Ask HN: Leaving a dead-end job for a new challenge. Looking for tips and advice

[highhedgehog]

Hi there, I'm looking for some advice and thoughts.

I have stayed at my job (major European bank) for 4 years, and essentially lost these years. It is way too long when you consider that it is a dead-end job. I have stayed because it was simple, hours very good, and nobody bothered me. But since day one I felt I didn't belong.

Unfortunately software engineering jobs do not pay that much here. I here a lot of people here talking about being in a FAANG with top salaries and doing nothing. I'd be doing that too, but in my case the pay is far from top, and possibilities of raises and promotions essentially zero.

I am also not doing software engineering, but more project management. And even in this role, I manage very little. I do not handle budgets, define deadlines or what not. I simple receive the project plan that someone else has done (most likely another contractor) and just have to talk to software contractors to make sure they meet the deadlines.

I feel like I do not add value and my job is worthless. I needed a change.

I have dediced to take a risk.

I have put in my notice (1 month) and accepted a job offer for a remote startup.

During the interviews I've been really transparent. I have 2 years of backend coding experience (node.js), but haven't done it professionally for 4 years. But I am willing to challenge myself because I like doing the techincal part, and actually solving problems.

They also know that I am not familiar with the tech stack they use, but again, very eager to learn.

So, on one hand I feel good that they went along with me anyways. Maybe I just cost less of others, but I like to think that also my positive approach made an impact.

On the other hand, I am a little scared and I would definetly take some advice and tips from more seasoned people from this community, on how to face this change, how to approach the upcoming challenged, and how to get ready.

Thank you very much!

[roland35]

Good luck! I jumped from a super boring consultancy job to work at a startup doing backend work which I never have done before besides the odd Django personal project.

My recommendation is to first take some time and learn the tech stack. Take a course on the language, get familiar with AWS or whatever the infrastructure is, etc.

Second, once you start, try to just get everything up and running beginning to end. Hopefully you can contribute some updates to documentation right away this way!

After that, try to deploy a change, talk to the other engineers about the design history and why things are built the way they were, etc etc. Have fun!

[Juliate]

You did very well stating upfront your experience (which _is_ valuable, even if you didn’t enjoyed your past 4 years, you did learn stuff, believe me. Your skills do transfer onto different jobs.

Once in your new job, don’t be so much scared than enthusiastic: open your ears, eyes, state what surprises you and offer to help, within your role, with what you know already and what you are willing to learn. This will impress positively your team.

As to get ready, best is to ask your future coworkers or hiring manager these questions, they’ll have the best context to push to you (and in my opinion should also reassure you to wait until you’re there).

[8b16380d]

You got thru the interview process and received an offer, you should be set! It's fun learning new things and normally (in my experience) a new environment will be motivation enough to pick up a new stack and be productive.

[highhedgehog → 8b16380d]

Thank you very much!

[savorypiano]

Try to learn as much as you can about the new tech stack before you start. It will be hard to dive into how things work under the hood while also trying to meet deadlines. Even if they know it's a new stack for you, it might still be expected that you commit code by the first week.

[quijoteuniv → savorypiano]

Really? Did you have a company asking you to commit code on the first week, you can barely get the credentials and your badge on the first week.

[savorypiano → quijoteuniv]

"It would be great if..."

Implied if you want to make a good first impression. So yes, but it was mostly a minor change to show you got your setup up and started learning your way around the code base.

[quijoteuniv → savorypiano]

Agreed, set up you git account kind of thing :)

[quijoteuniv]

Congrats and going for a change. I think if more people did this the world would be a better place :)

[highhedgehog → quijoteuniv]

Thank you for your support!