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Burning those bridges carries a cost to your career. If you think about your retirement prospects as amassing wealth by optimizing the "Area under the graph",

by RajT88 4y ago

Burning those bridges carries a cost to your career. If you think about your retirement prospects as amassing wealth by optimizing the "Area under the graph", it's really important to build a professional network so if one job opportunity ends, you can quickly work your network to find another similarly paying job. Failing that, you take a big pay cut, and impact your salary history. I can't imagine an employer making an offer to you which is competitive with your job from 5 years ago, instead of your job right now. Also in some cases (maybe less engineering, but sometimes even then), your professional network is part of what your employer is buying when they hire you. This is true especially of ex-govvy security engineers. TL;DR don't be a dick to your coworkers, even on your way out the door. It's in everyone's best interest.

primeblue 4y ago
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Supermancho 4y ago
> Burning those bridges carries a cost to your career. I don't think this is borne out in practice. I've done very well and very poorly over the decades. It would have to be a very specific situation (lot of events unluckily coinciding) where coworkers/previous position could influence an interview process today.
- RajT88 4y ago
  Not necessarily influence an interview process, but connect you with jobs of your caliber, ones you may not be able to find (or which would not find you) otherwise. I know people (the aforementioned ex-govvies) who have no need of LinkedIn, because this is how they navigate their careers. As you get more and more established in your career, the jobs for someone of your level are less and harder to find.
  - lampshades 4y ago
    While I keep in contact with most people I’ve worked with in the past, I’ve never used them for a job. I still just go through LinkedIn and normally get callbacks from every company I apply to. I think you can offset connections with big names on your resume.
PaulDavisThe1st 4y ago
> If you think about your retirement prospects as amassing wealth by optimizing the "Area under the graph", it's really important to build a professional network so if one job opportunity ends, you can quickly work your network to find another similarly paying job. Do you believe the supermarket shelf stockers think this way? Yes, you've come to understand yourself to be in a different socio-economic class than supermarket shelf-stackers, the class of people who "optimize the area under the graph". But what you fail to see is that your employer has no incentive for maintaining your status in a different socio-economic class, and lots of incentives for changes that drive you, the exalted, mutually loved, always cooperative SWE into the same life+work situation as a supermarket shelf stocker. (apologies, if necessary, to all the fine shelf stockers who are just living their best lives; all 3 of you)
- RajT88 4y ago
  > But what you fail to see I don't fail to see the point of the article, I just think it's wrong. > your employer has no incentive for maintaining your status in a different socio-economic class, and lots of incentives for changes that drive you, the exalted, mutually loved, always cooperative SWE into the same life+work situation as a supermarket shelf stocker. Worker protections are good. So is being good at your job. We can, and should, strive to have it both ways. What's not good is disparaging people who don't have as prestigious a job as you. (And you are doing exactly that) Even shelf stockers have basic human dignity; Don't be a dick.
  - PaulDavisThe1st 4y ago
    > Even shelf stockers have basic human dignity Sure, but no thanks to their employers. Are you telling me that you don't know anyone who doesn't actually like their job, and gets nothing from it except a paycheck? Because it certainly sounds that way.
    - RajT88 4y ago
      I am certainly not saying that, but I am now sure that if you think that, that you probably didn't get my original post at all, and are unlikely to do so no matter how I explain it.

by RajT88 4y ago

primeblue 4y ago

[dead]

Supermancho 4y ago

> Burning those bridges carries a cost to your career. I don't think this is borne out in practice. I've done very well and very poorly over the decades. It would have to be a very specific situation (lot of events unluckily coinciding) where coworkers/previous position could influence an interview process today.

RajT88 4y ago
Not necessarily influence an interview process, but connect you with jobs of your caliber, ones you may not be able to find (or which would not find you) otherwise. I know people (the aforementioned ex-govvies) who have no need of LinkedIn, because this is how they navigate their careers. As you get more and more established in your career, the jobs for someone of your level are less and harder to find.
- lampshades 4y ago
  While I keep in contact with most people I’ve worked with in the past, I’ve never used them for a job. I still just go through LinkedIn and normally get callbacks from every company I apply to. I think you can offset connections with big names on your resume.

PaulDavisThe1st 4y ago

> If you think about your retirement prospects as amassing wealth by optimizing the "Area under the graph", it's really important to build a professional network so if one job opportunity ends, you can quickly work your network to find another similarly paying job. Do you believe the supermarket shelf stockers think this way? Yes, you've come to understand yourself to be in a different socio-economic class than supermarket shelf-stackers, the class of people who "optimize the area under the graph". But what you fail to see is that your employer has no incentive for maintaining your status in a different socio-economic class, and lots of incentives for changes that drive you, the exalted, mutually loved, always cooperative SWE into the same life+work situation as a supermarket shelf stocker. (apologies, if necessary, to all the fine shelf stockers who are just living their best lives; all 3 of you)

RajT88 4y ago
> But what you fail to see I don't fail to see the point of the article, I just think it's wrong. > your employer has no incentive for maintaining your status in a different socio-economic class, and lots of incentives for changes that drive you, the exalted, mutually loved, always cooperative SWE into the same life+work situation as a supermarket shelf stocker. Worker protections are good. So is being good at your job. We can, and should, strive to have it both ways. What's not good is disparaging people who don't have as prestigious a job as you. (And you are doing exactly that) Even shelf stockers have basic human dignity; Don't be a dick.
- PaulDavisThe1st 4y ago
  > Even shelf stockers have basic human dignity Sure, but no thanks to their employers. Are you telling me that you don't know anyone who doesn't actually like their job, and gets nothing from it except a paycheck? Because it certainly sounds that way.
  - RajT88 4y ago
    I am certainly not saying that, but I am now sure that if you think that, that you probably didn't get my original post at all, and are unlikely to do so no matter how I explain it.