3 ms·

Maybe at large companies, but startups in SF will hire you as mid-level if you have some good projects and interview well.

Google234 6y ago
You will then be expected to work at thst mid level and evaluated against actual mid level engineers.
- nickysielicki 6y ago
  Do tell, what is an "actual mid level engineer"?
  - lozaning 6y ago
    Someone that does more than just the work assigned to them by someone else. It's largely more about how much influence you can be expected to have than a hard delineation in technical competence.
  - arcticbull 6y ago
    These are actually pretty well defined at the lower to mid levels. This is a ball-park. - IC3: Executes well on what is assigned to them by their manager. Requires direction. Does only what is told. Frequently an up-or-out role. "New Grad" - IC4: Identifies proactively what needs to be done and works with their manager to justify and schedule it. Beginning to show signs of independence, but requires managerial guidance. Frequently an up-or-out role. "Junior Engineer" - IC5: Identifies proactively what the team needs, and leads a cross-functional effort involving 2-3 individual contributors to complete it or solves the hard problems. Effectively autonomous, low blast radius. Terminal role. "Engineer." - IC6: Identifies proactively what the nearby organization needs beyond just the specific team, and leads a cross-functional effort involving 4-6 individual contributors, PM, marketing, design, etc, to solve those needs -- and solves the hardest problems. Effectively autonomous, high blast radius. Terminal, well-paid role. "Staff Engineer." The poster sounds like an IC3, and is likely to be paid like an IC3 until they can demonstrate their chops. At a start-up especially one without an engineering ladder, you start as an IC5. You will need to perform like one, as there's not a whole lot of room for folks who don't. FWIW, these numberings vary from company to company but expectations are roughly in line industry wide. Even if your company doesn't have a ladder, you should act like it does because when you company gets one, you wanna be up top.

Google234 6y ago

You will then be expected to work at thst mid level and evaluated against actual mid level engineers.

nickysielicki 6y ago
Do tell, what is an "actual mid level engineer"?
- lozaning 6y ago
  Someone that does more than just the work assigned to them by someone else. It's largely more about how much influence you can be expected to have than a hard delineation in technical competence.
- arcticbull 6y ago
  These are actually pretty well defined at the lower to mid levels. This is a ball-park. - IC3: Executes well on what is assigned to them by their manager. Requires direction. Does only what is told. Frequently an up-or-out role. "New Grad" - IC4: Identifies proactively what needs to be done and works with their manager to justify and schedule it. Beginning to show signs of independence, but requires managerial guidance. Frequently an up-or-out role. "Junior Engineer" - IC5: Identifies proactively what the team needs, and leads a cross-functional effort involving 2-3 individual contributors to complete it or solves the hard problems. Effectively autonomous, low blast radius. Terminal role. "Engineer." - IC6: Identifies proactively what the nearby organization needs beyond just the specific team, and leads a cross-functional effort involving 4-6 individual contributors, PM, marketing, design, etc, to solve those needs -- and solves the hardest problems. Effectively autonomous, high blast radius. Terminal, well-paid role. "Staff Engineer." The poster sounds like an IC3, and is likely to be paid like an IC3 until they can demonstrate their chops. At a start-up especially one without an engineering ladder, you start as an IC5. You will need to perform like one, as there's not a whole lot of room for folks who don't. FWIW, these numberings vary from company to company but expectations are roughly in line industry wide. Even if your company doesn't have a ladder, you should act like it does because when you company gets one, you wanna be up top.