4 ms·

It'd be nice to be able to "unlock" this heightened awareness after you've become dulled - any ideas how to do that?

mooreds 7y ago
In my experience, it's really difficult. Things that have worked for me: * switch to a different department/team/role * take a sabbatical (maybe two weeks, but a month is better)
- wil421 7y ago
  How do you switch to a new department in a large org? I’ve been working on a couple cloud systems for 5 years. Demand is high in my area but I want something more technical but without a pay cut. I use JavaScript day to day and built a lot of REST/SOAP web services over the years. Most of the internal jobs are .net and I could learn c# (have some java experience out of college) but I don’t think my resume will sway the managers.
  - groby_b 7y ago
    You won't know until you ask. It depends on your org, clearly, but in general large companies are somewhat supportive of mobility, because it means they don't lose you to somebody else. Find a job you actually care about. Chat with the manager. See what they need. Good chance nothing comes off it, but at least some chance it opens doors for you. Maybe not even immediately, but six months later that manager mentions to another manager "Hey, X cares about Y - aren't you staffing up a new effort?" Without a paycut might be slightly harder, but usually large orgs operate, for better or worse, on "all software engineers are interchangeable cogs". This is one areas where that actually can play to your advantage ;)
    - wil421 7y ago
      If I switch internally I think I can avoid the pay cut. If I look outside I become a junior dev again in X technology, x could be .Net/C# or Python.
      - solipsism 7y ago
        If I look outside I become a junior dev again in X technology, x could be .Net/C# or Python. No, no, no. You're looking at the wrong companies. At the right companies, seniority has nothing (literally nothing) to do with how long you've used a particular programming language.
  - toast0 7y ago
    At the two large orgs I worked at, they both had procedures for moving to new departments. Had to be in the current role for at least X months (12, usually, i think), with good reviews for the last year or so; new department wasn't allowed to offer a raise, so offering less wasn't an option either, except for geographical market adjustments. Needed approval from new and old managers too. If you have an excellent relationship with your current manager, you could probably ask them about the details and if they know anywhere you might be more engaged. If it's not a great relationship, that's probably not the way to go; scope out the internal documentation and see what the options are, and talk to prospective new managers first.
  - mooreds 7y ago
    I've done it at small companies just by talking to my manager. Not sure how to do it at a large company.
- lonelappde 7y ago
  > sabbatical (maybe two weeks, but a month is better) With apologize for chauvinism, this is the most American comment of the week. A "sabbatical" of a month or less?
  - mooreds 7y ago
    Call it a long vacation.

In my experience, it's really difficult. Things that have worked for me: * switch to a different department/team/role * take a sabbatical (maybe two weeks, but a month is better)

wil421 7y ago
How do you switch to a new department in a large org? I’ve been working on a couple cloud systems for 5 years. Demand is high in my area but I want something more technical but without a pay cut. I use JavaScript day to day and built a lot of REST/SOAP web services over the years. Most of the internal jobs are .net and I could learn c# (have some java experience out of college) but I don’t think my resume will sway the managers.
- groby_b 7y ago
  You won't know until you ask. It depends on your org, clearly, but in general large companies are somewhat supportive of mobility, because it means they don't lose you to somebody else. Find a job you actually care about. Chat with the manager. See what they need. Good chance nothing comes off it, but at least some chance it opens doors for you. Maybe not even immediately, but six months later that manager mentions to another manager "Hey, X cares about Y - aren't you staffing up a new effort?" Without a paycut might be slightly harder, but usually large orgs operate, for better or worse, on "all software engineers are interchangeable cogs". This is one areas where that actually can play to your advantage ;)
  - wil421 7y ago
    If I switch internally I think I can avoid the pay cut. If I look outside I become a junior dev again in X technology, x could be .Net/C# or Python.
    - solipsism 7y ago
      If I look outside I become a junior dev again in X technology, x could be .Net/C# or Python. No, no, no. You're looking at the wrong companies. At the right companies, seniority has nothing (literally nothing) to do with how long you've used a particular programming language.
- toast0 7y ago
  At the two large orgs I worked at, they both had procedures for moving to new departments. Had to be in the current role for at least X months (12, usually, i think), with good reviews for the last year or so; new department wasn't allowed to offer a raise, so offering less wasn't an option either, except for geographical market adjustments. Needed approval from new and old managers too. If you have an excellent relationship with your current manager, you could probably ask them about the details and if they know anywhere you might be more engaged. If it's not a great relationship, that's probably not the way to go; scope out the internal documentation and see what the options are, and talk to prospective new managers first.
- mooreds 7y ago
  I've done it at small companies just by talking to my manager. Not sure how to do it at a large company.
lonelappde 7y ago
> sabbatical (maybe two weeks, but a month is better) With apologize for chauvinism, this is the most American comment of the week. A "sabbatical" of a month or less?
- mooreds 7y ago
  Call it a long vacation.