
Ask HN: Take new job, realize you cant learn much for your colleagues - a_lifters_life
how&#x27;d you handle the situation?
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davismwfl
I think too often engineers think of learning from others as learning
technology related things as the only thing you can learn. And sometimes you
join a more junior team that learning tech from them will be hard (there still
are opportunities though IME).

I was super lucky (like many others) in that I was taught as a kid that I can
learn something from everyone, I just had to recognize not everyone had the
same information to teach or the delivery you are used to. I personally have
joined more junior teams where I had the most experience measured in decades,
but those teams still were able to teach me things cause I always keep an open
mind. But at first glance I would've said there was not much for me to learn.

Also, while I agree you want to surround yourself with people smarter than you
it doesn't mean every team you join will have that. The team may be upping
their game by hiring you and expect you to do the same, that is how teams get
better. So use the opportunity to mentor, teach and as the team adds more
members or replaces some find people that are smarter than you, which will
raise the level again.

In fact the place where I am now, I had 20 years more experience than the next
"senior" person when I joined. I've still learned things and I feel (and have
been told) I've helped them raise their game and together we've raised all our
game and knowledge, so we have all won and continue to everyday. I am
approaching 4 years here.

------
sloaken
So you found yourself as a big fish in a little pond? You prefer to be the
small fish in a big pond (lake / ocean)?

You can learn a lot by teaching others. You can learn by leading.

On the other hand, if you run into a situation I ran into where I joined a
company where I was going to learn new. And the senior people all left, and
myself not knowing anything, became the senior. Then I recommend: 1) find a
mentor to help you 2) find another job. I was blamed for the lack of progress
as we struggled with the tech the prior people had selected and partially
built.

