a promotion, wide visibility, and immediate job security. therefore, choose your timings strategically according to your own situation and goals.   in addition to the actual day you choose to deploy/pitch a solution, remember that people who haven’t specifically asked for help will be more receptive of your solutions if they know and trust you. therefore, when thinking about timing, also factor in your relationship strength with those that will be affected by the solution and those that are the gatekeepers of getting the solution implemented. for example, if you are pitching a complex project proposal to address a big corporate inefficiency, ensure that all the relevant stakeholders have been identified and know you. even better, individually talk to each of the stakeholders that will either approve or reject your solution beforehand to ensure their requirements are met and concerns known. if you can get the important people to buy-in beforehand, then you will always be more successful at deploying your solutions.   **examples of two strategic wins that got me immediate visibility in my first 90 days**  **grabbing the low-hanging fruit**  one day my future boss (the one who promoted me to management) reached out to a wide audience asking for help in reviewing one of our product’s documentation. this was a regular request of hers every time we were about to release a major software change. she would email everyone in our support and service organization which included over 100 people and typically no one would respond. why? because they didn’t have to. it wasn’t something that was their immediate responsibility.   i saw this as a low-hanging fruit opportunity to flex my writing and editing skills and to show my boss and this manager i had never met the value i was capable of delivering. what i didn’t do was skim a few pages, find a couple things to correct, and email them out quickly. because that is what everyone else did! instead, i focused on quality and spend about 8 to 10 hours in total reading through the whole document and making over 100 corrections and comments. i tore that document to pieces knowing that by investing 2x to 5x the time, i would receive 10x+ the recognition.   not only did i do the work, i ensured that my work was promoted as much as possible to upper management (we will talk more about promotion in the next section). before completion, i leaked out that i was making several edits to the documentation. then upon completion, i was not only thanked by the product team and my future boss, people were surprised that someone in my position had spent so much time on this task! when asked why, i took the “all eyes on me” opportunity to promote my “desire to add value to the company in any way possible” (be the boss) mindset.    **uncovering a hidden pain point while training**  the first 90 days of my new job was considered a training period (yes i was promoted while still in training). as i was navigating through my organization’s training program, i couldn’t help but notice several inefficiencies and gaps compared to my previous job’s structured training program. the problem was, there really was no structure! i was told to talk with my coworkers to learn the ropes and in 3 months’ time i should be ready to take on the full load of responsibilities.   seeing a possible opportunity to add value by recommending a training structure, i first started talking with my coworkers about their training experiences. i heard things like, “ya, i had to just figure it out” and “ya, i wish it was more structured, but that’s just the way things are done here” and “there’s a lot of tribal knowledge here that isn’t documented”. isn’t it amazing how people just don’t care to make things better? they just accept things the way they are. they think, “it’s not my job to make the training process structured and efficient”. that is true - it was my boss’ job to do that, but they are leaving opportunities to shine on the table – yours for the taking.  it’s important to note with this example that my boss was producing this culture. situations like these are where you have to be careful to not offend your boss by offering solutions because sometimes they are not even aware of a hidden pain point they are creating! here it is important to sniff out whether your boss would accept a solution to this problem before dumping one out on his desk. i did this casually in one of our one-on-one meetings by saying, “hey name, as i’m ramping up my learning, along the way i’m noticing things that would possibly help the next trainee get up to speed even quicker, would you mind if i documented my lessons learned on my training experiences and submit them to you?” notice that i’m giving my boss control to say yes or no before blindsiding him with a hidden problem and a massively detailed training process plan? this is critical. of course, who wouldn’t say yes to something like this, but the point is that i first gained acceptance from him to offer lessons learned (which is actually constructive criticism) to his (lack there-of) training program.  also notice that i left out my knowledge of my co-worker’s pain points with the training gap, which was to not offend my boss.   i now had a green light to recommend some changes. did i email him a few tips? no. i focused on quality and put together a massively valuable package of training recommendations that made a big impact. in the end, i made my boss look good, and helped out my current and future coworkers.   two examples of how powerful the boss mentality mixed with the search and deploy strategy can be.   i believe these two deployments tipped the scale in my favor when that promotion opened up, because the first thing my new manager said to me was, “we have a recent opening on the management team and i’ve been talking to \[name of my current manager\], and we both think you are the best fit for that position.”   again, having the boss mentality and practicing the search and deploy strategy at key times is the ultimate way to add an immense amount of value beyond your job’s core responsibilities. whether you are working in an office, or fully-remote, you can quickly become highly visible to upper management and change how they see you. you can quickly position yourself as an idea-leader, validate your worth, and position yourself above your coworkers.  although, one more important skill is critical to exercise in order to ensure success with the above tactics and strategies - that is the art of self-promotion, which i wont get into here.   i hope you all found this useful!"
how to value compensation at a startup vs. airbnb?,9to5p6,blank,hubertpotato,1,1541221859.0,"i'm currently considering multiple startups (series b, valuation  $50 million) and airbnb.  if compensation were equal, i would definitely take the startup (i enjoy the work and people more) but i'm having trouble understanding what a competitive compensation at a top-tier startup is and how much of a pay cut i should be willing to take.  offers at these startups are ~120k base and options are in the range of 50k-70k over 4 years (subtracting fmv by strike price).  my airbnb offer is looking to be about $150k base and $300k in equity.  these startups are absolutely unwilling to match by airbnb offer in cash and equity. they tell me to ignore the ""current value"" of the options and think about the future and growth potential. most of the times, they tell me that this growth potential is 10x. for what it's worth, i do believe in the growth potential of these companies and they're doing really well, but i don't want to bank on a 10x.  should i listen to their advice and settle for a substantial pay cut (~80k)? what equity at a promising series b startup would be competitive with the airbnb offer?  also, i've heard of the argument that you should value options at startups as 0. i completely disagree with this side of the spectrum as well (there must be a non-zero expected value), especially at an extremely promising startup that's been able to attract top talent and is doing really well."
what is the highest paying tech field a developer can get into?,8xd1el,blank,ISO_Life_Advice,7,1531180989.0,"i don't love coding. i strictly do it for the money and the comfortable lifestyle it provides me. however, i still feel like my pay isn't that high (78k) enough for me to stop looking for better/higher paying careers. i know this kinda sounds ungrateful and they say that at a certain point, more pay doesn't equal more happiness (something like that) but i don't feel like i'm near that point where more money wouldn't make me happier/more financially comfortable. so i figured, if i'm going to continue on in this industry, i might as well aim for the highest possible pay. i would like to hear some your suggestions.  a little more info about me:  male 28 y/o work in web development - asp.net"
how do you think the field be looking about five years from now?,7n30ao,blank,Jimwize,35,1514686169.0,"you can skip straight to the questions if you don't want to read all of this stereotypical worrying.  computer science is my planned major, but i'm not sure how good of an idea this is as a high school senior graduating in 2018. i'm already accepted into uw-madison, but i'm somewhat anxious about going to college because of how much debt it will likely put me in. therefore, i want to pick a field that will reward me for working very hard in college so that i can get a high paying and enjoyable career shortly after graduation.  now i know that this is what literally every college student is looking for, and this is why i'm a little worried about majoring in cs. i would think that by now this field is crazy saturated with undergraduates, many of whom being very competent and intelligent. **i've seen people back in 2014 talking about how it's getting oversaturated and harder to get work- i can only imagine what the field will be like 5 years from now if i get a degree in it.**  so that's my first question-   1. do you think the field will still outgrow the enormous amount of people who are studying this in college? it's always been the go-to 'make money after college' major, so i feel like it will be hard to stand out from everyone and get internships/work.  my next question concerns how important my university choice is for this. like i said, i'll be getting a ton of debt from a four year college plan, so i need to know just how important the name of my college is after graduation, or if bigger colleges are going to offer bigger opportunities in terms of networking and internships and all of that. uw-madison is more expensive than other state schools i've been accepted to, like uw-eau claire, but perhaps more companies are going to higher straight from uw-madison, or the name is going to mean way more to bigger companies.   2. how important is my choice of school for my post-college success? specifically, will choosing uw-madison over some other wisconsin school make a huge difference in your eyes provided i'm equally involved and successful in both?  my final question concerns stuff about engineering. based purely off feel, it seems like an engineering degree, whether or not it involves computers, would make more sense now for finding a job. it would certainly appear that with how many people are gunning for cs degrees, there are going to be would-be engineers who go to this new and growing field and there will be a strong need for majors in computer engineering, chemical engineering, etc. so is a worry like this just anxious speculation, or is there some truth to this? i have to ask because right now i'm accepted in the college of letters and science at uw-madison, and to switch to the college of engineering would be difficult at this point.  3. will engineering become way more in demand with how many people are attracted to the cs bachelors degree? cs is probably a better fit for me, but with how many people are going into it i can't help but feel like engineering of some kind might be a smarter path.  finally- is a four year degree super super important for finding a good job in this field? i have to ask because i often see videos from people like engineered truth or random youtubers saying you should follow in the footsteps of many greats who didn't get a college degree, and that by getting a college degree you're putting yourself behind for many, many years by taking on way too much debt just so you can get into an uncertain job market that might even be hiring people without degrees. sounds like bullshit to me, and most of these youtubers are making a career off of making scary videos about college advertising their life help lessons or codeacademy or something, i have to ask because some of the scary parts are working."
about the future.,3e24dy,blank,illmakeitbig,30,1437505271.0,"well, i'm seeing a big growth scene in the cs career, a lot of bootcamps and etc... so, since i'm pretending to graduate in about 2~3 years from now, i'm a little bit scared with all this happening, will the jobs opportunities be more competitive? it will be hardest to get a decent job? will the salary get lower? it will be a saturated career?  what you guys think about that, and if someone have anything related to this please share with us!"
psa: the most effective way to negotiate is to actually turn down the offer.,9a3jql,blank,FelineEnigma,6,1535193760.0,"i recently went on a job search and got offers from several companies i was interested in working for. i tried following all of the negotiating tips i've read. i said things like ""i'll sign immediately if you increase it to $x"" and ""can you match my offer from (competitor company)?"" one company even sent me another candidate's slightly higher compensation package by mistake and i told them if they could honor that it would make the decision very easy for me. eventually i had written offer letters with final, post-negotiation numbers from every company.  after i signed an offer and notified everyone else of my decision, 2 of the companies immediately wanted to make higher offers. this is despite saying ""this is the highest we can go"" and ""you're already way above the max of our range"" before. they all knew what i was being offered at other companies, but didn't want to make their strongest offer without first getting confirmation that i was turning them down. in hindsight, i could've just sent the rejection emails first and then waited a few days before signing anything.  of course, this only works if you're really ready to walk away from the company. i've heard from multiple sources that the same trick works on my top choice company, but i didn't want to take the risk and was happy with the pay so i just signed it. based on my experience here and other anecdotes i've seen, i would guess recruiters at some companies have policies to make a default offer for some amount based on your experience, some wiggle room to try matching certain other companies or your current compensation, and a maximum amount possible they save for candidates who reject the offer. it's risky to negotiate this way unless you really are equally happy with your top choices, so that a compensation boost is the only deciding factor it takes to change your mind."
offer negotiations,8f7lk1,blank,branabbps,4,1524818089.0,"hey folks, i want to leave my current job at any cost even though it pays me well and recently got an offer from a decent company. the offer is more than my current package but if you factor in the cost of living, it's kind of equal if not less.   how should i proceed about negotiating my offer? i have never done salary negotiations before. how do you even start the conversation.   thanks!"
duped by a bootcamp,6ehozi,blank,unemployablthrowaway,42,1496290999.0,"i’d love to name the bootcamp, so others don’t make the same mistake i did. but i signed an enormous contract when i entered the program which they have conveniently scrubbed from their website and i wouldn’t put it past them suing/blackballing me for writing this.   like many millennials, i left college more confused about my future than when i began. my humanities degree was basically worthless, i had no desire to take on more student loans, or spend years in school. so after a few years of having under 100 dollars in my checking account any given day of the week, i followed in the footsteps of many of my friends and signed up for a coding bootcamp.   i say signed up because there was no real interview process, just two of the easiest logic questions ever and then they were ready to take my money. a few weeks later, i began the pre work section of my bootcamp. despite saying it would only take 10-15 hours a week, i easily put in 40 hours every week and had to quit my part time job. but i made it through and arrived on campus.   about five minutes into being on campus, i learned that we would have a test every friday morning and had to pass 5/6 of the timed tests to get the career services. i have extreme test-taking anxiety, and while i explained that to them, i was told the tests were required to graduate from the bootcamp. any previous knowledge of these tests would have been nice, as i would not have signed up for the bootcamp if i knew that was a requirement. i also had signed up for this bootcamp, because they were the only bootcamp in my city with a dedicated career services. as a floundering 25 year old, i needed this help.  so, despite working 14-16 hours at least 6 days a week, barely sleeping, gaining weight, and missing out on having a social life at all, i inevitably misplaced a semi-colon (or something equally dumb) on the 6th test. having previously been caught up on the 2nd, i was no longer able to gain career services. while i was extremely disheartened, i pushed myself to complete the rest of the program, as i still expected i would get some help from the career services department in navigating a new field.   well, here i am 6 months later. the few times i’ve reached out to the career staff, to ask basic questions about job hunting strategies, i’ve been met with an “idk” over slack. they took my $17,000 and cut ties with me completely. i’ve been coding and thankfully have a consistent freelance gig that (barely) pays my rent/food costs, but it gets more discouraging every day. i was able to advance to the final stages of a few interviews the first month or two after finishing the bootcamp, but now i’m lucky if i get a single phone screen every few weeks. i live in one of the top 5 tech cities in america, and i can’t get an interview to save my life. i’ve applied to jobs in basically every city in america, completely willing to relocate, but nothing. i need mentorship and connections, two things i was hoping to get out out the bootcamp, but i was clearly just a check to them.   the most upsetting aspect of this, is that the bootcamp emphasized the “family” aspect of the course so heavily, but that’s all just corporo bullshit. take the advice of a lot of the people on this sub: if you’re considering going to a bootcamp, learn this shit yourself. even if you don’t get a job, you at least won’t risk it like i did.   tl;dr: i got scammed by a bootcamp. don’t get scammed by a bootcamp. probably don't do one."
"i have been working as a dev for the last almost 2 years out of college and looking to leave my job, need advice on next steps",8mn931,blank,set_list,6,1527508747.0,"so my current job has me working with java and gosu on the guidewire platform. it pays well though it has lead to a stagnation of my skillset and it is slow-moving, uninteresting work and not challenging in the least. i don't actually work much with java as my team mainly does configuration work and anything integration related is another team's domain. i want to seek other employment, though looking through job postings i can tell my skillset and experience are not adequate enough in any specific area to get an equally well paid job. what area should i focus on furthering my skills in so as to be able to get employment in another area of software development as soon as possible?"
a question on software development engineer vs software development engineer in test,8k5537,blank,DifferentDirections,7,1526599920.0,"so i accepted my first job a week ago, it's for the sdet role as stated in the title. personally, i don't mind doing either dev or qa roles, would go for dev if given the choice but it's not a big factor.  however what i'm worried about is regarding how people other than me perceive these roles. the thing that got me thinking is something i heard recently along the lines of ""they say sde and sdet are equal, but if a company suddenly had only half their resources and had to choose, who do you think is more important? the ones writing the production code or those writing tests and automation frameworks to support it?""  for this particular company that i'm joining, i've consulted a friend already in there and it seems sde and sdets both go through the same interview process and start at exactly the same pay and grade, so it might not be that big of a concern. however what i worry is:  1. is it just an ""on paper its equal thing"" like previously mentioned. is the mentality that sdets are ""inferior"" pretty prevalent?  2. am i pigeonholing myself in a testing or qa role and making a career mistake? is it easy to transition in the future?"
best way to ditch freelance and get a 9-to-5 programming job?,3hrifw,blank,mcknute,2,1440131718.0,"i'd like some advice on how to transition from freelance web programming/database admin into a mainstream 9-to-5 programming career. i'm specifically curious about what skills i need for the los angeles job market, and if i should get certs, degrees, bootcamp, or if it's at all practical to jump into the job market as-is. mainstream job-searching is new to me, so i figure i'd ask the reddit horde for some guidance.  long story: i'm 30 years old, live in los angeles, and have a bachelor's in marketing, but have loved making websites since the geocities days. main skills currently include basic html and css, basic photoshop, php, smarty, and mysql, in addition to some b2b marketing/networking skills with affiliates. i've spent almost my entire adult life (since stumbling into it my junior year in college) doing freelance work for small, local pr0n sites through word-of-mouth. that said, i feel like i'm a blank slate when it comes to a resume, or for what positions i'd even be qualified to apply for. for one thing, i have no cs degrees or certificates, and just two long-ago community college classes in dreamweaver and flash. also, because my programming is mostly in backend stuff, i don't have much in the way of shareable portfolio pieces (is there a github for upgrading sites from running on a simple xml file to a custom, searchable mysql database?). oh, and i'm a chick with asperger's, so i feel my resume needs to look better than most people's given the very real possibility of interviewer gender bias and of me not interviewing well.  i'm tired of chasing gigs, and i'm eager to get into a big, stable, mainstream company. i don't have much in the way of proving what skills i have at the moment, but i'm eager to prove myself and i *know* i can learn what's needed for a solid database or web programming career. i just need an idea of what needs to be done.  thanks again ~~~"
"should i pursue a degree in computer science (or it), or a degree in nursing?",3mv9zu,blank,hellomelove,2,1443582237.0,"so i have a dilemma here. should i go for computer science (or it) or nursing. and please, don't tell me to go for nursing informatics. here's my story: i failed out of nursing school a little while back. now, i am going to online colleges to get credits for different courses to put towards a degree. i haven't yet decided whether i want to go back to nursing school or whether i want to pursue something else. i live in the new york metropolitan area in the united states. i'm actually interested in the topics of art, music, design and performing arts. i'm afraid that if i pursue a degree in any of those topics, i'll be a lot less likely to get a job and taken less seriously by people. i'm afraid that if i pursue a degree in any of those topics, i'll be confined to looking for work only in a few metropolitan areas of the country. the reason why i originally went for nursing is because i wanted to have a flexible degree that i could take with me to any part of the country or any part of the world. before i failed nursing school, the plan was to graduate with a nursing degree, work, save money, and actually pursue what i wanted to to do in life, hobby, career and education-wise. anyway, i would really like to go for a “serious” degree that i can take with me to a lot of places and that is in demand. i don't want to just have a degree where i'm stuck in new york or stuck in la, looking for jobs that i'm not going to get that only exist in those areas. so, i have been thinking about either going back to school for nursing, or going to college online for computer science (or it).  ...........cons about job availability with nursing .............. in terms of job availability, hiring practices, and work environment how does nursing and computer science compare? i am a small, young white woman. i'm not a “whore type,” and i don't know too many people. i have almost no money saved up. i don't have a car. i am telling you these details because sometimes details like this affect one's place in a given industry. (for example, i've heard veterinarians say that they wouldn't hire a small person as a veterinary technician, which is horrible because veterinary technicians work hard for their degree.) there seem to be too many people going for every field, and there is so much nepotism—at least in new york. i also have reason to believe that some people area actually buy jobs. every type of job seems to be impossible to get these days, though some jobs seem to be more impossible to get than others. a lot of times, whenever i go to hospitals or nursing homes, a good amount of the nurses and cnas that i see are not white—they are mostly black and whatever else, which kind of makes me worry more about whether i'd be able to find a job,being a little white girl. (i can't check off on paper that i'm in a “historically persecuted” racial group, but i need to making a living and eat, too!) also, a lot of the nurses that i've seen seem to be bigger than me, and sometimes fatter, and my teacher in nursing school actually commented on my height and said i was “small and weak,” as she was teaching me a technique of how to roll a patient over. (she was a thin white lady who was kind of big) is that what employers will see when they look at me—a small, weak person who can't do the job? also, i hear so much about how there is a nursing shortage, but is this really true?  ......cons about computer science....... from reading people's comments on online forums, i get the impression that not every city has a demand for computer science people, and that in some places you can't really make a living doing this, despite the fact that supposedly you can make a lot in other cities. also, i can't help but think about how it is a male dominated field. is there a reason for this? is there are gender bias thing going on? of course, you always hear those encouraging words “women can do anything!”, but in reality, in some industries, the hiring practices and the coworker environments are gender biased. for example, a friend of mine worked in automotive, and he said that none of the people who fixed cars alongside him were ever women. the only position that he ever saw a woman in in the places that he worked was at a reception desk. my friend's coworkers usually weren't only men, they were overly macho, stuck up, brutish, crotch grabbing guys who talked a lot of trash. it was a stuck up, brutish men's club. my friend couldn't stand it, and he was a man. i don't think that that's a good type of work environment for a woman like me to be around. maybe there's a woman out there who could play up to that and thrive in that kind of environment, but not me. anyway, is this how the computer science field is, in a way? also, is there too much nepotism in the computer science (and/or it field)? is there more nepotism in that field than nursing? for someone like myself who doesn't know someone, would it be harder for me to find employment in this computer science than nursing? also i heard that the it field prefers to hire asians over anyone else. does that also happen in computer science, and is this a reason for why i shouldn't go for it or computer science? is computer science a hack industry where you have to know a lot of people to get in, or else they won't hire you if they don't know you? also, i hear people raving online about how people who come out of computer science programs find jobs so quickly and make an okay amount of money. how many people, or what percentage of people actually come out of computer science programs making okay money? is it just the people who know somebody? if i go for computer science, am i still closing myself off to much of the country or much of the world because of the usefulness or uselessness of the degree?  .....pros about nursing....... here are the reasons why i would do nursing: like i said, i could probably take the degree to more places, i've had this fantasy of just buying a ticket to another place and applying somewhere, if i couldn't find anything where i am. what i liked about nursing school is that i was up on my feet, and i was having contact with other people. i like to walk around more than sit down all the time. i got to talk to some people too, though i felt weary of the people who worked on the floor. i got a miserable vibe from them. it was still pretty enlightening and inspiring to see different people, and there were always little surprises everyday—like what people would say or the types of people you meet. this is what i miss about nursing, because now i'm just at home, having contact with no one and seeing my social skills stagnate and feeling a bit lonely. i'm actually thinking about volunteering at a hospital for that reason. having to shove facts into my brain about disgusting stuff like vomit, bowel movements, blood pressure, etc skeeved me out. i had to know about those things, but it skeeved me out to even think about them. however, once i got the facts in my head, it was actually kind of nice to know those things.  .....pros about computer science...... if i went online for computer science, i could have more time to pursue my passions and hobbies at home that i care more about (more than nursing or computer science). i could also try to find work as well (though i doubt that that will work out-- but i guess never say never). also, i am interested in computer science (and/ore it) because i think that knowing about such stuff is very relevant. i'd like to learn about computer science, especially concerning cyber safety. everything that we do revolves around the internet, and it's evolving so quickly. i would like to learn about computers. i've always been a bit interested in computers. i already know html and css. i've dipped into java, and i've dipped into javascript. it's such an overwhelming topic, and it's hard to stick to. i think that going to college for it and being forced to have a focus would really help me to learn about it. maybe i could make some sort of business out of knowledge of this topic?. the only thing is that i don't really like is to sit down and stay in one play. i also prefer looking at my surroundings around me in real life than staring at a screen. still, i think that it's cool to know computer info."
how are women really treated during the hiring process?,4s2idd,blank,curiousthrowawayyy3,35,1468130517.0,"question for all you involved/know anyone involved in hiring decisions, since i haven't seen this question come up during my few months lurking here. as a female college student who will be on the search for software engineering jobs in a few years, this question feels especially relevant to me.  how are women treated in terms of hiring decisions for internships and jobs in your company? do they really have an ""advantage"" due to being less represented? have you heard/seen others consider them to be less capable? is gender not taken into consideration at all, or are they treated differently in any way, and if so, how?  thanks to anyone who decides to answer!"
(warning: politically incorrect topic) any men here salty about how much easier it is for women to get into software engineering?,538xq2,blank,mscorlib,39,1474172193.0,"it seems to me that the whole propaganda ministry surrounding ""more women need to be in stem"" has created incredibly easy avenues for women to get lucrative software engineering jobs. one example i've seen in real life is this girl my age with no programming experience who decided she wanted to switch careers and so she got into this class for women that cost $0 and provides class members with training and then an internship at one of the big companies, which then practically ensures they get offered a job at the company."
would you take 'blind auditions' to get selected for tech job interviews?,3ch0uk,blank,floatr,16,1436332008.0,"anyone who suspects they've been turned down for a job due to their race, sex, age, socio-economic background, or educational pedigree knows how unfair and frustrating it is to be discriminated against for something that has nothing to do with your capabilities.  but unfortunately, hiring managers — who typically get between 85 and 124 résumés for any given entry-level job opening — do it all the time.  entrepreneurs have taken it upon themselves to remedy the problem. they developed software that allows candidates to ""blind audition"" for a job, meaning employers know nothing about the the job seeker's ethnicity, gender, age, or educational background when they review their application and decide whether to invite them in for an interview. big companies like dolby and mozilla have already signed up.  what do you think of this approach to hiring junior and entry level talent?  www.today.com/video/companies-using-blind-auditions-to-hire-top-talent-459650627844  www.fastcompany.com/3042618/strong-female-lead/can-blind-interviews-finally-solve-techs-diversity-hiring-problem  do you feel you have faced bias in your job hunt due to your unconventional education in cs/ tech in general?"
flipping from finance to computers...,3bvpiw,blank,college-cashier,12,1435879035.0,"and as a result, a traditionally female work force to predominantly male. i currently work in the finance department of the university i attend, which is almost entirely women. i have a ton of free time at my job during slow periods (non-payment times, breaks between semesters, etc), so i've decided to do something useful with at least a few hours of my day. my boyfriend just graduated from the same university with an it degree and got a job as a software developer. most people are surprised by it, but he has been programming for a very long time, and he is extremely good at it (and he topped almost every single class; graduated with 3.93gpa). i feel like he had an upper-hand compared to most of his classmates and even some of the computer science students he competed against. he works now for a software company that contracts to nasa (we are in the houston area, so plenty of jobs for tech). partially due to his influence, i'm sure, and because of how easily he got a job, i decided to teach myself some coding. i decided to start with python. so far, it has been challenging and sometimes frustrating, but i assume that's how any new thing starts. it took me twenty minutes to figure out one problem, but once it clicked, i got really excited. i like doing it. i like being able to tell people, ""hey look, i made this thing!"" even though it's ridiculously easy, even when people look at me weird. i dunno. i feel kinda proud of myself, which i've never really felt before.  i will be attending college again next semester. since i work full-time, i can probably only do two, maybe three classes a semester, and that's because i can study and do homework at my job (boss doesn't mind and encourages it). my boss has a computer science degree, so she's been kind-of like a role-model to me. i never see many women with computer science degrees. my boyfriend was even surprised.   anyway, my main concern is focusing on what kind of degree. i'm not sure if i'm the type of programmer who can do what my boyfriend does - sit there and code for hours at a time. as a result, i've been looking at mis (management information systems) because it blends business and computer science together. unfortunately, it's typically seen as a jack-of-all-trades degree. i'm worried that it won't land me many jobs at the end, though i plan to teach myself other languages in my freetime. note: i have no experience in programming other than the python i've taught myself. up through middle school, i was very good at math. not top of the class, but i caught on fairly quickly and completed assignments fast. when i moved in my high school year to an entirely different school, i fell dramatically behind in math. my basics are still shaky, though i'm doing some practicing with khan academy. still, i know that i will probably have to redo my first two years of college. i was pursuing a biology degree. in junior year, i began to have doubts when i realized there was nothing in biology i really wanted to do - i just went with it because i wanted to be a ""doctor"" or something.   i know that if i pursue mis, i will have to attend a junior college for beginning programming classes. i cannot go into these 3xxx and 4xxx level classes with no programming experience. i will probably fail and die. however, if i go into cs or ce, i will be even further behind. i have not even taken a calculus course. or well, i did twice but dropped it when i got too frustrated by my lack of basics.  i'm wondering if i should continue with mis (finance being my fall-back as many of the classes with one another), or go to cs or ce. this would require even more years of schooling. i know that some of these degrees are interchangeable, considering my boyfriend got his job due to his programming skills and not his degree in it, but i'm so terrified of wasting even more time jumping around majors. i need to pick something and just do it. i'm 23. i've fucked around and mostly worked full-time instead of just getting my degree out of the way. i feel like i've wasted so much money and time, and i'm terrified to do it again.  tl;dr: mis, ce, or cs. ce and cs will require significantly more work for me as i am not a traditionally math-talented person. trying to be a realist here."
how seriously do y'all take hr at your company?,4o4e2q,blank,opensourceai,13,1465976068.0,"i don't mean sexual harassment and stuff that obviously is a very big deal, but... this is kind of hard to specify... stuff that isn't a big deal and just gets in the way of coding?  like, for example, at the job i just got hired at out of college a few weeks ago, we were told at orientation that one of the company-wide policies was that every new hire had to spend some time coming up with at least half a page worth of career goals, and from that point on, you have to meet with your manager in person every week for 30 minutes to discuss those goals and your progress towards them.  don't get me wrong, it's well intended, but i think it's kind of nit-picky and micromanaging. fortunately, my manager hates it even more than i do and just told me to pretend to schedule a meeting with him and we'd both just do what we need to do normally and to have meetings about whatever we needed as needed.  i was just curious if stuff like like this is the norm for you guys."
should i accept an offer from a company i'm nervous about?,44erxv,blank,arbitrarycivilian,8,1454763245.0,"i've been on the job search the past couple weeks, but really started kicking it into gear this past week. i have one offer from one of the early companies i interviewed at. i was pretty stoked about them at first, but some things have gotten me a bit worried.  when i talked to the manager there, he said that people were often asked to do work during the weekends or even during their vacation days (he mentioned the team had to work over christmas). he said he's trying to fix that, but that the higher-ups (c-suite) don't really respect engineer's time. i got the strong impression that everyone is working overtime.  also, the previous manager was fired for sexual harassment, which i didn't think much of at the time, but on glassdoor some people reported a ""fratty"" culture where that kind of thing was commonplace.  now i'm in the interview process with a bunch more companies, some of which i really like. but i don't have any other offers yet (still early). i've already been putting off giving this company a ""yes"" or ""no"" as long as i can. on one hand, i didn't enjoy my last job so i'm trying to be more selective than i was last time, but on the other, i don't know if i'm being too picky, and should just be thankful i got any offers.  thoughts?"
"coworker found out that i used to draw nsfw things, and won't shut up about it. i feel too embarrassed to bring it up with my boss. what should i do?",7rwcit,blank,careeradvice2722,178,1516547237.0,"i work at one of the big n, and only recently started the job as a web dev a few months ago.  during end of high school/university, i started doing commissions more or less drawing nsfw things for beer money. when i was close to graduating i purged everything that could be considered nsfw from my da, and closed my hf account.   talking to one of my coworkers, hobbies came up and i mentioned i enjoyed drawing and sent him a link to my da account. while i purged the nsfw art from my account, i never cleaned up my comments. one of the first comments was someone linking to all the nsfw stuff being hosted on a third party site. (which all has the same signature i use on all my portfolio art).   unfortunately my coworker saw that, that and immediately brought it up. i begged him not to tell anyone, and he said he would keep his mouth shut. but he didn't.   i know he has told 2 other people on my team and it makes me feel super uncomfortable. i told him very sternly to stop, and never speak of it again. then last week we had a team lunch, and we were just talking about hobbies. my hobby of drawing came up, and he immediately made a comment of 'you should have seen the things she used to draw!'. a coworker thankfully changed the subject almost immediately (guessing he noticed how uncomfortable i was).   my manager is in his 40's, and i don't really know how he would act if he found out. but in general i am horribly embarrassed and absolutely terrified of bringing up my coworkers behavior with him."
how good do you have to answer behavioral questions?,9f8by8,blank,inika_takara,13,1536791957.0,"hi all!  can i get some advice?  behavior questions seem to be the hardest for me imo. for the last few interviews i have done, i could pass the first round which involves coding and some basic understanding of java, sql, etc. they moved me forward to the next process and guess what? it’s the dreaded interview with hr with those behavioral questions.   but some companies might do this the other way around. hr interview first, and then technical with some behavioral with the hiring manager.   my problem is just how good do you have to answer the questions? would it be fine if you stutter? what if you don’t know the answer to the question right away and take some time to answer the question? obviously, they can tell right away that you are trying to make up some stuff? is this fine?  hr interview for me is like a black box. i give my answer, check the result, if it’s a rejection, i truly don’t know what happened. the only thing i know is that i didn’t give a good answer.  any help or tips is always appreciated!  thanks in advance!"
i just got fired,73xqda,blank,throwaway23452342342,32,1507028115.0,"i worked on the operations side of it. my job was to maintain production environments for critical systems. i was working heavily in the area of data, we have etls and other processes impacting our systems.   i worked for a major financial company on the fortune 500.   all my co-workers were great to me, they all enjoyed working with me, my manager enjoyed working with me, my tech lead enjoyed working with me. they have all agreed to give me great recommendations for my next job.  i was fired because of some messages i sent to a female employee. let me give some context though. this female employee sought me out and regularly initiated contact with me. she was described as flirtatious by both other men and women at the company. there was no actual physical confrontation, everything was just messages.   i was hired by this company out of college. i worked there for 1.5 years.   am i screwed? is the market good enough for me? i live in an area where technology is booming right now and there are plenty of jobs in the area. will companies overlook me because of the reason i was fired from my previous job? all my co-workers will state i was excellent to work with. i am just very nervous right now about my future.   edit- i was regularly considered an exceptional employee by this company. i had several minor awards to my name and was given an excellent end of the year review in which i was granted a higher score than my peers. a lot of senior employees in the company were looking at me to be a leader at the company, but i was fired because of a reason unrelated to my performance on the job."
"a senior engineer at work got upset with me and basically told me i was a ""diversity hire"" and i don't know what to do.",cp2ew5,blank,CulturalExercise,363,1565586529.0,"hi guys,  i started my first cs job out of college a month and a half ago for a rather large company. i have been struggling to keep up with all the information, tech and fast-paced environment, and i think i have been asking way too many questions as well. i have a learning disability, but i have been trying my hardest and i am never on my phone or anything, it just takes me a while to learn things. a few days ago, the senior engineer who is also my mentor, got upset when i wasn't able to answer a few questions about the feature that my team was working on and basically told me something along the lines of ""i should have known i would have received this kind of low-effort from a diversity hire"". i didn't ask him anything about it, i sorta let it go, but it has been haunting my thoughts this weekend. i'm a little upset and concerned now. this engineer was one of the 4 interviewers that i had when i was interviewing for the position, and i assume that he would actually know if i was a diversity hire or not? either way, is my job safe? am i at any higher risk of getting fired or let-go because of this? i legitimately did not think i would be a diversity hire, so i oddly hope he was just saying this to make me feel bad.  any advice?  &#x200b;  edit: thank you for the support everybody. i will talk to hr tomorrow.  edit2: for anyone who is still following...this is what i did. the hr department had a service for making an anonymous tip. i made an anonymous tip about workplace harassment, but i did not mention anyone by name or location. i listed everything that happened without giving out personal information. i made an email address without any personal information and listed it in the tip and said that they can reach me through that if they want more info. i'm not sure if i will get a response, but that was what i was comfortable doing. if i don't hear back, i will try to reach hr directly."
uber bangalore vs bloomberg new york - new grad positions,6grwgu,blank,expelliarmus55,5,1497299282.0,"i have offers from both these places and was wondering what would you recommend.    uber   pros - pays really well for a position in india. there are new teams set up entirely in the india office, so that might mean that no shoddy work sent in from the main office. is a unicorn, so hyper growth? smarter people around?  cons - is an offshore office. might have shoddy work from main office. was in news for workplace harassment a lot in the past few months :/   bloomberg   pros - i get to choose the team i want to work with!! literally everyone i talked to worked with bloomberg for 9 years.   cons - has been around for a lot of years. don't know how that pans out for growth as a software engineer."
i don't understand how to deal with disrespectful behavior and harassment in the office,a7h1q7,blank,temp1231156,7,1545207690.0,"**intro:**  so a little about myself: i have been working in the industry for a little longer than a year and a half now and have recently started my second job in programming so i'm not new, but not that experienced. i like to think of myself as a hard worker and as an above average employee: in my first job i spent a lot of my free time studying, coding on the side, i have often performed better than significantly more experienced colleagues (2 - 7 years in the industry), in my first job i was really excited and was fully dedicated to it, for example looked forward to working overtime since it meant to me more opportunities to learn. now i know that no one cares and it's best to just put in your 9 to 5 and go home, but still when at the office i work efficiently and care about the quality of my work.   **what i've tried:**  not just in it, but in general i've always found issues with dealing with colleagues when they're disrespectful, lazy, lying, etc. and managers have always seemed to be pretty ineffective by either not being able to control their employees - my colleagues or simply not caring, being lazy. as such i started early on to not be concerned with the work of my colleagues as long as it does not interfere with my work, though often enough this doesn't change much since there's either a certain maliciousness to the nature of difficult to handle colleagues or they feel threatened by my performance and actively start to hinder my progress. to handle these type of issues i've tried different approaches in the past. the first being simply to avoid conflict, do good work and hope that i can find other people with a similar mentality and move in to work with them rather than work in an environment i don't like, but this is rather ineffective as there's not that much choice to change the people i work with. my second approach was to be more aggressive and basically any issue i had with a colleague i would raise it early on with my manager and if that had no effect would escalate to the next higher ranking manager, which didn't change much, since after contacting the higher ranking manager, my manager would distrust me and even if at first they were on my side, now they wouldn't care or support my colleague regardless of who's right or who works better or if my colleague is incompetent. i don't really know how to handle these type of situations or whether once you start working with someone malicious you're just kinda stuck, i'm experiencing the same issue again at my present workplace and just don't know what to do.    **problem:**  i started work a month ago and my colleague started about two months ago. he is performing adequately his duties, but i finish up the same tasks twice as fast and with the same or better quality, ask less questions, i am more knowledgeable even though he has 3.5 years of experience and i always arrive on time, while he's sometimes late up to 5 min and with messy hair, unshaven (though this is minor), but there are signs from his side of inappropriate competition, harassment, however it's more difficult to prove and i feel like if i brought it up with my manager it could be ignored or my manager would just side with my colleague since i'd be bothering him.  basically my colleague has expressed minor insults over chat, tried to trick me in thinking that the working hours of our duties are different then they actually are, i suspect that he has been telling lies about me behind my back, i suspect this since once i walked in on him talking in the kitchen with another colleague saying:“how i don't know how i'm going to deal with him” and another when coming back to a meeting room how to a different colleague he was saying “i don't know what to do about the situation” and both times the conversation would just stop, he has said small insults such as comparing me to his girlfriend or similar and one time when i was taking a particularly hard test at work at exactly the time i was about to start taking the test he invited other colleagues to come loudly talk with him nearby, there are other signs, but effectively this is circumstantial and though there are other actions to add to the bigger picture, the nature of this type of harassment is more subtle and secretive so it's difficult to build a proper case. his motivation in this would be clear as i'm performing a lot better than him or he simply takes pleasure in this type of activity.   if i believed that he's a decent person i'd just talk about this with him, but i'm sure that he would just say how i have nothing to worry about and would just become more careful. or to raise this with my manager is more difficult since i don't have that much to show. i don't want to ignore this since later down the line he can ruin my reputation within the company or cause me to lose my job, promotion, etc.  my best course of action right now is to talk with the colleagues i've seen him interact with and see what they in general think about my colleague and talk with my manager about the matter but only express a suspicion, however i'm not sure what it would achieve. no one is going to just tell me that my colleague has been insulting me and neither will my manager do much about it.    **general thoughts:**  i really just don't know how to handle any of this all i want to do is go to work, do my job, go home, but it seems like no matter what, i'll have to handle some incompetent lazy colleagues and will have no tools available to deal with them, either i just have to adopt a similar approach and start trash talking them behind their back and such or just accept it. the working environment just seems to be enabling people to act maliciously  if in the future i'd get a job working from home or become a freelancer would i still have to deal with this? does this become less of an issue when working at a better company or for a higher paycheck?"
bad glassdoor reviews: how to better understand the work atmosphere?,5jrzl3,blank,csthrowaway1179,16,1482458666.0,"tl;dr: have conversion offer different than intern location, but lack of necessary interviews means i wasn't able to talk to many engineers about workplace, and there are many negative reviews on glassdoor for this office that cite specific issues with mgmt harassing engineers. how can i find out the truth about the work atmosphere, preferably by anonymously asking engineers?   i was extended a full-time conversion offer from a very large tech company last week, but my offer is for a different location and team than the one i interned for, thus i do not know much about this office (only the products they work on, which is appealing to me). i was able to tour the office, meet a few engineers and hr, and everything *seemed* great.  however, i now am finding ~10 bad reviews out of 20 reviews for this office on glassdoor (company has many locations). out of the 10 bad reviews, 6 of them mention a specific problem with a one or two managers harassing engineers and upper mgmt/hr not addressing these complaints.  i'm worried that anything i try to say to recruiter or my manager wouldn't prompt a truthful response about these issues simply because they want me to accept the offer. i **really** want to find a way to contact one of their engineers anonymously and try to better understand what the work atmosphere is truly like. a friend suggested trying to find an engineer on reddit, but i think the office might be too small for any engineers to regularly be on this sub. any advice?"
looking for a non-binary friendly workplace,7fmwti,blank,My8000thAccount,17,1511732047.0,"hi i’m an early career generalist (&lt;3 years post-grad) and i am also non-binary. i did not consider my gender greatly when looking for a job and just looked for general signs that i would be ok being out at work and have found the reality to be lacking. the company i work fo pays a lot of lip service to inclusivity but they don’t actually do a ton in the workplace to support their employees and i’ve found that i’m really uncomfortable with how my gender is perceived here. i’m planning to try and move once i find a new job (been at my current position for almost a year) and need some help finding companies to apply to.   *tl;dr do you know of companies that are especially supportive of non binary employees?*  edit: more detail from a reply thread   most people i work with are not familiar with the concept of non binary gender so they don’t use my preferred pronouns (they/them). and those that are ok with using pronouns then use me as their sole educational resource so i am constantly fielding questions.  what i am looking for is a company where i will not be the first nb employee, there are already some procedures in place to help trans employees (such as hr professionals that are trained to deal with lgbt issues and can help address inappropriate coworkers).   right now, i am having to spend an enormous amount of energy on my gender at work and i’d much rather focus on working."
success guide for beginner software developer/architect/engineer,e5ouwi,blank,cheese_egg_and_bacon,135,1575440720.0,"the title might create an impression that i'm going to list a set of things that will guarantee success. it's not what this post is.  i thought i could share some advice for folks who start their path in the software development or it infrastructure management and operation fields, starting with interviewing to actually doing your job. i constantly observe people missing opportunities and getting poor performance reviews because they're not following some of the advice below.  but who am i to give this advice? well, it's reddit/internet, i'm just an anonymous poster, so take any advice with a grain of salt. including mine. if you're inclined to believe what i say, this advice is based on:  -	dozen years in software development and architecture in contributor and management roles -	hundreds of interviews (as an interviewer) and dozens (as an interviewee) -	tens of offers received over the past 10 years (when i was searching for jobs) for high-level ic and ic/management positions -	love and passion for software development and desire for every professional out there to grow, develop and start mentoring  one thing worth mentioning: some (around 50%) advice i’m providing here was given to me by someone else at some point in my career. some of it happened a long time ago, some - a couple of months ago. what i’m trying to say (take it as first piece of advice) - never stop learning and never think you know everything. people around you won’t stop surprising you.  let’s just jump into the actual things i wanted to rant about. it’s not a complete list by any means. some things you might even disagree with. i’m just trying to share the patterns/behaviors i believe to be the major contributors to my personal professional success and that of other people working with/under me.  1) interviews.  -	please come prepared. read about the company. ask questions. -	if you’re doing remote interviews - be ready and check your audio/video in advance. get a decent webcam and mic. -	look at your resume. look at each word/technology. if i ask you right now “how did you use x?” or “why did you decide to implement y?” are you able to answer in detail? if not - get it off your resume. -	when you don’t understand the question - say so. ask for an explanation. stop inventing answers. good interviewers are there not to evaluate your knowledge of every pattern or every algorithm (if that’s what they’re doing - you don’t want to work there), they’re there to understand how you think and how fast you adapt. -	if you don’t know the answer - stop guessing, be honest. let the interviewer know and ask if they would like you to try and guess/think about it. -	talk more during interviews. when you’re thinking about the problem - let the interviewer know what you’re thinking and where you’re going with it. don’t sit there like a koala with mouthful of leaves.  -	a lot of you read “resume best practices” online and now plug in numbers/percentages everywhere to tell how your work improved the business. good for you. but please, if you have a number there, be ready to answer the “how did you measure that?” question. -	stop jumping to the code immediately. if you’re asked a technical question - talk abstract first. synthesize the problem down to an abstract question. think about real-life examples. let’s assume you’re asked to “invert binary tree”. don’t start writing pseudo (or real) code. talk about it first. draw the binary tree, demonstrate that you understand the question. explain what inverting actually does to the binary tree. -	show interest in general, about the questions, the tech, the people. if you get a question that you were not able to answer - go home, research it, message (or email) the interviewer/recruiter (you can always ask for their linkedin to message) after the interview with answers, explanations. -	if you got an offer always negotiate (unless you’re 100% satisfied by it). don’t be a jerk about it though. i’d recommend having at least two offers (or one offer and one close call) before negotiating. then you can be honest - “i really like the company, i’d like to work with you because x, y and z but unfortunately the offer does not quite match my expectations/market and other offers i’ve received. would it be possible to adjust the offer (by n dollars/with a specific benefit/add signing bonus/to match the market rate)?”  it’s worth mentioning that a lot of the interviews are, truly, bull feces and interviewers are asking questions they’ve googled minutes ago. it’s always going to happen once in a while - accept these interviews as “necessary evil”.  2) work ethic  -	never say that existing code/solutions/architecture is done wrong. it may be wrong/sub-optimal, but there may be reasons for it. sometimes getting a piece of shitty code out is more financially relevant than making it nice, solid, testable. at the end of the day - everything we do is designed to make money for the company, one way or another. that’s the main goal. not writing the best code or having the best coverage. making money and preventing money loss. -	code reviews are great and necessary. if you think otherwise - fix your mindset. read about why it’s important. -	when starting work on something (new project/ticket/fix/build) always boil your work down to a problem statement (literally, 3-4 sentences; like a story) that you’re solving. make sure that the problem statement is correct, run it by the requestor/peers/managers. focus on solving just this problem -	if you made a mistake - always admit it. make sure that your “i was wrong” or “i made a mistake” is seen/heard by everyone involved with the issue. “i’m wrong” is one of the most used phrases in my vocabulary. -	if you have a discussion (argument) with your peers about something (code correctness, architecture choice, solution design, etc.) - always politely defend your point until both parties agree. if your “opponent” convinces you that they’re correct - admit it. explicitly, state “i was wrong, you’re right” and thank for explanation. if you think you’re almost never wrong - fix your mindset. to add: -	at the same time never state your peer/colleague were wrong if that’s what the conclusion of your discussion is. yes, technically they might’ve been wrong (there’s no argument with just one party in the wrong and you know it). be thankful for their input and letting you to bounce your ideas off of them. confirm that they agree with the solution, thank them and move on. -	keep your promises/deadlines. this is easy to say, i know. but if you promised to do something - do it. whatever it takes. but most importantly - learn how not to promise. get a habit of making every deadline you commit to at least 3x of the time you think you need to get it done. you’re probably still going to be late. -	learn to pick your battles (it’s personal for everyone, some people are always going “with the flow”, some people are always trying harder - figure out what works for you) -	do not jump to solutions/implementations. when you have a problem and know just the tool to solve it we tend to come into the conversation with it [the tool/pattern/etc] in mind. stop doing it. abstract the problem away and describe the solution in common language. describe the “services” and “features” of the solution. think about the interfaces. only when everyone agrees on high-level approach start thinking about implementations and tools/patterns to solve each piece of the puzzle. -	see something - say something. if you see something that might be incorrect/inefficient - let people know.  3) software development/engineering recommendations  -	above i said “sometimes getting a piece of shitty code out is more financially relevant than making it nice, solid, testable”. that is true. but there are certain things that you should never do:     - stop putting secrets (passwords/keys) as clear-text in your code. whether it’s your code at work or your personal repo on github - stop it. interviewers do look at personal github repos linked in the resumes. if i see something like this in your personal repo that you decided to share with me - as an interviewer i will immediately prejudge you.     - stop hard-coding values that you might want to change in the future. use configuration-supplied values and implement best practices for configuration management in your language/framework/tool.     - stop making useless code comments and unclear/random commit messages. it’s worth your time to provide concise and detailed comments and relevant commit messages. -	if you decide to take a shortcut/not implement something/implement something in a “non-best practice” way - leave a comment. explain why. -	document. document everything. write more documentation then code. *edit: documentation is not necessarily code comments. architecture docs, guides, best practices, meeting notes, interface annotations, endpoint descriptions - all of that falls under documentation. basically the point i’m trying to make is: start with documentation, describe what your code/system/solution is supposed to do, why it’s needed, what types of problems it is solving (and what types of problems are out of scope); make sure to provide sufficient code documentation; write down discussion results and meeting notes to have a reference; if someone shares some insider expertise with you - don’t just use it, write it down and share it if it’s not shared already.* -	don’t assign blame. if you’re debugging/trying to fix an issue don’t ask “who did that?”. the only question worth answering: “how do we prevent this type of error from ever happening again?” -	if you’re doing something similar (writing the same code/performing the same action/triggering the same process) manually for the 2nd time - something might be wrong. if you’re doing it for the 3rd time - something is wrong. stop right there. automate it. move on. -	think outside of the box. when solving a problem consider involving other teams/technologies. the number of times i’ve seen people spending ridiculous amounts of time to do something that is already solved is overwhelming.  -	do not reinvent the wheel. if there’s an open-source (that’s important) library/module that solves the problem for you - don’t hesitate to use it instead of implementing your own (as long as it aligns with company policy and security/compliance requirements). but (very important but) go through the 3rd-party code, write your own tests for it if possible and always be prepared to fork it and maintain it yourself (that’s why open-source is important). it’s almost always more time-consuming to write your own solution but if you have to - look at other open-source solutions first for inspiration. you might notice patterns/solutions used by the author(s) that are better than things you had in mind. -	it’s a bit harder when the solution is a commercial product. here you need to think twice about the cost, support cost, expertise and maintenance - think and consult with your peers, other teams, procurement team (if you have one) to determine whether it’s worth the money. sometimes i’ve seen companies that choose to implement their own solution and spend a large amount of money/time on it to gain “freedom” down the road. others pick commercial solutions because they value their time more than actual dollars. each way has its time and place.  4) general  -	learn source control (git). learn it very well. -	spend time on understanding how and why things work the way they work. if you’re learning a new language/framework/tool - read all the documentation you can find.  -	if you’re reading documentation/book/article and see a word/concept/phrase you do not understand - learn what it is. -	learn general development principles. learn what solid is. learn what are the common software development patterns. learn when to use and not to use them. understand pros and cons of each. even if you’re a sysadmin, learn it. -	read all the release notes for your main languages/frameworks/tools. pay attention and understand major changes and improvements as well as reasons behind maintainers decisions to add a feature/function, use-cases for new features/functions and their limitations. -	take ownership of problems. if you need help/assistance from others to solve it - keep politely “bugging” people if they’re not getting back to you. don’t just let things sit there and get forgotten. -	if you don’t know how a certain thing works/might work - it’s very often more effective and time-efficient to just quickly test it. “what would happen if x occurs?” - instead of trying to figure the answer out by going through the code or trying to find it in documentation (unsuccessfully) - just try it. after trying it make sure you completely understand why it happened. i like to say: you should be able to keep answering the “and how it does that?” type of question until you get to “and then the code is executed on the cpu” or “and then the system produces a result” type of answer. that’s when you’ve gone deep enough. -	if you’re a developer, learn and understand the devops portion for your language/framework. understand how your code is compiled, packaged, published, deployed and upgraded. if you’re a devops/sysadmin - learn and understand the development portion. understand how devs pick what to work on, how they do reviews, what’s the branching policy. -	for any new system/sub-system you work on ask yourself these questions: “what happens if the system it’s running on dies?”, “how is the system going to scale with 1000x more load/users”, “how are other users going to interact with my system?”. -	stop over-optimizing. if your code/system works fine - leave it be. until you start noticing potential issues in your monitoring. which leads to the next point: -	monitor everything you can. if you’re writing code - think about a way of monitoring its performance. from the very beginning. if you’re building systems - think about all the metrics you need to monitor. again, from the start. -	backup everything you can. code - back it up (and use source control!). data - back it up. settings - back it up. -	figure out the tools/ides you prefer using (or you’re required to use by the company), read the documentation and spend time going through the settings. each single one. understand what they do. configure correctly. export and backup the settings. -	always remember: you are easily replaceable. as talented as you might be, as knowledgeable in a niche area as you might be - there’s always someone better. don’t try to “hoard” knowledge to ensure job security. it does not work long-term. be honest and try to make it easy for whoever comes after you. -	always learn how something works until the “aha!” moment ;)  edit: thanks for the gold, y’all. i’ll make sure to pass it down :)  edit: added “(as long as it aligns with company policy and security/compliance requirements)”  edit: added the “read all the release notes” item"
basic ds and algo question collection,dqkr7o,blank,GamesMint,195,1572733041.0,"after attending a lot of interviews i have created a list of problems which you should definitely know for a programming interview(these are bare minimum though).  **arrays**  1. dutch national flag problem 2. kadane's algorithm 3. moore's voting algorithm 4. rotate an array and find an element in rotated sorted array 5. find missing element in array(xor technique) 6. find median of two sorted array 7. merge two sorted array 8. find the next greater digit with same set of digits 9. check if a number is palindrome (check the code on leetcode) 10. search an element in sorted matrix. 11. rotate an image by 90 degree(code in cracking coding interview book) 12. print a matrix in spiral form(code in cracking coding interview book) 13. find the index of 1 in an array with 0 and 1 infinitely ([http://www.geeksforgeeks.org/find-position-element-sorted-array-infinite-numbers/](http://www.geeksforgeeks.org/find-position-element-sorted-array-infinite-numbers/)) 14. binary search in array (recursive and iterative)  **stacks**  1. convert inorder to postorder and evaluate the postorder 2. balanced parenthesis 3. design an array which supports constant time(o(1)) push,pop, min.([http://www.geeksforgeeks.org/design-and-implement-special-stack-data-structure/](http://www.geeksforgeeks.org/design-and-implement-special-stack-data-structure/)) 4. implement queue with 2 stacks 5. implement stack with array and linked list 6. implement two stack in array ([http://www.geeksforgeeks.org/implement-two-stacks-in-an-array/](http://www.geeksforgeeks.org/implement-two-stacks-in-an-array/)) 7. merge overlapping interval([http://www.geeksforgeeks.org/merging-intervals/](http://www.geeksforgeeks.org/merging-intervals/))  **linked list**  1. find loop in the linked list 2. find the lenght of the loop in the linked list 3. find the intersection of two linked list([http://www.geeksforgeeks.org/write-a-function-to-get-the-intersection-point-of-two-linked-lists/](http://www.geeksforgeeks.org/write-a-function-to-get-the-intersection-point-of-two-linked-lists/)) 4. merge two sorted linked list ([http://www.geeksforgeeks.org/merge-two-sorted-linked-lists/](http://www.geeksforgeeks.org/merge-two-sorted-linked-lists/)) 5. reverse linked list(recursive and iterative) 6. clone a linked list with random pointer 7. add numbers represented by two linked list  **strings**  1. return maximum occurring character in the input string 2. remove all duplicates from a given string 3. reverse words in a given string 4. reverse a string 5. given a string, find its first non-repeating character 6. write a program to print all permutations of a given string 7. a program to check if strings are rotations of each other or not 8. check if two strings are anagram 9. check if string is palindrome  **bit manipulation**  1. check if a number is power of two.([http://www.geeksforgeeks.org/write-one-line-c-function-to-find-whether-a-no-is-power-of-two/](http://www.geeksforgeeks.org/write-one-line-c-function-to-find-whether-a-no-is-power-of-two/)) 2. little and big endian mystery 3. position of rightmost set bit 4. find whether a given number is a power of 4 or not 5. add two numbers without using arithmetic operators  **tree**  1. tree traversal(inorder, preorder, postorder) 2. level order traversal 3. count the number of leaves in tree 4. height and diameter of a tree 5. left top bottom right view of a tree' 6. root to leaf sum path 7. print all the root to leaf path 8. binary search tree and height balanced tree (avl)  **general**  1. sieve of erathoness for prime numbers  **graphs**  1. graph representation 2. dfs and bfs 3. topological sort 4. cycle detection  edit:   **sorting**  1. quick sort 2. merge sort(some problems based on merging) 3. o(n) sorting (shell sort, bucket sort etc)  **backtracking**  1. sudoku 2. rat in maze  hope this helps someone."
a list of sketchy companies to steer clear of,colzz4,blank,contemplativeraisin,96,1565491969.0,"based off of the [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/clyzla/dont_fall_for_scams_because_youre_desperate_for/) that i made a couple days ago, here's a list of shady companies that you might want to be aware of. some of these are straight up scams and others are companies with questionable practices. feel free to comment any others that you'd like for me to add on.  * [hire experts solution](https://www.glassdoor.com/reviews/hire-experts-solution-reviews-e2110471.htm) \- a full on scam that asks you to pay a $800 deposit for a ""training course"". * [talent path](https://www.glassdoor.com/reviews/talent-path-reviews-e2394237.htm) * [fdm](https://www.glassdoor.com/reviews/fdm-group-reviews-e234827.htm) \-  serfdom like contracting company but good if you have bad luck getting employment * [techfield](https://www.glassdoor.com/reviews/employee-review-techfield-rvw20206497.htm) \- has lots of ethics issues when it comes to your contract with them. * [smoothstack](https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/9vphcx/is_smoothstack_a_revatureesque_scam/) \- the op from the post i linked gave a pretty good description of their shadiness: "" you make $8 an hour during the 3 month program and can be fired for any reason after having to move out to the dc area, and after the 3 months you aren't actually guaranteed employment anywhere. the other big red flag is the complete lack of info about them online outside of their own site/social media and a fishy glassdoor review. "" * [quintrix](https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/9er3u7/anyone_had_any_experience_with_quintrix_solutions/) \- a company based where interviews have left to dead ends? there isn't too much info out there about this one so it's hard to determine its credibility. * [cogent infotech](https://www.glassdoor.com/reviews/employee-review-cogent-infotech-corp-rvw20036149.htm) \- there's a truck load of issues going on at this place, take a look at the first review in the glassdoor link that i provided. * [numero data](https://www.glassdoor.com/reviews/numero-data-reviews-e1567453.htm) * [miracle software systems](https://www.glassdoor.com/reviews/employee-review-miracle-software-systems-rvw18793098.htm) \- a company with a lot of h1b abuse. * [sollers college](https://www.yelp.com/biz/sollers-college-edison) \- not a company but an ""educational institution"" that asks for 20% of your income at your first job. * [revature](https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/5w0w6a/is_the_company_revature_a_scam_or_questionable/de6hya7?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x) \- extremely shitty work pay policies, take a look at the linked comment for more details. * [cybercoders](https://www.reddit.com/r/recruitinghell/comments/9nksci/no_cybercoders_just_no/) \- a hiring agency that is apparently a legit company but incredibly spammy and doesn't actually do what they promise to. * [aspiritech](https://www.glassdoor.com/reviews/aspiritech-reviews-e929169.htm) \- ""it markets itself as a pro-autism workplace, especially for placing qa jobs, but it treats them worse than the ""normies"" of the company. they don't get 401k or other benefits that non-autistic employees get and get paid much lower, at $12/hr, for qa work. unpaid training phase and this training doesn't guarantee a job. "" (info. from u/exitthedonut). * [credible behavioral health software](https://www.glassdoor.com/reviews/credible-behavioral-health-software-reviews-e771852.htm) \- a company with serious management issues, employees are overworked and fired easily. * [empowr](https://www.glassdoor.com/reviews/empowr-reviews-e769591.htm)\-  u/mr_gobble_gobble details their experience with the company here: ""as part of the interviewing process the recruiter (which is some low level dev or marketing person) pushes that you should read the [ceo's book](https://www.amazon.com/america-idea-american-dream-everyone/dp/b079345936) to understand the company and do well in the interview when you meet with the ceo. well the only way to read it is to purchase it so... they make some money off of devs going through the interview process. the book itself is laughably awful and suggests that terrorism can be defeated by, you guessed it, empowr. "" * [perficient](https://www.reddit.com/r/jobs/comments/79zkj2/has_anyone_worked_for_perficient_inc_office/) \- as per u/wavyhairedsamurai: ""\[they\] do a similar 2-year contract with forced relocation and a payment of $10,000 if you leave the company during that time."" , the reddit post i've linked provide information that makes they sound a lot like a scam as well (you have to pay shipping fees to have equipment shipped to you).  * [kgs group](https://ca.indeed.com/cmp/kgs-group/reviews) \-   ""like that hire experts solution they have you pay $700 for a course as well."" - from u/airnspace   \*\*disclaimer: don't take this post as an exhaustive list of all shady companies, i'm providing this info. so that people can make more informed decisions. some commenters have mentioned that certain companies like revature or aspiritech might not be that bad but i would recommend thoroughly researching any company that contacts you before you proceed with interviews.\*\*  also a special thanks to u/ya_mike, u/strikefreedompilot, u/binarysearch_recurse,  u/csthrowawayquestion and  u/thetapasbalu for providing the names of these companies and information used to make this post. \*\*i decided to stop adding in other users in case this list gets obscenely long."
having a bad experience with intern manager,c3uvgv,blank,ExtensionSort,15,1561266984.0,"i work at a faang company, and i know this sub isn't always the greatest place for objectivity about that, so i'll preface this by saying that i really like the company's culture and way of doing things. with that said, i'm having a bit of a hard time working with my manager, and would like advice on how to do that better.  i'm working on a team that provides crash-triaging infrastructure to the company's mobile apps. naturally, we deal with a lot of system-level requirements, most of which involve different operating systems and compilers. fortunately, my area of expertise fits exactly into that, and my team noticed up front that i had a great background on the subject.  the first two weeks were a bit of a learning curve. i was too used to pushing 1k line commits and just saying ""don't worry bro, it works"" before pushing them, so i made a lot of stupid mistakes with their non-standard vcs that my boss got noticeably exasperated about. at some points, he appeared to be brimming with stress that he got from me. fortunately, we got over that hurdle and i stopped making stupid mistakes like those.  the third week, we had a 1-1 about the company's policy for return offers from internships, which are very specific. he stated himself that i was doing excellently on 4/5 of them, but had problems with:  1) quality of work - i push code really fast, and it's usually good code, but i don't present it well on their vcs for review (do things like linting on the same commit, so it's hard for people to see what i actually changed and what's just linting, and don't respond to comments on our equivalent of prs very quickly);   2) independence - i'd ask him questions too often, when i could have just as well looked them up.  i took these two points of feedback to heart, and got him to admit informally (we usually take walks to unwind from the job and talk about these things in between 1-1s) that i had indeed improved on them - i didn't ask him trivial questions anymore, and i was more focused on quality of work.  then, during the next 1-1, he stated that while he himself could attest that i'd improved, he didn't know if others on the team saw that as well, and that that would look bad on the intern review (the committee will be involving a lot of different people who i work with.) this set me in a panic for the fourth week, when i was frantically trying to do everything i could to look good for the intern review, and i ended up making more stupid mistakes on quality of work. naturally, this led him to tell me informally: ""if you keep doing work like this, extensionsort, then you won't get a return offer - i can tell you that much."" he identified that i had a good background and was perfectly capable of it, but that this was surely not my best work.  on his recommendation, i also talked to some of the other people who would be reviewing me. they said the same thing about independence, but remarked on that more as a side note rather than as a deal-breaker. i was much more reassured of my good standing and found it much easier to avoid spiraling into a panic under their advice than under his.  from here, it starts getting worse. the first incident occurred when we were discussing how to deploy my app. my manager, my peer reviewer, and another member of the team all discussed together how i should test my app in prod without being invasive to the existing stable version of my service, and i found it hard to get a word in edgewise about my concerns; mostly, and this might've been my fault, i stood there frozen and watched them make this decision between themselves because i was worried about looking stupid.  their conclusion was essentially to use a test system integrated with a ci platform different to the one we were using for deployment, which made no sense to me after i had done my own research and discovered that our current deployment system had an equivalent feature that provided more support for what we were trying to do. i tried to voice this to my manager, and his attitude towards it was ""i don't know how difficult this will be to set up, but it's your project, so you can use this tool if you want."" naturally, this translated to me as ""idc, it's your return offer to fuck with,"" so i just settled on his idea. mind you, from what i  researched, i still have no understanding whatsoever why he'd consider what i was proposing harder than what he was proposing, and he didn't offer much of an explanation to that point.  afterwards, we still needed to make changes to our codebase so that the binary built therein would use my experimental version of the service for test purposes rather than the stable one. i dug around for a bit, and tried to tell him ""if we just change this one-line statement inside this factory function, we'd be good""; he took that as further backlash against his deployment idea when, in reality, it was meant to help enable his deployment idea. he exasperatedly kept asking ""what don't you understand about \[his suggested testing tool\], extensionsort?"" and basically made me feel stupid for a bit until i was able to communicate what i meant to him. in the end, he agreed with me on that.  i recall these two anecdotes specifically because they're recurring themes in my interactions with him. i try to communicate with him, and in my fear of sounding stupid, which he amplifies, i end up miscommunicating and facing his frustration with the fact that i'm not understanding something that i previously said i understood. these situations, from my pov, always happen when i do indeed understand what he told before and am just trying to communicate something different. i don't have this problems with any of the other members of the team, because they're much more calming and give me ample time to breathe and say what i'm trying to say.  i've talked to a few different people about this, and the general consensus is that there are no red flags from my project history and that, as far as the weak points that i have go, i've been proactive in addressing them. sometimes, i doubt whether my manager is being objective due to this, but i really want this return offer and his words are a constant source of stress for me (to the extent where people noticed that i started committing to the codebase at 3am.)  i know this is a very specific and nuanced, if not contrived, situation, but i was hoping that you senior folks would have seen this before. mind you, there's no doubt that my boss is a brilliant engineer - he stands out from the rest of the team as that, and i look up to him for it. i'm just having a hard time intelligibly communicating with him because of my own insecurity and fear. thanks for reading this blob of text, guys! i'd love to hear what you all have to say!"
negatively biased reviews on interview experiences,dc7at6,blank,sergeydgr8,1,1570033148.0,"a lot of the time i read on forum discussions and here at r/cscq that interviewees were asked tons of leetcode hard questions and thus got rejections and noted down that the company they applied for has an extremely difficult interview. i've been noticing this happen a lot on glassdoor and leetcode discussions that an overwhelming majority of posts are about difficult or negative interview experiences rather than neutral or positive experiences, especially when i speak with friends in person about their experiences interviewing at the same companies and they've expressed anything but negative things about their experience. i've noticed this happen quite a bit with my company where the interviewee said they got a terribly difficult question in a phone screen when the problem was very rudimentary, such as finding the maximum depth of a binary tree or counting the max area of an island in a 2d array.  i theorize that this is due to the nature of review sites, such as yelp and amazon, that people mostly leave reviews of things if their result of said thing was significantly less than ideal or did not meet their expectation. but of course, those reviews are for material items or services, not for job interviews.  what would compel people to write non-negative interview experiences, considering that there are a significant portion of them going untold each day? i don't mean to reduce the amount of negative reviews, but rather to balance out the perception and reviews and provide more accurate representation of interviewing experience at companies. it doesn't seem like companies are asking people to implement fizzbuzz or two sum, but neither do i believe that it's guaranteed you will be asked something like finding a [palindrome closest to some number](https://leetcode.com/problems/find-the-closest-palindrome/).  anyways, /rant after reading some salt on glassdoor and petty name and shame posts."
my mid 20's career change from finance to swe in 1 year,b47q12,blank,2cupsofjava,19,1553303955.0,"tl; dr: i went from slinging powerpoints and spreadsheets in a boring finance job to a full-time swe offer (60k, lcol) in 11 months through a combination of self-study and a non-prestigious ms program.  &#x200b;  i've been lurking on cscq for a long time and the posts here helped me make several major career decisions and played a big role in preparing me for my internship/job hunt. reading about others' experiences was a big help to me, and i'm hoping my story can help out someone else, especially if they are a non-traditional student or considering a career change.  &#x200b;  **where i came from:**  in my early 20's i graduated from a middle of the road state university with a bba and an offer from a mid sized local company for a job in the finance industry (not high finance or anything flashy). while the job itself was good and it paid well, i was experiencing bore-out after a few years. most of my work was administrative or repetitive spreadsheets and presentations. i started looking for a change, but realized i had not developed much in the way of  marketable skills, and positions where my niche experience would be valuable were few and far between. it's also worth mentioning that i became increasingly involved with the company's it department over time and was drawn to technology focused work.  &#x200b;  **the decision to switch:**  after spending some time searching for opportunities in my current field and not finding anything that i thought i would be happy with long term, i decided to look outside of my field into a new career altogether. i spent a lot of time reflecting on the type of work that i would enjoy doing and balancing that with career opportunities, aptitude, etc. i landed on software development for many of the reasons we are all familiar with including continuing opportunities to learn, career mobility, and job market. i was a bit worried by some of the ""entry level is saturated"" posts that come up on here, but they didn't deter me. i started self-teaching coding through books, code academy, youtube, etc. while continuing to work and researching my next step.   &#x200b;  **back to school:**  deciding how to make the switch was the most difficult decision of the process. i considered going 100% self-taught, attending a boot camp, a second bachelor's, and a master's. i think they are all viable options for the right situations, but i ultimately decided to go with a degree for the doors it would likely open up. i may have made a different choice if my undergraduate degree was in a stem field instead of business. after deciding on pursuing a degree, i had to consider brick and mortar vs. online and bs vs. ms. all options would take me \~2 years to complete full-time. the ms programs i was looking at required some college-level cs work, so i decided to start down the bs path by taking summer classes and then apply to ms programs. i did not find any online bs programs where the price/quality ratio was better than my local state university (my undergrad alma mater), so i returned there. i decided to go full-time student and quit my job after saving up enough money to do so. towards the end of my summer classes i asked my professors for their opinion and they recommended the university's ms program based on my goals and success in their classes. i took their advice and entered into the ms program in the fall. during this period and through to today i was/am continuing to learn other cs topics on my own. i identify the topics mostly through my reading here on cscq. i also practice some leetcode easy and medium problems for a couple hours at a time on occasion.   &#x200b;  **internship search:**  during my first semester of grad school i began applying to internships and i attended a career fair with a resume that listed my previous career along with my education and general cs skills i had picked up (java, git, etc.). that resume was a mistake. i received zero responses and zero interest at the career fair, which prompted me to take a different approach during my second semester attempts. i took everything off of my resume that suggested i might be a career changer other than my bba, which i removed the year from. i replaced my experience with a combination of school and personal projects, including details on the technologies they were built with. i also removed the generic skills section in favor of the projects, so my whole resume was just education and projects. i continued to apply to the few local online postings (needed to stay local for classes, including summer) and still didn't get any responses, but the next career fair was a different story.  i spoke with \~12 companies there and had much more interest than i did previously. one of my listed projects was an android app, and i was not shy about pulling out my phone and demonstrating it if the company rep asked about it. it's hard to quantify if it really helped or not, but i felt that they were generally more interested after seeing tangible proof that i could make something. four of the companies reached out to me following the career fair, two were big non-tech companies, one mid-size tech, and one small tech. i asked a classmate who worked at the mid-size tech about the company, and he gave it a good review and also offered to refer me, which i took him up on (shout out if you are reading this).  &#x200b;  **interviewing:**  i did a variety of interviews and assessments over the new few weeks with all four companies. both large non-tech companies brought me in for a single on-site where we reviewed my projects and discussed some behavioral questions. the mid-size tech company process included a \~2 hour take home challenge (allowed to use any resource), a behavioral phone screen, and an extensive on-site that included a combination of technical and behavioral questions, but no whiteboarding. the small tech company had a behavioral phone screen and two on-sites, which were a mix of behavioral, project discussion, and two whiteboard problems (leetcode easy involving array manipulation and binary search trees). my previous career involved a good amount of presenting, which definitely helped me during these interviews. speaking of my previous career, i did not hide it despite leaving it off my resume. i cited it several times during interviews, mostly for questions about working on teams and such. i don't think it hurt me at this stage since i had already proven my technical skills for the most part. i felt that i did well in all of them and received offers from all four. three of them were for summer 2019 internships ($15-$19 an hour), but the mid-size company offered me a full-time position as a software engineer with a salary of 55k. my ms classes are in the evening, so taking the job while completing my degree over the next year was an option.   &#x200b;  **decision and negotiation:**  i weighed my options and decided that the experience and compensation offered by the full-time position would be worth the stress of school + work for a year. that being said, i still felt the salary was low, even for my lcol area. i was confident that at least one of the internship companies would offer me more in a year if i were hired on after the internship. i sent the recruiter a polite email asking for 60k while citing local salary data and mentioning that i was considering other offers. they nonchalantly replied with a new offer letter at 60k, which i signed shortly after. some might argue that i should have negotiated for more, but keep in mind that i'm still a year from completing my degree and i did not have other full-time offers. i'm excited to be starting with them soon, almost exactly 11 months after i quit my old job.   &#x200b;  **closing thoughts:**  i know this isn't one of those crazy zero to hero motivational stories, but it's still been a wild ride for me. i'm very happy that i took the plunge and left my old career and i'm looking forward to starting my new one. there was plenty of doubt and uncertainty along the way, but i'm feeling a lot of relief now that i've been through some interviews and came out with offers. this next year will likely be a lot of work with a new job and two classes per semester, but i'm looking forward to it all the same. this has turned into a pretty big wall of text so i left out a lot of details, feel free to post or pm any questions!  &#x200b;  &#x200b;  &#x200b;"
"about to graduate with a ba in cs - no projects, no internships, no experience, can't code, and can't write. what are my career options?",bkt0mi,blank,KrunchyKale,8,1557053553.0,"i got a degree in computer science, with a minor in german (and an uncounted minor in math because i didn't take enough of the classes for that at my graduating university). i did *not* get a degree in programming, nor software engineering, nor computer engineering. i had unrelated side jobs for the first few years (front desk secretary, field crew trail construction, etc.), but after not managing to get any internships, i'd been focusing on just trying to finally graduate for the last few years (it's been around 11 years since i started). i haven't done any projects, and trying to learn programming is so dull and unfulfilling for me that i haven't done anything beyond the bare minimum in that department.    so, why even get a degree in cs if i don't like programming? it's the major that isn't pure math with the least amount of essays to do. i am impressively bad at composition - i have a diagnosed disorder of written expression. and that turns out to extend to coding. if presented with something specific - a bug or line of code - in context, i can talk about it (usually). if asked to write code that does that same thing, i have no idea what to do. if asked to read a structure, that's fine - if asked to make one, nope. and when i do manage to code something, even if it works, even if i've tried to comment it well, no one can really figure out what i've written without really breaking it apart - which is not great for team stuff.    fortunately, a cs degree isn't a programming degree, and i seem pretty ok at the parts where code is not involved. i actually tend to do better than the majority in subjects like architectures, theory, and even low-level stuff like binary and hex mathematics or regex.   so, i'm obviously not going to be a developer, i'm not going to be writing software, and i'm not going to be a technical writer doing documentation. it's obvious that i would be somewhere between useless and actively detrimental in those sorts of jobs. but, most job listings i see are for ""developer in (language)"". what types of cs jobs *am* i looking for? how do i approach finding a non-programming cs job? how do i word that in a way that companies want? i don't expect or need to make a huge paycheck - my only dependent is a dog and i live in a very cheap area."
my journey and tips: 2.9 gpa at a no-name liberal arts college with 1 mediocre internship — 4 fte offers including fb,6278bi,blank,elliotbot,314,1490829302.0,"since i've gotten so much from this sub, i wanted to see if i could give back a little and share my story / random tips. hopefully it helps some of you out there. there was also some interest in my [preparation strategy while employed](  https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/622ceq/employed_engineers_how_do_you_allocate_time_to/dfj7tj5/).  **tl;dr:**   graduated from a no-name liberal arts college 2 years ago with a sub-3 gpa and 1 internship at a small local non-tech company; went to work for a large ""unprestigious"" fintech company, then an unknown startup; got a few hits from big 4 recruiters but always fucked around preparation-wise and never converted an onsite; fb recruiter messages me in feb. and i decide to go all-in; studied ~150 hrs in 1 month+ with a full-time job and landed 4 offers out of 8 onsites (didn't go to 3 onsites).  **disclaimer:**   i am not claiming that fb or any big n or unicorn or w/e is the be-all end-all of companies. i'm not interested in debating whether they're overrated. this is aimed specifically at people who might be interested in pursuing these sorts of roles, and especially at people who don't think they can ""make it,"" because of background, etc. i'm also not claiming this is a fully general solution. this is just my journey and what worked for me—hopefully it will prove a little bit useful for you.  edit: i want to reiterate that i realize my school and gpa didn't get me into fb, but that my experience and interviewing did. i got in *in spite of* my school and gpa. my title is phrased as it is because of all the questions people ask on this sub about whether not going to a target school and not having an impressive internship *forever* precludes you from working at a big n or unicorn. clearly, i don't think so and i aim to provide some context and motivation to those who can relate. if that's not you, then hopefully the resources and tips are otherwise helpful. (also quibble with the idea that 2 years out of ug counts as that experienced.)  **on prestige whatever tf that means:**  i see a lot of questions on here about whether it's necessary to go to a top whatever school, or whether you're screwed if you go to a public school or a no-name school, or ""will i ever make it to google if i don't go to stanford!?"". the short answer is: no, it's clearly not necessary, but of course it helps. my school was so small (less than 10 cs majors in my graduating class) that we didn't even have a career fair, let alone tech company recruiters visiting.  what that means is that you kinda have to make your own path. you have to do the typical side project shit that's recommended here all the time, but may also have to do a bit extra in terms of networking (few of my classmates now work at a tech company, let alone a startup or big n), keeping up in tech (reading blogs, hn, etc.), learning (moocs, small exploratory side projects), and your resume/linkedin/github.  other things i did to try to set myself apart were taking the initiative at work and putting myself on projects that worked on ""hot""/trendy techs (cloud, big data, ml) and maintaining a relatively polished resume and the like. even when i didn't have an interesting project at work, i tried to keep myself busy with staying up-to-date and not letting my skills atrophy.  re: linkedin/github, i got my previous job at a startup through linkedin, as well as my current job at facebook. definitely don't underrate it. i also had an interviewer at a microsoft onsite specifically mention checking out my github.  **on imposter syndrome, learned helplessness, and failure:**  last fall, i was contacted by google and amazon. i halfassed an absurdly optimistic study plan, lucked my way through to onsites, and then failed miserably. and i mean failed. i didn't even code a brute force solution to at least 3 problems. it was brutal.  the issue was, i was scared of failing. scared that i might do my best, and yet still fail. it was a lethal combination of learned helplessness, imposter syndrome, fixed ([vs. growth](http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/dweck)) mindset, and self-destructiveness. if i didn't *really* try, and failed, well, maybe if i had *actually* tried, i would've gotten it! my precious ego was protected. my self-identity was safe.  in practice, what that meant was that i skimmed ctci, did a couple hackerrank problems in an ide, read up on some algorithms and data structures on wikipedia, skipped any problems that looked scary or intimidating (all leetcode mediums+ and literally every single graph or dp problem), and convinced myself that practicing whiteboarding was a waste of time.  now, i know this sounds pretty dumb. but i also know this resonates with at least some of you. don't fuck up like i did. if you truly want it, go after it and actually commit. fuck being scared of failure. don't preemptively discount yourself.  **on obsessive studying:**  in february, i got a message on linkedin from a fb recruiter asking if i was interested in applying to a data engineer role. i said enough was enough and decided to go all-in. i wanted to see what i could do if i truly applied myself 100%. i didn't want to regret not having done all i could.  i wrote up a study plan and schedule, resolved to study about 3.5 hrs a weekday and 7 hrs a weekend day, read a bunch of motivational stories (like this one aspires to be), told my friends and so that i'd be a shut-in for the next month, and hit the books. i kept track of [all the time i spent studying](http://i.imgur.com/vatijqp.png). i trusted the process. and it worked out.  as i expected, the first week was a struggle. i was getting lost with leetcode easy problems. wtf was a trie again? etc. during this time, i also wanted to up the stakes and not ""waste"" my preparation, so i cold applied to a ton of roles. probably over 150. i went through [the easy application list](https://github.com/j-delaney/easy-application), cmd-clicked every company i recognized, and applied to any and all relevant roles.  **on study materials and studying tips**:  ds&amp;a:  * leetcode * interview cake * the algorithm design manual * [arden dertat's list](http://www.ardendertat.com/2012/01/09/programming-interview-questions/)  system design:  * [high scalability](http://highscalability.com/) * [system design primer](https://github.com/donnemartin/system-design-primer) * [hired in tech](https://www.hiredintech.com/classrooms/system-design/lesson/55)  sql and data modeling:  * [mode analytics sql tutorial](https://community.modeanalytics.com/sql/tutorial/introduction-to-sql/) * [kimball's the data warehouse toolkit](https://www.amazon.com/data-warehouse-toolkit-definitive-dimensional/dp/1118530802)  i did 76 problems on leetcode, about 75% easy, 25% medium, and a few high frequency hards. did all of the interview cake problems. had already gone through ctci, so just skimmed it. whiteboarded ~25 problems in total in detail (drawing test cases, iterating through multiple solutions, talking out loud about algorithmic logic and time/space complexity, etc.). did about 5 complete mock interviews with my gf (including the ""talk to me about your background"" elevator speech portion).  interview cake is pricey, but the cost/benefit analysis made sense for me. i focused a lot on quality over quantity, and it was a good fit there (big fan of the hints and iteration from brute force to ultra-optimized). the feedback from phone and onsite interviews was that i did a great job communicating my thought process and talking through efficiency and test cases.  another thing i got good feedback on was my level of engagement. prior to every interview, i looked up all my interviewers, any engineering blog posts, recent company news, etc. this made it easy to ask things like, ""i was looking at the recent announcement from [your amazing company], how do you feel about it?"" or ""i saw that blog post your team did on bigquery, what were some of the challenges you guys faced in refactoring your pipelines?"" i can't objectively back this up, but i do feel like this aspect is both overlooked and low-hanging fruit. (plus, shouldn't you be curious about your future company?)  **on stats and other interviewing process details:**  first contacted by facebook on january 18th. signed their offer on march 28th. 148.5 hours spent studying from 2/10 to 3/18. avg: 4.13 hrs/day.  8 onsites: fb, microsoft, yelp, twitch, venmo, foursquare, indiegogo, capital one. didn't go to onsites at capital one (wasn't too interested), yelp, and twitch (latter 2 happened after fb offer). converted 4 out of 5 (not microsoft; was a general sde role).  overprepared for my onsites with the exception of microsoft (should've done more leetcode hards) and fb (should've practiced more on sql window functions and pivot tables). if i had studied more efficiently, i probably could've gotten away with 50 hours. but it was worth the peace of mind, especially since i wouldn't get another try for at least half a year.  traveled to 5 onsites in the span of a week ([schedule here](https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/61e0t1/how_do_people_get_so_many_offers_at_once/dfe3ra4/)).  talked to / interviewed with about 20 companies at the ""peak."" some ghosting on both sides, some rejections on both sides. (somewhat funny, mostly infuriating ghosting story: aws s3 recruiter wanted me to apply, we set up a phone coding interview, the day of the interview was the day of the s3 outage (:/), nobody called, recruiter said sorry they were super busy (understandable), some phone tag, i emailed another follow-up, complete radio silence.)  received 3 takehome coding assignments. didn't do 1, converted 1 of the remaining 2 into an onsite and offer. spent about 20 hrs total on the assignments.  negotiated my offers a little with the help of [haseeb's blog posts](http://haseebq.com/my-ten-rules-for-negotiating-a-job-offer/). added about $25k to my total comp. if i had another big n offer, i think i could've done better on this front with fb. ended up with a package totaling ~$185k.  **on useful lists:**  when interviewers asked if i had any questions, i stuck with a bank of questions that i believe went over really well:  * what first attracted you to [amazing company] and what has helped keep you here over the years? * what are some challenges your team is currently facing? * what are you most excited about regarding the future direction of [amazing company]? * walk me through the development workflow/process: do you guys do scrum or standups? pull requests? how are tasks determined and assigned? * what are some projects i would work on in my first 90 or 180 days here?  * what did you work on when you first got here, or alternatively, tell me about the project you're most proud of? * (to hiring managers/vps/directors) when you think of a successful software engineer at [amazing company], what are the most common traits that come to mind?  my mostly sorted list of heuristics i would go through when stuck on a problem:  * always consider hash tables (dictionaries) with their o(1)-ness. (""tip: using a dictionary is the most common way to get from a brute force approach to something more clever. it should always be your first thought."") * if at all array-related, try sorting first. * if search-related, consider binary search. * start with a brute force solution, look for repeat work in that solution, and modify it to only do that work once. * space-time trade-off! that is, for better time complexity, try using auxiliary data structures. e.g., do something in a single pass over an array—o(n) time—by using a hash table—o(n) space—vs. doing something in multiple passes—o(n ^ 2)—without using any extra space—o(1). what information can i store to save time? (another example: o(1) get_max method for a stack class stores extra information (the max at and below each element) to save time (instead of iterating through the stack o(n)).) * try a greedy solution: iterate through the problem space taking the optimal solution ""so far"" until the end. (optimal if the problem has ""optimal substructure,"" which means stitching together optimal solutions to subproblems yields an optimal solution.) * remember that i can use two pointers (e.g., to get the midpoint by having one pointer go twice as fast, or in a sum problem by having the pointers work inward from either end, or to test if a string is a palindrome). * if the problem involves parsing or tree/graph traversal (or reversal in some way), consider using a stack. * does solving the problem for size (n – 1) make solving it for size n any easier? if so, try to solve recursively and/or with dynamic programming. (using the max/min function can help a lot in recursive or dynamic programming problems.) * a lot of problems can be treated as graph problems and/or use breadth-first or depth-first traversal. * if you have a lot of strings, try putting them in a prefix tree / trie. * any time you repeatedly have to take the min or max of a dynamic collection, think heaps. (if you don’t need to insert random elements, prefer a sorted array.)  **on weird things i did:**  i used moda to help me stay focused and study. wasn't necessary, but it did help (big ymmv disclaimer here). didn't use it on the day of any interviews because i didn't want to make myself more nervous/anxious.  i copied over all the solutions i wrote for interview cake and most of the leetcode mediums and high frequency / notable easy problems into a local directory and pushed it to github. i then concatenated all these files and printed it out. took the stack of solutions with me when i was traveling the final week and looked it over on flights, etc. basically just priming my pattern recognition.  **on concluding:**  if you made it here, i'm impressed. i'm sure there's more i could write or that i forgot to include, but for now, that's it. ask me any questions you have and i'll answer every one!  also let me know if there's interest in my open-sourcing my pretty comprehensive workflowy study guide.  **edit:**  overwhelmed by the response, and thank you very much for the gold! i will clean up my study guide a bit and link it here within the next day.   feel free to continue asking questions, and if i missed yours, definitely remind me!   **edit 2:**  my study guide is still quite messy, but i didn't want to procrastinate and let the perfect be the enemy of the good, so here it is: https://workflowy.com/s/wgqavcpqfm  hope it helps, and if you have any improvements, please tell me.  also, if people want to open-source it for real and somebody knows of an easy way to turn a workflowy note(book) into a github repo, please let me know :)  (note: i don't use this account anymore and am not able to reply to all the messages i get, but if you need personalized advice or even coaching, you can try emailing me at suryc011 [at] gmail [dot] com.)"
"i've self-taught myself a sizable chunk of a cs degree. and now as i move closer towards the end of what i set out to learn, i'm worried that i won't get a job since i won't have an actual cs degree.",9mi8nh,blank,knkjnkjnkjn,8,1539056960.0,"i graduated college with a liberal arts degree with a pre-law track back in 2014. not that it matters in this industry, but it was from one of the ivy league schools.  i ended up losing all my interest in law by my senior year though and didn't bother applying to law school since i didn't want to take on even more debt for a career i didn't want.  after some soul searching, i decided i wanted to focus on computer science despite absolutely zero background. the only stem course i took in college was a blow-off astronomy course and the last time i touched math was in high school.  i tried looking for programs to enter, but i was in this awkward limbo where i couldn't get a masters because i didn't have any of the undergraduate coursework. but i couldn't take undergraduate courses because i already had a bachelor's degree.  i ended up applying as a non-matriculating student at my only local university where i had last pick on classes when available. after 1.5 years, they only put me into 1 course (the intro cs course) taught over the summer. it wasn't helpful. they then told me to wait around until the spring semester and they might be able to get me into another class.  i said screw it and started teaching myself using a combination of free online courses from edx, udacity, coursera, udemy, mit courseware, and random youtube channels. i also asked one of my friends with a cs degree to share with me his course materials from college and worked on completing all of the assignments, exams, and projects that he completed for each course to make sure i wasn't missing anything.  i made relatively consistent (ok, sometimes infrequent) commits to my private bitbucket repository as a pseudo-portfolio of undergraduate coursework.  in order, i have taken:  - intro to cs and programming (python) - object-oriented programming (java) - data structures & algorithms (c++) - two computer architecture courses starting with binary/logic gates, mips assembler, c, x86, etc etc.  i also decided to take a discrete math course at the local community college while i was teaching myself data structures since they offered it one semester and as opposed to cs courses, i couldn't come up with an efficient way to prove i've taken it without actually getting credit for it somehow.  i'm currently working on design patterns, then plan on taking another algorithms course and a course on operating systems.  after that, i'm not sure. i might call it quits and focus exclusively on side projects and interview prep, or maybe teach myself additional material in a more specialized scope.  i really have no idea where to go from here though in terms of career. i don't know if i'm even allowed to apply for internships since i'm not a ""current student."" and my project experience until this point is exclusively stuff i've done for these classes i'm teaching myself.  what should my next step be and what can i expect for a career? the more i think about this, the more defeated i feel as if all my hard work was in vain since i didn't learn this stuff while enrolled in a program."
i am finally getting an offer. how i did it without a cs degree (bs in it):,8xul5i,blank,old-new-programmer,27,1531295370.0,"i have a lengthier version with my entire life history in a google doc but i feel like that would be more for a book one day (if i ever become that important) so i will sum this up fast:  a lot of people make these posts in this sub. it is sometimes helpful, sometimes more of a humble brag, sometimes nothing worth reading. i hope this specifically helps those that are from a non-traditional background:  i am 30 years old. two degrees, one ba in psychology, one bs in it. i won't bore you with the trials and tribulations of my life, but i've done a lot of shit and obviously nothing worked out yet.  graduated in may of 2018 with a 3.74 from the university of massachusetts : lowell. not exactly a top school, but not too terrible.  i took all programming courses for my 30 credit requirement (continuation degree).  those courses consisted of almost all the java courses, c# course, a few web dev courses, and a required information systems course.  between all these courses i did tons of self study via udemy and reading. i try to read some sort of programming book every single day. for instance ""hmm i don't know enough about generics or collections. i know how to use them but..."" boom start reading java generics and collections form o'reilly.  i did and continue to do personal projects. i was part of the ""grow with google"" scholarship program for udacity, which was basically the first part of their android dev. nano degree. i didn't make it to the second part as i didn't finish the first part. i had to finish my last semester at school. had to prioritize my time. while doing udacity, i met a few fellow students in colorado that were working on a project. i joined that project. since joining, a lot of them ran out of time for it because of the second half of the program, so i have essentially built an entire android application myself, using firebase for a lot of the key components.  i built some crud apps using java, spring, hibernate, mysql.  **most importantly, i tutored via wyzant in java. this has basically made the entire difference between me and the next guy.**  through tutoring, i actually was reinforcing ideas in my head. i was sometimes learning new things. i choose to tutor for this very purpose. i could make money, while reinforcing programming concepts. double whammy. if he can teach it, he can do it (supposedly).  my resume was worked on for months. only when i started a/b testing it did i see even more results. i listened to advice on this sub and removed some things and it made all the difference. i took off my prior degree, only listed my last three jobs, and removed the quote at the top. suddenly i started getting a lot of interest.  if i could say anything about myself, it is that i know how to talk to people. i am not a shy guy in the corner. i come from the hospitality industry.  i am good on the phone, better in person. i've worked sales jobs. i've managed a restaurant.  use these skills to your advantage if you have them. a lot of times, people just want to work with people they can get along with. if you know enough, the other technical skills can be taught on the job, but being a decent person to be around can not be.  tldr: **how i found the job:**  1. ask for resume advice on this sub, removed things, changed things, etc. 2. sent out two different versions of resume to see which one was working. 3. tutored via wyzant. looks good on resume.  4. started applying out of state. 5. tried to put out at least five resumes a day. in total i'd estimate i've put out 200+ 6. tons of self study. if you are not from a cs background or a programming genius, repetition is the only way to go. constantly read, watch, and code. every single day. 7. learned from past mistakes. this can't be overstated.  i do practice algorithms on leetcode, i've read some of ctci, etc. all of these things are good and should be done, but not all jobs are going to ask you to traverse a binary tree. i sucked at algorithms but i've gotten so much better just by repetition. practice and keep practicing. i am only doing ""easy"" questions, but the other day i logged in and solved a problem in ten minutes. two months ago i would have gave up in two hours.  i don't know if this is of any help to anyone, but i know that for me, i liked to read about what other people were doing. especially those without cs degrees.  i've seen those posts asking if someone with an it degree can land a software engineering job. i've even made them. now i, and you, have that answer.  good luck everyone and keep powering through. everyone will find a job eventually."
finally got an offer!!! thank you reddit & would like to share my story,6r69cb,blank,botterx,101,1501727584.0,"first thing first, i have ~5+ years of exp and i came from a foreign country to study ms in us so this may not accurately reflect this sub.   to start with a few facts:  * ~250 applications * ~22 callbacks * 4 of those turned me down b/c they don't want to handle opt * ~10 of those converted into technical(hackerrank/phone/assignment)interview * 5 of those led to on-site * 1 led to offer(hooray!!!)  my reflection:  * practicing & memorizing those ctci/leetcodes!!! as a foreigner(& under trump's presidency), your choice is limited. non-tech companies are not willing to accept you so expected to be grilled with those toy questions every place you interview, regardless of your exp. one of my interviewers also openly disdained this practice. he said it doesn't relate to his actual work but he still needs to give me one because ""every company(in the bay) do it""(damn you bign!!). sadly, we are in a state where companies prefer candidates who know how to invert a binary tree but have no idea what static variable is, over the vice versa.  * also, if you have seen the question before, don't give the perfect solution right away!! struggle with it and pretend that you see it for the first time. give some sub-optimal solutions and keep the elegant one for the last. whiteboarding nowaday, unfortunately, forces candidates to be a good actor/pretender rather than a problem solver. and nearly everyone i know also used this method to pass their interviews.  * backend positions are much harder to land than frontend.  * keep applying and practice your interview skill!!  if you received a lot of email from indian consultant companies(that make you wonder why they contact you in the first place b/c the position description openly states that it's only for us citizen/greencard ), consider this as an opportunity. use them as a tool to improve your interview skill(this is particularly important for a foreign candidate likes me)"
i think my boss is a fucking idiot and i'm not sure what to do,6fb9z3,blank,myprogrammingthrowaw,96,1496656143.0,"throwaway because my friends know my real account.  anyway, i started working for this company 3 years ago, when i first started working there i had a really nice and intelligent boss who taught me a lot. he taught me that coding style matters and there is much more to programming than just having a working binary at the end of the day. for reference, i was mostly just doing embedded c, c++, and a bit of python.   however after a while i got bored of doing the same thing everyday, so a few months ago i switched teams. the new team was doing cloud development and i thought it would be an interesting area to get into. shortly after i joined, the manager of the team left to be a manager for a different department at my company. my company has extremely low employee turnover, they generally try their hardest to keep everyone (and they also pay incredibly).  the new manager was the senior developer on the team and basically started the project as a demo a year ago. he basically wrote about 80% of the code, my company hired a few other developers 5 months ago, and i switched teams 2 months ago. here's the lowdown on the project:  * the majority of the code is written in java, which is good in my opinion. * about 20% of the code is written in bash, mostly all the configuration parsing and deployment logic, basically everything that is not java is bash (less than  5% of the code is non-bash and non-java).  * almost every variable in bash is exported meaning basically every variable is global and the code cannot be made modular at all. * there is absolutely no coding style, almost every file is mixed between spaces and tabs. the bash scripts and yaml files tend to be 2 spaces, java tends to be 4 spaces and tabs mixed. the other files (perl, python, ruby) seem to be mostly 4 spaces, but depends on who wrote them. * i asked my boss about coding standards during our daily meetings and he said we're supposed to be 4 spaces, but he continually commits files with tabs. * we have a bunch of junit tests which we manually run for integration/regression testing (which is good in my opinion). * he refuses to set up automated testing using those junit tests because he thinks it will take too long to setup. as a result i have to spend a few hours everyday figuring out who broke the build. * the automated tests routinely fail for no apparent reason and i blame that entirely on his reluctance to actually fix anything. if he is able to run the tests several times and they all pass at least once each, then he considers that to be a good load, despite having various tests routinely fail. * the other developers routinely commit stuff without testing all the cases and which sometimes breaks my workflow, but i feel this could be fixed with automated testing and better infrastructure. * he merges stuff without testing it, which results in everything being broken all the time * he gets mad at me for not knowing stuff despite nobody having given me the knowledge beforehand. my other coworkers generally don't know enough to be of any use in most cases. * he has occasionally commit files after merging that are only partially merged (literally full of  ====== <<<<<), and therefore unusable. * he was surprised when one of the bash input parameters, that was input as ""var=$variable_name"" came out as ""var="" (i'll give you a hint, he doesn't know how to escape in bash properly). * he doesn't know how to write generic code, which results in him copying and pasting the same function about 20 times with slight differences. * he uses tons of magic numbers, never uses final (which is the java equivalent of const), never comments and rarely documents, uses strings for things that could be enums, and uses way too many public functions (in my opinion) * he thinks i waste too much time reading documentation and constantly gets mad at me for it. (maybe i spend 15% of my time reading documentation despite being new) * he doesn't like it when we try to improve our internal tools, since we don't sell those tools to customers and therefore they aren't worth making very good * as a result, our internal tools suck and constantly break which results in large amounts of wasted time. they also aren't remotely helpful if you do something slightly wrong (such as forget or misspell a parameter) which occasionally means digging through log files to figure out what you did wrong. * none of the internal tools have sane defaults, and to work they generally require all of: setting environment variables, changing a configuration file, and passing command line arguments * whenever he runs into any timing issue he can't solve within a few minutes, he adds a bunch of sleeps. this results in everything taking forever and occasionally still not working because he didn't  actually fix the underlying problem. * he easily works 80 hour weeks (because he works nights and weekends) and i feel he resents us for not working as ""hard"" as him * his variable and function names are mixed between snake case (function_that_does_work) and camel case (functionthatdoeswork), even in the same file. * he ""checks up on me"" multiple times a day (and probably my coworkers too) which results in me feeling anxious all the time because he low-key guilt trips me about not working as much as him. * he constantly rushes us, despite us being ahead of schedule as far as i'm aware * everyone else on the team works from home several times a week, probably to get away from him. * he constantly says the phrase ""time to market"" as if it will summon the god of capitalism or something * he admits there are problems but says we can fix them later, which results in me thinking he just loves technical debt since there is absolutely no plan to fix any of the issues.  i'm not sure what to do. should i talk to his manager about how horrible he is, or just find a new job? or am i just a big whiner?  it's worth mentioning i've only had great bosses before this guy, maybe that's spoiled my opinion of software development management.  more minor things:  * he touches my screen all the time despite me asking him not to * he points at my screen and says ""see what this does"" despite me not being able to see because his hand is in the way * he gets mad because i can't read the code since his hand is in the way (no i'm not kidding).  i think he's way too tired and he doesn't realize other people have a different perspective than him (literally and figuratively)."
physics masters to swe,9yvzwt,blank,LouisReasoner,6,1542774589.0,"i'm currently in a physics phd program at a top 10 school - but i had a drastic change of heart. i really don't have the will to continue in the program, and have decided to leave with a master's degree in physics in hopes of breaking into software engineering.  i have about a year until i get my degree and leave. in the mean time, in addition to working on my thesis, i need to prepare myself for the industry. so far i've done what i do best, which is mainly academic in nature. i've busted by ass to read through a number of sections of clrs, and have acquainted myself with most algorithms/data structures i'm expected to know (mst, floyd-warshall, dfs, bfs, union find, sorting algorithms, binary search trees, dynamic programming ...). i've also jumped back into sicp. thanks to some previous attempts at getting through the book, i'm about halfway through now.   my current plan is to do at least one leetcode problem a day, and finish sicp in the next few months.  okay, so here's where i need guidance - what else should i be focusing on? sicp will make me a better programming/engineer. leetcode will help on the technical interview. how can i mitigate employer anxiety over my non-standard background? should i make my own large projects and post on github? should i contribute to open source projects? how else should i be preparing to make my transition out of academia as smooth as possible?  i'm notorious (to myself, at least) for spreading myself thin. i can't do everything, and i'm limited in part by my commitments toward getting my degree (thank god my research involves working on scientific code written in c++). if anyone can point out what will have the highest value/time ratio, i'd appreciate it."
a new year's psa: please do not seek validation from this sub,3yu3j7,blank,NotARandomNumber,208,1451541670.0,"as many of you start your last semester or seek out summer internships, i can't help but notice this sub turning in questions about the 'prestige' of certain job, whether or not they should forgo any social/fun aspects of college to focus on studies/side projects, or other questions that mostly involve how they will somehow gain the validation and admiration of their peers.   all these questions, as well as answers coming from the undergrads who have yet to venture out into the real world, are honestly disappointing. the prevalent attitude on this sub is becoming more and more treating this profession as a means to end to be prestigious or gain some lofty standing in some city upon a hill (working at a 'big 4' company in sf). the future is becoming binary in that you're either living that dream or you're a failure in life. why? quit looking to this sub with the question that boils down to 'should i be happy in this situation?' the only person who can tell you that is you.   one of the easiest examples is the multitude of 'which internship would look better if i want to apply to xyz later'. suppose some anonymous person on the internet tells you 'oh, definitely take option a because i heard company xyz likes that better', are you really going to base a few months/a year of your life on the possibility that this person is right and you might increase your chance?  any experience is good experience, as long as you can talk enthusiastically about your internship/projects, an interviewer is going to be impressed.   the further extreme is obviously 'would taking an internship at a hurt me later on' when the post clearly doesn't have any other options. please, for the love of god, lets not have any of this in 2016. stop putting the cart before the horse and enjoy yourself.  as i, along with any other poster who has graduated, has said, any experience is truly good experience. you can spin anything into being a positive work experience. working at any internship will only help you in the end.   the same advice goes to full time jobs. there is nothing wrong with wanting to work at any of the buzzword companies that are discussed on this sub. they are great companies with some truly great engineers working there. however, there is absolutely nothing wrong with any of the companies not frequently or never mentioned on this sub. if you can meet all your bills and live a lifestyle that makes you happy, what else is there? it doesn't matter if it's working at a small dev shop in a non-tech hub city or working in downtown of a major city for a top 10 company. do what makes you happy, the validation of the people on this sub shouldn't matter.   there is also nothing wrong with working at a company that might not be your dream job. treat it as though it was though, gain as much experience as you can and at least open up to the possibility that you might be happy there. you can always apply to other companies later on and who knows what the future might hold, but do not treat it as a dead end or a road block to your future life, treat it as an opportunity and take full advantage of it.   **tl;dr** the only person you need to be concerned about is you. if you're happy, who cares what anyone else thinks?"
walkthrough of one of my favorite interview questions,4kesk5,blank,cs_teacher,43,1463884116.0,"greetings, i come in peace!  here's a walk through of one my favorite interview questions, step-by-step, from the perspective of a hiring manager. i’ve asked this question to over 250 candidates and it does a great job testing basic software skills. i'm super curious if this kind of content is useful/welcome here.  first, the question:      we know that spreadsheet applications use letters to name their columns.      for example, the first column is labled 'a' and second is 'b'. eventually, we get to 'z',      and then 'aa', 'ab', and so on.      let's write a function that, when given the name of a column, returns its index. so 'a'      would return 1, 'b' would return 2, 'z' would return 26 and 'aa' would return 27.   let’s talk a little bit about these types of problems. there are systematic techniques to approach problem solving and our goal is to explicitly define them. that way, they become concrete tools in your problem solving toolbox. once you have these tools, if your intuition fails you, you can reach into your toolbox and see if anything can get you unstuck.  the king of all of techniques is understanding the characteristics of the input and output of the problem. this will lead you to ask clarifying questions and asking questions is part of the problem. the interviewer is trying to simulate a problem solving scenario. if somebody walked up to you and said, “please build me a website with a few pages.” what would you do? you would want to ask a million questions, right? this is no different.  so what questions should we ask?  questions about input:  * will the input be a string? * do we need to check the input for errors? * is there a limit to the input?  questions about output:  should the output be an integer?  what should we output when there’s an error?  in this case, i’ll say the input will be valid. that is, it will be a valid, non-null string with all uppercase characters a-z. the input will also be of arbitrary length. meaning, don’t assume it will be one, two or even three letters in length. the output will be an integer, though i understand there will be issues with overflow. let’s not worry about that right now.  ok, so we’ve got our problem, we know inputs and outputs. the next technique? solve it like a human. that’s right, it turns out we are human problem solvers and out purpose is to teach a computer how to solve a computer.  you: shouldn’t we be thinking in code?!  meh, we’re humans, and we’re still figuring out the problem itself. we can ‘think in code’ later.  back to the question. we are humans trying to solve this problem. there’s a column, we are trying to figure out if it’s the first, the fifth or the one hundred fifth column. let’s look at some test cases:  * ‘a’ returns 1 * ‘z’ returns 26 * ‘aa’ returns 27 * ‘ba’ returns ?  looking at the pattern, ‘ba’ comes after ‘az’ and before ‘bb’. so it should be one more than ‘az’. what’s ‘az’? if ‘aa’ is 27, then ‘ab’ is 28, which means, from ‘aa’ to ‘az’ is another 26 characters. ‘aa’ is 27, so ‘az’ is 52. so we see this pattern of adding 26 every time we go across. so single digits are easy, ‘a’ to ‘z’ is 1 to 26. ‘aa’ to ‘az’ is 27 to 52. ‘ba’ is 53.  let’s line up our inputs and outputs:      a b...z  aa...az ba...bz... ... za...zz aaa     | |   |  |    |  |    |         |    |  |      1 2...26 27...52 53...78... ... ??...?? ???  here’s a small leap we’ll need to make. this problem is a form of counting! when we use numbers to count, we know that each digit has a certain value. each ‘1’ in ‘111’ has a different value. so it’s the same with the names of these columns! so how do we assign values to each character instead of each digit?  with normal numbers (i.e. base 10), we know that there’s a one’s place, a ten’s place, hundred’s place. each digit in a number is related to its own value and a power of 10.      111 is really 1 * 10^2 + 1 * 10^1 + 1 * 10^0.  you: !? what if i didn’t know that?! there’s no way i could have never solved this.  bad news: you’re probably right. computer science, programming, etc, kind of assumes you know a bit of math. good news: you’ve identified a hole in your knowledge. converting between different number bases is something a lot of programmers take for granted. you’ve heard of binary? hexadecimal? those are different ways of counting. it’s fundamental to so many things in computer science. it’s one of things that i’m looking for in an interview. if this hole exists, i have to worry about what other fundamental holes exist in the candidate’s understanding of computer science. could this candidate write software? probably. will this person be able to innovate by thinking abstractly and creating generic, reusable solutions? maybe not today, but one day.   back to the problem! we know we need to assign a values to each character, just like we do for digits. except instead of 10 digits, we have 26 characters. since we need assign a value to each character, we’ll need to iterate over each character in the input string. so to compare numbers and the column names:      123 = 1 * 10^2 + 2 * 10^1 + 3 * 10^0     abc = 1 * 26^2 + 2 * 26^1 + 3 * 26^0      so for each character we assign the value:     value_ofcharacter * base ^ power     where the power is related to its position. the left most character      gets the highest power and goes down from there.  here we go, it’s time for code! we are writing a function, it takes input and returns output. we’re going to iterate over the input, assign a value and sum it up. we’ll need some place to collect the sum. lastly, you’ll notice we’ll need a way to convert a character to a value. with digits, it’s a non-issue, but with characters, how do we do it? now it’s time to use one more technique: abstraction. if we can describe a piece of functionality, but don’t know how to do it, we can abstract it into a “helper function”. observe:      public int getcolumnindex(string col) {         int index = 0; // collect sum as we iterate.         int base = 26; // since we're dealing with 26 characters         for (int i = 0; i < col.length; i++) {             char c = col.charat(i);             int power = ???;             index += getvalue(c) * math.pow(base, power);         }         return index;     }  oh no, how did you write all that code? step by step, honestly. i am assuming you know how to manipulate strings in your favorite language; if you don’t, that’s a hole. however, if you don’t know how to use exponents, i’m less concerned. it’s less common and something very easy to look up. remember, if you’re stuck, you can always abstract functionality you don’t know to implement.  so far, the code looks good, but the power variable needs some work. we know from our pattern, the first character starts out at the highest power and goes down from there and we are accessing each character using the counter i. we know the counter, i, starts at zero and goes up to length-1. our power starts at length-1 and goes down to zero. so how do we relate the two? this part is another leap. indexing into arrays is tricky and as an interviewer, i want to see you do it effectively. there are a few ways to do this part, but the following is the most common approach i have seen. the power for a given character is length-1-i. did you make the leap? if not, array indexing is another hole in your knowledge. if you want practice with array indexing, write a solver for boggle.  in any case, the code now looks like this:      public int getcolumnindex(string col) {         int index = 0; // collect sum as we iterate.         int base = 26; // since we're dealing with 26 characters         for (int i = 0; i < col.length; i++) {             char c = col.charat(i);             int power = col.length()-1-i;             index += getvalue(c) * math.pow(base, power);         }         return index;     }  the last part is the part we abstracted: the getvalue function. some candidates implement it with a pre-populated map of char to integer or index into string that is the alphabet. others know that in some languages, characters can be cast as integers and you can perform arithmetic on characters. i personally love when candidates use this last approach. it’s efficient and shows understanding of a non-obvious part of the language which might be an indicator of overall mastery. below is my favorite implementation, but if the candidate didn’t get this part, oh well. either you know this part or you don’t, it’s not the most important part of the question. for you, however, it’s a hole if you didn’t know how to do this.      public int getvalue(char c) {         return c - 'a' + 1;     }  if it’s not clear, what’s happening, here’s how it works. we know we want ‘a’ to be worth 1. in languages where characters can be cast as integers, you can do arithmetic like ‘b’ – ‘a’ = 1. ‘a’ – ‘a’ = 0, so for our purposes, we need to add one. some folks know about the ascii code. this is an old standard encoding characters as integers. in the ascii scheme, ‘a’ == 65. so some candidates will hard code the subtraction as c – 65 + 1, or even, c – 64. this is cool, but less than ideal. for one, it makes it really hard to read for other programmers if they’re not familiar with ascii. second, you are banking on the fact that ‘a’ will always equal 65. if it were to change, for some reason, code would still compile but it wouldn’t work. if arithmetic between characters were to change, the compiler would highlight that for you. beyond the specific reasons, the meta-point is that hard coding values is asking for trouble. don’t ask for trouble.  we did it! we can now convert the name of a spreadsheet into it index. as they say, it’s the journey not the destination. so what did we learn along the way?  tools:  * understand the inputs and outputs – understand the limits, restrictions, range of the input and output. * solve it like a human first – when problem solving, don’t jump to code. solve an example input by hand and then go back an examine the steps you took. * establish a pattern – sometimes the pattern between inputs and outputs will shed light on the problem. note that sometimes the pattern is confusing. if nothing else, once you think you have a solution you can reference your pattern. * abstraction – this is one of the most important tools you can have. as a programmer, you need to be able to abstract logic all the time. sometimes by necessity, but mostly by design. we’ll talk a lot more about this, but this concept manifests itself all the time in so many ways. for problem solving, being able to describe functionality you can’t yet implement might give you the building blocks to solve the broader problem. once that is solved, you can focus on solving a smaller sub-problem.  holes we might have found:  * string manipulation * number bases (radix) * array indexing * math library * ascii encoding  want to test yourself on these concepts? try solving the following problem and email me your solutions.      arizona license plates take the form tcz2341. that is, three characters followed by four digits.      the first license plate issued was aaa0000 and the last one will be zzz9999. given a license      plate, return the remaining number of license plates that can be issued after the given license plate.  can’t get enough? try answering either question recursively.  really, pm me your solutions, i’m happy to provide feedback!  thanks for reading!  edit(s): formatting, fixed encapsulation to be abstraction, bz == 78 (not 79)"
"if i've built a few wordpress themes from scratch with fairly advanced functionality, am i ready for an agency job?",7l24z9,blank,IRAn00b,5,1513813226.0,"i stumbled into web development gradually and sort of by accident. my current role is essentially the ""guy who runs the website"" in an almost completely non-technical marketing department for a company of ~100 employees. when i came into this role, i inherited a wordpress site that was an absolute house of cards. it had been hobbled together by multiple different developers/consultants/semi-technical people over the years. wordpress itself was months out of date, as were the plugins. the theme was some visual composer mess, and they weren't even using a child theme for customization, so the theme couldn't even be updated/maintained without breaking everything.   i was able to convince them to let me burn it down and start over again. i built a new theme 100% from scratch. (and i mean that truly, it just started with index.php and style.css, and i went from there.) if i do say so myself, i think it's a pretty good site. it gets about 30k unique monthly visitors and it's pretty lightweight and efficient. it looks good and it's very maintainable. the theme relies on acf, and it's totally manageable through the wordpress interface. i've built a lot of plugins/customizations/advanced functionality as well. an example would be a repository of all our marketing content using custom post types, so every time we create a new ebook/webinar/infographic whatever, our marketing people can upload it and input a bunch of metadata. there's then a front-end version of this where you can search and sort and filter all of the content, which is really useful to our sales team.   the thing is, being totally isolated from any ""real"" developers, i have a hard time gauging where i fall on the spectrum. i see people who just download wordpress and install some plugins who refer to themselves as ""developers."" and obviously i do quite a bit more than that. but at the same time, i'm by no means a formally-educated developer. i don't know about memory management or binary search trees or sorting algorithms or any of these real computer science topics that i know *of* but don't know anything *about*.   i guess my question is, obviously i can use php, js, css and html to make a cool site that functions well and looks good. but can i say i *know* them? my wordpress installation lives on a couple of ec2 instances that i maintain by myself and keep up to date. does that make me full-stack to some extent, or would it only be fair to call myself a front-end developer? or am i even a developer at all, or just someone who's gotten himself in over his head?   i'm starting to feel strongly that i've outgrown my current role, and i think i could be earning a lot more and contributing a lot more value somewhere else. but i guess i just don't know how to make that transition. any help or advice would be much appreciated."
"when was the last time you disagreed with your lead, and how did it get resolved?",6qcxec,blank,Sven_Braun,9,1501385635.0,"to keep as much anonymized as possible, i had a disagreement with my lead about an operational issue that i had been slowly sucked into. what should have been a simple process has turned into a headache of red tape and non-responsiveness. i had been pushed into more of an operational issue (nothing to do with the content or quality of my code) that i am neither qualified nor comfortable dealing with.  to get to the relevant part, my code was supposed to go to another group. based on scope, it was supposed to be the full source code, so this other group could modify and integrate it into their base. instead, i was told to give them the binaries. for several reasons, this is useless to the group, as they cannot incorporate binaries into their existing code base.  i voiced my concerns via email, and confirmed if that's what my lead wanted. my lead confirmed and i proceeded. i still privately disagree with the decision, and i know i'm going to be involved in the inevitable backfire.  because of this, i'm wondering what was the last time users on this sub disagreed with their lead (or equivalent next-up person), and what happened as a result?"
is the emphasis on whiteboarding prep overstated?,60qph7,blank,IAmDumbQuestionAsker,8,1490162991.0,"whiteboarding isn't going away anytime soon, but there's been several on-sites i've been to where they had live coding, pair programming without much guidance from the interviewer, as a substitute to whiteboarding. and they even go out of their way to mention that they ""don't want to ask you silly things like binary search."" i don't think the backlash against whiteboarding is here yet, especially not at the gang of five or other large tech companies, but maybe for certain situations (for non-new grad/entry level jobs) you can get away with less whiteboard prep.  at least this is my reasoning for wanting to brush up more on domain specific questions and spending my free time working on side projects, instead of whiteboarding."
how important are cs fundamentals for someone self-taught when looking for work?,3nw8uo,blank,puddlerock,24,1444284159.0,"not having a degree in cs or relevant work experience, i've spent my time learning the skills that i think will enable me to build impressive projects, since that seems to be my best shot at employment. i've been going through some online courses on data structures following advice on this sub that a lack of solid fundamentals are one of the largest short-comings of people that are self-taught.  but let's face it. my first job isn't going to be at google. it will probably be with a company that's willing to take a risk on someone who clearly knows how to build things but probably has gaps due to lack of a degree. is it still a good use of my time to study things like binary tree traversals, or would i be better off focusing on building the skills that employers would expect me, as a non-graduate, to excel at?"
seriously considering pursuing a career in compsci,7xo9qo,blank,DrLoomis89,1,1518700288.0,"i've just entered my 30's and i recently finally finished my masters in geology. i had an assistantship so school was paid for, i have no debt. i'm living with my parents at the moment. been doing some job searching, putting in applications, contacting school friends. but i really haven't had the motivation to get out and get it done.  don't get me wrong, geology can be a great degree if you love it. but i got into it because it seemed like a good idea at the time. i read all these articles and the professors made it seem like demand was going to be huge for new blood in geology at oil companies.   but i've never liked it. i kept at it because i felt trapped by my choice, thinking my attitude would maybe change. went to grad school because i didn't know what else to do. and i was a great student for a while. then i got really depressed in grad school with just a thesis left and it took a couple years to finally finish.  i always felt like i had to force myself to learn, like i had to fake an interest. i don't have much confidence in it, i feel like i lack in a lot of the areas to be a successful geologist. i grew to really hate and regret my choice. i hate to be negative, i've always been really laid back. but if i'm being completely honest with myself, it just depresses me, the thought of having to cram all this stuff again to get professional licensure, or that i will continue to have to force myself to learn and stay up to date and fake an interest in a subject that just doesn't really appeal to me. do i just dislike (or at best, just accept) such a big aspect of my life and future, when i really do feel like i am creative and have potential if i were passionate about something. i almost feel guilty, like i'm entitled, but i just can't ignore everyday this feeling like i wish my 20's had a reset button  i was in computer science for a semester before switching to geology. the department was so crappy, our teacher for the one class i took dgaf, we just wrote code on pieces of paper and had to go home and figure it out ourselves.  anyways, over the past month, i'm taking programming i with c++ (started in pro ii, but it was tough for me to catch up). and i love it. for the first time in forever, i'm excited to go to class, i'm learning in my free time and working ahead, i'm flying through the assignments and finding my own online, already playing with arrays and the linear and binary search. i'm genuinely interested in learning more and becoming good at it. i have confidence for the first time since grad school. i feel like the problem solving and way of thinking is much more suited to my particular strengths. i got one of only two 100's on the first test (that's not to brag). feel like i would be excited to show and explain it to somebody, whereas i never felt comfortable or confident taking about geology   i was even playing around with the idea of taking out loans and getting my bachelors in comp sci. i already have all the non cs classes. and i'm not excited about the idea of debt or more school or the embarrassment and shame of telling people i'm back in school already. trust me.   but man, it felt like such a relief and weight off my shoulders, for a brief time, to think that i didn't have to depress myself by reading geology careers or searching those jobs or even having to think about it. a family member knows somebody in environmental geology who said to send him my resume, and my heart just sank. i feel grateful, don't get me wrong. but i was enjoying so much, this idea of starting off in a new direction in my life, with this weight finally off my back. i feel like i'm gonna be pressured or guilted into taking the job if they even offer, which i feel like they only would because of nepotism   i feel like the first thing i would do if i got a job would be to try and teach myself programming to get out, but after some time i might get overwhelmed or burnt out, that i'll just accept where i'm at and try to zone out in my free time.  i haven't been happy in general, finding it hard to find anything to be positive or optimistic about. programming started to give me that confidence and drive back  sorry for the wall of text. just venting and don't know quite how to talk to my family about it, or what to do. is it crazy to want to go back to school? would i be able to teach myself enough to be a genuine candidate, or would it wind up breaking me down? boot camps seem pretty expensive, would that be a viable option to give me enough of the fundamentals to get a foot in the door? just thinking out loud, but has anybody found themselves in a similar  position or have any advice?   thanks if anybody's read this far"
"interviewers on this sub, have you yourself ""failed"" on a question *similar* to the ones you've asked and failed candidates for?",62okuo,blank,multivites123,3,1491027531.0,"wording might be all messed up, but what i'm trying to understand and get at is: as an interviewer, you can ask ""difficult"" questions to candidates and fail them when they don't pass it, and subsequently you can fail at other companies when you're in the hot seat and being asked very similar questions.  so what does that say about the interview process? i read a blog a few months ago, i'm pretty sure from steve yegge or someone else, but it pretty much mentioned that it's very likely that a non-trivial amount of google engineers who have already passed the process would fail had they gone through the process again with another google engineer as their interviewer.  what does this imply then? my belief is that there does exist a rare amount of extremely smart engineers who just *get it*, no matter how difficult of a problem you throw at them. but for the rest? it's all practice. if you're failing your interviews, it's not necessarily about you being not intelligent enough, or some binary ""you either get it or you don't"", it's practice. so keep practicing! what else does it imply? it implies you can be a rockstar at interviews today, but if you don't get into the groove again six months or a year down the line, you can easily flop on interview questions used to be good at."
apply to domain specific roles? or swe role?,7c729m,blank,TOOOVERPOWERED,1,1510412735.0,"what do i focus on? an swe role which i can then transition to a data science role at a big 4?   or core data science related roles at non big4s?   the thing is. i have passion towards data science, specifically, machine learning.    but i would like to join the big 4. i know it is not going to be an easy task, and it's easier said than done. i will do my best. but the problem is with the big4? most of the machine learning engineer or data scientist openings at any of the big 4s expect you to have a phd!   the general saying is that,    ""the big 4s do not distinguish between positions! they will hire a software engineer; which by definition will mean they're smart enough to work in other fields also!""   and also, all companies focus very much on core fundamentals. i would like to know why even for a data science intern positions in every company, including the big4 and companies apart from the big4, there is always a data structures and algorithms round? i understand those are fundamentals and what not! but why is it that so mandatory for someone who understands the advanced math behind machine learning algorithms to know how to traverse a binary search tree?"
"why was i getting interviews before i had a job, and now that i have more than 8 months experience, i feel like i've been sprayed with recruiter repellent?",5qqvpp,blank,wh00a,4,1485677814.0,"a bit about me:  i started programming in january of last year. within six months of self-teaching and hard work, i made lots of projects, and mobile applications. i took a chance and applied to twitch, and i was e-mailed back for an interview! i also got interviews from other neat companies that, at that time, i didn't feel confident enough to follow through with. i felt like a fraud for some reason? i ended up accepting a junior full stack developer job locally at a start up. everything seemed dandy, i learned c# and sql server and as the only developer at the company, i was and still am coding new features and maintaining the application by my self. i even made a build system and the first set of selenium tests for our company!!  the dandy-ness is starting to wear down, and i started to apply for other positions in a different area(pay, feeling bored, etc)...but...it's like my application goes in a dark hole and is never seen by the other side?   why is this happening now that i am an experienced developer, with confidence, i'm not getting any consideration? is it that asp.net stack i started to use and not the cool mean stack anymore?   i don't have my degree in c.s yet, but i'm much closer than i was when i was first getting interviews. why is it that when i didn't know anything about o(logn) and binary search trees, i was desirable, but not that i do know, now that i busted my butt working full time, trying to get a degree, and learn non stop, i'm not?  why and why does this happen and what can i do to be desirable again? i have an active github(whenever i have free time, i'll start working on my projects), and i started to learn android development too! what else do i have to do?"
requirements for a c++ expert role in image processing,3o351m,blank,kw0lf,4,1444417231.0,"hi all,  i'm going to apply for a role as an *expert for algorithms and software in c++ - image processing* and trying to come up with a complete list of requirements which should be mandatory to fullfill this role. this is what i have so far. did i miss something essential?  * algorithms   * strings   * sorting (mergesort, quicksort)   * searching (bfs, dsf)   * graph theory   * dynamic programming   * bit manipulation   * regex * data structures   * linked lists   * trees, tries, graphs   * stacks, queues   * heaps   * hash tables * c++   * classes and inheritance   * virtual functions, virtual destructors   * stl     * iterators (input/output iterators, fwd, random_access etc.)     * container (associative, sequence etc.)   * templates, maybe tmp (?)   * multiple inheritance   * memory management   * operator overloading   * pointers and references   * pimpl-idiom * design patterns   * creational design patterns      * abstract factory, builder, factory method, object pool, prototype, singleton   * structural design patterns      * adapter, bridge, composite, decorator, facade, flyweight, private class data, proxy   * behavioral design patterns      * chain of responsibility, command, interpreter, iterator, mediator, memento, observer, state, template methd, visitor   * ioc (inversion of control)   * mvc (model-view-controller) * linear algebra   * vectors, matrices   * linear transformations   * eigenvalues, eigenvectors   * least-squares, svd (singular-value-decomposition)   * fourier transformation * digital image processing   * optical principles   * different camera sensors (cmos, ccd)   * camera calibration (intrinsic, extrinsic camera parameters)   * histograms   * image point operations   * linear filter, non-linear filter   * segmentation (binary, template matching, contours etc.)   * image alignment (affine, projective, resampling, interpolation, moments)   * image comparison (distance transformation, chamfer matching etc.)   * location extraction   * image classification"