Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by metanoia 2381 days ago
Modified for myself: I was a kid programmer and my parents thought it sounded crazy to spend college learning to code. I studied pre-med but didn't go to med school.

This was in 1998 for me, and at that age I didn't know how to push back on my parents. Good 'ol Asian parents didn't know anything out of the big 3 (Doctor, Lawyer, [Licensed] Engineer). Still going to therapy for that.

I am now in a software engineering job as a TL but I'd say I'm about 8 years behind in my SWE career, after soujourns in a microbiology lab, food manufacturing, retail inventory planning, and then product management in retail, and then to engineering. To be fair, this might still be the case as the dot-com implosion happened just before I graduated from college.

I have amazing, varied experience as both an IC and people manager, but I don't have the ticket known as a CS degree. I'm thankful for the path I've taken but eventually I will have to make a jump to a "real" tech company, and I can't say that I don't have some apprehension about my lack of formal CS training, as well as age.
1 comments
torgian 2381 days ago
Similar boat here; not Asian, but I was in the military, and got into CS when I was 30; got a remote gig at 36. I get paid far, far less than others, but I also happen to live in a low cost of living country, so it (kinda?) evens out.

I would like to get paid more money, and I think I could look for higher paying work at this point. However,I actually do like the company I work for, and it's fairly low stress. I also have enough time to work side projects and start on my Masters (in Geoinformatics, not CS)

And yeah. I feel you on the age apprehension. I think it would be much harder for me to find a software gig back in the States now just due to my age.

link
metanoia 2381 days ago
Like other feedback in this thread has already covered, the upside is that coding is applicable anywhere, and in fact, I think that outside of our little tech-bubble, it has greater impact as fewer people have those skills. Even a small amount of tech applied to the right place can have huge value.

It's just that the Asian kid in me is thinking I need FAANG on my resume even for a short time to get some street cred. Like you, I do like my job, the comp is OK, but eventually all things come to a end.

link
torgian 2381 days ago
I don’t think FAANG is really that necessarily important though. Sure, it might open up some opportunities. So would making good stuff that people might eventually recognize.

IMO, I dong think I could ever get into a faang company. I’m terrible with algorithm interviews. I also don’t think the job would be that fulfilling... what is useful about making or maintaining projects that focus on data, ads, etc, that doesn’t benefit anyone?

The money would be good, but eh... maybe I won’t ever make as much as a guy a google, but I can say I was involved in a project that helped disabled people get picked up by a bus more easily.

link