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Meh...working in the opposite direction, I just took two companies that, off the top of my head, would seem like attractive places to work (Stripe and AirBnB).
by curun1r 10y ago
Meh...working in the opposite direction, I just took two companies that, off the top of my head, would seem like attractive places to work (Stripe and AirBnB). Both have listed openings of the somewhat rare position that I'd be looking for (Engineering Manager). I went to LinkedIn and searched for each company and looked at just recruiting profiles. I found 12 and 8 mutual contacts, respectively, that I could easily ask to pocket a referral bonus in exchange for forwarding my resume along with a small recommendation note.
Granted, I make the effort to network, especially with people who I have enough of a working relationship with that they'd recommend me. But it seems just based on my quick sanity check, that networking could easily work well enough to find a job should I decide I need one. And that's not even counting the 4-5 unsolicited contacts per month that come in from recruiters that I was referred to them by someone I know.
Sample size of 1 and perhaps I distinguish myself more than others, but I can say with certainty that the effort I've put into networking means I won't have problems getting an interview in the current market. If the market tanks, the story might be different.
- erikb 10y agoWhat do you understand as "Engineering Manager"? In software an engineer that upgraded to managing other engineers seems to be common practice.
- curun1r 10y agoYes, it's common practice. It's how I originally became a manager. That's why it's somewhat rare to see job openings for those management positions. Most companies would rather promote from within than hire an someone from outside the company. Managers are often most effective when the people being managed believe they understand the work being done intimately and the easiest way to show that is to have done that work prior to becoming a manager. But management is also a discipline apart from the work being done by the team. I made a ton of mistakes early in my time as a manager. I was also fortunate enough to work for a company that had a management training program that was hugely helpful. And I'm also fortunate to have a parent that teaches interpersonal dynamics in a business school, so I've had a lot of exposure to the theory behind the practice. I feel this has made me a lot better manager now than I was when I first started, despite the fact that my actual abilities to write code have suffered somewhat from lack of practice.
- erikb 10y agoYeah, alright. That makes sense.