Readit NewsIn general I agree with you, clearly not everybody has the luxury of being able to quit their jobs if it doesn't align with their values, especially when the problem is so relatively benign in the grand scheme of things. I'm not trying to downplay Google's decision here, I invite everybody to stop using Chrome, but it's not like they're enslaving people or something. I can imagine that most people wouldn't risk hurting their families or losing their houses for something like that.
That being said, is it really a concern for the average Google engineer? I mean sure, if we're talking about Google's cleaning staff I can imagine that leaving their jobs can be risky but software devs? Even assuming that they have multiple children and a huge mortgage, surely they can easily find other well paying job without much difficulty?
You won't have me believe that the majority of Google's engineers is financially unable to quit their job.
>Some have social anxiety and find job hunting an impossibly scary prospect.
I'm sure that can be a factor but does it really justify anything? As far as looking for a job is concerned we have it super easy. If you can't stand for your values because of "social anxiety" then maybe you don't value your values that much?
And I realize that I sound like I'm on a high horse right now and I am, but I'm talking out of experience. I've been in that situation in the past, doing a job that I found morally questionable but finding myself excuses. Don't make my mistake, it's not worth it. There's more to life than working full time tricking people into watching ads.
> If you can't stand for your values because of "social anxiety" then maybe you don't value your values that much?
I’m not going to downvote you, but if you don’t suffer from social anxiety, you have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. As someone who is affected by it, I can tell you it’s soul crushing when it prevents you from making a move out of a bad situation. It’s completely paralyzing.
I’ve kept budgies (parakeets) all my life, and occasionally I’ll post a picture on social media and get the inevitable “keeping birds in cages is cruel” backlash. It invariably comes from people who do not keep birds.
Budgies love their cages. They clean them, they rearrange them, they make them into a perfect environment in any way they can. Introduce something they don’t like and it’ll end up on the floor. Introduce something they do like and they’ll probably move it because they weren’t happy with the placement.
With the pair I have currently, the whole front of their cage opens up and I open it every day. Usually the male has a five minute fly around the room, lands on the cage, then climbs back in. The female usually doesn’t even bother because she’s far too occupied with housekeeping and making angry noises because he’s not with her.
I can’t speak for the larger parrots having never looked after any, but budgies love their cages.
I've been considering getting a budgie for a long time. Is it ok to keep a single one? How much attention to they need every day? I'm out all day for work, but I could give it attention for hours in the evening and early morning. Also, what is an appropriate cage size? I live in a small condo.
somethingsimple commented on Ask HN: How do I choose between a job offer from Google and a promising startup? · Posted by u/siatsfu
I was faced with a similar choice two years ago and went with Google. I really didn't enjoy my time there; turns out big companies really aren't my cup of tea. I also learned much less than I would have somewhere else because Google's stack is quite proprietary and I simply wasn't motivated in that environment. I quit after only 8 months.
So it may surprise you that I'd recommend taking the Google offer! In my mind, there's no way to lose choosing Google. If it turns out that you love Google, awesome – you can have a great and well-compensated career there. And if it turns out you don't enjoy that kind of shop (like me), your career possibilities will be far wider after a tour of duty at Google than they are right now, including within startups. Google as a resume item will continue paying dividends for as long as it maintains its reputation for engineering excellence.
This advice is based on my personal experience – it's almost certain that I wouldn't be in my current role if I hadn't had Google on my resume when I applied. And my current responsibilities, experience and income far exceed what I could have expected on the alternative trajectory at an early-stage startup, unless its growth happened to have exploded while I was there.
Sort of tangential, but what was work/life balance like at Google for you?
I think it comes down to US and UK in terms of general science research. I would include Japan but language is an issue (for many). Despite what the average math and science metrics in the US imply, I actually think it’s a direct result of more practical approach to education in the US. There are unbelievable opportunities for young students who want to excel in sciences. I was around graduate level research environment since the 8th grade. And I would say it wasn’t all that unusual as long as you knew where to look. Access to science research is unparalleled in the US.
How hard it is to access it as an adult with a career? I'm an immigrant software engineer but I'd love to work in research (I think).
Is there a path other than a PhD at this point?
somethingsimple commented on Ask HN: I want to be a 40h/week intermediate developer.How do I stay employable? · Posted by u/firestri
I understand the evidence indicates that with long-term excessive long hours, performance is worse. You could be the outlier, able to work efficiently after ten to twelve hours, but I understand the probabilities are against this and that actually it is about perception; that the person in charge of saying how good you are at your job is effectively incompetent and can only measure time in office.
I don’t disagree. But when your deadline is often tomorrow, what can you do?
somethingsimple commented on Ask HN: I want to be a 40h/week intermediate developer.How do I stay employable? · Posted by u/firestri
You may last a couple years being the odd one out doing strictly 40h a week, but performance review is going to catch up with you at some point.
That doesn't sound like a performance review. It sounds like a "are you staying late in the office" review. If the way to get ahead isn't to be good, but to just stay late, is it really worth it? All those extra hours of your life, sitting at a desk, wishing you could go home, but instead flicking through another batch of click-bait articles and padding out your timesheet.
Although I suppose if that's how it is, one could game it. Turn up a little early even, make a big noise so everyone sees you're there (oh, that guy, he's ALWAYS here early - that's what they'll remember, even if you're actually in early less than everyone else), and then just leave for an hour to have a leisurely breakfast. Pretend you have a meeting before lunch and one after, and just go to the gym and take a long lunch; you could even find a "meeting buddy" - someone with whom you have meetings, on the understanding that neither of you will be there. Faking decisions and the like from meetings is easy; generally, you can make the actual decisions in sixty seconds on your own. Identify days that the boss will be in late or leave early and treat those as short days. Get into the habit of podcasts or self-education during those long evenings at the desk. I suppose if one embraces it and games it for what's being measured - time on the clock - it wouldn't be so bad.
It’s not about perception. I have to stay late because the work itself is insane. Crazy deadlines, dependency on other people/teams, that sort of thing.
somethingsimple commented on Ask HN: I want to be a 40h/week intermediate developer.How do I stay employable? · Posted by u/firestri
Jesus. You would be alone in the office after 17.00 if you were in Sweden, and people would think you are a sucker for wasting your life in an office.
You would be seen as someone who has no life. You would not get respect or higher salary here.
You have to admit, the Swedish way is sane while your culture is crazy.
Before immigrating to the US, I actually looked into Sweden. It seems nearly impossible to immigrate there :/
Everything I hear about your country sounds amazing!
somethingsimple commented on Ask HN: I want to be a 40h/week intermediate developer.How do I stay employable? · Posted by u/firestri
He did say "telco, bank, large internet company". I don't think MS and Amazon are like that.
I worked at a very large company, one of the top 40 on the stock market. The attitude is quite complacent. Everyone except senior management is forced to work 40 hours. As in they are all given generous vacation time, and the electricity is cut during holidays so nobody can work. Any contact outside office hours is highly discouraged by management.
A lot of those companies are not bad. They attract family people who are super smart and hard-working, but prioritize work-life balance. These giant companies know they can't attract the young and ambitious, so they go for the older and experienced.
Seriously, I need names. I have daily daydreams about the “comfy, 9-5, well-paying corporate job”. Maybe it’s the Seattle area but I’ve never heard of one here. Every job ad no matter the company always has the subtle wording that indicates you’ll be working under a lot of pressure and forced to multitask like crazy and spend long hours in the office.
It's about BOPE, the special operations unit of Rio de Janeiro police. The first is about the military anti-gang exploits, the second is a good hard look at what corruption looks like. The drugs aren't going away if you break up a cartel, neither is the money.