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This is an example of my worst nightmare realised. I stick with my current job, which is just an okay job (I'm neither happy nor unhappy), because I'm convinced

This is an example of my worst nightmare realised. I stick with my current job, which is just an okay job (I'm neither happy nor unhappy), because I'm convinced I couldn't get another. Unlike the author, I have a uni education (up to PhD) but my background is weird compared most folks in my field and also the stack at my current job is quite unusual, too. Together, these mean I don't tick the boxes for most job ads in my field, but I actually perform well in my current role. The only reason I have that role, though, is because I bypassed the usual hiring route into the company and someone was willing to take a chance on me. My primary goal at my current job is to build up experience with common tools in my domain wherever possible in an effort to make my more employable in the future and to make my résumé a bit less weird.

denton-scratch 4y ago
> I have a uni education (up to PhD) If I were hiring, that would get you dropped from my candidate pool. I hired a PhD once, and it was a mistake. They're ultra-specialized in a field that probably isn't important to your business, they're very clever and don't take well to being instructed, and they don't like grunt work. I realize that's a very broad generalization! I've only had to recruit once, and I wasn't recruiting for something intellectually challenging. And the recruit in question wasn't a CS graduate - he was an astronomer.
- Lyngbakr 4y ago
  Although I totally understand your point of view — one bitten, twice shy — it's unfortunate that all PhDs will no longer stand a chance with you because of one person. I've also heard from people who are hiring that having a PhD is seen as a major disadvantage, but for other reasons. In one informational interview, I was told that people think PhDs will want exorbitant salaries, corner offices, etc., and also come with huge egos. I've worked with lots of PhDs over the years from really diverse fields and I've never encountered that, which is not to say it doesn't happen, though. As I say, my background is weird — and I include my PhD in that — which makes life difficult when job hunting.

denton-scratch 4y ago

> I have a uni education (up to PhD) If I were hiring, that would get you dropped from my candidate pool. I hired a PhD once, and it was a mistake. They're ultra-specialized in a field that probably isn't important to your business, they're very clever and don't take well to being instructed, and they don't like grunt work. I realize that's a very broad generalization! I've only had to recruit once, and I wasn't recruiting for something intellectually challenging. And the recruit in question wasn't a CS graduate - he was an astronomer.

Lyngbakr 4y ago
Although I totally understand your point of view — one bitten, twice shy — it's unfortunate that all PhDs will no longer stand a chance with you because of one person. I've also heard from people who are hiring that having a PhD is seen as a major disadvantage, but for other reasons. In one informational interview, I was told that people think PhDs will want exorbitant salaries, corner offices, etc., and also come with huge egos. I've worked with lots of PhDs over the years from really diverse fields and I've never encountered that, which is not to say it doesn't happen, though. As I say, my background is weird — and I include my PhD in that — which makes life difficult when job hunting.