You should really consider interviewing, even while you still have a job.
Posted by ninetofivedev@reddit | ExperiencedDevs | View on Reddit | 211 comments
No Tokens used during the composition of this post
This one is going to be short and to the point.
We all have priorities and interviewing can be really stressful.
My advice is to keep an ear to the ground. Keep that resume updated. Keep applying for those positions.
When you bomb an interview while you're gainfully employed, the only thing lost is a little bit of time and effort. You might also learn something from the experience.
Also people often ask: "How do I find these better salaries?"... The answer is negotiating from a place of strength, ie, already having your job to fall back to. When you've been laid off and unemployed for a few months, you're just looking to stop the bleeding.
Same goes for interviewing for that position that you probably aren't going to take. The experience is valuable, and being able to get an offer and make high demands for salary is very satisfying.
I know, this isn't anything that is all that eye opening. But I do think people need a reminder.
roto190@reddit
1 interview every 2-3 months is soul crushing
zninjamonkey@reddit
In which regard do you mean?
Getting too few requests or the experience of going through one of that frequency?
Whitchorence@reddit
I mean you have to take off the time, you have to make a certain number of applications to actually land an interview, and then if you are treating it seriously at all you need to do prep because you can't expect to just walk in rusty with zero prep and do well. It's a huge commitment if you're not actively thinking about leaving.
SmellyButtHammer@reddit
If you're consistently doing interviews, what prep are you anticipating to be a requirement?
Whitchorence@reddit
Leetcode problems basically. Hey maybe you're just doing those regularly, that's fine, but then that's its own commitment.
Dzeddy@reddit
If it's leetcode, doesn't it just stick in your brain after a while?
Whitchorence@reddit
It's easier on subsequent tries than on the first but you still need to refresh and the general trend over the years has been for the questions to get harder.
SolidDeveloper@reddit
No, it's not like riding a bicycle. I used to win DSA olympiads in high-school and had good results at competitive programming competitions (e.g. ACM) during university. Nowadays I wouldn't be able to solve a Leetcode Easy without some prep.
Golden_Chopsticks@reddit
I do feel like I wish I had been doing more interviews in the past few years to not let the prep atrophy so much.
Now that I’m thinking of leaving, it’s absolutely dreadful, but not sure how realistic maintenance was.
PlasticExtreme4469@reddit
Going through interviews that frequently.
Interviewing every 2-3 years is already unpleasant as is.
labago@reddit
Interviewing in an regard is awful. I've relied on the networks I've made most of my career and that helps a lot
Klinky1984@reddit
Interviewing is it's own job.
ninetofivedev@reddit (OP)
I’ve found that interviewing for one company is very manageable.
It feels like a full time job when you don’t have a job because you’re often interviewing and applying to multiple jobs while also grinding leetcode because what else do you have to do?
Klinky1984@reddit
Is interviewing regularly for positions you're probably not going to take somehow not interviewing for multiple jobs? Also most jobs aren't a 1:1 with your current employer, so you'll probably need to brush up. Time spent can be anywhere from 15 minutes to 8 hours, or more and the more serious you y'all it the more likely it'll be on the higher end.
SolidDeveloper@reddit
And even when they are, you still need to brush up. You can work on and deliver successful projects, but then 6 months or a year later you don't remember the technical details at all. You still need to prepare even for things that are part of your current role.
Affectionate_Day8483@reddit
Doing interviews for the last year gave me the confidence that I was meeting the bar of senior engineer at my last job despite management saying otherwise with no data points from their side, and one of those interviews turned eventually turned into an offer with a 44 percent pay increase.
SolidDeveloper@reddit
I had a different experience a few years ago: I found that I was failing lots of interviews left and right, even though at my company I was the highest rated Senior SWE. When I eventually left my company, they sent me the job ad for hiring my replacement, asking me to validate it, and my feedback was that the job ad was very intimidating and I wouldn't even attempt to apply to something like this myself. There were a lot of tech requirements there that just didn't need to be there – I was able to work on some of those projects with zero prior tech knowledge in that area, so I was adamant that my replacement wouldn't need to have that knowledge either. Obviously it was useful knowledge to have, but then the salary on offer should have been much higher.
GlobalCurry@reddit
I was in a similar position a few years ago and when I put in my 2 weeks the company suddenly had enough money to promote and pay me. I still moved to the next company.
TheTacoInquisition@reddit
Yeah, never stay when you had to get a new job to get your employer to take any action. It's way too late by then
dc0899@reddit
always bloody them
sgs4b-nito80@reddit
Always take the move.
writebadcode@reddit
Good choice
its-a-process@reddit
I want to do this, but I don't get the "little bit of time" part. Interviewing is a multi-hour, multi-session activity that has to happen during the day, so I have to call in sick or use personal time which is limited.
ninetofivedev@reddit (OP)
The fact that is your situation is all more reason you need to find a better job.
I haven’t had a job that would have “limited” me from interviewing in over 10 years.
Quit letting these fucks control your time. It’s your time.
nimbus-dimbus@reddit
Is the market booming again?
ninetofivedev@reddit (OP)
It's a bit K-shaped from my perspective. 10+ years of experience, there seems to be plenty of opportunity.
The junior / mid level market is still dead. We're going to have some problems down the line if this continues.
AfraidOfArguing@reddit
My current job is moving the goalpost on senior. I was up for a title promo at 7YOE for Senior, they bumped it to 10. Now I'm stuck as the highest experienced "mid level" at my job with 8YOE. Losing my mind.
slickvic33@reddit
You can also find a new job and instantly be a senior w more pay
AfraidOfArguing@reddit
Can't automate romex.
ninetofivedev@reddit (OP)
The grass is not greener on that blue collar side of the fence.
I'd recommend just taking a step back and a deep breath. Opportunity will knock.
SolidDeveloper@reddit
WTF is K-shaped?
slickvic33@reddit
Media describes it as such, probably economists too
ninetofivedev@reddit (OP)
Took a few Econ classes in college
chicknfly@reddit
I’m a mid level (who meets this sub’s definition of experienced) who has been out of work for the last 18 months. Recently, I was offered jobs for two companies while having zero experience in the field (full stack offered SRE roles). Granted, a small mention in my resume of my home labbing experience helped, but still, if my anecdotal experience says anything, it’s that things are improving.
ptoshkov@reddit
Congratulations brother. Best of luck.
chicknfly@reddit
Thank you. Just gotta make it through three tiers of onboarding 🫡
7HawksAnd@reddit
Wouldn’t K shape imply sub 3 year and post 10 year do well?
dCrumpets@reddit
The K is not the 3 and 10+ years, the K is the positive versus negative outcomes.
7HawksAnd@reddit
Got it, you mean to say the mid to junior roles/candidates are one single line and the experienced are the other of the two? Not three separate?
laccro@reddit
I think you’re rotating the K.
Look at it like this:
It goes from “everyone is approximately the same” to some doing better and some doing worse, after some inflection point
7HawksAnd@reddit
Twas
AnimaLepton@reddit
The way to think of it is a graph over time, there are two different lines for 10+ YoE and everyone else, and the "everyone else" line is continue to steady or go down even though the 10+ YoE line is going up/has recovered
7HawksAnd@reddit
Got it, thanks
yerfdog1935@reddit
K shape, not V shape
apartment-seeker@reddit
One data point, but I have 7-8 YOE and experience building LLM-based systems, and I am getting pretty decent inbound from recruiters.
Empty_Honey5322@reddit
How recruiters are reaching out to? Via LinkedIn? I am also building AI agents and related apps on top of llms. But I haven’t mentioned anything on LinkedIn .
apartment-seeker@reddit
Linkedin and email.
ultraDross@reddit
No.
GlobalCurry@reddit
9 years of experience and haven' had an interview since mid March.
xt1nct@reddit
I’m about to turn 40. Have enough savings not to work for 2-3 years.
This allows me to NOT care about this advice at all.
People save money and live your freaking life. Tomorrow or day after could be your last.
This hyper focus on income maxing is so toxic among software devs.
If I get fired I can make up bullshit. Practice algorithms I have used in 10 years. Practice shit I don’t use day to day and reskill if I need to.
ultraDross@reddit
Counter argument is I want to earn the max so I can save as much as possible. I'm approaching 40 and I'm not seeing a lot of devs my age, suggesting I'm probably not going to have a long career as an IC and I'm shit with people so management is not a viable path. That saved money could be a long lifeline or early retirement.
I'm constantly thinking about this. Is quite stressful in of itself. How we interview and not allow devs to skillup properly is fucking insane.
xt1nct@reddit
How do you feel about grinding leetcode problems that AI solves, what is the point?
I utilize AI and it made me productive. I am transforming the company I work for. I will most likely go back to school for an MBA and use my technical skills to provide value to executives.
Toxic_Biohazard@reddit
I'de be worried about not finding a job in 2-3 years tbh, or I find a job and my retirement nest egg has been completely depleted
ninetofivedev@reddit (OP)
Money represents financial independence.
It's not toxic at all. Not having to work for 2-3 years is cool. Not having to work for the rest of your life is cooler.
the_fresh_cucumber@reddit
Wish I had been told this advice the last decade.
I was overly loyal and never made the job hop to stratospheric COVID salary like some coworkers did
spicycli@reddit
Just curious, aren’t you like just wasting everyone’s time just interviewing and not accepting offers ? Won’t that get you into some kind of a black list, which would label you as not a serious candidate but someone who just looks around ? What happens later on when you genuinely would want to apply for a job in that company which offer you decliner previously?
oldDotredditisbetter@reddit
companies are already holding interviews not expecting to get someone, so it's just how the game is
SolidDeveloper@reddit
I don't see how that could be the case, especially with things like GDPR making it illegal to retain that kind of information.
ninetofivedev@reddit (OP)
Simple answer: No. Let me know if you need me to elaborate.
spicycli@reddit
Please do if you don’t mind. Because where I live there’s a hand full of IT companies where you possibly would want to work. I have a feeling that if I would apply to all of them to just “look around” I would loose my future chances to apply there. But I might be wrong !
Inner_Butterfly1991@reddit
When they offer it to you and you decline you don't say "I wasn't really applying I was just looking", you either offer a counter high enough they won't take (or if they do you'd take it) or you simply tell them you got a better offer you're going to take. If you've passed a company's hiring bar and turned them down, if anything you'll be on the short list the next time you're applying, that's not seen as a negative at any company I've ever been at. Now if you were to take the offer and jump ship in the first few months, THAT would get you on a do not rehire list most likely.
spicycli@reddit
Thanks
lolCLEMPSON@reddit
I did a significant amount of interviewing this year. Probably more than any time in my life. I hadn't had any "hard" interviews with strangers in 20+ years. It took a lot of practice to refine the story I needed to tell and get things right, not appear toxic despite being in a few toxic situations, not appearing negative despite having a very poor taste in my mouth. I needed to burn through a few interviews and realize what I did wrong to get a cohesive story. By the end, I had the same story to tell 15 times and ways to put things in the most positive light down and everything was clicking at the end. Practicing really is important and helpful even if you aren't interested.
anoncology@reddit
How long were you interviewing for? This process has taught me that I hate behavioral interviews lol.
lolCLEMPSON@reddit
Probably 6 months total, although the first few months was just responding to recruiters and chasing things that seemed highly interesting/good fits, so it wasn't a lot.
Of the early ones, one drug on for months (it was a weird case, don't want to post too many details), but ended up going on a trip and seemed good, then got one final check out of nowhere and got rejected. I'm kind of glad on that one, it was not a great fit and I just wanted to have something more stable, but I didn't even like the idea or situation it had. Felt set up for failure there. One I pretty much knew my pedigree wasn't right and recruiter was casting a wide net and got turned down fast. Another lasted 2 rounds, failed the trivia game on that one.
Pursued 4 places when things really hit the fan. 2 were very fast in acting, 1 was a little delayed, and 1 I didn't hear anything for a month and already completed the process elsewhere.
Only the last month was super busy with interviews out of all of it.
SlipperySparky@reddit
This is a really good comment. The further I get in my career, the more I realize crafting your stories might be the most important thing you can do
sgs4b-nito80@reddit
This feels like where I'm at in the journey - enough experience to get some interest, but still dialing the career story in.
lolCLEMPSON@reddit
You even have to dial a bit based on the job opportunity too.
AyeMatey@reddit
Also works with dating.
😉
superdurszlak@reddit
Employment isn't marriage
AyeMatey@reddit
It was a joke
PianoIllustrious863@reddit
Are you guys only applying for remote jobs? I live in a mid sized city with only a handful of big employers. I always worry about bombing an interview with them and not getting another chance in the future. Do they not save notes about your past interviews if you’re a previous applicant?
ninetofivedev@reddit (OP)
Nope. Just interviewed for a hybrid role this week.
I really don't think this is a concern. Either the company is big enough that it doesn't matter, or they're small enough where you shouldn't care.
wvenable@reddit
I can't disagree with this advice but I don't have the time to be interviewing while I have a job, family, etc.
grgext@reddit
Equally I don't want to waste my time interviewing people who don't want the job.
DavidOrzc@reddit
I've been thinking on setting up one those OpenClaw agents to help me find jobs that I would find interesting. Don't know how well they work but it's worth looking into it.
lyraelizabeth@reddit
yep i’m interviewing for a job i actually do want and regardless how this turns out, im gonna need to take a break after this to get more sleep and spend time with my young kids
Asleep-Ad8743@reddit
But if you interview you might find more time at the new job (hello 80%). But I think it really depends on the rate, even doing one or two a year is useful.
OkPush3638@reddit
Depends, but under a year is short, and I would see it as a yellow flag if someone hopped multiple times after just one year. I think it's more common in big tech and fintech, less so in other SWE roles. I think 2 years is a nice sweet spot
barockok@reddit
Did this last year. Current employer matched the offer within 48 hours. I still left — realized the only way to get market rate was to threaten to leave, which says everything about the relationship.
mysteryihs@reddit
Also a nice reminder that you may currently hate your job, then try and go out to interview and strike out and go through terrible interviews at terrible pay and think to yourself that maybe this current job isn't so bad afterall...
slickvic33@reddit
Its a bit of a barometer of sorts
kruvii@reddit
Especially if you want to control your salary growth.
OhOuchMyBall@reddit
I wholeheartedly agree with this, but also struggle to find the motivation.
Careful_Ad_9077@reddit
One step at a time.
I interview once per year.
I don't do interview prep, just shoot a few resumes and then jump into the process.it helps you keane what you should prepare for ,either because you feel like it or because you need to.
foundboots@reddit
I don't understand what signal this could generate for you. Or how it's helpful. It's like saying go lift weights once a year to see how strong you are.
nilement@reddit
… what’s wrong with this analogy?
Etiennera@reddit
One person does well and finds one is enough. The other can't fathom passing 1 out of 1 and is confused.
-WARPING-@reddit
Job interviews are like going to open homes. Its good to do for practice and to broaden your horizons. Especially for introverts who work in IT, you get heaps of confidence by doing a job interview where you know there are no stakes.
JJJJJay@reddit
I think there’s a healthy assumption that doing dev work may somewhat prepare you for an interview so it’s more be like you work in shipping and handling and you test your strength once a year
Now obviously some people feel that interviewing and work are entirely orthogonal but I am finding more overlap as I interview for senior+ positions
SolidDeveloper@reddit
Interesting. I have found the opposite to be true: when I was more junior, my work experience was very helpful in interviews, but those two experiences have significantly diverged, to the point where I have to do many months of interview prep to reach even one offer. Considering that in my junior years I’d have a few job offers within a couple of weeks.
GhostPilotdev@reddit
The motivation usually shows up about two weeks after your company's first round of layoffs.
Whitchorence@reddit
After actually being laid off a few times I feel like a lot of the air is taken out of it, you know? It's like, hey, maybe that will happen.
SolidDeveloper@reddit
It hasn't for me.
I_pretend_2_know@reddit
Oh, I found the perfect motivation!
It is called "fear". I was unemployed for almost 8 months.
Whitchorence@reddit
I don't think it's sensible (or frankly even possible) to constantly motivate yourself from fear of something that might happen.
BlameTheBillionaires@reddit
Same. Because what’s the point if you are not going to dedicate hours to prepare. I’d need to find time to freshen up my system design responses and get comfortable with leetcode. Otherwise what’s the point of getting an interview and bombing because you’re not prepared.
I have a compensation review soon so if that does not go well it will give me the motivation to prepare. But if I’m comfortable with my role and my comp then no way I will have the motivation and energy to prepare as I should.
Business-Row-478@reddit
Uh just don’t prepare? Most interviews don’t get very technical until at least a couple rounds into it and a ton are moving away from leetcode style interviews. More interview practice means you’ll get better at it
Academic-Put-4764@reddit
Not all interviews imply leetcode.
Western_Objective209@reddit
it's good for career prospects, but it's incredibly time consuming. I did a few rounds of interviews; between resume writing, applying, talking to recruiters, interview prep, and actually interviewing, easily spent 30 hours on it
basdit@reddit
I don't think I would do very well when I'm not convinced I really want and will take the position I would be interviewing for. I like to be fully honest so I would not be able to answer the "why do you want to work here?" type of questions. If I need to act I would have chosen a different profession.
Ulfrauga@reddit
I was going to mention this, too. I would find this a hard question, and I figure I'd have to have a response that doesn't sound wishy-washy, phony, or overly rehearsed.
- "Why do you want this job"
- "Err I don't... Just after interviewing experience, connections, and leverage to ask for more money at my current one."
- "...."
Leilatha@reddit
Wouldn't hurt to update your resume at the very least
forbiddenknowledg3@reddit
I thought this, but then you bomb because you're busy with work and companies definitely take note of that.
Anxious-Possibility@reddit
One question I have is when you've been in a job for maybe a year, and not really wanting to leave but wanting to keep an eye on the market, can't it be somewhat counter-productive. First of all you'll be asked "why are you interviewing and why do you want to leave" which is a question I always hate, but they seem to be more suspicious if you've been somewhere for less than a couple of years, especially now. Secondly, let's say you get rejected, or you get accepted and turn down the offer, now you're basically blocklisted from applying again for at least 6 months (that's most companies' policies). I imagine if you get an offer and turn it down, they're probably not going to let you apply again. So now you burned a bridge you might potentially need in the future.. Yes in an ideal world you could use it just for knowledge gain and networking, but in reality you probably just annoy hiring teams doing interviews when you know you're not going to accept the offer.
hell_razer18@reddit
I still dont know why people are so afraid on interviewing while still have a job. It is not a sin..
superdurszlak@reddit
I am not afraid, but I'd never admit openly that I'm looking.
I'm generally in a position that staying in uninterrupted employment is rather challenging for personal/medical reasons, and giving employers extra arguments to fire me isn't a great survival strategy.
Colt2205@reddit
The landscape right now is also kind of rough with cold applications. Tuning the resume to exactly fit the position is kind of important. I think the hard part on my end is going for that senior position even if I'm not meeting all the checkboxes on the required technologies. It's like I can fit 80% or 70% of the requirements, but never 100%. Not sure what that is like for others.
ninetofivedev@reddit (OP)
I’m still getting recruiters reaching out to me with no application so it can’t be that bad.
superdurszlak@reddit
It's bad and not bad at the same time.
I have a lot of LinkedIn traffic and yet the salary ranges are generally so-so and the companies are looking for perfect fits. It took me nearly 4 months of looking while still being employed to land a single job offer.
JodoKaast@reddit
Yes, I'm aware we live in a dystopia, I don't think I need the constant reminders.
IProgramSoftware@reddit
Yea but dude I dread going through the interview process
Cosmicdev_058@reddit
This is the reminder I needed today honestly. The leverage piece is real. When you interview with a job in your back pocket, you ask better questions and you walk away from bad offers without thinking twice about it.
sleepyguy007@reddit
i'm at a large tech company and grandfathered into full remote, which management seems to want to get rid of. the last layoff we had people got 4 months severance, and that was before our stock fell 50%....
so i'm just waiting. learned that lesson in 2020. in 2020 I interviewed at every big tech, landed a job at... of all places reddit. and it happened to be 2 weeks before they shut down my entire super mega fail startup company (very famous shut down). they gave a 4 month severance. all of us who had landed new jobs 1-2 weeks before got nothing. the people who got laid off even kept their macbooks and aeron chairs and all got jobs in 1-2 months.
if you are at. place that does a severance, leaving early if you actually are good at this job might pay off poorly and well you might as well get a half a year paid vacation . if you are on a work visa or something well i guess , but meh thats an entirely different ball of wax i dont want to get banned off this sub for discussing
ninetofivedev@reddit (OP)
Times are rough at Paypal.
sgs4b-nito80@reddit
So... should I not take this call with Paypal recruiting in an hour?? 👀
ninetofivedev@reddit (OP)
I have no idea, I was trying to guess what big tech company that had their stock drop in half.
sleepyguy007@reddit
not at paypal, bigger place maybe 2-3x. we do money related things too
sleepyguy007@reddit
its not that one. but we are larger, we ran a lot of commercials last year so you could calculate what you owe
sleepyguy007@reddit
Its a larger company than paypal.
sgs4b-nito80@reddit
😂 fair enough
Emergency_Beat423@reddit
Always take the severance!
dexter2011412@reddit
we really need a new sub for discussing these in a professional setting
juusorneim@reddit
What's the issue with discussing it here? Whatever it is.
sleepyguy007@reddit
its a very right wing topic ultimately. i've literally been banned from sports league subs for saying anything that might offend mods who are of the opposite perspective, who mods your subreddit is not some fair process and you can get banned from an entire sub for saying something easily
lolCLEMPSON@reddit
This is really hard to time right, though.
sleepyguy007@reddit
yes true. but ultimately if you know your company lays off at a certain time of the year most of the time (mine its almost always may/june) , its really not worth trying super hard to get a new job until after that time . in this economy getting a better job than your current ones is a total crap shoot anyway so the tiny possibily of jumping ship to maybe a lateral job while missing out potential severance is something to think about
lolCLEMPSON@reddit
Definitely, I missed out before too, but there was no guarantee of that even happening. And depends how much you can expect to get, and how hard it is to find something. If you get 4 month severance then have to scramble to get something or it takes 6 months you are worse off than just getting something.
Right now if you are at risk of layoffs, best thing you can do is interview and line up your start date after a layoff might happen, if you think you can time it right.
Abject-Kitchen3198@reddit
It's an odd bet for sure.
aviboy2006@reddit
100% agree. Even interview process is hectic and stressful but same time I teach us where are we and which area can be focused. Plus something new learning will get.
Bronkic@reddit
But what if you actually get the job? Would you risk changing companies and being on probation again in the current market, just for a better salary? At the moment, I wouldn't. It's 6 months during which you can easily get laid off without even any severance pay.
ninetofivedev@reddit (OP)
I have no idea what this probation is that you speak of.
Bronkic@reddit
You don't have that where you're from? It's usually the first 6 months of an employment during which it's much easier to lay you off again without any reason.
ninetofivedev@reddit (OP)
Nope.
This is America baby. They don’t need a reason to fire you at any time.
Rough-Yard5642@reddit
Interview prep is an absolute grind. To those who can constantly be at top shape, kudos to you, but for me, this sounds like a nightmare.
CrraveCloverPin@reddit
r/overemployed
ninetofivedev@reddit (OP)
Those people are a bunch of larpers
philip_laureano@reddit
I agree in principle, but as someone sitting firmly in a good paying job after interviewing for months with no luck, I am tired. I know how to do and conduct interviews but sometimes, it's good to bask in the warm fleeting glow of full time employment while it lasts
InterestingBoard67@reddit
Well, if you live in a not so big town, and it's possible HR might know the HR in your company, then the word gets out, and your current employer might not be happy that you're looking for another job...
lolCLEMPSON@reddit
Your HR isn't going to check with your current company if they are even remotely competent.
InterestingBoard67@reddit
lol, are you new? It's common to ask for references, and if HR/boss know each other (especially since most IT jobs are in niche areas), they'd just ask about you unofficially.
Exapno@reddit
lol who cares they’d lay you off in a heartbeat even if you’re not looking for another job
Polus43@reddit
The sentiment here isn't wrong.
But, as your career progresses and you climb the ladder, word getting out about how you treat other managers/employers becomes important. Because half the job of management (often) is coordinating with management in other business units.
deepmiddle@reddit
It should be illegal for companies to share this type of information. We need better worker protections.
LiveMaI@reddit
Pretty sure it is already illegal to share that kind of PII. The problem is proving it.
donny02@reddit
if you haven't moved to a tech hub or gotten into full remote small town HR gossip is the least of your problems
ninetofivedev@reddit (OP)
You're right. If you live in Topeka, Kansas, don't do this.
soft_white_yosemite@reddit
I would say not to do this with recruitment agencies. They will get sick of you.
curious_backend_dev@reddit
Agree with you. Should always be open to lookout for better offer(not necessary to accept it), but then you will be on the stronger position from one side for negotiation and from another side(sometimes more valuable) - the interviews are 2 directional process and from interview questions you can see what is valuable for the specific position and some tendencies on the market in general.
Deranged40@reddit
I've always been told "The best day to start looking for a new job is the day you start your job"
Whitchorence@reddit
It just takes too much time. I went through a job search last year but there's no way I could have done all that, and an actual job, and actually been present with my family (honestly it caused some domestic strain as-is without the job).
Andrea_Barghigiani@reddit
Thank you so much for the reminder!
I have to admit that lately I've been slowing down my application process, not because I feel comfy at work and everything is fine, but because I'm focused on producing something that demonstrates my knowledge and initiative.
For example, I find the process of keeping my resume updated and optimizing it for each job offer draining. Not to mention the need to keep a "book of wins" or brag document where you store all your experiences to integrate into your resume or cover letter.
So, as many other devs do, a few months back I started working on what I consider the solution that scratches my own itch.
And honestly I didn't start because "everyone is launching a side project", but because I want to show that I can build complete applications while taking care of all the other sides involved in a product.
Don't know about you, but when I work in a team I feel my depth is limited.
I always leave the codebase better than I found it, I write docs to improve team collaboration, I receive praise from colleagues... So I know I'm doing something good.
But when I have to present the work I've done in the past, besides describing it, I find it hard to put myself under the spotlight. It has something to do with my imposter syndrome 😅
And presenting our past work is a skill we can only learn by doing more interviews.
So right now I'm in preparation mode, building something I feel is mine and getting ready to talk about it in an interview.
Thanks again for the reminder.
GrouchyPerspective83@reddit
Really great advice indeed! I will put an actual reminder based on this. Sometimes we forget the simple.things!
helloWorldcamelCase@reddit
"Little bit" of time and effort...?
ybitz@reddit
“Time and effort”… there’s nothing more valuable to me than time and effort.
marine_surfer@reddit
I was interviewing for 2 years, made it to multiple final rounds. Including spaceX in 2024, 0 offers, missed opportunity, maybe. Now, I’ve been laid off due to my company catching wind I was no longer happy working for the DoD, I’m unemployed, struggling to stay a float. However, the corporate tech industry has been leading with fear and work till you die mentality and I decided to give them all the 🖕 and put my savings and time into starting my own business. I hope to catch the next software boom when all these data centers are built out and big tech is choking on capex, even if that means I have to start at ground 0 again. The way I see it, is my capex is investing in me and hopefully a team of the smartest people I know!
ccricers@reddit
It would be interesting to know how many business owners started their business because they felt stuck unemployed, as opposed to the ones that say they quit their job. So your story already starts out to me as more interesting.
marine_surfer@reddit
I wouldn’t say I’m stuck unemployed, I have a strong military background with a very sought after clearance level. The opportunities are out there for me if I truly applied my self in the job search. However, I decided to quit fooling myself. I really despised corporate life the way it’s been administered post COVID. My last job sucked the life out of me. I was never the strongest programmer but I have astounding problem solving skills. Interviews felt like a waste of time and energy I could be spending on rebuilding my network, learning new skills (not just fucking punching in 10 leetcode questions a day), and making my own bets finding contracts.
I’d say these AI tools definitely have value that I want to leverage for my own use, not some twat in CSuite who is gonna fire you before you options vest (fuck u oracle). I’ll figure it out, software jobs aren’t dead. Plenty of companies have air gapped systems, cloud infrastructure needs, migrations, way more complex problems that they just don’t have the time and effort to focus on. They have their own skill set they need to focus on. Sure, the competition is stiffer, just like any business. The upside is also much greater. I see so many people here complaining about their situation. I get it, it’s tough, but doing the same thing every day will not yield different results. So stepping out of my comfort zone, learning sales, business, marketing and ads is my new focus. I won’t forget my SWE background, the knowledge just won’t be front and center. I’m ok with that though. I’m able to still build but it’s not my main focus. Leaning heavily into AI can only benefit you if you are able to manage and mitigate the risks and liabilities it may produce.
Anyway, I landed my first contract for a great company. Work is simple with AI and ROI is huge. The challenge will be consistency.
HurasmusBDraggin@reddit
Up until a few years ago, I would interview about 2 - 3 times a year while having a job. Now, not some much.
Fast-Manufacturer925@reddit
I agree but it’s so stressful at times and I don’t want to honestly make myself to feel that every day…
Extra-Organization-6@reddit
the biggest benefit nobody mentions is that interviewing while employed completely changes the power dynamic. you can negotiate harder, walk away from lowball offers without stress, and ask the uncomfortable questions about team culture that you would never risk asking when you are desperate for a job. even if you dont take the offer, knowing your market rate keeps your current employer honest at review time.
Ok_Conversation_3815@reddit
These are all great advices
armostallion2@reddit
Easier said than done. I applied for 100+ jobs, got 3 interviews.
Forsaken_Celery8197@reddit
The best time to look for a job is when you don't need one.
dryiceboy@reddit
I personally wouldn’t interview just for the sake of it. Instead, I would keep on casually browsing from time to time and see if an opening piques my interest. Only then do I apply and potentially interview.
My issue with just spamming is riski ng credibility with a potential org ie. if I apply for a role just for the heck of it and not put too much effort, I might be putting on a bad rep from their perspective and could risk my future chances with that org.
skidmark_zuckerberg@reddit
I agree 100%. Took me a couple interviews to get back into the flow after 4 years working the same job.
shozzlez@reddit
I’d rather live in poverty than willingly take interviews for jobs I won’t take.
thisFishSmellsAboutD@reddit
I did. Got into a few conversations. Starting my new role with a dream team soon.
dc0899@reddit
absolutely, but i do it after one year of employment wherever i am 🤡, recover from the effort that got me the job in the first place.
did this 3 times.
i absolutely love walking away from companies that try to be cheap. doing my part to keep those salaries high!
ccricers@reddit
You're not wrong but it still does suck having to serve two masters, so to speak. This takes me back to college years balancing homework, school projects and a job. I remember my first job out of college, even though it's now working more hours, having no homework was like taking a big weight off my chest.
sehron@reddit
I remember when looking for a job, without a job, it was basically a 9-5. I don't really enjoy this process at all. That being said this is completely right, it's just really bloody hard.
AnimaLepton@reddit
Had a technical (non-coding) interview today, first one in a year. Completely flubbed something really basic right at the start. I think I at least was able to showcase what I did know in other areas with greater technical depth by the end of our conversation, but yeah, being out of practice is rough and I'm glad it gave me the reminder I needed to refresh myself on some core/basic concepts.
crustyeng@reddit
I don’t know. I’d really, really hate to be the newest person on any team right now.
we_swarm@reddit
I my experience the old guard is not any safer.
ProgrammerOk1400@reddit
Interviewing now is largely a waste of time. The market is awful. The interviewers suck. Don’t waste the time. Focus on things that provide a real RTO. Interviewing for ghost positions is not it.
Cute_Activity7527@reddit
I want to, but with 40+ candidates for one position its a miracle you even get past automatic AI screening :}…
And for companies I DO want to work for (fintechs/ai/biotech) there are 400 candidates per one position :)
Everyone wants to work for good companies, so your best bet is to show you can bring value to the table.
Complex_Ad2233@reddit
If you can even get an interview these days 😂
servicetime@reddit
Exactly! I send out a few resumes a month, things that I would definitely switch jobs for, and mostly I get ghosted, rarely I get an email rejection, and only twice in the year or so of doing this did I get asked to interview
Objective_Gene9503@reddit
When is it too early to be switching jobs? I’ve only been at my current place for 5 months
OkPush3638@reddit
Depends, but under a year is short, and I would see it as a yellow flag if someone hopped multiple times after just one year. I think it's more common in big tech and fintech, less so in other SWE roles. I think 2 years is a nice sweet spot
Four_Dim_Samosa@reddit
the best time to find a job is when you have one.
even if you wouldn't take the new role, you still freshen your skills. Plus, you can see how the processes are nowadays instead of waiting till the moment you are on the chopping block
adecentcreator@reddit
I completely agree with this. Sometimes the competing firms are the ones willing to pay more too. I do something similar myself. For better options and side gigs, I keep sending my updated resume to recruitment firms like in this post, check job boards here and there, and keep an eye on what other companies are doing and what shape they’re in.
Capable-Basket8233@reddit
I was going to post something similar but now ill just comment here.
I am tired of my job. I need a break. I have been at my company for five years so I am eligible for a sabbatical. I should be able to get 3 months. Excluding my holidays.
On the other hand I am also looking for a new job and actively interviewing. So I am not sure if I should start the topic of a sabbatical or not.
And what happens if I find a job during my sabbatical? Will I have to cut my sabbatical short and return to work ? Will I have to wait till the sabbatical is over?
DependentOne5770@reddit
i read this in my dog's voice
Toldoven@reddit
> This one is going to be short and to the point.
You don't start something you want to be short and to the point with this line.
535buffalo@reddit
I’m so underpaid
opinionsOnPears@reddit
I think you need to be careful with this one. Continuously going on interviews and not accepting offers could land you a reputation of wasting peoples time. I am not saying don't do it, just be mindful of other peoples time and how you handle rejecting offers.
Ashken@reddit
Can confirm: my 2 biggest career jumps were when I was interviewing around while employed. It felt like a much more massive struggle when I was looking for a job after being laid off.
As soon as I finish my current open source project I’m gonna put it on my resume and start looking again. Market be damned.
magicDinoBear@reddit
Always be interviewing!
Rosenvine@reddit
Interviewing is a muscle as well. Sometimes just exercising that muscle and making sure that you can still answer the "current trending interview questions" (Please imagine that with sparkles around it) can help you understand where the current winds are blowing. It also gives you indicators on what parts of your resume are working for you and what parts might need refined.
As far as "Getting Blackballed" goes. Much like how you can be laid off at anytime, you can leave at anytime as well, other than some brief personal hurt feelings everyone knows how the game is played.
BreadfruitFar706@reddit
what inspired you to write this part about the main character's decision
raiisin@reddit
Couldn’t agree more. Interviewing should be seen same as any other skill that requires practice.
obelix_dogmatix@reddit
Hard disagree. You bomb an interview, you are most likely not getting hired into that or other related teams anytime soon.
Inner_Butterfly1991@reddit
Most companies have a cool off period, my company is 6 months. So if you bomb an interview you can't be hired for the next 6 months, but after that you're treated as any new candidate would.
obelix_dogmatix@reddit
that’s what I said. My company has a 9 month period if you advanced to the technical rounds but didn’t make it.
Intelligent-Turnup@reddit
Just gotta make sure it's for jobs you don't want at companies you don't want to work for...
obelix_dogmatix@reddit
at which point I would argue that interviewing doesn’t help you much with confidence
Wide-Pop6050@reddit
Hmmm I consider myself a good interviewee but reading all these posts maybe I should brush up, it's been a while. I'd definitely have to think of new stories and how to tell them.
MrIcedCafeMocha@reddit
Yeah, no. I’m now working on a business on the side, hoping it takes off so I can quit being a swe. I’m tired of all the leetcode and rounds I have to jump through.
I’m getting away from tech.
DocLego@reddit
When I started looking, the first two positions I interviewed for were senior developer at Microsoft and staff developer at another large company...and I bombed them both because it had been 15 years since I'd interviewed and I was way out of practice. Really wished I'd done an interview occasionally. But of course I also wouldn't feel right interviewing unless I'd legitimately be willing to take the job if one was offered.
fmmmf@reddit
If it makes you feel any better, plenty of places conduct interviews while already having an internal candidate who will get the job.
In the end, do what's best for you.
SimpleMetricTon@reddit
Just sat in on a couple of those recently. Colleagues said, “If someone knocks our socks off that’s great, but it’s not what we’re expecting. “
mothzilla@reddit
I'd like to agree but it's shit loads of time and effort to go through the interview gauntlet. Conspiracy theory time: Making interviews stupidly hard is a preventative measure designed to discourage all developers from moving around.
SilentButDeadlySquid@reddit
I would add to this you should cultivate relationships with good recruiters. Good recruiters will find out who you are, what you want, and what you are looking for. I have seen over my career so many people complain about recruiters bothering them and I just never had an issue with it. Bad recruiters you ignore. Good recruiters you work with. Got a lot of free lunches out of it over the years.
One of mine on LI just posted about Oracle last week about how they had been telling people and telling people and they just wouldn't leave (to be fair I would take a severance too if I was long there) but now they want help and it is going to be hard to give it to them.
Rough-Most-6509@reddit
looks like there's a typo in the last sentence
windsostrange@reddit
Typos are good
arsenal11385@reddit
Yes, you should ALWAYS be on the lookout for jobs 100%. Great callout. The way to find interviewing less stressful is to interview more. If you do find a good gig through an opportunistic interview, then great! Its your career, dont let the market dictate your job whenever possible.
sippin-jesus-juice@reddit
I agree. My overall social skills were better when I was interviewing daily versus my normal WFH life. That being said, I won't do it out of sheer lack of time but I definitely think it would make tangible improvements.
It may be hard to find interviews that are interesting, or directly related to your career, but I think those small one-off interviews with interesting teams are still beneficial. I've learned lots of interesting stuff from companies I knew I didn't have a shot with (like a Python role when you have JS experience) but still took something away from them.
AHardCockToSuck@reddit
This takes a lot of opportunity from those who need jobs but can’t get an interview
ninetofivedev@reddit (OP)
Which is why it's a good idea to keep that resume and those skills sharp before you become that person.
Important-Hunt-61@reddit
As someone who felt like they should jump ship before they got laid off, I really wished I did this. I got my job before the ubiquitous nature of Leetcode problems and system design. Now I am playing catch up. At least if I was interviewing I might have been more bought into my job or at least better prepared to leave. Now I'm 2 months out of work and about to have to sell stock in my taxable brokerage account or beg my parents for support. Unemployment in my state is hard to get but I am at least going that route as well.