How to move to a different area completely? Pigeonholed in Front End right now
Posted by seiyamaple@reddit | ExperiencedDevs | View on Reddit | 13 comments
L4 SWE at G right now, wanting to move teams, but I am completely unqualified for 90% of the openings because all I’ve done is FE for the past 4 years (not really, but 95%), specially so many ML related openings.
How would someone go about expanding and maybe working in something like ML or any other areas without the experience? I only have a BS, so maybe going to grad school? What’s your experience with pivoting like this?
Solve-Et-Abrahadabra@reddit
If you want to learn and upskill then get the training for it. Not gonna get anything waiting around. Most workplaces should provide training hours or pay for this. But if you have no other option do it yourself. If managers don't care, apply somewhere else with your new skills. You need to keep learning, even in your own time if you want to progress.
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BigHambino@reddit
You should be patient for a good team fit that needs your expertise and has other adjacent areas you can get experience in. That’s how I moved from purely FE to full stack.
I definitely wouldn’t leave a good job right now. Getting back in could be very difficult. A masters degree would target some applied AI, but with how fast AI is moving I doubt a curriculum will keep up. You’d be better served by dabbling after hours and creating cool projects IMO.
BigHambino@reddit
You’ll find learning other parts of the stack will make you a much better client engineer as well
code_goose@reddit
I just started studying and participating in a space that interested me (Linux kernel development and eBPF) through open source. That translated to me finding my current role also at G.
Find something you are actually interested in and don't underestimate your ability to learn.
KingE@reddit
Google's entire "thing" is that experience is fungible. Look and ask around at teams AI adjacent, there should be something you can do without explicit experience in whatever particular stack they're using.
seiyamaple@reddit (OP)
That used to be the case, but after meeting with a few HMs, unfortunately it doesn’t seem to check out anymore. Hard requirements of specific expertise essentially everywhere I look, for L4 at least.
KingE@reddit
Admittedly things have changed in the past few years, but it used to be that you didn't need permission from anyone other than an HM in order to move. If that isn't the case anymore, and Google has genuinely embraced mediocrity, all I can do is wish you luck and recommend skilling up and looking elsewhere :/
Anonymous_Coder_1234@reddit
Someone else mentioned certs. Coursera has lots of good certs, this search lists them all:
https://www.coursera.org/search?productTypeDescription=Professional%20Certificates&sortBy=BEST_MATCH
For example, you can filter based on Computer Science:
https://www.coursera.org/search?productTypeDescription=Professional%20Certificates&topic=Computer%20Science&sortBy=BEST_MATCH
Or Data Science:
https://www.coursera.org/search?productTypeDescription=Professional%20Certificates&topic=Data%20Science&sortBy=BEST_MATCH
But yeah, if I were you I would get a relevant Coursera cert.
seiyamaple@reddit (OP)
Will look into those, thanks, but as I commented to the other person, do those actually weigh well when hiring managers are looking at qualifications?
Solve-Et-Abrahadabra@reddit
Do a course, get a cert
seiyamaple@reddit (OP)
Do managers value those? Obviously if between me and someone with actual years of experience in the matter, I’d be SOL, but I always somewhat doubted the hiring power for certifications (maybe ignorantly so)
Thomase-dev@reddit
Sounds like something you should bring up with your manager.
Just ask to get exposure to some backend work. I am sure there are projects that involve more full stack aspects.
Then once you are there, gain the respect of the backend folks, and that’s your in. You can start the process to change teams if you’d like.