[yladiz]

> not very proactive in learning or side projects

Why do side projects matter for a job? Learning, maybe, but they both point to "extracurricular" time spent programming, which shouldn't affect someone's hiring. I've been on hiring panels and have pushed specifically against that mentality, because I strongly believe what a person is interested in outside of their work shouldn't affect my decision to hire them, as long as they're competent during the interview.

[alexanderscott]

I agree with that. it shouldn’t have to be extracurricular. in fact, having outside interests other than programming is a plus.

but there are plenty of ways to learn the general basics of modern computing on company dime. whether thru training, talking with peers, reviewing others code, or taking a step back and looking at architecture outside your specific domain.

if I’m speaking with a frontend engineer on my team who doesn’t understand how his code is deployed or basics on the compute resources used to run that code it’s likely not going to be a very productive discussion