4 ms·

> Was that lucky and atypical? If you started your career 25 years ago, you were present in the field before it massively expanded. Your peers are nothing like

by vkou 4y ago

> Was that lucky and atypical? If you started your career 25 years ago, you were present in the field before it massively expanded. Your peers are nothing like my peers (Started 13 years ago), and nothing like the peers of someone who started 3 years ago.

ghaff 4y ago
I’m not sure of your point. So a job I got 13 years ago largely through a contact isn’t how things work today? As in my most recent example.
- jventura 4y ago
  I think he's saying things are more volatile now. When the industry was much smaller, it was easier to make and stay in personal contact with others. Also, it's natural that if you started your career 25 years ago, many people you've met back then (and may have also started back then) are now senior (devs, managers, etc.). A person that started in the industry in the last 5 years may not have many friends in senior positions, and personal connections are more volatile as well (more people, more competition, etc.). It's my reading!
  - ghaff 4y ago
    Certainly "have connections" is generally less actionable advice for a junior person than a senior one. But I think it's more a function of tenure in the industry than how the industry has grown.
- vkou 4y ago
  To clarify - a random SWE's random peer from 25 years ago is much more like to be in an influential senior position, than a random SWE's random peer from a job 13 years ago, or a random SWE's random peer from a job last year. Your friends are statistically more likely to be closer to the top of the pyramid than mine, and my friends are closer to the top than a fresh no-name college graduate's.
  - ghaff 4y ago
    I think we're in violent agreement though. The reason I know a ton of people in the industry isn't that it was a different industry back when I was starting out--heck, a lot of those people are retired by now. Rather, it's that I'm senior, attend events, interact with other senior people, etc. Nothing to do with the industry changing mostly. But with the fact that as you spend time in an industry you know more and more people. Connections obviously aren't the only way to land jobs. But, especially in leaner times, having someone you've worked with lay eyes on your resume certainly helps.

by vkou 4y ago

ghaff 4y ago

I’m not sure of your point. So a job I got 13 years ago largely through a contact isn’t how things work today? As in my most recent example.

jventura 4y ago
I think he's saying things are more volatile now. When the industry was much smaller, it was easier to make and stay in personal contact with others. Also, it's natural that if you started your career 25 years ago, many people you've met back then (and may have also started back then) are now senior (devs, managers, etc.). A person that started in the industry in the last 5 years may not have many friends in senior positions, and personal connections are more volatile as well (more people, more competition, etc.). It's my reading!
- ghaff 4y ago
  Certainly "have connections" is generally less actionable advice for a junior person than a senior one. But I think it's more a function of tenure in the industry than how the industry has grown.
vkou 4y ago
To clarify - a random SWE's random peer from 25 years ago is much more like to be in an influential senior position, than a random SWE's random peer from a job 13 years ago, or a random SWE's random peer from a job last year. Your friends are statistically more likely to be closer to the top of the pyramid than mine, and my friends are closer to the top than a fresh no-name college graduate's.
- ghaff 4y ago
  I think we're in violent agreement though. The reason I know a ton of people in the industry isn't that it was a different industry back when I was starting out--heck, a lot of those people are retired by now. Rather, it's that I'm senior, attend events, interact with other senior people, etc. Nothing to do with the industry changing mostly. But with the fact that as you spend time in an industry you know more and more people. Connections obviously aren't the only way to land jobs. But, especially in leaner times, having someone you've worked with lay eyes on your resume certainly helps.