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Software engineers specifically probably benefited a lot from WFHing in 2020-2021 by being able to grind leetcode during downtime within working hours. Office

Software engineers specifically probably benefited a lot from WFHing in 2020-2021 by being able to grind leetcode during downtime within working hours. Office workers (including SWEs) in general benefited a lot because WFHing made the logistics of interviewing around significantly easier. A lot of my old department at my previous company jumped ship for places that offered significantly more pay (specifically, tech companies) or better WFH policies. More people left in the span of a few months during the summer of 2021 than I recall leaving during my entire tenure there (7 years).

ncpa-cpl 5y ago
> or better WFH policies The main reason I stay in my job is that our department is pro WFH.
- decafninja 5y ago
  I have heard since my departure that base salaries have been bumped up. Now compensation is competitive versus other banks at least, but probably still around at least ~25% lower than most decent tech companies, and ~100% lower than FAANG tier companies. WFH policy is as conservative and hostile as ever AFAIK.
alienthrowaway 5y ago
> Software engineers specifically probably benefited a lot from WFHing in 2020-2021 by being able to grind leetcode during downtime within working hours. Speaking for myself, grinding leetcode in 2021 was very difficult because I was close to burning-out (very little outdoor recreation, blurred lines between work hours and non-work hours which resulted in me frequently working 9-11 hours per day (with breaks). I think it would have been easier pre-covid. With in-person schools and daycares closed and the kids at home, there was no "downtime within working hours" - cue the working late at night after kids had gone to bed to make up for it (and the subsequent near-burnout experience). Also, my recruiter told me they were seeing record-high post-screen interview cancellations by interviewees during COVID times - but perhaps their numbers were not representative. My suspicion is that there was a massive mental health disaster that was mostly hidden from view[1], and software engineers were not spared. 1. I wasn't even aware of my mental state until I started grinding leetcode and recognized the tell-tale signs of burnout as I had experienced full-blown burnout before (my self-motivation was reduced, but not yet gone)

ncpa-cpl 5y ago

> or better WFH policies The main reason I stay in my job is that our department is pro WFH.

decafninja 5y ago
I have heard since my departure that base salaries have been bumped up. Now compensation is competitive versus other banks at least, but probably still around at least ~25% lower than most decent tech companies, and ~100% lower than FAANG tier companies. WFH policy is as conservative and hostile as ever AFAIK.

alienthrowaway 5y ago

> Software engineers specifically probably benefited a lot from WFHing in 2020-2021 by being able to grind leetcode during downtime within working hours. Speaking for myself, grinding leetcode in 2021 was very difficult because I was close to burning-out (very little outdoor recreation, blurred lines between work hours and non-work hours which resulted in me frequently working 9-11 hours per day (with breaks). I think it would have been easier pre-covid. With in-person schools and daycares closed and the kids at home, there was no "downtime within working hours" - cue the working late at night after kids had gone to bed to make up for it (and the subsequent near-burnout experience). Also, my recruiter told me they were seeing record-high post-screen interview cancellations by interviewees during COVID times - but perhaps their numbers were not representative. My suspicion is that there was a massive mental health disaster that was mostly hidden from view[1], and software engineers were not spared. 1. I wasn't even aware of my mental state until I started grinding leetcode and recognized the tell-tale signs of burnout as I had experienced full-blown burnout before (my self-motivation was reduced, but not yet gone)