Big 4 Discussion - December 06, 2017 CS Career Questions |
- Big 4 Discussion - December 06, 2017
- Daily Chat Thread - December 06, 2017
- Is it just me or do companies call themselves "startups" as some sort of gimmick to exploit employees?
- Is it wrong to call out recruiters for not calling you when you arranged to talk?
- Is it harder to get into big N and unicorn companies as an experienced hire?
- [rant] How common is yelling in this industry?
- Recommendations for wife (33 years old) just getting into CS
- [OFFICIAL] Salary Sharing thread for NEW GRADS :: December, 2017
- How was your HP Internship?
- How does compensation at at large tech companies compare to compensation at tech-minded finance firms 2, 3, or more years out?
- IBM Finish Line SF: Have you received an offer yet?
- Dealing with depression while also having to work on your career?
- Advice: How I Became a Software Developer
- Spring Internship Recruiting Timeline?
- How to break into the industry with a Mechanical Engineering degree?
- Succeeding at an internship (as a noob)
- Has anyone ever quit their job without having another lined up?
- If you are self-taught and don't have any experience but have some personal projects, what looks better...contributing to open source or freelance/contract work?
- Starting a startup after college
- Summer Recruiting Timeline/Cycles?
- Let go after 5 months, not sure how to move forward
- Got SDE internship in Seattle, live with friend or find another intern? Relocation advice
- I was told I have the technical skills of a senior engineer, but the project management and communication skills of a new grad, what can I do to improve?
- Small ethics question
- CS Majors and Programmers, what are some good ways to expand your social circle to good programming influences/mentors?
- Questions to ask an early-stage startup?
| Big 4 Discussion - December 06, 2017 Posted: 05 Dec 2017 11:07 PM PST Please use this thread to have discussions about the Big 4 and questions related to the Big 4, such as which one offers the best doggy benefits, or how many companies are in the Big 4 really? Posts focusing solely on Big 4 created outside of this thread will probably be removed. Abide by the rules, don't be a jerk. This thread is posted each Sunday and Wednesday at midnight PST. Previous Big 4 Discussion threads can be found here. [link] [comments]  |
| Daily Chat Thread - December 06, 2017 Posted: 05 Dec 2017 11:07 PM PST Please use this thread to chat, have casual discussions, and ask casual questions. Moderation will be light, but don't be a jerk. This thread is posted every day at midnight PST. Previous Daily Chat Threads can be found here. [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 06 Dec 2017 08:22 AM PST I've been working for startups for the past 8 years now and I've interviewed with tons of startups as well. Over that time period I've come to notice that people use the word "startup" as gimmick to exploit their employees. Here are just some of the things I've experienced:
There is also this confusion as to what a "startup" even is. I was talking with a co-worker about how the startup he worked for had fantastic benefits. I looked it up and the company was started in 1998 and he left in 2015. That is not a startup, sorry. Granted not every startup is like this, but the majority of the ones I've come in contact with were. What do you think? [link] [comments]  |
| Is it wrong to call out recruiters for not calling you when you arranged to talk? Posted: 06 Dec 2017 03:24 PM PST I'm getting tired of this shit. Exchanging multiple emails with a recruiter over LinkedIn to arrange an interview call, update my resume, find an empty conference room at work, set up my laptop, sit around waiting for a call, only to never hear from them again. I'm totally okay with recruiters calling me up to half an hour late. I get it, stuff comes up. But to say that we'll talk at a specific time and never even send a quick email to let me know they won't be calling anymore? It's a waste of my fucking time. Normally I let these things go but I want to start calling recruiters out for being unprofessional. [link] [comments]  |
| Is it harder to get into big N and unicorn companies as an experienced hire? Posted: 06 Dec 2017 01:57 PM PST For those who have 1-3 yrs of experience and can no longer apply for new grad positions, is it much harder to get into those companies as an experienced hire because the interviews are much harder? [link] [comments]  |
| [rant] How common is yelling in this industry? Posted: 06 Dec 2017 08:53 AM PST How common is it for superiors (managers, senior techs, etc.) to raise their voice and yell at juniors? Is this a common thing or just at bad companies? I ask because I am not sure whether to suck it up and stay at my current job or look for another only to have it be just as bad, if not worse. Just today, my boss was yelling at me over the phone because of some error a client was experiencing. Whether the error was because of something I did or Windows Update, I'm not certain. But that didn't matter to my boss who let me have a earful along with a threat of being fired. This isn't the only time either. Last week the boss told me to utilize our support software and remote connect to some client computer, but I had never been trained on using this software, I only caught a glimpse of it looking over another's shoulder. That didn't matter because I should apparently have telepathic powers to instantly know how to use all of our company's tools in my first three months without any training. This has turned into a rant, and I'm already applying to other companies (start of the fiscal year, right?). I just want to know if I should expect this kind of treatment regardless of where I'm working? EDIT: Thanks for all the responses. After reading through these, I've decided to leave this company. I should have taken a hint where the first interaction I had with my new boss on the first day was a spout of yelling because I was unfamiliar with how to use a Mac (which I explained during the interview process). I'll offer an olive branch of a two weeks notice, but honestly I'm hoping manager will see that and let me go immediately. Even though I don't have another job lined up, this one I'm at now is not worth my sanity and all this stress for $35,000/yr. I'll be more active on this subreddit for the time being until I secure my next employment, in the meantime, back to personal projects and leetcode. [link] [comments]  |
| Recommendations for wife (33 years old) just getting into CS Posted: 06 Dec 2017 12:34 PM PST Hello all, I am a software engineer at a big-4 and my wife is a SAHM for our two kids. She has a non-technical background and is an immigrant to the US, so she has no CS/technical credentials of any sort at all. Recently, we've been discussing options for her re-entering the workforce when our kids are older (they're 0.5 and 2.5 now, so... 3-4-5-6 years from now?). She has expressed interest in computer science and becoming involved in software engineering. I'm excited and being super supportive, and plan to essentially tutor her as much as possible and teach her CS "from scratch", but I was wondering:
My fairly-hastily created idea at present is as such:
Does anyone have any thoughts? Is this realistic at all? Anyone go through anything similar? Is school a better option? [link] [comments]  |
| [OFFICIAL] Salary Sharing thread for NEW GRADS :: December, 2017 Posted: 05 Dec 2017 11:07 PM PST MODNOTE: Some people like these threads, some people hate them. If you hate them, that's fine, but please don't get in the way of the people who find them useful. Thanks! This thread is for sharing recent new grad offers you've gotten or current salaries for new grads (< 2 years' experience). Friday will be the thread for people with more experience. Please only post an offer if you're including hard numbers, but feel free to use a throwaway account if you're concerned about anonymity. You can also genericize some of your answers (e.g. "Adtech company" or "Finance startup"), or add fields if you feel something is particularly relevant.
The format here is slightly unusual, so please make sure to post under the appropriate top-level thread, which are: US [High/Medium/Low] CoL, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Latin America, ANZC, Asia, or Other. If you don't work in the US, you can ignore the rest of this post. To determine cost of living buckets, I used this site: http://www.bestplaces.net/ If the principal city of your metro is not in the reference list below, go to bestplaces, type in the name of the principal city (or city where you work in if there's no such thing), and then click "Cost of Living" in the left sidebar. The buckets are based on the Overall number: [Low: < 100], [Medium: >= 100, < 150], [High: >= 150]. High CoL: NYC, LA, DC, SF Bay Area, Seattle, Boston, San Diego Medium CoL: Chicago, Houston, Miami, Atlanta, Riverside, Minneapolis, Denver, Portland, Sacramento, Las Vegas, Austin, Raleigh Low CoL: Dallas, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Detroit, Tampa, St. Louis, Baltimore, Charlotte, Orlando, San Antonio, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Kansas City [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 06 Dec 2017 07:25 PM PST I recently got an internship offer from Hewlett Packard and was wondering if anyone who interned there in the past could share what their experience was like (i.e. how was the environment/culture, what the work was like, relocation etc)? I would be interning at their Houston location more specifically. [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 06 Dec 2017 07:02 PM PST This was inspired by seeing the new grad salary sharing thread, where there's a lot of info about what big tech companies and HFT/prop shops are offering their new grads this year. It seems that the compensation is pretty close between the two groups for new grads, but I'm wondering if anyone has enough experience to know whether or not the two groups diverge the further you get into your career. [link] [comments]  |
| IBM Finish Line SF: Have you received an offer yet? Posted: 06 Dec 2017 06:42 PM PST If so, though what method (text/email/call/etc) and how long after the event ended? [link] [comments]  |
| Dealing with depression while also having to work on your career? Posted: 06 Dec 2017 06:01 PM PST Hey guys. Long story short, I'm a current Senior, going through the job search grind, and I'm also dealing with depression. I wasn't able to get a full time position this semester (didn't even really prepare too hard because of, well, depression), so I'm going to have to study over my winter break, and job search in my next and final semester. I used to be a pretty smart and ambitious guy before my mental health issues kicked in, so I want to do well, but at the same time I find it incredibly hard to keep motivated while in these dark times. Does anyone have any advice on how to deal with this extremely unfortunate situation I'm in? And before anyone asks, yes I am actively working on my issues. But these things take time. [link] [comments]  |
| Advice: How I Became a Software Developer Posted: 06 Dec 2017 02:07 PM PST Around four years ago I quit my well-paying job as a data analyst to begin my career as a software developer. I've shared a lot of advice with junior developers and college students about navigating through the industry and finally decided to condense the information into one post (and video). First, some background about me:
Considering my background - I don't have a CS degree from a university like Georgia Tech, Stanford, etc. - I thought my perspective on getting into the industry would be valuable to those who are in the process of breaking into the industry. I'll be as transparent as possible and I'm open to any further clarifying questions. Foot in the door I admittedly had an easy entrance into the industry although it didn't last for long. When I was in college doing internship interviews, I had one interview at The Home Depot as a software developer intern which I ended up turning down. It wasn't until about two years later after my senior year of college and a year into my first job out of college that I decided I wanted to do software development. Thankfully I was on good terms with the people who interviewed me at the time. I reached out to them on LinkedIn and asked if they were still interested. They were receptive, flew me in for an interview, and not long after I accepted an offer switching industries less than a year into my first job post-college. It didn't take long for me to realize I hated it there. A lot. After just a few months I walked in one day and told my manager I quit. I'll admit, I was a bit cocky at the time thinking my degree and my resume with one job of a few months at this company would be an easy ticket into my next job. Given the labor market, I expected to be unemployed for 2-3 weeks at most. Wrong. I spent the next three months unemployed. Lesson: It's easier to find a job when you're already employed and this is even more true earlier on in your career. After your first job out of college, your degree loses a lot of its value. Think of it like a new car the second you drive it off the lot. Learning how to sell After three months of unemployment, I was starting to freak out. Life was stressful as hell at the time and I was starting to get desperate. I got turned down for a few jobs I knew I could do so something had to change. I had an interview at Autotrader as a UI developer. My technical interview wasn't going as well as I wanted it to and not long into the interview, they decided to wrap it up early. At least I think they did. They had five sheets of questions and we barely got through two. In a move of desperation, I went into full selling mode. I said, "Look, I realize I don't know everything right now but you're not going to find someone as hardworking as me. Call any of my references, call past employers, call teachers from high school and college who worked closely with me and tell them you're in a room with me and you're not sure whether or not to hire me. I guarantee you, they will tell you not to let me out of the room without signing. They'll tell you I'm someone who works their ass off and gets results." I was as honest as I could possibly be with them. They listened, didn't say much afterwards, and we wrapped up the interview as usual. A few hours later, I got a call saying I got the job offer. Lesson: Selling yourself in interviews is uncomfortable as hell but you have to get used to it if you want results. Knowing your worth A few jobs later I was working at a digital agency that hired me on to do AngularJS work. They sold the job as very laid back, low stress, with a sole focus on AngularJS work - exactly what I was looking for at the time. My first day on the job they tell me I have a meeting that night from 7-9pm. This continued week after week and not longer after I was working 70-80 hour weeks. I was the sole UI developer at this company responsible for delivering multiple projects to big name clients. They had no other resource at the time to fill this need other than me. Fed up with this lie during my interview process, I showed up to work one day and called the recruiter who coordinated the role. I said, "I want a raise of $X by the end of the day today or I'm walking." After some questioning to ensure I wasn't joking and that I was serious about leaving that day if I didn't get my raise, she scrambled to make some phone calls. A few hours later, it was confirmed I got my raise. Lesson: Know your worth and stand up for yourself. If you've been lied to, do something about it with whatever leverage you have. Analyze employment from the employer's POV While I was at this digital agency, I was contacted about a job opportunity with a dev shop who had an immediate need for someone with my skillset to be the team lead for a big project they were working on. I went in for an interview which was straightforward and more conversational than anything. During the interview they continued to address that they wanted me to lead the team and they'd need an answer very soon because of how quickly they needed to fill the position. A meeting was days away and the project was huge for them. I quickly realized my negotiating power in the relationship:
Later that day when the recruiter called me to discuss money, I decided to shoot high. Really high. Like, double my current income high. I told him my price and immediately he told me it was impossible. For a nice round number let's say I asked for $20/hr to double what I was currently making: $10/hr. He responded saying $10/hr was the most they could do. I thanked him for his time and said I wasn't interested at that price and I had work to do. A while later, he calls back saying they can do $12/hr. I reply that my target is $20 and I'm not budging. He continues to tell me $20 is completely unrealistic, well above what anyone is making in town and that I need to meet in the middle. I decline again. He calls again saying he can do $15/hr. Again, I tell him it's short of my target. He calls a third time saying $18/hr but that's the most they can do and at this point they're losing money. I decline again. This is easily the most negotiating I've ever done and it was extremely uncomfortable. At this point I figure they've moved on. 10 minutes later I get another call saying they'll do $20/hr, meeting me at my initial price which meant that in one day I doubled my income. Lesson: Negotiation is tough and there's a reason people don't like to do it. Learn to live with that discomfort or accept that you'll never get paid what you believe you're worth. I realize this post was long but I've vlogged the story of my career on YouTube in even greater detail (literally walking you through my LinkedIn profile including some job transitions I didn't cover here) also sharing some coding resources I used along the way. I've had positive feedback so far and thought some highlights might be worth sharing here. Again, if you have any additional questions feel free to ask me here or through PM. [link] [comments]  |
| Spring Internship Recruiting Timeline? Posted: 06 Dec 2017 11:21 AM PST Fall recruiting wasn't as successful as I had hoped, so it looks like I'll be actively trying to get recruited to internships in the Spring. My questions are:
[link] [comments]  |
| How to break into the industry with a Mechanical Engineering degree? Posted: 06 Dec 2017 03:34 PM PST I'm finishing up a Mechanical Engineering degree. While looking for full-time employment, I noticed an extreme lack of Mechanical Engineering jobs and a plethora of Software Engineering jobs. I also found the Software Engineering jobs much more interesting. I do have some computer science experience (Python, SQL, and MATLAB). I'm also taking a C++ next semester. However, the Python and C++ is all beginner level. How can I get my foot in the door in the industry without having to go back to school? [link] [comments]  |
| Succeeding at an internship (as a noob) Posted: 06 Dec 2017 06:33 PM PST Hi guys, I was very, very fortunate to have received an incredible internship offer for Summer 2018. I had a small marketing internship prior to this where I did some web dev but hardly anything substantial. For anyone who remembers their first internship experience, please share how it was and what you wish you knew before you joined! It would be great to hear more technical things (i.e. were you proficient with the vcs used by the company, how did you learn to document code, how long did it take to learn the workings of the company stack, etc.) [link] [comments]  |
| Has anyone ever quit their job without having another lined up? Posted: 06 Dec 2017 06:30 PM PST I do application support for a software company that is rapidly growing, but still sort of runs like it's the Wild West. My job essentially exists to deal with the customers so the devs don't have to, and I don't think I can take it anymore. I work second shift by myself from home (the rest of the support team works 9-5) and I take all the calls in the evenings from over 200 clients with large industrial systems scattered around the world. The hotline is supposed to be "emergency calls" but I get at least a dozen a night. I am CONSTANTLY on the phone putting out fires, and never have time to look into the deeper issues. I can't even keep my tickets updated because I'm jumping from one call to the next. I'm the first and last line of defense. The customers call me direct and I have to answer and sit on the phone with them till trucks are shipping again. I find myself juggling multiple system downs and it's a TON of stress. I don't feel like I can grow here with this company anymore. I have really strong SQL skills, and programming fundamentals are fairly solid. I would like to do something with databases or some type of development. For my job now I look at jobs, execution plans, write stored procedures and triggers etc. And I have written small programs in the past, dig into the code when I have to, etc, but I'm not quite strong enough yet to get a dev job yet with my current skill set. I have an associate's in computer programming, and a bachelor's in something non-CS related. I have a lot of money saved up, and I have this fantasy about just quitting and taking like 6 months to work on personal projects and/or improve my skills. I have an app I want to build, and I want to have my own personal boot camp where all I do is study and learn with Pluralsight etc. Just so I can get better at what I do. But I don't have the balls to quit my job and just do it. Right now after all the stress I go through everyday, I don't want to go near my laptop when I'm off shift. All I think of is getting yelled at by customers and it makes me sick, and I don't enjoy programming anymore. I get lip service from management that I can grow with this company and eventually one day maybe "move up" to some other position, but I just don't see it or happening any time soon. Based on what I've seen so far with others here, I don't see myself ever truly getting out of the support department with this company. Plus I feel that with all the time I spend putting out fires, I never really get a chance to grow and learn things on a deeper, fundamental level. Everyone tells me I'd be stupid to want to quit, but I would like your opinions. Many say I have a good job because of the better than average pay and work from home benefits, but I freaking hate it. I am just tired of this and I am not fulfilled. I want to be better at what I do, and I don't want to talk to people on the phone anymore. Am I stupid to quit and take some time to refresh and improve my skills, and then seek more fulfilling employment? TL:DR -- Tired of doing end user support. I have money in the bank and can coast 6 months to a year without employment. Should I quit and focus on improving myself for a while, then try to enter the job market again? Am I stupid for wanting to do this? [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 06 Dec 2017 06:21 PM PST |
| Starting a startup after college Posted: 06 Dec 2017 07:00 AM PST I've always wanted to start my own business with the integration of software development, despite knowing that >75% ventured backed startups fail. However, I want to still do it even if it fails. Q) If I were to spend 2 years starting a startup (registering company, networking, developing,) would my skills be valuable or would employers call this BS and dismiss my effort as an unemployment for 2 years? [link] [comments]  |
| Summer Recruiting Timeline/Cycles? Posted: 06 Dec 2017 02:07 PM PST Is it true that recruiting dies down around now and picks back up in January? I have already applied to several companies and received a few offers during the fall cycle, and am trying to strategize when to apply to the remaining companies (mostly unicorns) on my list. Would you suggest applying now or waiting until January rolls around? Another thing to consider is that my school's spring career fairs are late January. [link] [comments]  |
| Let go after 5 months, not sure how to move forward Posted: 06 Dec 2017 05:31 PM PST After approximately 5 months at my first job as a junior developer, I've been let go. My manager told me I wasn't performing at the level they had expected. I worked primarily on writing high-performance c++ code, which I suppose I wasn't cut out to do. I wrote correct/functional code but it just took me way too damn long to accomplish the tasks they gave me. So here is where I think that I am fucked and could use any advice. Prior to landing this job, I took 1 year and 5 months off after college (due mostly to mental health/substance abuse issues that I have since resolved). I'm wondering if I have any chance at landing interviews with that kind of gap followed by a 5 month gig that I was ultimately let go from. I'm pretty solid with software design and data structures / algorithms, and am a pretty knowledgable C++ developer. My issue is whether I even stand a chance to get any interviews. I know that I'll have to just jump in and start sending my resume out, but if anyone has advice about how I should move forward, I'd be grateful. Thanks [link] [comments]  |
| Got SDE internship in Seattle, live with friend or find another intern? Relocation advice Posted: 06 Dec 2017 08:10 AM PST Hi guys, I received an offer and will relocate to Seattle for three months next semester. Taking the stipend offered over the corporate housing seems the woser choice, but I'm trying to decide who/where to live with. Should I go with my friend who lives 25 min outside of Seattle, or find another intern to try and make connections and network? What would you guys do? What's your recommendation in choosing how to handle relocation? [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 06 Dec 2017 07:54 PM PST I'm a new grad who's interested in returning to a company I've done an internship at. Since I know I did really well during my internship and they really want me back, I thought they might consider giving me a senior role. However, they said my project management and communication skills aren't good enough to justify giving me a senior role. I guess what they meant is that I frequently needed someone to tell me what to do. I often forget to do things like writing documentation, reaching out to people, and creating meetings. E.g. I realized that I should ask someone for advice before starting on a project, but I just start working and forget to book a meeting until my manager points out that I should ask someone. What are some ways to quickly become a senior engineer? E.g. is there a Cracking the Coding Interview for becoming a senior engineer or engineering manager? [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 06 Dec 2017 07:39 PM PST Hello CSCQ! I have an ethics question to ask of you all. I'm starting work at a company next May which has a choice of multiple office locations. The office location I am interested in is a place my SO and I have wanted to live all of our lives. We have been planning to move there these past couple of years, but it's a fairly competitive location and I need a good excuse to get it, which leads me to my main question. My SO is currently going through a serious illness, but they will be OK in a few months. However, my SO mentioned to me that I could use this illness as a possible justification for the office location. I just wanted to know if this type of justification is, well, justified. I have many other reasons, but seeing as this location seems particularly competitive I just wanted to know if this type of "edge" would be overkill/morally corrupt or not. Thanks in advance, and you all have been a great resource these past few years and I thank you all for helping me get to this point in the first place. [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 06 Dec 2017 07:17 PM PST In my particular case, my college lacks a programming or coding club. What are some other sure-fire ways of meeting people with similar interests and actually developing a network/friendship for assistance, education, and getting to know some kind and interesting people? [link] [comments]  |
| Questions to ask an early-stage startup? Posted: 06 Dec 2017 07:13 PM PST I recently met someone at a hackathon and they got my number regarding an early stage startup. The startup at the moment only has 2 other developers, I'd be the third. I'm not sure if they've gotten any funding or anything like that. What kind of questions should I be asking them during our meeting? [link] [comments]  |
| You are subscribed to email updates from CS Career Questions. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
No comments:
Post a Comment