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I realized this is how it is at my current employer too. They have very strict processes around this to manage seniority. For example, I am currently at a low

I realized this is how it is at my current employer too. They have very strict processes around this to manage seniority. For example, I am currently at a lower title (level 2) than another developer on my team (level 3) who I spend at least half an hour a day managing and coaching. We have to be very diligent with code reviews for this person because there is a lot of stuff they miss. I feel like they would be a good fit for a junior (level 1). However, they've put in their five years and received their promotions and pay raises. They have a lot of process tied to seniority. You can only get a title increase every few years and no more than one title at a time without a review all the way up to the VP. You can't ask for more vacation as it is formulaic and HR isn't interested in making exceptions. This is definitely a company for those who like to keep their seat warm and then go home to their families in the evenings, all the while enjoying the job security and lack of autonomy. Since my interview at Google didn't pan out, I'm working on a startup on the side to keep myself sane. In the mean time I reason it will be a good experience of what not to do.

jrockway 16y ago
I think every company is like this, which is what's depressing. Solid and reliable software is not in demand, and where it is, it's assumed that process (not creativity) is what gets it. It's OK, though, because I can write solid software faster than other people can write shitty software :)
- alexro 16y ago
  I think the companies in general are better than in your one-sided opinion. For instance, think about hundreds of companies that need to manage financial data. They create solutions to take data from database A and put it into database B. People who maintain this code are usually 100% more critical to the company than an average "awesome programmer". And these people get promoted based on the years of service.
- illumin8 16y ago
  This. Although I've found in my career that at companies like that, once you reach your mid 30s and are married, or have a family, for some reason they feel you are more stable and reliable and are more likely to promote you to some position like team lead or architect. It really sucks, but for some reason, the most talented developers who are usually in their early 20s are seen as "less reliable" and more likely to jump ship taking a lot of product specific knowledge with them, so they are usually not trusted with positions of seniority. Then, by the time we're in our 30s and have more important obligations like family, etc, we are promoted to positions where our 22 year old self would be more suited to the work load. Hopefully in the 15 years between these two phases we have gained some wisdom.

jrockway 16y ago

I think every company is like this, which is what's depressing. Solid and reliable software is not in demand, and where it is, it's assumed that process (not creativity) is what gets it. It's OK, though, because I can write solid software faster than other people can write shitty software :)

alexro 16y ago
I think the companies in general are better than in your one-sided opinion. For instance, think about hundreds of companies that need to manage financial data. They create solutions to take data from database A and put it into database B. People who maintain this code are usually 100% more critical to the company than an average "awesome programmer". And these people get promoted based on the years of service.
illumin8 16y ago
This. Although I've found in my career that at companies like that, once you reach your mid 30s and are married, or have a family, for some reason they feel you are more stable and reliable and are more likely to promote you to some position like team lead or architect. It really sucks, but for some reason, the most talented developers who are usually in their early 20s are seen as "less reliable" and more likely to jump ship taking a lot of product specific knowledge with them, so they are usually not trusted with positions of seniority. Then, by the time we're in our 30s and have more important obligations like family, etc, we are promoted to positions where our 22 year old self would be more suited to the work load. Hopefully in the 15 years between these two phases we have gained some wisdom.