| Life is too short to be unhappy with anything, anyone, etc; so make a change. Here is a list of criteria I have gathered over the past 20 years in tech on finding the right fit. It doesn't have to apply to just software/technology jobs. 1 - Is software/technology the company's main source of revenue? This is my top-most question, because I have been an engineer in several organizations where software/technology wasn't their primary concern and it sucks for lots of reasons. All of the reasons funnel back to this question. It makes economic sense that if you're an engineer at a law firm (as an example), you are not the organization's primary concern because you likely do not contribute to the organization's primary source of revenue: litigation. This will have all kinds of downsides to it: lack of training whether from budget constraints or a lack of mentors; lack of advancement on the right things to match a thriving career in software/tech; a lack of pay. 2 - Does the company make software/technology for the right reasons? This might be a stickler for lots of other HN readers, but I have made an effort to stay away from tech companies who participate in the supply chains of industries that I take up issue with. Example: I'm not fond of war for any reason, so working for a defense contractor is out of the question. Even when the sales pitch sounds great, I still look at whether I'll be able to sleep at night knowing I'm making a contribution to the things I care about. 3 - Does the initial environment suit me? I emphasis the word, 'initial', because this will change as all environments do... Even at the few companies I have found over the years, they all changed in ways that communicated to me, it was time to move on. People, politics, mergers, acquisitions, lack of new opportunity, etc- The landscape will forever be changing so find your tolerance level for the changes you can handle and work with it, not against it. 4 - Check in with yourself frequently and ask yourself, "Do I still love what I'm working on?" and be willing to make positive changes if the answer is no. 'Knowing thyself' is some of the oldest philosophical wisdom and for good reason. You will continue to jump from one circumstance to another if you don't truly know what does make you happy. I spent years trying to climb the corporate ladder and realized that I'm not cut out for management, but I like being a leader. One can be a leader anywhere... with or without followers, subordinates, etc. Besides most people love and respect leaders, while despise and tolerate managers. You will feel like you made mistakes and bad decisions along the way, but this is normal growth. Just keep focusing on what brings you happiness. |