I've adored my last two months as a Senior Software Engineer at TravelNest. Exploring a new and entirely unique problem space beyond the realm of finance with a group of people who champion collaboration, experimentation and honesty has made me happier, healthier and more productive.
Getting here wasnt entirely smooth sailing however, after leaving Capital One last June I've been perpetually job hunting, on a relentlessly unguided meander through the world of recruitment. I'm incredibly grateful for all the tech leaders, engineers and recruiters who have taken the time to help me find the right next step. Now that I've found that right next step, I thought I'd it would be useful to structure my experience into something useful for other first-time job hoppers.
Break Down The Wall Between Interviewer and Interviewee
As an engineer, so much of the interview process is anecdotal; talking about past projects, experiences and how you've previously worked; showing an employer how you present and what you represent. An interview is not so much a sales pitch as it is a test of compatibility - a good interview has a level of symmetry and a strong employer will give you the agency to break down the wall between interviewer and interviewee. Really use this to your advantage to really get a sense of the company and technical culture.
Challenge and question technical decisions during your interview - this not only helps you understand the technical estate you'll be working with but also helps you establish how open an organisation is to reinvention and genuine innovation. A good interviewee respects the path laid out by forefathers but isn't afraid to challenge whether it's the right path. A good interviewer is receptive to new ideas and genuinely curious about the innovation and intuition a candidate brings to the table. It's also helps an interviewer understand how much room you need to innovate and feel properly happy in a new role.
I didn't really get this right the first time round and didn't really question why employers had made the technical decisions they did - I was only really interested in the current state of play across the technical estate; I assessed my own gaps but not necessarily the potential gaps of the organisations interviewing me.
Find A Role You Can Grow Into
Its important to work out what size plant pot a prospective employer would plant you in and work out whether that gives you room to stretch your roots.
Some organisations are hyper-aware of their technical gaps and are looking for someone specific to target those; some are looking for creative, product focused engineers; some organisations don't really know at all and are looking for a resource. Really elicit what that employer is looking for and nail down what the day to day work will look like. Growth requires specific deliverable actions and expectation setting from day zero will help you own your seat at the table and ensure your labour helps you grow in a direction you care about.
When measuring performance I found large enterprises more receptive towards rewarding abstract technical growth than startups which largely favour technical/product delivery. If you're looking to dig into certs and qualifications, more resource usually equals more time for all those extra-curricular activities.
Many tech teams have 10% time which gives engineers a day or so out of each sprint to work on self-development - I found digging into the culture around this further really useful:
- Is it self directed or will you be assigned a learning plan?
- Is there a budget for certifications?
- Do engineers actually get their 10% time or do other things take priority instead?
- Do the tools, technologies and skills I'd invest this time in align with the requirements of the business?
Know Your Own Worth
Take the time to really study the offers in your inbox, the cultures, perks and salaries. Your worth is not your salary but it is important to establish what the market has deemed you worth at face value. If this range doesn't line up with your expectations; its either time to be humble and work out where your gaps - or whether you're really selling yourself as well as you could be.
Experiment with how you present your market worth when shopping around roles and pay attention to how people involved in the processes react to that worth. Sites like levels.fyi can also be a good indicator of how salaries and levels map across different organisations.
The overwhelming majority of the time you'll find everybody involved super respectful of your sense of worth; but at some point, you'll meet someone who reacts with hostility or negativity towards a figure. As a general rule - walk away. Being talked out of your worth will lead to resentment and promises of fast progression should be taken with a pinch of salt. However if these conversations become more frequent, perhaps adjust how you perceive yourself within the market.
One intervier dropped my interview down from a senior to mid-level inteview based on my age. As a young engineer this really knocked me, and it created an uncomfortable power dynamic where I stayed in the process for longer than I should have. I was promised ethereal riches of knowledge and future career potential; I convinced myself I wasn't worth more and that this was somehow compensation for my labour. Eventually I withdrew, owned my worth and secured a much stronger offer.
Pay Attention To The Product
I believe a good engineer shows good investment in both the product and the platform. You don't always have to perfectly identify with its use cases but you've got to understand how its growing and understand why it has succeeded so far. If you don't believe in the product you won't build good shit. Use interviews to gain a sense of engineer morale towards not just the technical estate but also the product itself. Determine how in-tune the technical team are with product and ask techical interviewers to sell the vision to you too!
Perks Are Usually Nonsense
- Lunch and learn sessions are not a perk.
- A learning and development budget is not a perk.
- A MacBook/iPhone for work is not a perk.
- Mental health/meditation apps are not a perk.
- Non-funded socials are not a perk.
A good perk has equitable value outside of your day to day role. An environment which helps employees maintain good mental health is a staple. Fostering a culture of growth and development is a staple. Good tools and technologies are staples. Meaningful interactions with your team are staples. The only perk I've seen an employer in the UK offer with value is private healthcare - which there should not be a business case for in a country with socialized medicine but I digress.
A Misstep Is A Worthwhile Part Of The Journey
Ideally, your second role will keep you engaged for years - but not everyone nails the first hop. I don't think I've necessarily matured or reflected enough to understand how to deal with this with grace but I have a few less-structured thoughts on how to deal with this:
- We're engineers and we love a good retrospective. No matter the brevity or length of employment - engage with your soon-to-be former employer and help them understand why you're moving on. Engage with leadership and really help them understand your experience of the hiring process, what did you miss and what could you have done better, and how could the employer has presented a more accurate portrayal of their organisation? You're paying it forward to other engineers like you and helping the organisation that took a chance on you better meet their own needs.
- Recognise and communicate what makes you unhappy. If you're undertaking lots of activities beyond your role that aren't in the job specification - call it out. If you're fighting the tools and technologies to an undesirable degree - call it out. If you're not getting the responsibilities you need to grow - call it out. Everyone has different needs and it's important you call these out as early as possible so your employer has the opportunity to cater to them.
- Give your team your best and keep bringing to the table what makes you special until you exit stage left. There is nothing undignified about an early exit and moving on will be of mutual benefit.
Parting Words
Finding the right next step isn’t always plain sailing. Bring yourself to the table rather than an idealised persona of you and tease out of employers the exact same thing. Ask for extra conversations, query your contract and package, and deeply understand an employer before you accept an offer! Keep a dialogue of honest feedback flowing throughout your probation so you can better understand each other.
Most importantly - do what makes you happy!