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There is no right answer. At different times I have optimized for career growth (startup), compensation (FAANG), and currently work-life balance and flexibility

There is no right answer. At different times I have optimized for career growth (startup), compensation (FAANG), and currently work-life balance and flexibility (consulting). The only thing I would've done differently is that I didn't optimize for anything the first ten years or so, and jumped on whatever opportunity came knocking. Though in the end it all worked out well enough. So my first recommendation is to identify what matters to you most right now and don't second guess yourself - there is no perfect job out there. As soon as your priorities change and the current situation no longer works, switch. The second bit of advice is to always push yourself out of your comfort zone. Embrace change. This might come off as trite, but that is how growth happens. Many people seem to find a comfortable groove (I did as well) and end up stagnating, and it can be hard to pull yourself out. Good luck!

deanmoriarty 4y ago
Would you be able to comment on how you switched to consulting? I (mid 30s) am at the FAANG point where I optimized for compensation, but the stress of constantly having to make an impact and being subject to pressure from upper management and senior peers without being able to do much about it (“that’s why we pay you so much”) is becoming seriously damaging for my mental health. I saved enough that I could afford the luxury of starting to optimize for work-life balance. I basically would like a job where I can do my 40 hours, be moderately engaged and keep up with new tech without excessive stress caused by large/ambiguous deliverables, and then enjoy my life outside work. I was potentially even thinking about moving to a different career from SWE, e.g. developer advocate, solution architect, … but maybe consulting is an answer.
- romanhn 4y ago
  I wish I had a useful, repeatable answer here, but in my case it was basically all luck. A friend/ex-colleague had been recruiting me for years, but it was never the right time to take the plunge. Finally, everything aligned - the role became remote-only and stopped requiring travel (thanks to COVID), and I completely burnt out at my job. It was a good time to test the waters, and here I am, still doing it almost two years later.

deanmoriarty 4y ago

Would you be able to comment on how you switched to consulting? I (mid 30s) am at the FAANG point where I optimized for compensation, but the stress of constantly having to make an impact and being subject to pressure from upper management and senior peers without being able to do much about it (“that’s why we pay you so much”) is becoming seriously damaging for my mental health. I saved enough that I could afford the luxury of starting to optimize for work-life balance. I basically would like a job where I can do my 40 hours, be moderately engaged and keep up with new tech without excessive stress caused by large/ambiguous deliverables, and then enjoy my life outside work. I was potentially even thinking about moving to a different career from SWE, e.g. developer advocate, solution architect, … but maybe consulting is an answer.

romanhn 4y ago
I wish I had a useful, repeatable answer here, but in my case it was basically all luck. A friend/ex-colleague had been recruiting me for years, but it was never the right time to take the plunge. Finally, everything aligned - the role became remote-only and stopped requiring travel (thanks to COVID), and I completely burnt out at my job. It was a good time to test the waters, and here I am, still doing it almost two years later.